Philosophy (PHIL)

Examines such questions as the following: How does one know what is true? Are human beings free or determined? In what way are religious and ethical terms meaningful and useful? What is the purpose of life? Meets department major requirement for core class.

Introduces the humanities disciplines and the question of human values. Formerly HUM 100.

Guides students to critically evaluate their own values and the value systems of other persons, groups, and nations through readings, discussions, and written critiques.

A Philosophical examination of power structures which are and have been at work in societies to oppress some and favor others. Responses from Feminism, Black Power, Marxism, Liberation Theology and others will be considered. Cannot be challenged. Formerly PHIL 217

This course deepens understandings of border theory through a survey of philosophical and religious readings dealing with the construction of Latinx identities whose subjectivities have been located near, within, in relation to, and in-between the borderlands. Students will explore key models seeking to sketch a portrait on the meaning of the Latinx-subject at the hyphens of dominant social structures in the United States. Letter grade only. Not challengeable.

Ideas of representative thinkers from early Greeks to the Renaissance. Emphasizes Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas. Meets departmental major requirement AM (Ancient and Medieval).

Selected philosophic writings from Hobbes to Wittgenstein. Emphasizes recent movements, such as analytic philosophy and existentialism. Meets departmental major requirement MC (Modern and Contemporary).

The course presents a history of ideas and artistic expressions through the lens of three perspectives on the philosophical question: What is the place of humans in the cosmos? The first answer we examine comes from pre-modern cultures which saw truth and meaning as grounded in a world or reality beyond our own - metaphysics. The second comes from cultures of the modern period which rejected metaphysics and sought a new foundation for truth and meaning in human reason and experience. The third, postmodern answer, is characterized by a rejection of all foundations or groundedness, as well as a rejection of the assumption that there is such a thing as "the place of humans in the cosmos" to be discovered. Not challengeable.

Theoretical background, basic terminology, and classification necessary to understand various ethical systems and the practical issues of contemporary ethics. Meets departmental requirement for core class.

Selected areas of philosophical interest such as American Philosophy, Philosophy of Feminism, and Meta-physics. May be repeated with different topics.

Examines the questions raised by philosophical analysis of global religious traditions. Beginning with the notion that religions are human expressions of a transcendent dimension of life, the course explores the various ways the transcendent is portrayed, and analyses problems that arise within and between such portrayals. These problems include classical topics like arguments for and against belief in the existence of the transcendent dimension, the problems of evil, miracles, and of conflicting religious truth claims, and the nature of religious faith.

The focus of this class is on the aesthetic philosophies or Latin American indigenous, Afro-Caribbean, and Latinx authors whose theories seek to answer the question of the meaning of "being human." This course addresses the effects of colonization, particularly, essential in understanding and co-constructing a U.S. Latinx identity. Early indigenous and Afro-Caribbean sculptures, drawings, cartographies, paintings, and architecture provide the basis for philosophical inquiry and reflection. Not challengeable.

Examines philosophers' thoughts on love and sex from classical Greece to contemporary times. Emphasizes current issues. Meets departmental major requirement PS (Philosophy and Society).

Relevant works of major political philosophers from Plato to Hegel including Aristotle, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Confucius, and Rousseau. Meets departmental major requirement AM (Ancient and Medieval).

Analyzes significant works of modern political theory, by Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Marx, and Nietzsche. Meets departmental major requirement MC (Modern and Contemporary).

Student-designed courses approved by a faculty member. Prior approval of goals, objectives, procedures, and assessment plan as directed in the Independent Study Manual is required. May be taken multiple times with a different topic for credit. Meets departmental major requirement for core class. Not challengeable.

Prepares students for senior project. Includes senior examination. Meets departmental major requirement for core class. Can be taken for letter grade only. Not challengeable.

Culminating activity required by majors in all departments. Papers/theses/projects researched, prepared, and written under the guidance of a faculty member. Comprehensive exams or recitals required in some departments. Academically, Students must be in Good Standing to enroll in 499. Can be taken for letter grade only. Not challengeable.