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PHIL
Philosophy
Department of History & Philosophy
(406) 994-4395
PHIL 105IH PROBLEMS OF GOOD & EVIL
PHIL 120IH REASON AND REALITY
PHIL 208D PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE
PHIL 215 SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
PHIL 220 PHILOSOPHIES OF ASIA
PHIL 225CS SCIENCE, PSEUDO-SCIENCE AND SUBJECTIVITY
PHIL 226CS OTHER ANIMALS
PHIL 231 INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC
PHIL 250RH MORALITY AND SOCIETY
PHIL 280 SPECIAL TOPICS
PHIL 289R UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH/CREATIVE ACTIVITY INSTRUCTION
PHIL 290R UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH/CREATIVE ACTIVITY
PHIL 305RH HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY: ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL
PHIL 306 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY: MODERN
PHIL 311 AESTHETICS AND THE ARTS
PHIL 313 PHILOSOPHY AND FILM
PHIL 320 PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
PHIL 325RH STATE, COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUAL
PHIL 332 ETHICS
PHIL 334 MORAL THEORY
PHIL 338 BIO-MEDICAL ETHICS
PHIL 340 ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
PHIL 342 APPROACHES TO EPISTEMOLOGY
PHIL 352 METAPHYSICS
PHIL 360 EXISTENTIALISM AND AFTER
PHIL 362 PHILOSOPHY AND RACE
PHIL 363 PHILOSOPHY AND FEMINISM
PHIL 364 CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY
PHIL 368 LANGUAGE AND THE WORLD
PHIL 378 PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
PHIL 388 PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY
PHIL 390 REASON AND REVOLUTION
PHIL 400 SEMINAR
PHIL 470 INDEPENDENT STUDY
PHIL 480 SPECIAL TOPICS
PHIL 489R UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH/CREATIVE ACTIVITY INSTRUCTION
PHIL 490R UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH/CREATIVE ACTIVITY
PHIL 500 SEMINAR
PHIL 570 INDEPENDENT STUDY
PHIL 105IH PROBLEMS OF GOOD & EVIL
F,S,Su 3 cr. LEC 3
-- An examination from a multi-cultural perspective of traditional conceptions of good and evil and their implications for relativism.
PHIL 120IH REASON AND REALITY
F,S 3 cr. LEC 3
-- Exploration of the nature of reality and human knowledge. A critical look at the presuppositions of our common sense world view.
PHIL 208D PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE
S 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor.
-- Addresses questions of how philosophy and culture interact, as well as exploring the differences and commonalties between philosophical traditions. Themes include social justice, identities, society, and culture.
PHIL 215 SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
-- Philosophical problems about the nature of the state and society and their relationship to the individual.
PHIL 220 PHILOSOPHIES OF ASIA
S 3 cr. LEC 3
-- A critical examination of some classical school of Asian philosophy such as Confucianism, Hinduism, or Buddhism.
PHIL 225CS SCIENCE, PSEUDO-SCIENCE AND SUBJECTIVITY
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
-- Introduces both deductive and inductive aspects of scientific as a foundation for addressing broader questions such as, "Is there demarcation between science and non-science?"; "Is science subjective?"; Is scientific knowledge cumulative?"; and many more.
PHIL 226CS OTHER ANIMALS
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
-- Explores how animals have been understood over time from scientific, philosophical, and cultural perspectives, in the East as well as in the West. More particularly, the understanding of both morphology and behavior will be examined in terms of classical Darwinian and Japanese approaches. The various methodologies employed, their underlying assumptions and possible limits, will be discussed, as well as the larger moral issues that they raise.
PHIL 231 INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC
F,S 3 cr. LEC 3
-- Modern forms of valid inference with applications.
PHIL 250RH MORALITY AND SOCIETY
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Consent of instructor.
-- The philosophical study of contemporary moral issues such as capital punishment, euthanasia, racism and terrorism. The term will culminate in a substantial piece of original research on a moral issue chosen by the individual student.
PHIL 280 SPECIAL TOPICS
On Demand 1 - 4 cr. Maximum 12 cr.
PREREQUISITE: None required but some may be determined necessary by each offering department.
-- Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one-time need, or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand before requesting a regular course number.
PHIL 289R UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH/CREATIVE ACTIVITY INSTRUCTION
F,S 1-3 cr. RCT may be repeated
-- Classroom instruction associated with directed undergraduate research/creative activity projects.
PHIL 290R UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH/CREATIVE ACTIVITY
F,S 1-6 cr. IND may be repeated
-- Directed undergraduate research/creative activity which may culminate in a written work or other creative project.
PHIL 305RH HISTORY OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY: ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL
F 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- Great systems of philosophic thought and their originators during ancient and medieval times.
PHIL 306 HISTORY OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY: MODERN
S 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- Foundations of contemporary thought, Descartes to Kant.
PHIL 311 AESTHETICS AND THE ARTS
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- Philosophical examination of the nature and function of the arts and the aesthetic experience.
PHIL 313 PHILOSOPHY AND FILM
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or permission of instructor.
-- Philosophic study of the moving image. Examines topics such as ontology of the image, theory of cinematic narrative, problem of realism versus illusion in film, its aesthetic, moral, and cultural value; and what constitutes appropriate interpretative activity in judging film.
