Online Courses

An introduction to the fundamental questions of philosophy through a study of several major philosophers in the history of philosophy.

Approved for LAS Humanities area requirement. Approved for Compass Curriculum requirement: Explore-Arts, Humanities, and Cultures; Writing Intensive. GT-AH3.

Attributes: CLAS Core: Humanities, Explore - Arts, Humanities, and Cultures, Writing Intensive, GT-AH3 - Arts & Hum: Ways of Thinking GT-AH3.

Introductory study of major philosophies on the nature of the good for humans, principles of evaluation, and
moral choice. Some attention is given to contemporary topics such as violence and abortion.

• Approved for LAS Humanities area requirement.
• Approved for Compass Curriculum requirements: Explore-Arts, Humanities, and Cultures; Writing Intensive. GT-AH3.
• Components: Lecture
• Attributes: CLAS Core:Humanities, Explore - Arts, Humanities, and Cultures, Writing Intensive,GT-AH3 - Arts Hum: Ways of Thinking

3 credits

Introduction to the formal and informal standards and critical techniques used in the evaluation of daily reasoning and argument.

Approved for LAS Humanities area requirement. Satisfies the LAS and Compass Curriculum Quantitative and Qualitative Reasoning requirement as a logic course when taken by a student who has either 1) successfully completed MATH 1040 (or a mathematics course that has college algebra as a prerequisite), OR 2) scored 87% or higher on the College Algebra placement test and scored 50% or higher on the Business Calculus placement test. Approved for Compass Curriculum requirement: Explore-Arts, Humanities, and Cultures. GT-AH3.

Attributes: CLAS Core: Humanities, Explore - Arts, Humanities, and Cultures, GT-AH3 - Arts & Hum: Ways of Thinking.

This course traces the path of philosophical and scientific world views from Aristotle, to Newton, to Relativity and the corresponding philosophical and cultural transformations that each worldview gives rise to. Emphasis will be placed on the philosophical ideas of each era and on the application of these ideas to culture.

• Approved for LAS Global Awareness area requirement and Humanities area requirement.
• Approved for LAS Humanities area requirement.
• Approved for Compass Curriculum requirements: Explore-Arts, Humanities, and Cultures; Writing Intensive. GT-AH3.
• Components: Lecture, Recitation
• Attributes: CLAS Core: Global Awareness Requirement, CLAS Core: Humanities, Navigate, Writing Intensive

3 credits

Course description available soon

In Development

A reading-discussion course which explores the major world religions and the nature of their appeal to the spiritual aspirations of members of the human family. Approved for LAS Humanities area and Global Awareness requirements. Approved for Compass Curriculum requirements: Explore-Arts, Humanities, and Cultures; Writing Intensive. Prer., previous course in philosophy.

• Components: Lecture
• Attributes: CLAS Core: Global Awareness Requirement, CLAS Core: Humanities, Explore - Arts, Humanities, and Cultures, Writing Intensive

3 credits

Ethical dimensions of the patient-physician relationship and the impact of medical technology. Topics include informed consent and experimentation with human subjects, technological manipulation of birth and death processes, allocation of medical resources, genetic screening in the workplace, and genetic engineering.

• Approved for Compass Curriculum requirements: Navigate, Writing Intensive.
• Meets with PHIL 5130
• Components: Lecture
• Attributes: Navigate, Writing Intensive

3 credits

The meaning of death and dying in the history of Western philosophy from antiquity to contemporary Existentialism. Detailed examination of ethical issues raised in the care of the dying. Euthanasia and termination of treatment, care of the seriously ill newborn, etc.

• Approved for LAS Humanities area requirement.
• Approved for Compass Curriculum requirement: Explore-Arts, Humanities, and Cultures; Writing Intensive.
• Components: Lecture
• Attributes: CLAS Core: Humanities, Explore - Arts, Humanities, and Cultures, Writing Intensive

3 credits

Examination of the most influential recent works expressing the conservative, liberal, Marxist and anarchist contributions to contemporary social and political theory. Approved for LAS Social Science area requirement.

Approved for Compass Curriculum requirements: Explore-Society, Health and Behavior; Writing Intensive.

Attributes: CLAS Core: Social Sciences, Explore - Society, Health, & Behavior, Writing Intensive.

Systematic examination of some fundamental philosophic problems treated by Rationalists and Empiricists in the 17th and 18th centuries (Hobbes, Descartes, Locke Spinoza, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume), especially those concerning the foundations and limits of knowledge and attempts to overcome the limitations of these two traditions.

• Components: Lecture

3 credits

Study of the Enlightenment (Age of Reason) with special emphasis on Kant's work and some of his precursors and critics.

• Components: Lecture

3 credits

An intensive examination of the major European philosophical movements of the mid 20th century, including phenomenology, existentialism, linguistics and post-structuralism, emphasizing their relation to key philosophical and non-philosophical issues of the period.

• Prer., Previous philosophy course. Meets with PHIL 5060
• Components: Lecture

3 credits

Consciousness has re-emerged as a fundamental topic in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, and philosophy. This course introduces students to some of the recent neuroscientific studies of consciousness and surveys some of the philosophical problems posed by consciousness. Meets with PHIL 5200.

• Components: Lecture

3 credits

A research project directed under the supervision of a full time departmental faculty member. The topic of the research is chosen by the student in consultation with the project advisor. Required of all philosophy majors. Approved for LAS Oral Communication requirement.

• Approved for Compass Curriculum requirement: Summit. Open to juniors/seniors only.
• Components: Lecture
• Attributes: CLAS Core: Oral Communication Requirement, Summit

3 credits

Consciousness has re-emerged as a fundamental topic in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, and philosophy. This course introduces students to some of the recent neuroscientific studies of consciousness and surveys some of the philosophical problems posed by consciousness.

• Meets with PHIL 4200.
• Components: Seminar

3 credits