This course is an introduction to the nature of philosophy through reading and discussion of various philosophical problems and comparisons of different philosophical viewpoints. The topics discussed will include the nature of reality, the existence of God, the nature of human existence, the nature of knowledge, the criteria for making value judgments, and the terminology of philosophical inquiry.

This course is a study of the nature of arguments and the criteria for evaluating and constructing arguments. Topics in the course will include formal logic, informal fallacies, rules for definitions, constructing and presenting arguments, and the relation between logic and the scientific method.

This course will address a specific area of study in Philosophy not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course is a study of a variety of answers that have been given to the questions of what constitutes the good life and what standard should be used to evaluate actions. The course will include the study of significant ethical theorists from Plato to the present and examination and discussion of various contemporary ethical issues.

How did philosophy come to be? Why did it emerge where it did and when it did? This course explores these questions by investigating the roots of western philosophy in the myths and cultural circumstances of the archaic Greeks and their neighbors. Special foci will be on the passage from mythical thinking to that of philosophy and what would come to be known as science; the cosmological speculations of pre-Socratic thinkers; and the change in focus represented by the figure of Socrates. Other topics include the role of political life in shaping thinking; the significance of mathematics and geometry; and the influence of historical events on the course of thought. Texts will be chosen from a selection of early thinkers and poets, as well as from scholarship on the topic.

This course studies the varied relationships between philosophy and the production and reception of art. Topics covered include aesthetics, the cross-influences between art and philosophy, and questions about the similarities and differences between the two practices.

This course will address a specific area of study in Philosophy not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course explores the moral standards, responsibilities, and duties of professionals, such as physicians, nurses, lawyers, social workers, teachers, administrators, public officers, accountants, and managers. We will examine the criteria for a profession as well as obligations of professionals toward their clients and toward third parties. We will explore some common philosophical theories of moral obligation, rights and justice and how they apply to cases.

This course is a study of the ethical principles that apply to business practices and goals. In addition to an examination of the moral theory and values behind a free market, this course examines a variety of issues such as employer/employee rights and responsibilities, privacy in the workplace, whistle blowing, corporate responsibilities, and advertising practices, all of which are examined in the light of alternative approaches to making moral judgments.

This course will focus on the foundation of Modern philosophy in the 17th and 18th centuries. Emphasis will be placed on 1.) the Rationalist tradition, starting with Descartes and continuing in Spinoza and Leibniz; and 2.) Empiricism, focusing on Locke and Hume.

This course will focus on Kant's thinking and the influence of it on such schools as German Idealism, Phenomenology and Existentialism.

This course is a study of how a variety of philosophical authors have defined both the good life and happiness and how they may be achieved. Topics in the course range from Socrates' question as to what life is worth living to the belief that the pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right.

This course is a study of the various philosophical issues that surround the topics of love and sex. The topic will include the philosophical, theological and contemporary influences that have shaped the public debates about love and sex; the ethical issues associated with these topics; and the social policy implications.

What is a mind? What does it mean to be conscious? Is it possible for machines to actually think? This course entertains these and other related questions by reviewing some of the most influential theories about the nature of mentality and consciousness, chosen from the history of philosophy to the most current scientific research. Special focus will be placed on the debate between dualism (the belief that the mind must be separate from the body) and monism (that the mind is part of the body); the role of language in the mind; the possibility of artificial minds; and problems of identity and free will.

This course will address a specific area of study in Philosophy not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course examines methodological, conceptual and substantive ideas of major political theorists, emphasizing primary sources and the contributions of Aristotle, Plato, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau. Available to sophomore level (30 SH+) and higher students.

This course examines methodological, conceptual and substantive ideas of major political theorists and movements in the 19th and 20th centuries, emphasizing primary sources and the contributions of Hegel, Marx, Mill, and contemporary approaches to the study of political theory. Available to sophomore level (30 SH+) and higher students.

This course will address a specific area of study in Philosophy not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course will focus on major theoretical positions in contemporary philosophy. It will also examine the significance of philosophical theory for other disciplines, social and political life, and the arts. Open to students majoring or minoring in philosophy only.