20 courses with the subject PHIL, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
PHIL 161The Socratic Project3
Socrates is one of the most fascinating figures in history. He lived a life that was totally dedicated to answering philosophical questions: What is moral? What is the nature of the good life? Is knowledge possible? His persistent attempt to answer these questions ultimately resulted in his execution. In a very real sense, Socrates died for philosophy. Our aim in this course will be to explore the Socratic project—to examine the point, worth, and form of a life dedicated to intellectual inquiry. We will take particular pains to try to understand the force and significance of the famous imperative, said to characterize the Socratic life: ‘Know thyself.’ We will accomplish this by examining a number of important thinkers, all of whom spent their lives attempting to make sense of the world and our place in it. We will begin, of course, with Socrates, but our inquiry will lead us into the present—into a consideration of inquiry as it currently exists in university settings. In addition to Socrates, we will read material from a diverse range of perspectives, all of which, in one way or another, are engaged in the attempt to understand the human condition. Material will include readings from Plato, Freud, Nietzsche, and Marx as well as from more recent authors in fields such as evolutionary psychology and gender/race studies.
An introduction to the methods, concepts, and aims of philosophical inquiry through critical study of major philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, and Hume.
An exploration of the philosophical movement of existentialism as it has manifested itself in multiple contexts (in Europe, in the Caribbean, in Asia). Questions to be considered will include the nature of the self, the absurdity of existence, and how one might achieve a worthwhile life despite the inevitability of death. Philosophers to be read might include: Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Fanon, Unamuno, Nishitani.
In this course we will explore the writings of some notable figures in the history of Zen and in 'the Kyoto school' of Japanese philosophy, examining the specific ways in which they try to articulate the philosophical underpinnings of Zen to a Western audience.
Philosophical questions concerning the nature of responsibility, the nature of the self, the meaning of a valuable life, and the terror of choice will be explored in selected works of fiction (works by, e.g. Albert Camus, Franz Kafka, J.M. Coetzee, Fyodor Dostoevsky)
An introduction to philosophical ethics, both theoretical and applied. Students are introduced to basic moral theories (deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics), as well as how these theories might be used to confront particular ethical issues. Students will analyze a variety of positions, critically assessing the merits and weaknesses of the available arguments. Topics to be considered may include: torture; animal rights; sexism, heterosexism, and racism; genetic engineering; consumerism and environmentalism; economic inequality and world poverty
PHIL 272Violence and Vengeance: A Philosophical Analysis of Quentin Tarantino’s Films3
Can criminals have a legitimate ethical code? Is violence ever justified? Revenge? How would we know? To answer these questions, we will study and discuss philosophical conceptions of knowledge, ethics, moderation, postmodernism and relativism in the context of the Tarantino portfolio. In the course of doing so, we will pay special attention to his treatment of women and minorities: Is Tarantino a champion of both or does he perpetuate harmful stereotypes?
Have you ever thought that "Everything is relative," or that "there is no truth" because "everything is a matter of opinion?" If so, believe it or not, you are already doing philosophy. In fact, you have ancient company: some 2,400 years ago, Protagoras championed the view that "knowledge is perception" and relatedly, that "man is the measure of all things." In other words, he was one of the first full-blown relativists. In this class, we will examine just what it means to be a relativist, asking and answering the questions: Is it a good position to hold? Why or why not? To help us work through this topic, we will read one of Plato's dialogues, some contemporary literature, and watch a number of related films.
What is our ethical relationship to the environment? Should we care for the environment only because we need it to survive or does the natural world have value in itself? How should we approach the topics of sustainability, resources and climate change? Should we be conservationists or preservationists? In this course, students will learn how to use philosophical theories to approach these questions. In doing so, we will examine the history of the environmental ethics as a recent and growing field.
What is religion? Is there a God? What is the value of religious experience? Is it possible to be religious without being superstitious? Answers to these and related questions will be examined in the analytical manner appropriate to Philosophy.
Exploration of the major moral theories of the Western philosophical tradition (utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics), as well as challenges to this tradition. Students will examine questions concerning the possibility of moral knowledge and moral expertise, the relationship between reason and value, and the limits of our best attempts to grapple with the question of how to live.
Analysis of various points of view on such topics as the definition of art; aesthetic experience; the form, matter and content of art; emotion and expression; the psychological function of art; criticism; and evaluation. We will also ask, and attempt to answer, six fundamental questions: 1. What is art? 2. What is proper “aesthetic encounter” if any? 3. How do we evaluate a work of art? 4. Can we learn from art? 5. Why do we enjoy tragedy/horror? 6. Where is the artist in the work of art? Active class participation and interest in the material is crucial.
What can a science such as psychology tell us about the working of the mind? What are the philosophies of some of the major psychological movements? While these topics constitute the broader context of the course, we also will explore issues such as the following: To what extent is one born with one's ideas, skills or talents, and to what extent do these depend on one's environment? How does the mind represent the external world? Do computers "think;" are they "conscious?" How does understanding of the brain affect understanding of human psychology? To what extent is human intelligence like that of other animals?
Philosophical questions about such topics as the nature of law, the function of legal systems, the meaning of legal terms, legal reasoning, justice, law and morality, theory of punishment.
This course is a survey of the major achievements and figures of Classical Greek philosophy and their influence on thinkers in the Hellenistic period and late antiquity. There will be a special focus on the thinkers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Other schools of thought discussed will include the Sophists, Epicureanism, and Stoicism. Some major topics of the course will include Ancient Greek scientific views on the origins of the universe, the nature of the human soul, happiness, love, and friendship, and the ideal government.
As Luther broke with the Catholic Church in the opening years of the sixteenth century, Copernicus dared to proclaim that the earth was not the center of the universe. The stage had been set for an intellectual revolution; in virtue of the burgeoning success of scientific inquiry, paired with a renewed confidence in rationality, human beings began to perceive themselves as the "masters of the universe." "Modernity" was ushered in as a previously unquestioned obedience to Church and God slipped away. In this class, we will carefully examine four philosophers who helped to shape this dramatic and rich moment in history: Descartes, Leibniz, Hume and Kant (as well as a number of relatively unknown women philosophers).
This course is designed to facilitate writing a senior thesis or capstone seminar paper in Philosophy. There are no required texts or required topics. There will be no lectures. The course will be run as a seminar. Each student will assign the rest of the class (including the instructor) short reading assignments pertaining to his/her thesis/paper research. Each week the students who assigned readings are responsible for leading class discussion (approximately 2-3 assignments per class). As the semester proceeds, each student will write and complete a research paper proposal and also complete a final paper based on this proposal.
