Philosophy

Philosophy
https://philosophy.rice.edu/
224 Humanities Building
713-348-4994

Robert Howell
Department Chair

Philosophy is best described as the attempt to think clearly and deeply about the fundamental questions that arise for us as human beings. What is the nature of knowledge (epistemology)? How are we to distinguish between what really is and what only seems to be (metaphysics)? What is the right thing to do (ethics)? Is there any meaning to existence? To study the history of philosophy is to study the best, most enduring answers given to these questions in the past. Because every other field of study adopts some stance toward these questions, though often implicitly, philosophical issues arise in the natural and social sciences, history, linguistics, literature, art, and so on. Special courses in philosophy deal with each of these.

Characteristic of philosophy are commitments to the construction and evaluation of arguments, to expressing thoughts clearly and precisely, and to defending one’s ideas and evaluating the ideas of others. The study of philosophy thus provides resources for critical participation in all realms of human endeavor.

The graduate program trains students to teach and pursue research in the main areas of department concentration: ethics (especially bioethics) and social and political philosophy, core portions of analytic philosophy (especially philosophy of mind), history of philosophy, and continental philosophy.

Master's Program

  • Master of Arts (MA) Degree in the field of Philosophy*

Doctoral Program

Chair

Robert Howell

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Charles Siewert

Director of Graduate Studies

Samuel Reis-Dennis

Professors

Elizabeth Brake
Robert Howell
Uriah Kriegel
Timothy Schroeder
George Sher
Charles Siewert

Associate Professor

Gwendolyn M. Bradford

Assistant Professors

Thimo Heisenberg
Alexander Morgan
Samuel Reis-Dennis

Senior Lecturer

Brian Miller
 

For Rice University degree-granting programs:
To view the list of official course offerings, please see Rice’s Course Catalog
To view the most recent semester’s course schedule, please see Rice's Course Schedule

Philosophy (PHIL)

PHIL 100 - INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: An introduction to philosophy through a variety of philosophical topics (such as: morality, determinism, knowledge, consciousness), figures (such as: Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Nietzsche), or some combination of these. Encounter some of the hardest, deepest thoughts developed over the last 2500 years!

PHIL 125 - PHILOSOPHY THROUGH ARTWORKS

Short Title: PHILOSOPHY THROUGH ARTWORKS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: An introduction to philosophically interesting artworks and, through them, the philosophical study of art. Artworks studied can include popular music, painting, sculpture, films, television, fiction, poetry, and more. Previously offered as PHIL 109. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 109, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 125 if student has credit for PHIL 109.

PHIL 130 - THE SCIENCES OF THE MIND

Short Title: THE SCIENCES OF THE MIND

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: An introduction to the scientific investigation of the mind, with special attention to topics of particular philosophical interest. Topics are likely to include: representation and computation, perception, cognition, action, and the neural implementation of mental states and processes. Previously offered as PHIL 103. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 103, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 130 if student has credit for PHIL 103.

PHIL 150 - TECHNOLOGY, SOCIETY AND VALUE

Short Title: TECHNOLOGY, SOCIETY AND VALUE

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies raise pressing ethical and philosophical questions. This course will examine a range of these issues, including the nature and perils of AI, social media and its impacts, and the ethics of human enhancement.

PHIL 160 - MORAL PROBLEMS

Short Title: MORAL PROBLEMS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: An introduction to moral and political theorizing, ranging across levels of abstraction from the more concrete (such as: abortion, war, the duty to vote) to the more rarified (such as: justice, goodness, the origins of norms). Previously offered as PHIL 101. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 101, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 160 if student has credit for PHIL 101.

PHIL 166 - ETHICS IN PANDEMICS

Short Title: ETHICS IN PANDEMICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: In this course, we will grapple with a wide variety of questions raised by the coronavirus pandemic. What are our duties to others in a time of crisis? On what basis should scarce medical resources be deployed? What is the appropriate role for individuals, and for the government? How do we weigh the values of life and health against other values? And so on. Readings will include both works of professional philosophers and contemporary popular writings on the pandemic.

PHIL 210 - LOGIC

Short Title: LOGIC

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group III

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Introduction to the formal theory of reasoning, which will be used to assess the validity of arguments in natural languages. Study of general properties of logical implication and logical truth. Previously offered as PHIL 106. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 106, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 210 if student has credit for PHIL 106.

