Philosophy
Philosophy
101 Caldwell Hall, CB# 3125
(919) 962-7291
First Session, 2024
PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy: Central Problems, Great Minds, Big Ideas (3)
An introduction to philosophy focusing on a few central problems, for example: free will, the basis of morality, the nature and limits of knowledge, and the existence of God.
PHIL 105 How to Reason and Argue: An Introduction to Critical Thinking (3)
A course on how to identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments by other people and how to construct arguments. Topics include argument reconstruction, informal logic, fallacies, introductory formal logic, probabilistic reasoning.
PHIL 143 AI and the Future of Humanity: Philosophical Issues about Technology and Human Survival (3)
This course investigates philosophical issues arising from advanced forms of technology, in particular artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and biological augmentation. We will consider questions about the dangers and benefits of AI, survival in non-biological ways, moral constraints on AI, the relationship between human and machine morality, and others.
PHIL 155 Truth and Proof: Introduction to Mathematical Logic (3)
Introduces the theory of deductive reasoning, using a symbolic language to represent and evaluate patterns of reasoning. Covers sentential logic and first-order predicate logic.
PHIL 164 Morality and Business (3)
An examination of business ethics and the types of ethical dilemmas people may face in business practices.
PHIL 165 Bioethics (3)
An examination of ethical issues in the life sciences and technologies, medicine, public health, and/or human interaction with nonhuman animals or the living environment.
PHIL 210 Wonder, Myth, and Reason: Introduction to Ancient Greek Science and Philosophy (3)
The emergence of philosophy in Greece during the sixth century BCE and its development during the classical period. The major figures studied are the Pre-Socratic philosophers, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
PHIL 213 Asian Philosophy (3)
An examination of some of the philosophical traditions of Asia. Possible topics include Advaita Vedanta, Nyaya-Vaisheshika, Madhyamaka Buddhism, neo-Confucianism, Mohism, and philosophical Taoism.
PHIL 230 Mind, Matter, and Metaphysics: the Philosophy of Experience and Reality (3)
Topics in metaphysics and/or epistemology, such as: Is your mind different from your brain? Is it possible for us to know anything about the external world? Do we have free will? What distinguishes reasonable from unreasonable belief?
PHIL 272 The Ethics of Peace, War, and Defense (POLI 272) (PWAD 272) (3)
An analysis of ethical issues that arise in peace, war, and defense, e.g., the legitimacy of states, just war theory, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction.
PHIL 280 Morality, Law, and Justice: Issues in Legal Philosophy (3)
Explores issues in legal philosophy such as, What is law? Does it serve justice or undermine it? Can punishment be justified? When is a person responsible?
Second Session, 2024
PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy: Central Problems, Great Minds, Big Ideas (3)
An introduction to philosophy focusing on a few central problems, for example: free will, the basis of morality, the nature and limits of knowledge, and the existence of God.
PHIL 105 How to Reason and Argue: An Introduction to Critical Thinking (3)
A course on how to identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments by other people and how to construct arguments. Topics include argument reconstruction, informal logic, fallacies, introductory formal logic, probabilistic reasoning.
PHIL 110 Philosophical Texts that Changed the World: An Introduction to Philosophy through Great Works (3) ***Canceled***
An introduction to philosophy focusing on several great books from the history of Western philosophy. See course description at the department’s website for which books will be covered each semester.
PHIL 140 Knowledge and Society (3)
An examination of questions about knowledge, evidence, and rational belief as they arise in areas of social life such as democratic politics, the law, science, religion, and education.
PHIL 155 Truth and Proof: Introduction to Mathematical Logic (3)
Introduces the theory of deductive reasoning, using a symbolic language to represent and evaluate patterns of reasoning. Covers sentential logic and first-order predicate logic.
PHIL 165 Bioethics (3)
An examination of ethical issues in the life sciences and technologies, medicine, public health, and/or human interaction with nonhuman animals or the living environment.
PHIL 220 17th and 18th Century Western Philosophy (3)
A study of some major philosophical works from this period, including works by authors such as Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Leibniz, Hume, and/or Kant.
PHIL 224 Existential Philosophy and the Meaning(lessness) of Life (3)
A survey of European philosophers in the phenomenological and existentialist traditions. Philosophers studied may include Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Camus.
PHIL 272 The Ethics of Peace, War, and Defense (POLI 272) (PWAD 272) (3)
An analysis of ethical issues that arise in peace, war, and defense, e.g., the legitimacy of states, just war theory, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction.
PHIL 274 Race, Racism, and Social Justice: African-American Political Philosophy (3)
Race, identity, discrimination, multiculturalism, affirmative action, and slave reparations in the writings of Walker, Delany, Douglass, Cooper, DuBois, King, and Malcolm X.
PHIL 275 Moral and Philosophical Issues of Gender in Society (WGST 275) (3)
A survey of feminist perspectives on topics such as the meaning of oppression, sexism and racism, sex roles and stereotypes, ideals of female beauty, women in the workplace, pornography, rape.