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Philosophy
Study in
Philosophy is an essential ingredient of a liberal arts
education. The Department of Philosophy offers a full
curriculum on four levels: introductory courses (101-110),
history of philosophy courses (125-150, 245, 250), intermediate
and advanced courses with concentration on particular
sub-fields of philosophy (200-250), and topical and historical
seminars (301-370). The Philosophy major meets the needs
and interests of the following students: a) those who
plan graduate study and teaching in the field; b) those
who intend to go to law school; c) those who seek preparation
for work in government, business, social service, journalism,
or any field in which critical thinking is valued; and
d) those who wish to approach a liberal arts education
through a concentrated study of philosophy. The major
also combines easily with other majors.
Introductory
Courses.
Courses 101-110 offer the student a choice of emphases
in an initial study of methods, problems, and theories
in philosophy. None of these courses duplicates courses
of higher number; and no student may receive College credit
for more than one of them. Some other courses are also
open to students with no previous work in philosophy.
These other courses are not intended to serve as introductory
courses in philosophy, but they may still be taken by
students without previous philosophical training who have
a special interest in their topics. These include two
survey courses in the history of philosophy (Ancient Philosophy,
125, and Modern Philosophy, 135), the course in Deductive
Logic, 200, and Analysis of Reasoning, 201, as well as
certain other advanced courses.
Entry-Level
Course Sequence Suggestions.
The Department suggests any of its introductory courses
as an appropriate first course in philosophy. (Other philosophy
courses that are open without prerequisite may also serve
this purpose, though they are not intended as introductory
courses.) From any of these first courses, students may,
with occasional exceptions, proceed to any of the Department's
advanced offerings. For purposes of the major it is desirable,
though not mandatory, that the course in deductive logic,
200, or that in the analysis of reasoning, 201, should
be completed early in one's philosophical studies. Students
interested in majoring in philosophy should consult with
the chairperson, or any member of the Department, concerning
course sequence planning. It is possible to complete the
philosophy major even though it is not started until the
junior year.
Major.
When declaring a major in philosophy a student may choose
any faculty member in the Department to serve as major
advisor. The selection of courses for the major is to
be made in consultation with the major advisor.
The major
consists of at least thirty credit hours of course work
in the Department of Philosophy, including the following
course requirements:
1. Three
courses in the history of philosophy, including at least
one Philosophical Classics course.
2. Deductive
Logic (200) or the Analysis of Reasoning (201). (Equivalent
course work may substitute for this, with the approval
of the major advisor.) (Students intending graduate study
in philosophy are advised to take Deductive Logic (200).)
3. Ethics
(204) or Social, Political, Legal Philosophy (226). (A
relevant Philosophical Classics course or Seminar may
substitute for this, with the approval of the major advisor,)
4. Theory
of Knowledge (206) or Philosophy of Science (222). (A
relevant Philosophical Classics course or Seminar may
substitute for this, with the approval of the major advisor.)
5. Metaphysics
(208) or Philosophy of Mind (228). (A relevant Philosophical
Classics course or Seminar may substitute for this, with
the approval of the major advisor.)
6. The
balance of the thirty credit hours of work in the Department
of Philosophy consists of electives chosen by the student
in consultation with the major advisor.
Minor.
Students may earn a minor in philosophy upon completion
of a program of study approved by a minor advisor in the
Department. A minor involves fifteen credit hours of work
in philosophy. No more than one of these courses may be
from the introductory courses, 101-110. Each student's
program is developed individually in consultation with
their minor advisor. Examples of subject-areas appropriate
for a minor in philosophy are (i) Logic and Language,
(ii) Theory of Value, (iii) History of Philosophy, (iv)
Metaphysics and Theory of Knowledge, and (v) Philosophy
and Science. Students majoring in philosophy may not minor
in philosophy. Courses in philosophy also count toward
the Cognitive Sciences Concentration.
Honors.
The Department offers an honors program to qualified senior
majors. The Program involves intensive study and writing
under faculty supervision for an academic year. It culminates
in the preparation of a lengthy written thesis, and a
defense of the thesis before departmental faculty and,
typically, an external examiner from another college or
university. Questions should be directed to the Department's
Director of the Honors Program.
Winter
Term. The
following faculty are willing to sponsor Winter Term projects
as indicated. Mr. Ganson: history of philosophy, history
and philosophy of psychology, metaphysics, theory of knowledge.