PHIL 220 - PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION

Short Title: PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Examination of God's existence, the problem of evil, the relation between faith and reason, the meaning of death, the relation between religion and morality, and tolerance/respect for differing religions. Previously offered as PHIL 311. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 311, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 220 if student has credit for PHIL 311.

PHIL 230 - HUMAN MINDS

Short Title: HUMAN MINDS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: An investigation of how we should understand our own minds in the light of the recent discoveries (both exciting and alarming) generated by scientists. Topics are likely to include things such as: character, willpower, the influence of beliefs on perception, the relation of addiction to love, introspection, implicit bias, and more. Previously offered as PHIL 116. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 116, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 230 if student has credit for PHIL 116.

PHIL 231 - ANIMAL MINDS

Short Title: ANIMAL MINDS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: This course will examine various philosophical questions raised by the science of animal cognition: What is it to have a mind? How can we learn about animal minds? Are animals conscious? Do they have beliefs or concepts? What does this tell us about the nature and value of animal minds? Previously offered as PHIL 359 and is mutually exclusive. Credit cannot be earned for both PHIL 231 and PHIL 359. Distribution 1 credit effective Fall 2022. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 231 if student has credit for PHIL 359.

PHIL 238 - SPECIAL TOPICS

Short Title: SPECIAL TOPICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Internship/Practicum, Laboratory, Lecture, Seminar, Independent Study, Lecture/Laboratory

Credit Hours: 1-4

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Topics and credit hours may vary each semester. Contact department for current semester’s topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 265 - DEATH AND DYING: METAPHYSICS AND ETHICS

Short Title: DEATH AND DYING

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: How are we to respond to the fact of death? This course examines the moral, metaphysical and personal issues surrounding the death of persons. Readings from analytic philosophy and the bioethics literature. Previously offered as PHIL 339. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 339, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 265 if student has credit for PHIL 339.

PHIL 266 - MEDICAL ETHICS

Short Title: MEDICAL ETHICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: A philosophical examination of some of the fundamental issues in clinical ethics, including informed consent, competency, confidentiality, end of life decision making, the definition of death, allocating scarce medical resources, and the role of economic analysis in clinical decision making. Readings drawn from the clinical and philosophical literature. Effective May 15, 2019, this course does not carry D1 credit. Previously offered as PHIL 336. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 336, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 266 if student has credit for PHIL 336.

PHIL 267 - PHILOSOPHY OF SEX AND LOVE

Short Title: PHILOSOPHY OF SEX AND LOVE

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: This course will examine philosophical views of the nature and ethics of sex and love. The first half will focus on the historical development of the concept of love, from Plato to contemporary feminism. The second half will consider ethical debates over pornography, sex work, marriage, sexual consent, and more.

PHIL 268 - BUSINESS ETHICS

Short Title: BUSINESS ETHICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: This course explores the moral dimensions of a variety of society's business and managerial practices. While there will be some discussion of abstract moral or political theorizing, the focus will be on assessing the sorts of concrete choices made in business and related domains. Topics might include, but are not limited to, the nature of competition, the existence of corporations as legal entities, managerial chains of command, marketing and advertising, hiring and firing, strikes and whistleblowers, sustainability, international supply chains, and more.

PHIL 269 - MARKETS AND MORALITY

Short Title: MARKETS AND MORALITY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Markets are everywhere today: if you want to find a job, if you want to buy some good, or if you want to sell some service, you will inevitably have to submit yourself to their norms. Yet, this omnipresence of markets raises fundamental ethical questions. Is it really good that we organize exchange and production largely through markets? How are societies and individuals impacted by centrally relying on them? Should we, much rather, prefer a planned economy? Or would such a planned economy unduly constrain people's freedom? And, if we opt for markets, what are their moral limits? Should human organs or access to lawmakers be distributed via a market? Should access to health-care be governed by market principles? This seminar explores these questions through contemporary and historical readings, drawing on a broad set of ideas in order to tackle the philosophical, moral and existential challenges that markets pose.

PHIL 275 - FEMINIST PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: FEMINIST PHILOSOPHY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Feminist philosophy both uses philosophical methods to investigate feminism, and critiques philosophy from a feminist perspective. This course introduces the student to feminist philosophy from historical and contemporary perspectives, investigating topics of both feminist and philosophical interest such as gender, sexuality, family, class, race, equality, justice, politics, science, and knowledge. Previously offered as PHIL 111. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 111, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 275 if student has credit for PHIL 111.

