PHIL101.B     Introduction to Philosophy (1 unit) An investigation into the effect of the impact of modern science in shaping our beliefs about the mind, freedom, morality, God and meaning. The effects of the intellectual hegemony of scientific naturalism are explored by way of a comparison between modern and pre-modern cultures and beliefs. The specific issues discussed may include, but are not limited to, the following questions: Can computers think? Are we free or determined? What are the differences and similarities between modern and pre-modern conceptions of the person, of nature, of justice, and normativity?

PHIL104.Q      Introduction to Logic (1 unit) An introduction to the informal and formal principles, techniques, and skills that are necessary for distinguishing correct from incorrect reasoning.

PHIL250.H      History of Ancient Philosophy (1 unit) A survey of the philosophy of the Pre-Socratics, Plato and Aristotle

PHIL251H       History of Medieval Philosophy (1 unit) A survey of philosophy from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, with emphasis on Augustine and Aquinas

PHIL260.H      History of Modern Philosophy (1 unit) A survey of and engagement with the great works of the western philosophical tradition from Descartes and the Rationalists, through Hume and the Empiricists, and ending with Kant.

PHIL305          Philosophy of Mind (1 unit) An examination of the nature of consciousness. Topics may include contemporary theories of behaviorism, functionalism, artificial intelligence, and cognitive science.

PHIL306         Philosophy of Language (1 unit) An examination of the role of language in shaping, limiting and expressing thought. The connection between philosophy and language and the nature of language itself will be explored through the work of contemporary philosophers.

PHIL307.J      Social and Political Philosophy (1 unit) An examination of contemporary social and political issues in the light of classical and contemporary works of philosophy. Topics may include justice, freedom, property, equality, and democracy.

PHIL308.E      Existentialism (1 unit) An examination of issues concerning the meaning of human existence. Sample topics may include: freedom and responsibility, anxiety and death, authenticity and alienation, the individual and society, emotions and reason, faith and God.

PHIL309.J      Feminist Philosophy (1 unit) An examination of national and global feminist philosophers’ efforts to develop a perspective of their own. Discussions will focus on feminist analyses of the family, pornography, reproductive rights, violence against women, the intersection of gender, race, and class, women’s oppression, the causes of that oppression, and ways of fighting it. The course will include a service learning component.

PHIL310         Contemporary Philosophy (1 unit) A survey of philosophical movements and/or influential individual philosophers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries

PHIL313.E      Philosophy of Religion (1 unit) An examination of some of the major issues in classical and contemporary philosophy of religion, including the nature and significance of religious language, the existence and nature of God, the problem of evil, religious experience, miracles, and alternatives to theism.

PHIL314          Philosophy of Education (1 unit) Selected topics in the philosophy of education are discussed. Topics may include Plato’s and Aristotle’s philosophies of education, the philosophies of education in the Hellenistic Schools, and modern philosophies of education including Dewey and Rousseau.

PHIL315.JS      Contemporary Moral Dilemmas (1 unit) This seminar is a course in normative ethical inquiry. As such it focuses on real-life moral dilemmas rather than on philosophical ethical theory. In this respect this course is an applied ethics course. Arguments on both sides of ethical dilemmas are considered.  Such issues may include but are not limited to the following: abortion, euthanasia, human rights, racism, sexism, and animal rights.

PHIL350.E       Ethics (1 unit)  An examination of the two major approaches to ethics, action-based ethical theories and virtue-based ethical theories and an examination of the nature of ethical language and ethical reasoning.

PHIL351          Epistemology (1 unit) An examination of human knowledge with attention to recent developments and classical theories. Topics include skepticism, the justification of beliefs, rationality and truth.

PHIL352          Metaphysics (1 unit) An examination of the classic philosophical problems concerning the nature of reality. Topics may include the nature of consciousness, causation, freedom and determinism, the nature of persons, questions of the objectivity and/or subjectivity of reality.

PHIL353.A      Aesthetics (1 unit) An examination of the arts and their relation to philosophy. Topics may include theories of art and beauty, language and music; philosophy and the dramatic arts; philosophy and film; philosophy and literature.

PHIL390          Topics in Philosophy (1 -2 units) Topics studied will vary and may include philosophical movements (such as pragmatism), historical periods (such as Roman and Hellenistic philosophy), and philosophical areas (such as the philosophy of law).

PHIL400          Department Seminar (1-2 units) Selected topics in philosophy are discussed in a seminar format. One member of the Department directs the seminar, but other members of the philosophy faculty participate. This course is required for all philosophy majors and may be repeated for credit. Department approval required

PHIL453          Advanced Logic (1 unit) A study of second order predicate calculus, mathematical logic, and on occasion, modal logic Prerequisite: PHIL104.

PHIL485           Independent Study (1 unit)

PHIL499           Senior Project (1 unit) Departmental approval required