Courses

PHIL 114 East Asian Philosophy

This course will introduce the three major philosophical systems of East Asian thought: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism through their canonical texts. This historical approach will be supplemented by contemporary readings in each tradition. When taught as a component of the Japan Term, this course will pay special attention to the development of Japanese Buddhism, specifically Pure Land Buddhism (Amida Buddhism), Esoteric Buddhism (Shingon Buddhism) and Zen Buddhism (Soto and Rinzai). Cross Listing: ASIA 114;RELS 114; Normally offered alternate years; IC; W. Young

PHIL 115 Introduction to Philosophy

An exploration of the enduring philosophical questions regarding the nature of reality, the existence of the external world, the extent of human freedom, the existence of God, the definition of the Good and its relevance to the moral life, and the principles of social and political organization. IC; Staff

PHIL 116 Introduction to Metaphysics

In brief, metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the natures of things. In this course, students will be introduced to the study of metaphysics by considering such questions as: (1) Is a hotdog a sandwich? (2) Does a band or other group become a new entity each time it loses or gains a member? (3) Are characters in works of fanfiction truly "the same" as those that appear in the canonical source material? and (4) Are you the same person now as you were ten years ago (or even when you started reading this course description)? IC; Offered alternate years; B. Polite

PHIL 118 Environmental Ethics

An examination of the contested frameworks that govern our environmental policies. Critical questions are: Is there a land ethic? Do animals have rights? Do we have ethical obligations to natural objects? Special attention is given to the major arguments of libertarian, utilitarian, and liberal-pluralist social philosophies and to the policies and practices of contemporary environmental activists. Cross Listing: ENVS 118;PJST 118; IC; Staff

PHIL 120 Critical Reasoning

A study of the logical principles in deductive and inductive reasoning with emphasis on the methods of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of arguments. Emphasis is on the identification and classification of fallacies, the formation of scientific hypotheses, the methods of confirmation and falsification, legal reasoning, and problem solving. Examples are taken from the arguments of journalists, lawyers, scientists and philosophers. Staff

PHIL 123 Bad Art, Bad Taste, and Bad Artists

This course deals with questions of value and the arts, focusing on three main topics. The first is about aesthetics: What makes some works of art "bad," and why do we sometimes enjoy bad art? The second is about culture: What does it mean for someone to have "bad" taste, and how do we cultivate our taste? The third is about morality: Is it ever okay to enjoy art with morally troubling content or that was created by morally bad artists? We address these issues by considering a number of perspectives held by contemporary philosophers of art. IC; B. Polite

PHIL 125 Philosophy and Fantasy

This course approaches philosophical issues through science fiction. Among the issues discussed are: 1) Is scientific progress human progress? 2) Can machines think? 3) Are thinking machines persons? 4) Can human society be perfected? 5) Does history have an overriding goal for human development? 6) Is human perception relative to human biology? social community? 7) Are social power, scientific practice, exploitation, and the concept of the 'the natural' linked? In other words, is nature a social construct? IC; B. Polite

PHIL 130 Ethics and Business

In this course we read, write and think about the nature of business and its relation to a good human life. We consider such questions as: Is anybody who provides a good to other people involved in a business? Could a society have businesses if it didn't also have money? In what sense does one have to do what one has contracted to do? Do businesses owe anything to those who create the conditions in which they flourish? Is there anything objectionable about asking as much as the market will bear for some product? Cross Listing: PJST 131; IC; D. Wack

PHIL 142 Philosophy as a Guide to Life

The goal of this course is a little audacious: to help students become wiser and lead a better life. To achieve this goal, we will explore several traditional philosophical approaches to the question: "What is it to lead a good life?" These may include Confucianism, Daoism, Epicureanism, Stoicism, and Buddhism, among others. Students will "live out" each approach for one or more days, breaking unconscious habits by incorporating philosophical insights into their daily lives and seeing whether they bear any fruit. They will then report back to the class with their observations and experiences. IC; Normally offered alternate years; B. Polite

