PHIL

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PHILOSOPHY (PHIL)

Thomas D. Senor
Chair of the Department
318 Old Main
575-3551

* PROFESSORS HILL, NISSEN, SPELLMAN * PROFESSORS EMERITI HANTZ, VERNON * ASSOCIATE
PROFESSORS ADLER, EDWARDS, LEE, SENOR * ASSISTANT PROFESSORS MINAR, SCOTT

Requirements for a Major in Philosophy: 30 semester hours in philosophy to include 2203 or 4253, and 4003, 4033, and six hours to be chosen from 4023, 4043, 4053, 4063, and 4073.

Writing Requirement: The writing requirement can be satisfied either by completion of an acceptable thesis or by approval of a research/analytical paper from any 4000-level course in philosophy submitted by the student to the Philosophy Department's Undergraduate Committee.

Requirements for Departmental Honors in Philosophy: The purpose of the honors program is to provide the honors candidate with the opportunity of achieving greater maturity in dealing with philosophical ideas through independent study. The candidate's plan of study will include the reading of significant philosophical works. Normally a candidate will complete a total of three to six hours of independent readings in philosophy during his or her junior and senior years. In addition, it is recommended that the candidate register for honors courses and colloquia; one colloquium is required.

The candidate will be expected to take 12 hours (which may include 6 hours of thesis) in Honors Studies and to write an essay during his or her senior year and give a satisfactory account of the honors readings and senior essay in an oral examination. Successful completion of the requirements will be recognized by the award of the distinction Philosophy Scholar Cum Laude at graduation. Higher degree distinctions are recommended only in truly exceptional cases and are based upon the whole of the candidate's program of honors studies.

Requirements for a Combined Major in Philosophy and African American Studies: 36 semester hours, consisting of 18 hours in philosophy and 18 hours in African American studies. The philosophy requirement is: 18 semester hours in philosophy to include either 12 hours over 3000 and PHIL 2203 or 4253, or 15 hours over 3000. The hours over the 3000-level must include at least three hours of value theory to be chosen from PHIL 4113, 4123, 4133, or 4143, and at least six hours in the history of philosophy (4003, 4023, 4033, 4043, 4053, 4063, 4073) including PHIL 4003 or 4033. See African American studies on page 109.

Requirements for a Minor in Philosophy: 18 semester hours in philosophy to include PHIL 2203 or 4253, and either PHIL 4003 or 4033. A student may earn either a minor or a combined major in philosophy but not both. A student must notify the Department of his or her intent to minor.

For requirements for advanced degrees in philosophy, see the Graduate School Catalog.

PHILOSOPHY (PHIL) COURSES:

PHIL1203 Reflective Thinking (FA, SP) Helping students acquire basic reasoning skills. Degree credit may not be earned for both 1203 and 2203.

PHIL2003 Introduction to Philosophy (FA, SP, SU) An examination of such basic philosophical topics as the existence of God, the nature of the human mind, the relationship between appearance and reality, the forms and limits of human knowledge, freedom of the will, and standards of right and wrong. Includes both historical and contemporary readings. UNIVERSITY CORE COURSE

PHIL2003C Introduction to Philosophy (FA, SP) An examination of such basic philosophical topics as the existence of God, the nature of the human mind, the relationship between appearance and reality, the forms and limits of human knowledge, freedom of the will, and standards of right and wrong. Includes both historical and contemporary readings. Corequisite: PHIL 2000D. UNIVERSITY CORE COURSE

PHIL2000D Introduction to Philosophy Drill (FA, SP) Corequisite: PHIL 2003C. UNIVERSITY CORE COURSE

PHIL2003H Honors Introduction to Philosophy (FA, SP, SU) An examination of such basic philosophical topics as the existence of God, the nature of the human mind, the relationship between appearance and reality, the forms and limits of human knowledge, freedom of the will, and standards of right and wrong. Includes both historical and contemporary readings. UNIVERSITY CORE COURSE

PHIL2103 Introduction to Ethics (FA, SP, SU) Basic concepts of moral philosophy, including historical and contemporary literature concerned with such issues as ethical relativism vs. objectivism, duty, happiness, freedom of the will and responsibility, facts and values, individual liberty and society. Application of theories to substantive questions. UNIVERSITY CORE COURSE

PHIL2203 Logic (FA, SP, SU) Traditional and modern methods of deductive and inductive inference. Degree credit may not be earned for both PHIL 1203 and 2203. UNIVERSITY CORE COURSE

PHIL3103 Ethics and the Professions (FA, SP, SU) After a survey of the standard theories of moral obligation, justice, and rights, the course focuses on specific moral problems that arise within engineering, business, and the professions. UNIVERSITY CORE COURSE

PHIL390V Readings (1-6) (FA, SP, SU)

PHIL3923H Honors Colloquium (FA, SP, SU) Treats a special topic of issue offered as part of the honors program. May be repeated. Prerequisite: honors candidacy (not restricted to candidacy in philosophy).

PHIL399VH Honors Course (1-6) (FA, SP, SU) May be repeated for 12 hours. Prerequisite: junior standing.

PHIL4003 Ancient Greek Philosophy (FA) Pre-Socratics, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Prerequisite: 3 hours of philosophy.

PHIL4013 Platonism & Origin of Christian Theology (SP) The study of Plato, gnosticism, Middle and Neoplatonism, including Philo, Plotinus, and Procius, and the influence of Platonism on the Greek church fathers of the 2nd-5th centuries, principally Irenaeus, Origen, Athanasius, and Gregory of Nyssa, as well as Psuedo-Dionysius. Prerequisite: 3 hours of philosophy.

PHIL4023 Medieval Philosophy (FA) Includes Augustine, Bonventure, Aquinas, Scotus, and Ockham.

