2023-2024 Academic Catalog

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Philosophy (PHIL)

PHIL 5002 -  Ancient Greek Philosophy  (3 Credits)  

What is philosophy?  What is the nature of reality? What is the difference between knowledge and opinion?  What is the best kind of life for a human being to lead? Ancient Greece was the birthplace of Western philosophy, and this course traces the history of ancient Greek thought, from Homer and Hesiod through the pre-Socratic thinkers (e.g. such figures as Thales, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Zeno of Elea, Empedocles, Anaxagoras and Democritus) to Plato, Aristotle and later Hellenistic thought. Cross-listed with PHIL 3002. Term offered: fall, spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring.

PHIL 5013 -  Methods and Practices of Graduate Interdisciplinary Humanities  (3 Credits)  

The second of three required Master of Humanities core courses, this course introduces beginning graduate students to methodologies and intellectual frameworks for gathering, organizing, and developing interdisciplinary research. Focus is on the application of theories and methods of research, interpretation and analysis in humanistic research through readings that explore philosophical and cultural discourses have altered theory and method. Course note: Students must repeat this course if they earn a C+ or lower and must have permission from the instructor to repeat the course. Students will only earn 3 credits for this course, even if they must repeat it. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with HUMN/SSCI 5013. Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5022 -  Knowledge, Perception, and the Search for Objectivity: Modern Philosophy  (3 Credits)  

How does physical matter relate to minds and the mental realm? How does objective reality related to what seems subjective — human knowledge, perception, and feeling, etc.? What is the role of logical thinking in connecting the objective and subjective areas of reality? Can philosophy ground knowledge so that scientific inquiry is safe from the challenges of skepticism? These are just a few of the problems posed by the “modern” period in philosophy, from roughly the end of the 16th century to the end of the 18th century. This course examines such epistemological questions and surveys key metaphysical themes that modern thinkers inherited from ancient and medieval philosophy. Figures typically include Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, and Kant, among others. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 3022. Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Spring.

PHIL 5040 -  Skepticism  (3 Credits)  

Considers radical skepticism in the form of Sextus Empiricus' Outlines of Pyrrhonism. Following Peter Suber's "Essay on Classical Skepticism," the course also looks at historical responses to Pyrrhonean skepticism, especially in theories of belief. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4040. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5050 -  Propaganda: Truth, Lies, and Freedom  (3 Credits)  

All who live in this world must choose what to do. Some of those choices can rely on first-hand experience, but most rely on information, facts, and descriptions from external sources. As every programmer will tell you, "Garbage in, garbage out." Thus, getting "good" information is critical to our ability to live freely, autonomously, and ethically. It is typical for philosophy classes to teach logic and reasoning -- and those are important. But reasoning is useless if its content (or information) is deceptive, misleading, or incoherent. What's more, since democratic countries are premised upon knowledgeable citizens, the short-circuiting of reasoning by propaganda may be the greatest danger democracy has. The question becomes: what is propaganda? How do we define it? How do we locate it? And finally, how do we spell out what's (possibly) wrong with it? Accordingly, this course is an inquiry into the epistemic, technological, and ethical dimensions of propaganda. It will define propaganda, identify how it works, and seek to understand the variety of agents and motives who use propaganda to achieve their ends. (It is not assumed that propaganda is always good or always bad, by the way.) In addition to understanding the logical and epistemic nature of propaganda, this course will examine how it is disseminated. How do technologies (text, video, social media, algorithms, etc.) influence and foment misinformation? The overarching goal will be to become more aware and critical of propaganda we encounter so we can avoid "garbage" information which can manipulate us and prevent us from reasoning logically and ethically. Cross-listed with PHIL 3050. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

PHIL 5101 -  Pragmatism: Classical American Philosophy  (3 Credits)  

The most significant philosophical tradition born in the United States is pragmatism. Examines several of the most important classical works of this tradition, the influence of thinkers who have helped pragmatism, and the contemporary relevance of this tradition. Figures who may be included in this course are: Emerson, Pierce, Royce, James, Dewey, Mead and Rorty. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4101, SSCI 5101, HUMN 5101. Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Fall.