PHIL 195F

This course is an introduction to aesthetics and the philosophy of art as applied to the contemporary world. The first half of the term will focus on Taylor Swift's project of re-recording her back catalog. The second half will focus on two topics: (1) black aesthetics, with special emphasis on Black Panther and Kendrick Lamar, and (2) the effects of technology on art and aesthetic experience, particularly AI image generators & recommendation algorithms. You will be encouraged to think about how aesthetic theory is relevant to your own experience of art and related objects. HUM;

PHIL 202 Symbolic Logic

A detailed study of the principles of deductive logic, the course emphasizes the identification of valid and invalid arguments, and the fundamentals of propositional logic and quantification theory. Prerequisite(s): sophomore standing or permission of the instructor; QR; Normally offered alternate years; B. Polite

PHIL 205 Buddhism and Japanese Buddhism

This course is an introduction to Buddhism, with specific emphasis on Japanese Buddhism. To these ends, it will canvass the principal tenets of Buddhism, namely, the four noble truths, the eight-fold path, dependent originations, the no-self, karma, etc., in the Theravada and Mahayana traditions. It will then consider the development of Japanese Buddhism from the Asuka (552-645 CE) through the Kamakura Periods (1185-1332 CE) by examining the rise of particular sects within Japanese Buddhism (Nara Schools, Tendai, Shingon, Pure Land, and Zen). Cross Listing: ASIA 205;RELS 205; Normally offered alternate years; W. Young

PHIL 206 Early Modern Philosophy

This course explores some exciting developments of the 17th and 18th centuries. Specifically, we will look at how the study of metaphysics, epistemology, and the mind were transformed by the scientific revolution. We specifically consider the relationships between the mind and the body, and between the human person and the natural world. Philosophers studied include: Descartes, Elisabeth of Bohemia, Amo, Conway, Cavendish, Spinoza, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. IC; Staff

PHIL 207 Philosophy after Kant

Kant's work marks a decisive turn for modern thinking. In this course, we trace different ways of responding to two basic Kantian insights: that freedom depends on acknowledging our ability to give ourselves laws and that contemporary reality is best analyzed in terms of forms of experience and the conditions that make particular forms of experience possible. We trace these responses in the work of Wollstonecroft, Hegel, Marx, Douglass, DuBois, Emerson, Nietzsche, and others. Our emphasis in reading these texts is on identifying ways in which these thinkers offer tools for helping us to better understand contemporary forms of experience. IC; offered alternate years; Staff

PHIL 210 Ethics

Lying, murder and cheating at checkers are all species of injustice-what do they all have in common that makes them all injustices? Which is better, being just or appearing just? Must one care about being a just (or a good) person? It is easier to answer these questions than to explain why the right answers are right, although both tasks are challenging. We think about what the right answers are, and why they are right, through careful reading of some of the great moral philosophers, including Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, David Hume and Immanuel Kant. IC; D. Wack

PHIL 211 Philosophy of Art

An exploration of the problems found in the analysis and criticism of the visual and performing arts. Topics may include the analysis of an aesthetic experience, the tension between subjective and objective evaluations, the definition of beauty and the problem of the ugly, the problems of creativity and expression, the role of the artist in contemporary society, the ethical issues of censorship, forgery, and artist's rights. Prerequisite(s): sophomore standing or permission of the instructor; IC; D. Wack

PHIL 212 Value and Exchange

How is value created and sustained? What role does exchange play in value's creation? In this course we explore the relation between value and exchange in order to analyze the contemporary, historical, and cross-cultural practices involving debt and money. We will read several theorists, including Georg Simmel, Karl Marx, Adam Smith, Marcel Mauss, David Graeber, and Gayle Rubin, on the relation between value and exchange. On this basis, we will then examine the ethical implications of money and debt relations. In so doing, we will analyze and contrast contemporary and market forms of exchange with historical and cross-cultural forms of exchange. Finally, we will develop these theoretical frameworks on value and exchange in order to better understand the most recent global crisis of value and exchange: the financial and market panic of 2008. Cross Listing: PJST 212; IC; D. Wack