PHIL 281 - HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY I

Short Title: HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY I

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: Survey of the major philosophers and philosophical systems of ancient Greece, from Parmenides to the Stoics. Previously offered as PHIL 201. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 201, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 281 if student has credit for PHIL 201.

PHIL 283 - HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY II

Short Title: HIST OF PHILOSOPHY II

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: A survey of the history of philosophy from the 17th- to the 20th century. Leading philosophers discussed are likely to include Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Mill, and Nietzsche. Previously offered as PHIL 202. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 202, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 283 if student has credit for PHIL 202.

PHIL 285 - EXISTENTIALISM

Short Title: EXISTENTIALISM

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: A survey of existentialist philosophy and literature, focused on the search for meaning. Selected readings from figures such as Kierkegaard, Kafka, Heidegger, Beauvoir, Sartre, Camus, and Fanon. Previously offered as PHIL 317. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 317, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 285 if student has credit for PHIL 317.

PHIL 289 - HISTORY OF CHINESE PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: HISTORY OF CHINESE PHILOSOPHY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Lower-Level

Description: A first survey of the history of Chinese philosophy. Different instructors will offer different emphases but prominent figures are likely to include include Kongzi (Confucius), Mengzi (Mencius), Mozi, Laozi, and Zhuangzi. Some questions that might be addressed include: is reality knowable? Can I know I am not dreaming? What do I owe to my parents, and is it more or less than I owe to total strangers? What is a virtuous person like? And how should I live?

PHIL 310 - MATHEMATICAL LOGIC

Short Title: MATHEMATICAL LOGIC

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group III

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: We study formal languages and methods for assessing correctness of arguments, including a brief look at modal and many-valued logics. We also consider their relations to natural languages and reflect on the techniques required to prove theorems about languages. A previous logic course is helpful, though the course is self-contained. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 505.

PHIL 318 - PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE

Short Title: PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Philosophical investigation of relations among language, thought, and reality with emphasis on what makes a string of symbols and sounds meaningful. Previously offered as PHIL 353, a number which has now been given to Philosophy of Biology (which was previously PHIL 310). Recommended Prerequisite(s): One course in philosophy or permission of instructor.

PHIL 320 - METAPHYSICS

Short Title: METAPHYSICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Examination of metaphysical theories in the works of historical and contemporary thinkers. Topics may include: free will, the identity of persons over time, causation, possibility and necessity, design and chance, the nature of existence, the nature of time. Previously offered as PHIL 304. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 304, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Recommended Prerequisite(s): A previous course in philosophy. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 320 if student has credit for PHIL 304.

PHIL 321 - WOMEN PHILOSOPHERS IN THE 19TH CENTURY

Short Title: 19TH CENT. WOMEN PHILOSOPHERS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: The history of 19th century European philosophy is often told exclusively as a history of male voices – as a story ‘From Kant to Hegel’, ‘From Hegel to Marx’ and so on. By contrast, the voices of women philosophers (such as Karoline von Günderrode, Bettina von Arnim or Clara Zetkin) are rarely remembered, and even less frequently taught. This course aims to change that. Reading a wide array of texts written by women intellectuals of the time, we will aim to understand their philosophical contributions to German Idealism (e.g. Günderrode and Arnim), Feminism (e.g. Zetkin and Hedwig Dohm) and classical Socialism (e.g. Rosa Luxemburg). We will also examine their relationship to, and, more importantly, their critique of the work of some of their male counterparts (such as Fichte, Schelling, Marx and Nietzsche). Finally, we will consider why these women's voices have been so frequently neglected – and why it is, from a contemporary philosophical standpoint, worthwhile to discover them again.

PHIL 325 - PHILOSOPHY OF ART

Short Title: PHILOSOPHY OF ART

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Introduces students to the philosophical study of artistic creation and artworks. Readings can range across the history of philosophy up to the present day and are likely to touch on topics such as the nature of art, representation in art, artistic value, creativity, and the moral status of artistic works. Recommended Prerequisite(s): One previous course in Philosophy.

PHIL 330 - PHILOSOPHY OF MIND

Short Title: PHILOSOPHY OF MIND

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Inquiry into the nature of mind. Questions include: how should we conceive of the relationship of mind and body? What is consciousness, and how might it be explained? How can mental states be causes? Can one’s mind and its contents lie outside one’s brain? Previously offered as PHIL 312. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 312, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Recommended Prerequisite(s): One course in philosophy. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 330 if student has credit for PHIL 312.

