Philosophy

Lee Braver (2000), Chair, Associate Professor of Philosophy

B.A., Northwestern University;

M.A., Ph.D., Emory University

Academic Interest: Focuses on 19th and 20th century European philosophy as well as connections between analytic and continental thought.

Colin Anderson (2002), Assistant Professor of Philosophy

B.A., St. John’s College;

M.A., Ph.D., Loyola University of Chicago

Academic Interest: Focuses on ancient Greek philosophy (especially Plato and Aristole), contemporary continental philosophy, and ethics.

 

Introduction

Philosophy is one of most diverse areas of the humanities and is central to a liberal arts education. Philosophy examines the nature of reality, the character of knowledge, and the meaning of human values. Students of philosophy develop the ability to interpret philosophical texts, critically reflect on claims of knowledge, and formulate their own views on fundamental questions of life. Graduates in philosophy are able to pursue studies in philosophy, law, health-related areas, computer science, theology, business, and other fields.

 

Requirements for Majors

A major in philosophy requires 10 courses in philosophy which must include:

PHIL 121 Elementary Logic

PHIL 210 Ancient Philosophy and PHIL 212 Early Modern Philosophy,

Two further courses from the History of Philosophy Sequence which includes PHIL 211 Medieval Philosophy, PHIL 213 Nineteenth Century Philosophy, PHIL 370 Existentialism, and Phil 375 Phenomenology,

Two 400 Level Philosophy Seminars,

The philosophy capstone requirement (see below), and

A foreign language through 103. Students are strongly urged to take foreign language courses beyond the minimum.

Note: only one 100-level course besides 121 Elementary Logic can count towards the major requirements. Certain FSEM’s can count as a 100-level elective.

 

Philosophy Capstone

The Philosophy Department offers two ways for its majors to satisfy the General Education Capstone Requirement:

Satisfactory work on an Honor's Thesis.

Successful completion of an approved 400 level Philosophy seminar which fulfills the college requirement of: independent work, integration and assimilation of topics and skills philosophy majors have developed over the course of their studies, reflection on the meaning and significance of philosophy.  The seminar will include a demonstration.

 

Requirements for Minors

A minor in philosophy requires six courses which must include:

Either PHIL 210 Ancient Philosophy or PHIL 212 Early Modern Philosophy,

One other class from the History of Philosophy Sequence (210, 211, 212, 213, 370, 375),

One 400 level Philosophy Seminar.

The remaining three courses are electives, though Logic is strongly recommended. Only one 100 level class besides 121 Elementary Logic can count towards the minor requirements.

Acceptable Electives from other departments include:

Classical Political Philosophy, POLS 373

Modern Political Philosophy, POLS 274

Selected Topics in Political Philosophy, POLS 479

American Thought, POLS 319

Introductory Courses Offered

 

101 Introduction to Philosophy ES, IM                                                4 hours

An introduction to some of the basic issues and areas of philosophy: metaphysics and theories of reality, epistemology and theories of knowledge, ethics, social & political philosophy, theories of human nature and existence. Historical and contemporary texts studied, such as Plato, Descartes, Kant, Mill, Nietzsche, Freud, Sartre.

118 Introduction to Ethics ES                                                              3 hours

An inquiry and introduction to the texts and theories of traditional and contemporary ethics, including virtue ethics, utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and ethics of care.

121 Elementary Logic MM                                                                    3 hours

Informal and formal logic. Attention to informal fallacies, propositions, formal argument structures and their classification. Deductive and inductive arguments.

History of Philosophy Course Sequence

210 Ancient Philosophy ES, IM                                                            4 hours

A study of classical Greek and Roman philosophy. Readings in the pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics, giving attention to the influence of these thinkers in shaping the character of philosophy.

211/241 Medieval Philosophy ES, IM                                            3 - 4 hours

Christian, Jewish, and Islamic thinkers who shaped philosophy from the fourth to the 14th century. Questions regarding the nature of the will, philosophical method, the character of language and universals, and the chain of revelation. (241 is offered as the 3 credit version of this course).

212 Early Modern Philosophy IM                                                         4 hours

An examination of European philosophy from 1600-1800, including the Rationalists (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz), the British Empiricists (Locke, Berkeley, Hume), and the critical philosophy of Kant.

213 Nineteenth Century Philosophy IM                                               4 hours

An overview of the development of German idealism from Kant to Hegel, the collapse of idealism in the post-Hegelian philosophy of Marx, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche.

370 Existentialism ES, IM                                                               3 - 4 hours

An examination of existential thought through the texts of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Camus, Sartre, Beauvoir, and others; a study of the existential concepts of dread, freedom, subjective truth, bad faith, and authenticity.

375 Phenomenology                                                                       3 - 4 hours

An introduction to the movement of phenomenology, its methods and theories, through the writings of Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, and Sartre. Topics include the phenomenological reduction, lived experience, embodiment, intersubjectivity and the other, and existential psychology.

Courses for the General Student

 

202 Philosophy of Education                                                               3 hours

A comparative and critical examination of classical philosophies of education and contemporary alternatives. Texts from Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Dewey, and others.

204 Philosophy of Art                                                                          4 hours

An examination of major issues and concepts in traditional and contemporary aesthetic theory, including the role of representation in art, the relation of art to morality, Marxist and Freudian theories of art, interpretation and aesthetic response, creativity in art. The course will also focus on specific art media, such as film, literature, and painting.