PHIL 5200 -  Justice, Freedom, and Power: Social and Political Philosophy  (3 Credits)  

What is justice? What justifies a government as moral? Why should individuals obey the state’s laws? Can anarchism work? Is private property necessary to a free society? Is social justice? What is freedom — and what is oppression? Is gender, ethnic, and religious diversity necessary for a just society? Why? This course will raise these kinds of questions as it examines basic issues in social and political philosophy (e.g. justice, freedom, individuality, power and community). Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate NonDegree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BABMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 3200. Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5220 -  Art, Beauty, and Aesthetic Criticism: Philosophy of Art  (3 Credits)  

What makes something a work of “art”? How should art be interpreted or evaluated? Can we really debate about “taste” or beauty? Why do we call some people "artists" or some experiences “aesthetic"? Where does creativity come from? This course investigates such questions, offering a range of historical and contemporary answers, and examines the social, political, and philosophical roles of art in contemporary society. Methods of engaging these questions may include multimedia technologies as well as individual and group field trips to local art venues. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4220 and HUMN 5220. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring.

PHIL 5242 -  Medicine, Health Care, and Justice: Bioethics  (3 Credits)  

Anyone entering a medical profession must confront tough ethical issues and dilemmas. These often arise suddenly, so practitioners best preparation is to think ahead about what will likely occur. This course introduces students to a variety cases and philosophical theories useful to healthcare careers. For example, What is “health” and who determines it? Is there a right to health care? How should medical scarcity (vital organs, vaccines, supplies, etc.) be addressed? What duties are owed to patients by healthcare providers, and why? On what grounds may medical treatment be demanded — or refused? The goal of the class is to train students to be nimble and imaginative in how they reason about the difficult cases they will face in their career. Suggested prerequisite one or two previous courses in philosophy, and a minimum grade of C in each course are strongly recommended; if the student lacks this coursework, consult with the professor prior to registration. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4242, HUMN 5242, SSCI 5242. Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Fall.

PHIL 5260 -  Why Obey the Law? Introduction to Philosophy of Law  (3 Credits)  

What is a legal “law”? What justifies its ability to force our compliance? How is law distinct from morality? What makes some laws immoral? Is ignorance of the law ever a valid excuse? We all find ourselves entangled with the law at some point. Sometimes we’re the victim and sometimes we stand accused; even beyond those special circumstances, we all have to live with the law and the many ways it regulates (or controls) our conduct. While this course is recommended for pre-law students, this course will every students to be intellectually critical of what law is, how it can and is justified, and how to assess it on grounds that reach beyond to law, such as logic or ethics. Both historical and contemporary sources will be used to survey theoretical positions on the nature of law. Figures may include (among others): Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Locke, Kant, Holmes, Mackinnon, Dworkin, Hart, Devlin, as well as more contemporary Supreme Court justices and case law. Suggested prerequisite one or two previous courses in philosophy, and a minimum grade of C in each course are strongly recommended; if the student lacks this coursework, consult with the professor prior to registration. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4260. Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Fall.

PHIL 5300 -  Mind, Body, and Consciousness: Philosophy of Mind  (3 Credits)  

Consideration of the problems in the philosophy of mind, such as the mind-body problem, the problem of our knowledge of other minds, the compatibility of free will and determinism, and discussion of such concepts as action, intention, motive, desire, enjoyment, memory, imagination, dreaming and self-knowledge. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4300. Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Fall.

PHIL 5308 -  Contemporary Feminist Thought  (3 Credits)  

This course explores contemporary feminist thought in philosophy and literature in the 20th and 21st centuries. Topics include lesbianism, black feminism, Chicana feminism, transgender identity, women and work and others. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with ENGL 4308, ENGL 5308, PHIL 4308, WGST 4308, WGST 5308. Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Spring.

PHIL 5341 -  Latin American Philosophy  (3 Credits)  

This course introduces students to Latin American Philosophy by exploring its indigenous roots, its recurring themes of struggle against colonial domination, and the way this tradition works with and against European and Anglo-American philosophical ideas. Students will also learn about how questions of identity, especially those of ethnicity, have developed within this area of philosophy. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors. Cross-listed with PHIL 4341. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring.

PHIL 5350 -  Philosophy of Science  (3 Credits)  

This course examines some of the central philosophical questions concerning the nature of scientific investigation, such as the logical relation of evidence to hypothesis, the objective adjudication of competing hypotheses, the logical function of modeling in empirical inquiry, the criterion for a classificatory system to underwrite induction and explanation, the explanatory relationships between the differing sciences, as well as the theoretical and pragmatic function of scientific law and its relationship to explanation. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4350. Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Spring.