Ms. Ganson: theory of knowledge, philosophy of science,
philosophy of language, logic. Mr. Hall: political philosophy,
ethical theory, contemporary moral issues including bioethics
and environmental ethics, moral issues, and philosophy
of law. Mr. Jones: formal and informal logic; topics in
philosophy of science, metaphysics, and philosophy of
mind. Mr. McInerney: philosophy of mind and philosophical
issues in cognitive science; Metaphysics; 19th and 20th
Century Philosophers, e.g., Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre,
Foucault.
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Introductory
Courses
No
student may receive college credit for more than one Introductory
Course
101. Problems
of Philosophy 3 hours
3HU
First
Semester. An introduction to philosophy through the study
and discussion of topics such as the nature and existence
of God, the grounds and limits of human knowledge, minds
and their place in nature, freedom and determinism, and
the nature of morality. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Ms. Ganson,
Mr. Jones
102. Introduction
to Philosophy 3 hours
3HU
First
and Second Semester. An introduction to philosophy through
the study of some important philosophical works. Examples
of such works are: Plato's Republic, Descartes' Meditations,
Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding and Dialogues
Concerning Natural Religion, and Kant's Prolegomena to
Any Future Metaphysics and Grounding for the Metaphysics
of Morals. Exams and papers required. Enrollment Limit:
30.
Mr. MacKay,
Mr. Ganson
105. Philosophy
and Values 3 hours
3HU,
WR
First
and Second Semester. Two questions central not just
to moral philosophy but to human life are what is good
for people and what it is we ought to do. In addressing
the first question, we will ask whether it is pleasure,
the satisfaction of desire, some other list of objective
goods, or a particular way of life that constitutes
human good. In addressing the second, we shall discuss
a range of questions. Is there such a thing as a moral
fact, independent of anyone's belief about it and discoverable
by us? How might we go about moral reasoning at all?
Should we try to do the most good for everyone affected
by our actions, or are some actions, such as killing
the innocent, ruled out irrespective of their larger
consequences? These questions will set the stage for
the largest part of the class: a discussion of several
contemporary moral controversies. For example, what
is the moral status of abortion? What about euthanasia
and assisted suicide? What about cloning? Is there such
a thing as just war, and under what conditions? Is it
wrong to kill animals to eat them, or to use animals
in medical research? Is there a moral right to free
speech? Is affirmative action morally required? What
moral obligations are there to provide aid to desperately
poor people overseas? We will read both classical and
contemporary texts in this course. Enrollment Limit:
30.
Mr.
Hall.
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Historical
Courses
125. Ancient
Philosophy 3 hours
3HU
First Semester.
An introduction to the central problems of Ancient Greek
and Medieval philosophy. The course begins with an examination
of how Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and the Stoics respond
to Socrates' paradoxical claims about morality and human
nature, and ends with Medieval discussions of the nature
and existence of God. Other topics include: fate, the distinction
between appearance and reality, and feminism. Enrollment
Limit:
30.
Mr. Ganson
135. Modern
Philosophy 3 hours
3HU
Second Semester.
A study of the central problems of the Modern era in philosophy.
Topics include: knowledge of the external world, free will,
personal identity, the existence of God, and the nature
of morality. Authors include: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz,
Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. Enrollment
Limit: 30.
Mr. Ganson
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Advanced
Courses
200. Deductive
Logic 3 hours
3HU
First Semester.
What makes an argument a good or a bad one? When should
we be persuaded by an argument, and when should we not?
In this course we will explore the idea that a crucial part
of the answer to these questions lies with the underlying
structure of an argument, and we will develop a type of
formal language which allows us to bring out that structure,
the language of first-order predicate logic. You will also
learn to construct rigorous proofs establishing that the
conclusion of an argument follows from its premisses. By
the end of the semester you will have a working knowledge
of the formal system which is the starting point for most
work in modern logic, and an increased ability to critically
evaluate arguments from any sphere. A grasp of the essential
elements of symbolic logic is also vital for anyone wishing
to grapple seriously with contemporary Anglophone philosophy.
(Strongly recommended for students considering graduate
work in philosophy.) Enrollment Limit: 30.
Mr. Jones
201. The
Analysis of Reasoning 3 hours
3HU
Next
offered 2003-2004.
204. Ethics 3
hours
3HU
Next
offered 2003-2004.