PHIL 213 Documentary and Truth

Documentary film is, like thinking more generally, oriented and organized by truth. But what makes a representation truthful? What norms govern activities involving truth-telling? Above all, why is truth-telling so important to us? We examine these and related issues in the context of the history of documentary films. In watching documentaries and reading related philosophical and critical texts, we investigate the norms of truth-telling at work in documenting an event and in representing a particular way of life. Cross Listing: FILM 213; D. Wack

PHIL 214 History of Self-Government

Contemporary life is largely structured by shared practices of self-government. When we make decisions as consumers, as employees, as citizens, we decide what is best for ourselves and act in ways that businesses and other social institutions can coordinate. But what are the terms by which contemporary self-government occurs? In this course, we examine the modern history of reasoning about self-government in order to trace the emergence of contemporary neoliberal practices of self-government out of earlier liberal practices. Cross Listing: BUS 214; D. Wack

PHIL 215 Philosophy of Education

A critical examination of some assumptions about education embraced by historical and contemporary philosophers, and the relevance of these assumptions to U.S. schooling. Philosophical questions are considered, such as "What does it mean to teach?" and "What is knowledge?" Prerequisite(s): sophomore standing or permission of the instructor; Cross Listing: EDUC 203; SA; S. DeWitt; staff

PHIL 218 Philosophy of Mind

This course examines the relationship between the mind and the natural world. Some of the topics the course may consider are: What is the relationship between the mind and the body? Given that cognitive processes are rule-bound processes, are these rules learned or innate? Do these rules permit objective knowledge, i.e., knowledge of the world as it is in and of itself? What explains the semantic content of cognitive states? What is consciousness? What is the status of computer intelligence? IC; B. Polite

PHIL 220 Contemporary Moral Theory

Contemporary moral philosophy is largely concerned with providing an objective basis for morals. A central challenge for contemporary moral philosophy is to show that morals are not entirely subjective, not entirely relative to a particular person's desires or beliefs or goals, and not even entirely relative to a particular culture's practices. This course examines the two most prevalent contemporary moral theories: Utilitarianism and Kantianism. We consider central contemporary discussions of subjectivism and relativism regarding morals and then read John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant, as well as several contemporary discussions of their doctrines. Prerequisite(s): one philosophy course or sophomore standing, or permission of the instructor; D. Wack

PHIL 228 Death and Life

In this course, we articulate the concepts of life and death by surveying a variety of ancient and modern philosophical accounts of them in order to see the role such an understanding of these concepts can play in helping us think about our relations to ourselves and to others. In exploring both ancient philosophical practices designed to cultivate ways of thinking about death and more modern attempts to grapple with these two concepts, we investigate the conceptual difficulties and rewards in thinking of death and life. IC; D. Wack

PHIL 230 Political Philosophy

This course is an historical introduction to political philosophy focusing especially on the ideas of liberalism and democracy. Our own form of government is (perhaps only ideally) a realization of both of these values and is an important source of their currency as ideals in much of the contemporary world. But what is liberalism? What is democracy? What forms can liberalism and democracy take? Are some forms preferable to others? What is so valuable about liberalism and democracy anyway? Can both be realized by a state? If there is a conflict, which value should take precedence? Offered alternate years. IC; Normally offered alternate years; D. Wack

PHIL 243 Philosophies of Feminism

This course explores the theoretical frameworks by which feminists explain the exploitation and oppression of women. The aim of this course is to understand how feminists conceive of sexism, how they model a nonsexist society, and the manner in which they believe this society may be established. We proceed historically, beginning with Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of A Woman, ending with contemporary feminist issues. Among the varieties of feminist thought covered are Enlightenment feminism, cultural feminism, Marxist feminism, psychoanalytic feminism, radical feminism and contemporary French feminism. Prerequisite(s): sophomore standing; Cross Listing: GWST 243; W. Young