PHIL 340 - PHENOMENOLOGY

Short Title: PHENOMENOLOGY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course is devoted to selected historical and contemporary work in phenomenology, the approach to philosophy inaugurated by Edmund Husserl and developed further by thinkers such as Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, and Hannah Arendt. Readings will include classical and contemporary work in phenomenology on a specific philosophical topic such as meaning, truth, action, embodiment, ethics, art, and other minds. Repeatable for credit. Recommended Prerequisite(s) One previous course in Philosophy. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 540. Recommended Prerequisite(s): One previous course in Philosophy. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 345 - THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE

Short Title: THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course examines the question: What is knowledge, and how is it possible that we have it? Topics include: analysis of knowledge, justification and evidence, skeptical challenges, and relativism. Previously offered as PHIL 303. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 303, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 345 if student has credit for PHIL 303.

PHIL 350 - PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

Short Title: PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course treats topics of central importance to general philosophy of science. We ask what makes something a scientific explanation, what is required for observations to support (confirm) scientific theories, the nature of evidence, and how experiments relate to theories and models of the world. Topics covered include logical empiricism, the problem of induction, theory-laden observation, relativism, and the role of social values in science. Previously offered as PHIL 313. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 350 if student has credit for PHIL 313. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 353 - PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY

Short Title: PHILOSOPHY OF BIOLOGY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: The course examines philosophical issues that emerge in biological science, with emphasis on evolutionary theory, genetics and development, and systems biology. Recommended prerequisite(s): BIOS 201 and BIOS 202.

PHIL 354 - THE PHILOSOPHY OF MEDICINE

Short Title: THE PHILOSOPHY OF MEDICINE

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: The biomedical sciences, the practice of medicine, and health care policy employ concepts of health, disease, disability, and defect in explanatory accounts, intermixing factual claims with moral and other evaluations. This course explores the interplay of evaluation and explanation in medicine's models of disease and health. Previously offered as PHIL 314. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 314, credit cannot be earned for both classes.

PHIL 357 - INCOMPLETENESS, UNDECIDABILITY, AND COMPUTABILITY

Short Title: INCOMPL, UNDECIDED&COMPUTBLTY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group III

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Proofs of Godel's Incompleteness Theorems for number theory in several forms and by various methods, as well as development of several definitions of computability for number-theoretic functions, which are then shown to be equivalent. Includes proof of the unsolvability of the Halting Problem and analysis of Church's thesis, as well as exploration of the extension of the concept of computability to real-valued functions. Frequent misunderstandings and misrepresentations of the theorems are analyzed.

PHIL 360 - ETHICS

Short Title: ETHICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course deals with fundamental questions of value and morality-questions such as: What sort of life is best? What kind of person is it best to be? What does morality require of us? It also deals with important second-order questions about these fundamental questions- for example: Can morality be justified? How can we know what's right or good? Is there moral truth? What is the relation between morality and self-interest? Readings are drawn from both classical and contemporary sources. Previously offered as PHIL 306. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 306, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 360 if student has credit for PHIL 306.

PHIL 361 - METAETHICS

Short Title: METAETHICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Metaethics studies higher-order questions about morality. Its questions include: What reasons do we have to do the right thing? What do claims about rightness and goodness mean? Can those claims be true or false? Are there objective moral truths, and if so, how can we know them? Previously offered as PHIL 338. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 338, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 361 if student has credit for PHIL 338.

PHIL 362 - HISTORY OF ETHICS

Short Title: HISTORY OF ETHICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: An introduction to the major issues of ethical theory through the reading and discussion of such classical figures as Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, the Epicureans, St. Augustine, St. Thomas, Maimonides, Bishop Butler, David Hume, Adam Smith, J.S. Mill, and I. Kant. Previously offered as PHIL 326. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 326, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 562. Recommended Prerequisite(s): One previous course in Philosophy. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 362 if student has credit for PHIL 326.

PHIL 363 - MORAL PSYCHOLOGY

Short Title: MORAL PSYCHOLOGY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: An examination of the role of intellect, emotion, and character as they contribute to the moral (and immoral) life, and as they pertain to rationality and moral responsibility. Previously offered as PHIL 331. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 331, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 563. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 363 if student has credit for PHIL 331.

PHIL 370 - SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: SOCIAL & POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: This course examines some philosophical problems raised by society and the state. Topics to be discussed include the sources of political authority, the justification of punishment, the significance of national boundaries, and the distribution of wealth. Previously offered as PHIL 307. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 307, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 370 if student has credit for PHIL 307.