206. Theory
of Knowledge 3 hours
3HU,
WR
Next
offered 2003-2004.
208. Metaphysics 3
hours
3HU,
WR
Next
offered 2003-2004.
210. Existentialism 3
hours
3HU,
WR
Next
offered 2003-2004.
220. Philosophy
of Language 3 hours
3HU
Next
offered 2003-2004.
222. Philosophy
of Science 3 hours
3HU,
WR
Second Semester.
According to our best scientific theories, as they are most
usually interpreted, the world contains such things as genes,
electrons, and magnetic fields, entities which we may be
unable to detect with the unaided senses, but which are
supposed to underlie the world of everyday experience. Moreover,
those theories seemingly provide explanations of what goes
on in that everyday world in terms of the behaviour of genes,
electrons, magnetic fields, and the like. Do we have good
reason to believe those explanations? Do we have good reason
to believe in the genes and electrons? Should we even read
our theories as genuinely positing such things? We will
explore these central philosophical questions about the
sciences, and, in the latter part of the course, the presuppositions
of one standard answer to them, according to which belief
in our best theories is justified because we arrived at
them by using the scientific method. Is there such a thing
as "the scientific method?" Is there an objective, rational
process which governs theory choice in the sciences? And
what role do social factors play? Prerequisite: Three
hours in Philosophy. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Mr. Jones
223. Topics
in the Philosophy of Science: Philosophy of Biology 3
hours
3HU,
WR
Next
offered 2003-2004.
225. Environmental
Ethics 3 hours
3HU,
WR
Second
Semester. Environmental ethics is the study of moral questions
raised by human effects on the natural environment. Among
the most important questions is whether the natural environment
itself has moral standing. That is, is there a moral complaint
to be made against cutting trees, damaging rock formations,
or polluting the natural world on the basis of some intrinsic
disvalue to these activities? What is the moral status
of wild animals, and how is human conduct constrained
by its effects on these animals? What is the moral status
of plants and other non-sentient organisms? Other topics
in the course will include a discussion of so-called "public
goods", such as clean air and clean water. In particular,
we shall ask whether the preservation of pristine natural
areas is a public good in the traditional sense, and whether
people might permissibly be coerced to protect this good.
We will also discuss duties we might have in the present
toward future persons. This course will pursue these and
other questions with readings from philosophy, ecology,
and economics. Enrollment Limit:
30.
Mr. Hall
226. Social,
Political, Legal Philosophy 3 hours
3HU,
WR
First
Semester. The central issue in social and political philosophy
is the relation between individuals and the state. We
will tackle this issue head on. We will ask whether there
is a duty to obey the law because it is the law, and whether
the state is justified in forcing us to do what we'd rather
not. Our topics will include the contractarian tradition
of political theory, as well as non-consensual justifications
for the state. We will also be interested in questions
of distributive justice, the moral questions associated
with the distribution of non-bodily natural resources
and produced goods. For instance, is equality the only
just distribution of material goods? Or are there moral
rights against forced redistributive taxation? In discussing
broader theoretical concerns, this course will also pursue
political topics of contemporary importance, such as affirmative
action, freedom of speech, sex and gender issues, the
interpretation of the United States Constitution, hate
crime, gun control, and paternalism. Philosophers discussed
will include Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Hume, and contemporary
philosophers. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Mr. Hall
228. Philosophy
of Mind 3 hours
3HU
Second
Semester. Commonsense conceptions of the features and
activities of mind sometimes conflict or seem to conflict
with the more scientific claims of biology, neuroscience,
and psychology. For example, perceptions, thoughts, desires,
and emotions seem to be something very different from
complex electrical and chemical events occurring in interconnected
neurons. This course examines commonsense conceptions
of "aboutness" (that perceptions and other types of thought
are about something), consciousness, desire, motivation,
emotion, rationality, self-concepts, and personal identity.
We will consider whether and how these conceptions should
be revised (or eliminated) in light of information from
biology, neuroscience, and psychology. Prerequisite:
Three hours in Philosophy. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Mr. McInerney
234. Topics
In Applied Ethics 3 hours
3HU
Next
offered 2003-2004.
245. Nineteenth-Century
Philosophy 3 hours
3HU,
WR
Next
offered 2003-2004.