PHIL 320 PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- Analysis of concepts of God, revealed truth, and immortality; the nature of religious emotion and experience, and of religious language; relation of faith to reason; traditional proofs of God's existence; the problem of evil; religious diversity; spirituality.
PHIL 325RH STATE, COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUAL
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: One course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- The philosophical study of the state and society. Topics include the nature and limits of political legitimacy and the nature of just economic systems.
PHIL 332 ETHICS
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- An examination of general moral theory with applications to moral problems of current interest such as abortion, the legal enforcement of morality, the death penalty, and nuclear war.
PHIL 334 MORAL THEORY
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- An examination of 20th Century moral theory. The focus is on such issues as whether morality is objective or subjective as well as methods of moral reasoning.
PHIL 338 BIO-MEDICAL ETHICS
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- An examination of moral problems in medicine such as abortion, euthanasia, human experimentation, and the distribution of scarce medical resources.
PHIL 340 ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- This course reviews the major readings, both classical and contemporary, on environmental ethics, and isolates the major issues. It provides the appropriate theoretical background. It applies these readings and this background to the investigation and resolution of several environmental policy questions.
PHIL 342 APPROACHES TO EPISTEMOLOGY
S alternate years, to be offered odd years 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- The course gives an introduction to some epistemological problems like the problem of skepticism, the problem concerning the nature of justification, the problem of induction, and the problem associated with the nature and existence of God. It offers three approaches: traditional, naturalized, and Bayesian approaches to some of the problems mentioned above.
PHIL 352 METAPHYSICS
S alternate years, to be offered even years 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- The most basic questions human beings raise in reflecting on their world, themselves and their place in the world. Sample questions concern the possibility of freedom, the relation of mind and brain, and the nature of being.
PHIL 360 EXISTENTIALISM AND AFTER
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- Existentialism and related developments including phenomenology and post modernism.
PHIL 362 PHILOSOPHY AND RACE
F alternate years, to be offered even years, 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- Examines the development of the concept of "race" in philosophy since the 17th century. Traces the effects race has had on concepts such as the "person", "self-respect", "rationality", "knowledge", "state of nature", "science", "social justice", and "ordinary life".
PHIL 363 PHILOSOPHY AND FEMINISM
S alternate years, to be offered odd years 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Philosophical analysis of concepts and assumptions central to feminist theories. Topics may include the nature of gender and oppression, masculinity, the relationship between sexism and other forms of oppression, the ideal society, and feminist challenges to traditional philosophical theories.
PHIL 364 CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- This course introduces students to recent trends in analytical philosophy. Among the topics the course addresses are philosophy of mind that involves problems concerning the mind/body relationship, the nature of consciousness, artificial intelligence, and others.
PHIL 368 LANGUAGE AND THE WORLD
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- A discussion of linguistic meaning, the concept of truth, and the relation between thought and language as viewed by contemporary philosophies.
PHIL 378 PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
F alternate years, to be offered even years 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- An examination of the concepts of explanation, confirmation, and theory and their application to classic works in the history of the natural and social sciences.
PHIL 388 PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- An examination of certain concepts used to describe and explain technology and their application to questions concerning the limitations of a technological way of life.
PHIL 390 REASON AND REVOLUTION
On Demand 3 cr. LEC 3
PREREQUISITE: Previous course in Philosophy or consent of instructor.
-- An examination of the scope and limits of reason and their role in revolution as exemplified in Hegel, Marx, and other nineteenth century philosophers.
PHIL 400 SEMINAR
F,S 3 cr. SEM Maximum 9 cr.
PREREQUISITE: Junior standing.
-- Senior capstone course. Each semester is given over to the detailed
study of a major figure or problem in philosophy. Since the figures and
problems studied vary from semester to semester, the course may be repeated
for credit. Two semesters of Phil 400 are required for all philosophy
majors.
PHIL 470 INDEPENDENT STUDY
On Demand 1 - 3 cr. IND Maximum 6 cr.
PREREQUISITE: Consent of instructor and approval of department head.
-- Directed research and study on an individual basis.
PHIL 480 SPECIAL TOPICS
On Demand 1 - 4 cr. Maximum 12 cr.
PREREQUISITE: Course prerequisites as determined for each offering.
-- Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one-time need, or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand before requesting a regular course number.
PHIL 489R UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH/CREATIVE ACTIVITY INSTRUCTION
F,S,Su 1 - 2 cr. RCT May be repeated. Max 4 cr.
COREQUISITE: PHIL 490.
-- Classroom instruction associated with directed undergraduate research/creative activity projects.
PHIL 490R UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH/CREATIVE ACTIVITY
F,S,Su 1 - 6 cr. Ind May be repeated. Max 12 cr.
-- Directed undergraduate research/creative activity which may culminate in a research paper, journal article, or undergraduate thesis.
PHIL 500 SEMINAR
On Demand 3 cr. SEM Maximum 4 cr
PREREQUISITE: Graduate standing or seniors by petition. Course prerequisites as determined for each offering.
-- Topics offered at the graduate level which are not covered in regular courses. Students participate in preparing and presenting discussion material.
PHIL 570 INDEPENDENT STUDY
On Demand 1 - 3 cr. IND Maximum 6 cr.
PREREQUISITE: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, approval of department head and Division of Education.
-- Directed research and study on an individual basis.
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