PHIL 5430 -  How to think green: Environmental Ethics  (3 Credits)  

Is it wrong to extinguish a species? What makes cruelty to animals wrong? Do trees have rights? Is the earth a resource we can use any way we want? Is vegetarianism a more ethical way to live — or just another lifestyle choice? As citizens of the world, we are bombarded by such questions. Understanding what is fundamental clarifies thinking and coordinates action. This course introduces ethical theories relevant to problems such as animal and species welfare, deforestation, pollution, climate change, and the sustainability of the planet. By examining multiple perspectives, students gain confidence judging which issues and data are significant and deciding what kind of world we should create with our actions and inactions. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 3430, HUMN 5430 and SSCI 5430. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5441 -  Philosophical Reasoning Skills  (3 Credits)  

This course provides Philosophy majors and other philosophically interested students with the skills and tools necessary for effectively navigating philosophical discussions. In this course we will cover issues such as validity and soundness, as well as several systems useful for demonstrating validity. The course will in addition address important issues in the philosophy of language, including the very important question of definitions, as well as the use of thought experiments and avoidance of informal fallacies. Finally, since philosophical reasoning increasingly involves knowledge of the methods of scientific reasoning, those skills will also be included in the course. Cross-listed with PHIL 3441. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Spring.

PHIL 5450 -  Punishment and Social Justice  (3 Credits)  

We will use the critical tools of philosophy to think about how contemporary practices of punishment are justified, how they shape the world we live in and what alternative normative frameworks might be. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 5450. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5480 -  Perspectives on Good and Evil  (3 Credits)  

Examines "problem of evil" as formulated in the philosophical tradition. Presents classical formulation of the problem, traditional solutions & classical critiques of each answer. Considers perspectives of various religious orientations, which deal differently with the question of suffering. Restriction: Restricted to students with Graduate standing. Cross-listed with PHIL 4480, RLST 4480/5480. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors

PHIL 5500 -  Feminist Philosophy  (3 Credits)  

Seminar on key debates & figures in historical & contemporary feminist philosophy. Topics may include: rights, embodiment, gender, sexuality, race, reason, & violence. Figures may include: Wollstonecraft, Stanton, Beauvoir, Judith Butler, and bell hooks. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4500, WGST 4500 & 5500. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5600 -  Questioning Religious Belief and Practice: Introduction to Philosophy of Religion  (3 Credits)  

Does God exist? Can the existence of God be proved? When is believing on faith acceptable? How or why is there a “problem of evil”? What are the attributes of a "god" and how can they be known, if at all? What is the relation of God to the world we experience? How does morality relate to religious belief and practice? The goal of the course is to broaden and deepen our understanding of key philosophical debates within religious traditions as we study prominent thinkers in the history of philosophy. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with HUMN 5600, PHIL 4600, RLST 4060, RLST 5060, and SSCI 5600. Term offered: summer. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Summer.

PHIL 5655 -  Differing Concepts of God  (3 Credits)  

God, Gods, and Goddesses have been imagined in many different modes, forms, aspects, and guises throughout human history. This course investigates Paleolithic models of God, the Great Goddess of the Neolithic era, the Gods of mythological traditions, Biblical God, the abstract God of the philosophers, the God of the pantheists, the deists, and the God of the mystics. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4650, RLST 4400 and 5400. Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Fall.

PHIL 5730 -  Philosophy and Literature  (3 Credits)  

Considers the philosophical dimensions of literature. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4730, ENGL 4735 and 5735. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5750 -  Introduction to Phenomenology  (3 Credits)  

Examines the contribution of phenomenology to selected topics in the theory of meaning, philosophy of mind, ontology, and epistemology, through a study of such philosophers as Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre and Merleau-Ponty. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4750. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5755 -  Philosophical Psychology  (3 Credits)  

Explores debates about psyche and body, mind and world, self and others, and consciousness and nature. Examines the philosophical questions related to those debates that arise within theories of perception, affect and cognition offered by influential psychological models. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4755, HUMN 5750 and SSCI 5750. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5770 -  Hegel  (3 Credits)  

A systematic study of the thought of G.W.F. Hegel through his most important and influential works: The Phenomenology of Spirit; The Encyclopedia of Philosophical Sciences; The Science of Logic; Lectures on the Philosophy of History; and his lectures on the history of philosophy, art and religion. Focus of the course varies. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4770. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5780 -  Heidegger  (3 Credits)  

Studies the thought of Martin Heidegger, one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century. Includes texts from both Heidegger's early and later periods, and focuses on his analyses of human subjectivity and being. Prereq: Six credit hours in Western philosophy. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4780. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5790 -  Nietzsche  (3 Credits)  

A close study of Nietzsche's philosophical writings, with attention to his significance for philosophy in the 20th century and beyond. Cross-listed with PHIL 4790. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Spring.