PHIL4033 Modern Philosophy-17th and 18th Centuries (SP) British and Continental philosophy, including Bacon, Descartes, Spinoza, Liebniz, Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant.

PHIL4043 Nineteenth Century Continental Philosophy (FA) Study of major Continental European philosophers of the 19th century including Hegel, Marx, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche. Emphasis on the nature of persons, the question of freedom, and the importance of self- expression, as well as views on knowledge, reality, and the nature of philosophy.

PHIL4063 Twentieth Century Continental Philosophy (SP) Study of major figures (e.g. Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Foucault, Derrida) and trends (phenomenology, existentialism, hermeneutics, critical theory, deconstruction) in 20th century French and German thought. Topics include human beings and their place in the world, the role of history and culture, and the possibility of critical reflection.

PHIL4073 History of Analytic Philosophy (SP) From Frege to recent figures, including Russell, Moore, Wittgenstein, Schlick, Carnep, Ayer, Ryle, Strawson, Quine, including a representative sample of works on the logical analysis of language, logical positivism, and ordinary language analysis. Prerequisite: 3 hours of philosophy.

PHIL4083 Existentialism (SP) Readings in major figures associated with "Existentialism" (e.g. Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau- Ponty). Emphasis on connections between the metaphysical views of these thinkers, their views of freedom, their conceptions of modernity, and their responses to it.

PHIL4113 Social and Political Philosophy (SP) Selected philosophical theories of society, the state, social justice, and their connections with individuals.

PHIL4123 Classical Ethical Theory (FA) Study of classical texts in the history of philosophical ethics from Plato to Nietzsche. Philosophers covered may include Plato, Aristotle, Butler, Hume, Kant, and Mill. Prerequisite: 3 hours of philosophy.

PHIL4133 Contemporary Ethical Theory (FA) A study of contemporary texts in philosophical ethics from G.E. Moore to the present. Philosophers covered may include Moore, Stevenson, Hare, Foot, and Rawls. Prerequisite: 3 hours of philosophy.

PHIL4143 Philosophy of Law (SP) A philosophical consideration of the nature of law, theory of adjudication, concepts of legal responsibility, liberty and the limits of law, and selected moral-legal issues (abortion, affirmative action, punishment, etc.).

PHIL4203 Theory of Knowledge (FA) An examination of skepticism, the nature and structures of knowledge and epistemic justification, human rationality, and the justification of religious belief. Prerequisite: 3 hours of philosophy.

PHIL4213 Philosophy of Science (FA) Examination of issues related to scientific explanation, empirical foundations of science, observation and objectivity, nature of laws and theories, realism and instrumentalism, induction and confirmation, models, causation, and simplicity, beginning with historical survey set in the context of the history of science but emphasizing works from the 1930s to the current period, often including issues in recent physics.

PHIL4233 Philosophy of Language (SP) A survey of mainstream philosophical theories of meaning, reference, truth, and logical form. Attention given to the views of such figures as Frege, Russell, Tarski, Searie, Dumett, and the advocates of possible worlds semantics.

PHIL4253 Symbolic Logic I (FA) Rigorous analyses of the concepts of proof, consistency, equivalence, validity, implication, and truth. Full coverage of truth-functional logic and quantification theory (predicate calculus). Discussion of the nature and limits of mechanical procedures (algorithms) for proving theorems in logic and mathematics. Informal accounts of the basic facts about infinite sets. (Same as MATH 4253)

PHIL4263 Symbolic Logic II (SP) Topics include: soundness and completeness of propositional logic, soundness and completeness of quantification theory, the elements of model theory and recursion theory, G]odel's incompleteness theorems, and the limitative theorems of Tarski and Church. (Same as MATH 4263) Prerequisite: PHIL 4253 or MATH 4253.

PHIL4303 Philosophy of Religion (SP) Types of religious belief and critical examination of their possible validity, including traditional arguments and contemporary questions of meaning.

PHIL4403 Philosophy of Art (SP) Varieties of truth and value in the arts and aesthetic experience, focusing on the creative process in the art and in other human activities.

PHIL4423 Philosophy of Mind (SP) An examination of such topics such as the relationship between mind and body, the mentality of machines, knowledge of other minds, the nature of psychological explanation, the relationships between psychology and the other sciences, mental representation, the nature of the self, and free will and determinism.

PHIL4603 Metaphysics (IR) Theory and critical analysis of such basic metaphysical problems as mind and body, universals and particulars, space and time, determinism and free will, self-identity and individualism, with emphasis on contemporary perspectives. Prerequisite: 3 hours of philosophy.

PHIL498V Senior Thesis (1-6) (FA, SP, SU)

PHIL5763 Seminar: Aquinas (IR)

PHIL5843 Seminar: Hume (IR)

PHIL5883 Seminar: Wittgenstein (IR)

PHIL5893 Seminar: Heidegger (IR)

PHIL5903 Seminar: Social & Political Philosophy (IR)

PHIL5913 Seminar: Ethical Theory (IR)

PHIL5933 Seminar: Philosophical Theology (IR)

PHIL5953 Seminar: Philosophy of Language (IR)

PHIL5963 Seminar: Philosophy of Mind (IR)

PHIL5973 Seminar: Metaphysics (IR)

PHIL5983 Philosophical Seminar (IR) Various topics and issues in historical and contemporary philosophy.

PHIL600V Master's Thesis (1-6) (FA, SP, SU)

PHIL690V Graduate Readings (1-6) (FA, SP, SU) Supervised individual readings in historical and contemporary
philosophy.

PHIL700V Doctoral Dissertation (1-18) (FA, SP, SU) Prerequisite: candidacy.