205 Ethics ES                                                                                       4 hours

This class studies some of the greatest ethical and meta-ethical theories in the Western tradition in greater detail.  We will pay particular attention to how these thinkers construct their own theories and criticize each others’. 

219 Contemporary Moral Problems ES                                                4 hours

Examination of topics and issues in moral problems, drawn from one or more of the following: biomedical ethics, business ethics, environmental ethics, social ethics, sexual/gender ethics.

225 Philosophy and Feminism UD, ES                                                 3 hours

This course is an exploration of the central concerns, issues, and theories of modern and contemporary feminisms, including the sex/gender distinction, essentialism, feminist critiques of knowledge and disciplines, ecological feminism, women’s spirituality, feminist ethics, and the connections of feminism to issues of class, race, and sexuality.

228 Theories of Human Nature                                                           3 hours

A comparative-critical examination of contrasting and divergent views of human nature. Theories to be examined will include one or more of the following: Christianity, Buddhism, Evolutionary theory, Classical conceptions of humanity, Psychoanalysis, Marxism, Existentialism, Feminism, non-Western and native culture conceptions of humanity.

264/5 History and Philosophy of Science                                     3 - 4 hours

An examination of the rise of modern science and the intellectual revolution in the attitude and orientation towards the universe. The displacement of the older world view and the new hypothesis that nature is inherently mathematical in structure. Galileo’s project of the mathematization of nature, and its significance for the experimental methods, and understanding of human nature and culture. A 4 credit hour version is offered as Philosophy 265.

270 Environmental Philosophy ES                                                       4 hours

An examination of the ethical, social, political, historical, and spiritual dimensions of human relations with nature. Course will explore recent developments in environmental theory, including deep ecology, ecological feminism, social ecology, bioregionalism, as well as alternative conceptions of nature in native and primary peoples. The history of American environmentalism and activism will also be addressed. Also listed as Environmental Studies 270.

271 Animals and Ethics ES                                                                  4 hours

This course will consider the relationship between ethical theories and our treatment of other animals.  We will examine relevant ethical theories probably including at least Utilitarianism, rights-based and contract-based ethical theories.  These theories will be examined in their applications to problems surrounding our treatment of non-human animals including consuming animals as food, using animals for experimentation, and the recreational use of animals.  In addition, this course will consider issues surrounding our ascription of various mental states or capacities to animals including the ability to feel pain, possessions of interests and desires, and the ascription of awareness, self-awareness, and language to animals.

290 Post Modernism                                                                            3 hours

Post Modernism is the reigning philosophical and artistic movement today.  Contemporary artworks and philosophers are casually described as Post-Modern, though pinning down just what that means can be difficult.  In this class, we will try to identify what Post-Modernism is and how it differs from earlier movements, especially Modernism and the Enlightenment.  We will trace its birth and development across the last half-century in America and Europe.  We will be focusing on its philosophical representatives, though we will examine how these ideas can take artistic form.

Advanced Work in Philosophy

280 Seminar                                                                                   1 - 4 hours

281 Independent Study                                                                  1 - 4 hours

298 Field Experience                                                                     1 – 4 hours

380 Seminar                                                                                         3 hours

381

Topics                                                                                               1-4 hours

                                                                                                            

480 Senior Seminar                                                                        1 - 4 hours

481 Independent Research                                                            1 - 4 hours

400 Major Philosophical Problems                                                     4 hours

An investigation of a major problem, issues, concept in philosophy, or a study of a particular text. (Permission of Instructor)

450 Major Philosophers                                                                       4 hours

An investigation of the writings of a major philosopher, such as Plato, Kant, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Heidegger. (Permission of Instructor)

 

470 Heidegger’s Being and Time                                                         4 hours

This class will be a slow reading of one of philosophy’s masterpieces: Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time.  Considered by many to be the greatest work of twentieth-century philosophy, it has also influenced religious studies, psychology, literary criticism, cognitive science, and many other fields.  Heidegger explores in fascinating detail what it is like to experience life as a human being, in such a way as to be at once both astonishing and profoundly familiar.

471 Later Heidegger                                                                            4 hours

Martin Heidegger is arguably the most important philosopher of the twentieth century and his later work has given rise to an astonishing variety of movements across disciplines: postmodernism, post-colonialism, deconstructionism, just to name a few.  This class focuses on this later work, one of the most difficult but also most important bodies of work in the history of philosophy.

475 Foucault: The Politics of Identity                                                 4 hours

Michel Foucault is an important and intriguing figure in late 20th century philosophy.  His claim that power affects all human relations has influenced gender studies, literary criticism, religious studies, and traditional views of the medical and psychological professions.  Foucault shows how all features of reality and human nature are fundamentally historical, which undermines our traditional pursuits of truth and liberates us at the same time.  We will examine books from each of the three phases of his work, focusing on his “genealogical” period in which he describes the historical origin and transformations of punishment and sexuality.

490 Wittgenstein’s Critique of Language                                            4 hours

This class will be an extended analysis of on of the 20th century’s greatest philosophers: Ludwig Wittgenstein.  The single most important figure in Analytic Philosophy, Wittgenstein’s entire body of work pursues the question of language.  What is language?  How does it work?  What are its limitations?  Our study of his work will examine both early and later Wittgenstein to trace out the continuities as well as the breaks between the periods (at one point, he wanted his two great works, the Tractatus and Philosophical Investigations, to be published together in one tome), and we will examine his impact on analytic philosophy by reading a representative from each of the two movements he influenced.

Additional Information