PHIL 244 Philosophy of Music

This course considers the nature of music and its significance. Our central question will be: in what ways can music be meaningful? More specific questions may include: What is a musical work? What determines whether performances are authentic or good? Why do we sometimes find music to be not just enjoyable but also intensely moving and even profound? We approach these questions through a careful examination of key texts and arguments in musical aesthetics, and with respect to a variety of musical styles. No special knowledge of philosophy or music is presupposed for students entering the class. Cross Listing: MUS 244; IC; B. Polite

PHIL 245 Philosophy of Games

This course explores some philosophical questions about games. These fall into three broad categories. (1) Metaphysical: What makes video games, board games, role-playing games, sports, etc., all games? What is it to play a game? Must one follow the rules to count as genuinely playing a game? (2) Aesthetic: Can games be works of art? How does our engagement with games compare to our engagement with other forms of art? (3) Social /Moral: What is the value of playing games? Can games help us better understand ourselves? Can playing games transform our lives in positive ways? IC; B. Polite

PHIL 246 Philosophy of Film

Popular movies characteristically depict actions, with a climactic action or event giving significance and structure to the earlier events in the movie. What are the implications of the centrality of action and action representation in movies for our understanding of film and of action? How do movies help us to understand the relation between a world and the actions that are possible in that world? How do the movies allow us to think about actions and the inner lives of the agents who carry them out? How have the kinds of actions shown in popular movies developed and changed? How does the representation of action on film shed light on the nature of time? Cross Listing: FILM 246; D. Wack

PHIL 247 Revenge, Morality, and Literature

This course investigates the moral and psychological contours of revenge through a careful examination of philosophical texts and some of Shakespeare's plays. We are especially interested in what revenge can tell us about the value of persons, along the dimensions of gender, class, race, and religion. The questions we consider are: (1) What relationship does revenge bear to justice? (2) What sorts of actions inspire a desire for revenge? (3) Is revenge ever morally permitted? (4) When should forgiveness or mercy be granted? (5) Does genre affect how revenge function--for instance, tragedy vs. comedy? Cross Listing: ENG 247; IC; B. Polite

PHIL 248 Teaching Assistant (1/2 or 1)

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor; May be graded S/U at instructor's discretion; Staff

PHIL 270 Greek Philosophy

The development of Greek philosophy from its origins in the pre-Socratic fragments through Sophists to the major systematic works of Plato and Aristotle. Special attention is given to the enduring character of the topics raised in ancient philosophy, possibly including the nature of reality, the definition of the Good, the apprehension of beauty, and the basis for social and political life. Prerequisite(s): sophomore standing or permission of the instructor; Cross Listing: CLAS 270; IC; B. Polite

PHIL 276 Existentialism

An exploration of Existentialism through both philosophical and literary texts. Authors may include: Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Jaspers, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, and de Beauvoir. Prerequisite(s): one course in philosophy or permission of the instructor; IC; W. Young

PHIL 278 Memory and Perception

How are our capacities for memory and sense perception related? In what ways do they depend on each other? In this course, we examine a number of different philosophical accounts of the relations between memory and perception in order to determine the nature of the interdependence of these capacities. In so doing, we will clarify for ourselves how mind and world are related and see why it is the case that our ability to perceive the world we live in is itself a phenomenon that is conditioned by historical developments. We will read texts by Henri Bergson, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Elizabeth Anscombe, Friedrich Nietzsche, Stanley Cavell, and others. We will watch movies by Orson Welles, Chris Marker, Alfred Hitchcock, and others. W; D. Wack

PHIL 284 Global Aesthetics

This course examines aesthetic traditions from around the world, including: Aboriginal Australian, African, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, and Persian. Among the issues we consider are: (1) the extent to which we can understand and appreciate art and artifacts from aesthetic traditions other than our own; (2) differences, continuities, and exchanges between Western and Non-Western aesthetic practices; (3) the relationship between aesthetic and religious practices in these traditions; and (4) whether art (particularly music) can ever induce mystical experiences. We address these issues by considering the work of a number of philosophers and other scholars. Cross Listing: RELS 284; IC; Offered alternate years; B. Polite