PHIL 372 - HISTORY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: HIST SOCIAL & POLITICAL PHILOS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: A survey of classic texts in the history of social and political philosophy, from Plato to Machiavelli to Mill. Previously offered as PHIL 327. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 327, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 372 if student has credit for PHIL 327.

PHIL 373 - PHILOSOPHY OF LAW

Short Title: PHILOSOPHY OF LAW

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Examination of fundamental philosophical problems in criminal law, property law, contract law and the law of torts. Previously offered as PHIL 316. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 316, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 373 if student has credit for PHIL 316.

PHIL 381 - ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Selected topics in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, organized by figure, work, or subject matter. Previously offered as PHIL 301. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 581. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 383 - MODERN PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: MODERN PHILOSOPHY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Examination of themes or authors in 17th- and 18th- century philosophy. Topics vary from year to year. Normally offered every year. Previously offered as PHIL 302. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 583. Recommended Prerequisite(s): Majors should take PHIL 283 before PHIL 383. For non-majors one previous course in philosophy is recommended. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 383 if student has credit for PHIL 302. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 386 - CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: An examination of some central philosophical movements in 20th-century European philosophy, including phenomenology, hermeneutics, critical theory, deconstruction, and postmodernism. Repeatable for credit with consent of instructor. Previously offered as PHIL 308. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 586. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 386 if student has credit for PHIL 308. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 400 - UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SEMINAR

Short Title: UG RESEARCH SEMINAR

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Emphasis is on the skills of critical reading, careful discussion, writing clear and well-argued essays, and making lucid and engaging oral presentations. The course is organized around a family of topics: students also, in consultation with the instructor, select issues for independent research, and produce a final essay and presentation. Previously offered as PHIL 407. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 410 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN LOGIC

Short Title: ADVANCED TOPICS IN LOGIC

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Prerequisite(s): PHIL 305 or PHIL 505

Description: Intensive examination of a topic in logic or the philosophy of logic. Previously offered as PHIL 355. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 430 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY OF MIND

Short Title: ADV TOPICS PHILOSOPHY OF MIND

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: A focused examination of a selected topic in the philosophy of mind. Topics can include the nature of consciousness, mental representation, rationality, and the various interconnections between perception, emotion, thought and action. Previously offered as PHIL 341. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 630. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 431 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN THE SCIENCES OF THE MIND

Short Title: ADV TOPICS IN SCI OF THE MIND

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Philosophical, psychological, and neuroscientific sources are integrated in an interdisciplinary study of a major topic. Topics can include consciousness, language comprehension, concepts, and the will. Previously offered as PHIL 352 and PHIL 358. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 631. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 450 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

Short Title: ADV TOPICS IN PHIL SCIENCE

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Intensive examination of a topic in the philosophy of science. Topics can include scientific revolutions, levels of explanation, the nature of explanation, and topics of philosophical interest within particular sciences. Recommended Prerequisite(s): One course in Philosophy. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 460 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN ETHICS

Short Title: ADVANCED TOPICS IN ETHICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Intensive examination of a topic of contemporary or historical interest in ethics. Previously offered as PHIL 335, which is now split between this course and PHIL 470. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 560. Recommended Prerequisite(s): One course in Philosophy. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 470 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: ADV TOPICS SOC AND POLI PHIL

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Intensive examination of a topic of contemporary or historical interest in political philosophy. Previously offered as PHIL 335, which is now split between this course and PHIL 460. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 670. Recommended Prerequisite(s): One course in Philosophy. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 477 - SPECIAL TOPICS

Short Title: SPECIAL TOPICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Internship/Practicum, Lecture, Seminar, Laboratory

Credit Hours: 1-4

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Topics and credit hours may vary each semester. Contact department for current semester's topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 490 - INDEPENDENT READING I

Short Title: INDEPENDENT READING I

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Course for undergraduate students to pursue independent research projects under direction of a philosophy department faculty member. Previously offered as PHIL 401. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 491 - INDEPENDENT READING II

Short Title: INDEPENDENT READING II

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: See PHIL 490. This course previously offered as PHIL 402. Instructor Permission Required. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 498 - SENIOR THESIS

Short Title: SENIOR THESIS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Independent research course for undergraduate philosophy majors who wish to write a senior thesis and become eligible for honors in the major. Students may enroll in PHIL 498 only with consent of a faculty advisor and the department, and only if they intend to enroll in PHIL 499 as well. Senior Thesis is a year-long research course. Previously offered as PHIL 411. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 411, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Instructor Permission Required.

