31 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 200Introduction to Philosophy3
A critical examination of some basic problems and techniques of philosophy. The focus will be on issues in logic, epistemology, and metaphysics. Particular emphasis will be placed on using the Socratic method to discover, clarify, and answer big questions about topics such as the nature of truth, knowledge, freedom, good and evil, and what it is to be a human being.
An introduction to the Ancient Period in the history of Western philosophy, with emphasis on primary texts and major figures such as Plato and Aristotle. Students will learn to reconstruct arguments from philosophical texts and examine them both on their own merits and in the context of the historical circumstances in which they emerged. Philosophical texts may be supplemented with historical, literary, or other materials that serve to illuminate this context.
PHIL 214Survey of Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy3
A survey of the development of analytic philosophy in the twentieth century. Topics covered may include the early paradigms of Moore and Russell, logical atomism in Russell and early Wittgenstein, logical positivism, the later Wittgenstein, the ordinary language school of philosophy, Quine’s naturalism in semantics, Davidson’s views on truth, Kripke’s reconceptualization of semantic and metaphysical categories, and the legacy of 20th century analytic philosophy.
An introduction to the intersection of philosophy of sport and philosophy of law through consideration of controversial issues in sport, such as doping, instant replay, strategic fouls, officiating discretion, paying college athletes, retaliatory fouls, age and gender classifications, sportsmanship, and off-field conduct. *Fulfills Civitae Core FHBS WI
This course will examine some of the basic philosophical questions surrounding the law and our legal institutions. For example: What does it take for a rule to qualify as a law? Are all laws human-made, or are some natural? Do we have a moral duty to obey the laws? When, if ever, is it justifiable to break them? When a law allows for multiple interpretations, how should judges choose among them? For what reason, if any, should those who break the law be punished?
Selected topics in Philosophy. The topics will vary from semester to semester. Descriptions will be available from academic advisors. May be repeated for credit when topics change.
The fundamentals of deduction and induction which aid the student in developing habits of valid thinking and in understanding the scientific method. Emphasis on deductive logic and on tools for analysis of issues in different fields of inquiry.
An introduction to ethical theories and their applications to moral issues. This course has three major components: (1) a survey of the main normative and metaethical theories; (2) a detailed examination of the method of philosophical analysis; and (3) the application of ethical theories and philosophical analysis to contemporary moral issues.
Ethical inquiry into the concepts of person, autonomy, rights, responsibility, and justice relevant to biomedicine and their application to issues of euthanasia, abortion, genetic control, the definition of death, allocation of scarce medical resources, experimentation with human beings, and intentional deception in biomedicine.
A study of how the principles of ethical theory can be applied to contemporary environmental controversies. The class will examine a variety of theoretical approaches to environmental ethics, comparing human-centered (anthropocentric), animal-centered (zoocentric), and nature-centered (biocentric) value systems. Students will study local, national, and global environmental issues including factory farming, pollution and pesticides, loss of biodiversity, habitat destruction, and global warming.
This course will consider the arguments for and against socialism, capitalism, and some less well known alternatives. We will seek to discern which economic system is best given the benefits and pitfalls of each. This course is interdisciplinary in nature. Our investigation will include arguments in political and ethical philosophy and substantial contact with the disciplines of economics, history, and political science. We also may engage with some literature and film in our interrogation of these economic systems.
PHIL 331Ancient and Medieval Political Philosophy3
Crosslisted With: ( POSC 331 ) Survey of the principal political theories and philosophies from ancient Greece through the Middle Ages, including the contributions of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas.
Major or minor in political science or permission of the instructor. Junior or senior status required.
Corequisite
None
PHIL 332Modern Political Philosophy3
Crosslisted With: ( POSC 332 ) Survey of modern political theories and philosophies, including the contributions of Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, and Marx.
Major or minor in political science or permission of the instructor. Junior or senior status required.
Corequisite
None
PHIL 350Aesthetics3
A study of theories of art and beauty, including the relation between beauty and the arts, the function and value of the arts in culture, and standards for criticism and judgments of beauty.
A study of such leading theories as dualistic interactionism, behaviorism and materialism, which concern the nature of the person, self-knowledge, the relation to the mental and the physical and human action. Emphasis on theories of the self or person and on criteria for the evaluation thereof. Classical, modern, and contemporary sources.
A critical examination of certain problems in religion, including the nature of religion, grounds for belief and disbelief in God, the varieties of religious experience and immortality. Classical, modern and contemporary sources.
An examination of such issues as the logic of scientific reasoning and method, the distinction between science and pseudoscience, the analysis of central concepts in science, especially causality, law and explanation, and finally, the relation of science and values in our culture. Attention will be given to the development of a consistent point of view on these issues. Examples will be drawn from a broad range of sciences, both natural and social.
An exploration of philosophical issues and theories concerning non-human animals and their relation to humans, with attention to how this area of philosophy connects to other disciplines such as psychology, biology, law, and religion, and how it bears on practical questions confronting us as citizens.
An introduction to the field of business ethics. Students will learn the philosophical concepts, theories, and skills needed to identify and reason through ethical issues that arise in the business world. Specific issues examined may include corporate social responsibility, product safety, truth in advertising, price gouging, workplace discrimination, and whistleblowing.
Business Administration major with Junior standing or higher, or philosophy minors.
Corequisite
None
PHIL 461Seminar in Philosophy3
An intensive study of one of the major philosophers emphasized in the introductory four-course sequence in the history of western philosophy. Lectures on the systematic position in general and student papers on particular topics on or about that position. Readings from major works of the philosopher chosen and from important critical secondary sources.
Selected topics in Philosophy. The topics will vary from semester to semester. Descriptions will be available from academic advisers. May be repeated for credit when topics change.
Students conduct an in-depth project in philosophy under the direction of a faculty member and the Longwood Senior Thesis Committee. May be repeated as 499.