PHIL 285 Black Philosophy

An introduction to the Black philosophical tradition from its origins in ancient Egyptian myth and ritual to contemporary African American thinkers. Authors read include, among others, W.E.B. Du Bois, C.L.R. James, bell hooks, Kwame Nkrumah, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Angela Davis and Cornel West. Alternate years. Prerequisite(s): one course in Africana Studies or one course in Philosophy; Cross Listing: AFST 285; Staff

PHIL 290 Agents, Actions, Ends

This course aims, first, to be an introduction to moral psychology-the area of philosophy that straddles the philosophy of mind, the philosophy of action and the theory of value. Moral psychology asks "In virtue of what is some event an intentional action?" "In virtue of what is something-an animal, a person, an institution-an agent?" "Does aiming at something entail viewing it as something good?" This course aims, second, to equip students with an especially fruitful way to think about various sorts of actions and agents-the approach we study is well-suited to navigating substantive ethical debates, and to appreciating the insights of some strands of post-structuralism, post-colonial theory, and feminism. Prerequisite(s): sophomore standing or consent of the instructor; D. Wack

PHIL 295 Special Topics (1/2 or 1)

Courses offered occasionally to students in special areas of Philosophy not covered in the usual curriculum. Staff

PHIL 299 Seminar in Philosophy

This seminar will focus on a key issue in contemporary philosophy, the topic of which will depend on the instructor. The course will culminate in a significant piece of writing. Special attention will be paid to the key steps of research, drafting, and revision, as well as to developing careful textual analyses and compelling arguments. PHIL 399 students will present their paper and answer audience questions in a symposium on campus to fulfill the capstone requirement. The course can be taken once for credit as PHIL 299 and once for credit as PHIL 399. Prerequisite(s): at least two previous courses in Philosophy, or permission of the instructor; Staff

PHIL 306 Early Modern Philosophy

This course explores some exciting developments of the 17th and 18th centuries. Specifically, we will look at how the study of metaphysics, epistemology, and the mind, were transformed by the scientific revolution. We specifically consider the relationships between the mind and the body, and between the human person and the natural world. Philosophers studied include: Descartes, Elisabeth of Bohemia, Amo, Conway, Cavendish, Spinoza, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. IC; Staff

PHIL 307 Philosophy after Kant

Kant's work marks a decisive turn for modern thinking. In this course, we trace different ways of responding to two basic Kantian insights: that freedom depends on acknowledging our ability to give ourselves laws and that contemporary reality is best analyzed in terms of forms of experience and the conditions that make particular forms of experience possible. We trace these responses in the work of Wollstonecroft, Hegel, Marx, Douglass, DuBois, Emerson, Nietzsche, and others. Our emphasis in reading these texts is on identifying ways in which these thinkers offer tools for helping us to better understand contemporary forms of experience. Prerequisite(s): one course in Philosophy or permission of the instructor; IC; offered alternate years; Staff

PHIL 348 Teaching Assistant (1/2 or 1)

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor; May be graded S/U at instructor's discretion; Staff

PHIL 395 Special Topics (1/2 or 1)

Courses offered occasionally to students in special areas of Philosophy not covered in the usual curriculum. Staff

PHIL 399 Seminar in Philosophy

This seminar will focus on a key issue in contemporary philosophy, the topic of which will depend on the instructor. The course will culminate in a significant piece of writing. Special attention will be paid to the key steps of research, drafting, and revision, as well as to developing careful textual analyses and compelling arguments. PHIL 399 students will present their paper and answer audience questions in a symposium on campus to fulfill the capstone requirement. The course can be taken once for credit as PHIL 299 and once for credit as PHIL 399. Prerequisite(s): junior standing and at least three previous courses in Philosophy, or permission of the instructor; May be repeated once for credit; IMMR; Staff

PHIL 400 Advanced Studies (1/2 or 1)

See College Honors Program. Staff