PHIL 499 - SENIOR THESIS

Short Title: SENIOR THESIS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Undergraduate, Undergraduate Professional or Visiting Undergraduate level students.

Course Level: Undergraduate Upper-Level

Description: Independent research course for undergraduate philosophy majors who wish to write a senior thesis and become eligible for honors in the major. Students may enroll in PHIL 499 only with consent of a faculty advisor and the department, and only if they intend to enroll in PHIL 498 as well. Senior Thesis is a year-long research course. Previously offered as PHIL 412. Mutually exclusive with PHIL 412, credit cannot be earned for both classes. Instructor Permission Required.

PHIL 500 - PROSEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: PROSEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: The proseminar in philosophy will cover some key philosophical readings and simultaneously work with students to develop their philosophical writing and presentation skills. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 505 - MATHEMATICAL LOGIC

Short Title: MATHEMATICAL LOGIC

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Philosophy. Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: A version of PHIL 305 for philosophy graduate students which includes further reading of material on philosophy of logic. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 310. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHIL 505 if student has credit for PHIL 305.

PHIL 515 - SEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE

Short Title: SEM PHILOSOPHY LANGUAGE

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: A first graduate course in the philosophy of language, covering course issues in meaning, sense, and reference. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 520 - SEMINAR IN METAPHYSICS

Short Title: SEMINAR IN METAPHYSICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Course topics can include the nature of objects, universals, change and continuity, and other topics. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 530 - SEMINAR PHILOSOPHY OF MIND

Short Title: SEMINAR PHILOSOPHY OF MIND

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: A graduate level survey of selected topics in the philosophy of mind. Likely to include at least some of: the nature of consciousness, causal relations between mind and world, and intentionality. Repeatable for credit. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 540 - PHENOMENOLOGY

Short Title: PHENOMENOLOGY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This course is devoted to selected historical and contemporary work in phenomenology, the approach to philosophy inaugurated by Edmund Husserl and developed further by thinkers such as Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, and Hannah Arendt. Readings will include classical and contemporary work in phenomenology on a specific philosophical topic such as meaning, truth, action, embodiment, ethics, art, and other minds. Repeatable for credit. Recommended Prerequisite(s) One previous course in Philosophy. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 340. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 545 - SEMINAR IN EPISTEMOLOGY

Short Title: SEMINAR IN EPISTEMOLOGY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Topics in the theory of knowledge, justification of belief, and similar. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 550 - SEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

Short Title: SEM PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Focused consideration of either core issues in general philosophy of science (e.g. explanation, experiment, confirmation, realism vs. anti-realism, values in science) or special topics of current interest in the field. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 560 - SEMINAR IN ETHICS

Short Title: SEMINAR IN ETHICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Course content might include theories in normative ethics, the nature of virtue, metaethics, or similar topics. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 460. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 562 - HISTORY OF ETHICS

Short Title: HISTORY OF ETHICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Graduate version of PHIL 362. An introduction to the major issues of ethical theory through the reading and discussion of such classical figures as Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, the Epicureans, St. Augustine, St. Thomas, Maimonides, Bishop Butler, David Hume, Adam Smith, J.S. Mill, and I. Kant. Special graduate student requirements include additional readings and the writing of a term research paper. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 362. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 563 - SEMINAR IN MORAL PSYCHOLOGY

Short Title: MORAL PSYCHOLOGY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: A study of the philosophical issues raised by moral agency. Topics to be discussed may include reason and its relation to motivation and desire, character, responsibility, weakness of will, self-deception, and the nature of the self. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 363. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 566 - TOPICS IN MEDICAL ETHICS

Short Title: TOPICS IN MEDICAL ETHICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: An examination of the theoretical foundations of bioethics emphasizing principalism, utilitarianism, Kantianism, contractarianism, medicalism, post-modernism, and casuistry. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 570 - SEMINAR IN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: SEM SOCIAL &POLITICAL PHILO

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This course might cover topics such as the nature of justice, legitimacy and authority, or the organization of social systems. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 573 - SEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHY OF LAW