250. Twentieth-Century
Continental Philosophy 3 hours
3HU,
WR
First
Semester. Many of the major figures of 20th century continental
philosophy claimed to produce intellectual revolutions
that would affect all areas of human life. Their departures
from traditional categories have made their works both
enticing and difficult to understand. This course will
examine the major ideas of the most influential figures
of 20th century continental philosophy: Heidegger, Sartre,
Foucault, and Habermas, with some consideration of those
of Husserl and Derrida. Prerequisite:
Three
hours in Philosophy. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Mr. McInerney
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Special
Topics Courses
307. Philosophical
Classics: David Hume 3 hours
3HU
First
Semester. David Hume has a pivotal place in modern western
thought. An Enlightenment thinker who shares the 18th
Century's admiration for science, Hume nonetheless sounds
an important note of caution regarding the powers of human
reason. Some think he pushed Empiricism through to its
logical (skeptical) conclusion. His "discovery" of the
Problem of Induction, his doubts about the rationality
of causal inference, his subjectivist accounts of belief
and probability, all left their mark. Hume's searching,
skeptical mind issues in a classic examination of traditional
Arguments for the Existence of God. (His Dialogues Concerning
Natural Religion is thought by many to be the last word
on the topic before Darwin.) Hume's attempt to conceptualize
ethics-without-God remains a powerful, attractive model
for contemporary thinkers. This course will examine all
the major philosophical works of David Hume: A Treatise
on Human Nature; An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding;
An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals; and Dialogues
Concerning Natural Religion. Prerequisites: Three
hours in Philosophy. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Mr. MacKay
310.
Philosophical Classics: Nietzsche 3 hours
3HU,
WR
Second
Semester. Nietzsche is currently the most widely read
and influential philosopher of the last 200 years, largely
because his writings are accessible, controversial, and
relevant to most people's concerns. This seminar examines
Nietzsche's major philosophical ideas, including his views
on ethics, social philosophy, art, psychology, metaphysics,
and epistemology. The course will consider both the interpretation
of Nietzsche's writings and the evaluation of his claims.
Prerequisites:
Six hours in Philosophy. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Mr. McInerney
358. Seminar:
Philosophy of Perception 3 hours
3HU,
WR
First
Semester. An examination of central philosophical problems
concerning our cognition of the world by way of the senses.
Topics include: the distinction between appearance and
reality, knowledge of the external world and of one's
own body, the nature and existence of secondary qualities
such as colors and flavors, and the distinction between
sensation and perception. The focus will be on recent
literature, though some historical readings will be included.
Enrollment Limit: 15.
Mr. Ganson
361. Seminar:
Advanced Topics in Logic 3 hours
3HU
Second
Semester. First-order logic, the formal system developed
in PHIL 200, has both its strengths and its limitations.
We will begin with its strengths, by proving the basic
meta-theoretical result that a well-chosen derivation
system for a first-order language captures first-order
consequence perfectly. We will then go on to learn why
there is nonetheless no guarantee that we will be able
to establish whether the conclusion of an argument is
a first-order consequence of its premisses in a finite
time (undecidability), and how the idea that mathematical
knowledge is ultimately reducible to knowledge of logical
truths ran into trouble (Gödel's Incompleteness
Theorem). We will also explore the gap between first-order
consequence and logical consequence by looking at extensions
of and alternatives to first-order logic. These include
the logic of necessity and possibility (modal logic),
the logic of reasoning about time (tense logic), and
the logic of vagueness (many-valued logics). You will
learn some set theory along the way. Possible additional
topics include: theories of conditionals, free logic,
and fuzzy logic. Prerequisite:
PHIL
200. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Private Reading and Independent Research
Any student
who is interested in undertaking a Private Reading course
or an Independent Research course (401) with a member
of the department should make arrangements with the departmental
member prior to registering for the course.
401. Independent
Research 2-5 hours
2-5HU
Consent
of instructor required. Projects sponsored by Ms.
Ganson, Mr. Ganson, Mr. Hall, Mr. Jones, Mr. MacKay, and
Mr. McInerney.
411. Honors
Research 3-6 hours
3-6HU
Consent
of instructor required. Projects sponsored by Ms.
Ganson, Mr. Ganson, Mr. Hall, Mr. Jones, Mr. MacKay, and
Mr. McInerney.
995. Private
Reading 1-3 hours
1-3HU
Consent
of instructor required. Projects sponsored by Ms.
Ganson, Mr. Ganson, Mr. Hall, Mr. Jones, Mr. MacKay, and
Mr. McInerney.
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