PHIL 5795 -  Marx and Marxism  (3 Credits)  

A close study of the most influential works of Karl Marx and subsequent theorists who provide either an influential interpretation of the works of Marx or contribute to an innovative application or elaboration of the basic tenets of Marxism. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4795. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5800 -  Plato  (3 Credits)  

A careful study of Plato's writings, emphasizing the dialogue form, and discussion of Plato's significance for the history of ethics, political theory, psychology, metaphysics and epistemology. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4800. Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Spring.

PHIL 5810 -  Aristotle  (3 Credits)  

Examines Aristotle's systematic philosophy and discusses its contributions to logic, epistemology, physics, psychology, metaphysics, ethics and political theory. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4810. Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Spring.

PHIL 5812 -  Special Topics in Philosophy  (3 Credits)  

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5820 -  Hume  (3 Credits)  

Considers the work of eighteenth century philosopher David Hume. Emphasis on unity of Hume's thought. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4820. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5830 -  Kant: Freedom, Reality, and the Mind  (3 Credits)  

Why do motives matter in ethics? What is an ethical duty? How do sensations and ideas combine to make reality unified and coherent? Kant's philosophy answers these questions by providing a profound synthesis of the philosophers before him. Kant's work still influences ethics, politics, metaphysics, epistemology, and science today. This course involves students in close study of Kant’s revolutionary thought as it appears in several of his major works. Strongly Recommended: PHIL 3002 or 3022, a minimum grade of “C” in each previous philosophy course. If the student does not have this coursework, consulting with the instructor prior to registration is strongly recommended. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 3760. Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Fall.

PHIL 5833 -  Existentialism  (3 Credits)  

Examines one of the most influential movements in recent European thought, beginning with existentialism's 19th century roots, and continuing on to the existentialist philosophers of the 20th century. Figures covered may include Dostoyevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre and de Beauvoir. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 3833, HUMN 5833 and SSCI 5833. Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

Typically Offered: Spring.

PHIL 5840 -  Independent Study: PHIL  (1-9 Credits)  

Note: Students must submit a special processing form completely filled out and signed by the student and faculty member, describing the course expectations, assignments and outcomes, to the CLAS Graduate Academic Services Coordinator for approval. Term offered: fall, spring, summer. Repeatable. Max hours: 9 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Repeatable. Max Credits: 9.

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.

PHIL 5880 -  Directed Research  (1-6 Credits)  

Students will engage in original research projects supervised and mentored by faculty. Students must work with faculty prior to registration to develop a proposal for their project and receive permission to take this course. Note: Students must submit a special processing form completely filled out and signed by the student and faculty member, describing the course expectations, assignments and outcomes, to the CLAS Graduate Academic Services Coordinator for approval. Repeatable. Max Hours: 6 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Repeatable. Max Credits: 6.

PHIL 5900 -  John Dewey  (3 Credits)  

John Dewey was one of the most important of the American philosophers and public intellectuals of the twentieth century. Topics may include Dewey's philosophical naturalism, pragmatist epistemology, process metaphysics and philosophies of experience, aesthetics, religion, technology and democracy. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4900. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5920 -  Philosophy of Media and Technology  (3 Credits)  

A philosophical examination of interrelationships between contemporary media, technology, and their impacts upon character of contemporary life and values. Topics may include ethics, epistemology, democracy, advertising, media literacy and criticism. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4920, HUMN 5920, SSCI 5920. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)

PHIL 5933 -  Philosophy of Eros  (3 Credits)  

What does it mean to understand philosophy as an erotic activity? This question will be examined, first by studying Plato's dialogues-such as Lysis, Symposium and Republic-and then by reading texts from Sigmund Freud, Michael Foucault and others. Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA). Cross-listed with PHIL 4933, WGST 4933/5933, SSCI 5933 and HUMN 5933. Max hours: 3 Credits.

Grading Basis: Letter Grade

Restriction: Restricted to Graduate and Graduate Non-Degree Majors or undergraduate students in the Bachelors to Masters program (PHIL-BA-BMA)