Short Title: SEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHY OF LAW

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: The seminar will concentrate on one or more of such central topics in the philosophy of law as the normative foundations of contracts, criminal responsibility, theories of corrective justice, and the right to property ownership. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 581 - ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Topics in the history of philosophy from the 4th century B.C. through the 14th century. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 381. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 583 - SEMINAR IN MODERN PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: SEMINAR IN MODERN PHILOSOPHY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Graduate level examination of topics and figures of 17th and 18th century history of philosophy. Topics vary from year to year. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 383. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 586 - SEMINAR IN CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: SEM CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: The study of selected topics and figures in 20th and 21st century European philosophy. Repeatable for credit with consent of the instructor. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 386. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 598 - ADVANCED INDEPENDENT READING

Short Title: ADVANCED INDEPENDENT READING

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 1-6

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Philosophy. Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Directed reading and research. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 599 - ADVANCED INDEPENDENT READING

Short Title: ADVANCED INDEPENDENT READING

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 1-6

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Philosophy. Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Directed reading and research. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 600 - PHILOSOPHY PEDAGOGY PRACTICUM

Short Title: PHIL PEDAGOGY PRACTICUM

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Course Type: Internship/Practicum

Credit Hours: 2

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: This is a practicum in pedagogy, which involves working closely with the instructor of a philosophy course to observe as well as assist in teaching. The primary aim is to cultivate and practice teaching skills in a real classroom environment. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 630 - TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY OF MIND

Short Title: TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY OF MIND

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: An in-depth look at different topics in contemporary philosophy of mind. Some sample topics: consciousness, mental representation, innateness, modularity, and the role of language in thought. Repeatable for credit with consent of the instructor. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 430. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 631 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN THE SCIENCES OF THE MIND

Short Title: ADV TOPICS IN SCIENCES OF MIND

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Philosophical, psychological, and neuroscientific sources are integrated in an interdisciplinary study of a major topic. Topics can include consciousness, language comprehension, concepts, and the will. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 431. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 652 - MASTERS THESIS RESEARCH

Short Title: MASTERS THESIS RESEARCH

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 1-15

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Philosophy. Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Research course for graduate students preparing a Masters thesis. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 660 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN VALUE THEORY

Short Title: ADV TOPICS IN VALUE THEORY

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Intensive examination of a topic of contemporary or historical interest in ethics or social and political philosophy. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 670 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Short Title: ADV TOPICS SOC AND POLI PHIL

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Intensive examination of a topic of contemporary or historical interest in political philosophy. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHIL 470. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 677 - SPECIAL TOPICS

Short Title: SPECIAL TOPICS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Internship/Practicum, Laboratory, Lecture, Seminar, Independent Study, Lecture/Laboratory

Credit Hours: 1-4

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to Graduate or Visiting Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Topics and credit hours vary each semester. Contact department for current semester's topic(s). Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 701 - READING AND RESEARCH FOR QUALIFYING EXAMINATION AND THESIS PROPOSAL

Short Title: RESEARCH QUALIFYING & THESIS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 1-15

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Philosophy. Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Reading course in preparation for the comprehensive examination and thesis proposal defense. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 702 - READING AND RESEARCH FOR QUALIFYING EXAMINATION AND THESIS PROPOSAL

Short Title: RESEARCH QUALIFYING & THESIS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 1-15

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Philosophy. Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Reading course in preparation for the comprehensive examination and thesis proposal defense. Repeatable for Credit.

PHIL 800 - RESEARCH AND THESIS

Short Title: RESEARCH AND THESIS

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 1-15

Restrictions: Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Philosophy. Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

Course Level: Graduate

Description: Research and Thesis Repeatable for Credit.

Description and Code Legend

Note: Internally, the university uses the following descriptions, codes, and abbreviations for this academic program. The following is a quick reference: 

Course Catalog/Schedule 

  • Course offerings/subject code: PHIL 

Department Description and Code 

  • Philosophy : PHIL 

Undergraduate Degree Description and Code

  • Bachelor of Arts degree: BA 

Undergraduate Major Description and Code

  • Major in Philosophy: PHIL  

Undergraduate Minor Description and Code

  • Minor in Philosophy: PHLM

Graduate Degree Descriptions and Codes

  • Master of Arts degree: MA
  • Doctor of Philosophy degree: PhD

Graduate Degree Program Description and Code

  • Degree Program in Philosophy: PHIL 

CIP Code and Description1

  • PHIL Major/Program: CIP Code/Title: 38.0101 - Philosophy
  • PHLM Minor: CIP Code/Title: 38.0101 - Philosophy