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Philosophy

PHIL 051 [006F]: Who was Socrates?
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
David Reeve
Socrates is the quintessential philosopher- a man for all season, a foundational figure of the West. Yet, he was born and lived in a unique time and place- fifth century Athens. The aim of this course is to see Socrates in his historical context, so as to better understand his significance for his contemporaries and for us. The focus, however, will be on the large and perennial human questions that Socrates made his own: What is justice? How should we live? What education should we give our children? What sort of society should we strive to provide for them and for ourselves? Each week we will read a part of one of the primary texts and discuss it carefully in the class. These discussions will serve both a s a testiing-ground for ideas and as preparation for the writing assignments. The secondary texts will help explain the primary ones. By learning to talk and write in an engaging but disciplined ways about books and ideas that are both exciting and significant, we will not only be finding out about Socrates but we will be taking up the Socratic challenge to live the examined life.

PHIL 052 [006F]: Reason and Religion at the Dawn of Modern Science
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
Don Garrett
The publication of Copernicus's Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres in 1543 appeared at first to be a curiosity limited to the field of astronomy, but it ultimately led to a comprehensive scientific revolution that raised fundamental new questions about the relations among the human, the natural, and the divine. Students will read, research, present, analyze and discuss some of the most important philosophical reflections of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries on such central topics as the existence and attributes of God, evidence of design in nature, the problem of evil, miracles, faith and revelation, immortality, and the role of religion in morality and human life.

PHIL 053 [006F]: Theories in Human Nature
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
Louise Antony, David Reeve
Students in this seminar will explore a variety of issues that arise when human beings begin to reflect on our own natures, and will be introduced to some of the main theories that have been developed in response to these issues. Among the questions considered will be: 1.) Are human beings inherently good? Evil? Neither? 2) Are human beings completely material? 3) Are human beings free? 4) What is the relation between mind and body? 5) Are human beings naturally social? 6) Do genes determine human behavior? For the first ten meetings, the instructor will set the reading list. Topics for the remaining sections will be drawn from contemporary debates and will be determined by the students in consultation with the student group responsible for that session.

PHIL 054 [006F]: Thinking About Time
Historical Analysis (HS); North Atlantic World (NA) [GC Philosophical]
John T. Roberts
What is time? Do the past and the future exist, or only the present? Is the "flow of time" an objective feature of reality, or is it just an illusion created by the way we humans experience the world, which is static and changeless in itself? Is it conceptually possible to change the past, and if not, then why not? Is time travel a logical possibility? In this course, we will examine both historical and contemporary attempts to grapple with these problems (and related ones), and will do some grappling on our own. We will consider philosophical literature from 2500 years ago to the present day, and will briefly consider the impact of Einstein's theories of relativity on these problems (at a very introductory level). Students will analyze historical arguments concerning these problems, produce arguments on their own, and collaborate in writing philosophical dialogues. Individually, each student will write six short papers, each with a different format. Working in pairs, the students also will write dialogues in which an issue discussed in the reading will be debated. They will present these dialogues in class, and each dialogue will be used as the basis of a discussion.

PHIL 055 [006F]: Paradoxes
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
Keith Simmons
Paradoxes have been a driving force in Philosophy since the 4th Century B.C. They force us to rethink old ideas and conceptions. Aristotle famously said that Philosophy begins in wonder - and he ha din mind the kind of deep puzzlement that paradoxes generate. In this seminar, we will study a wide range of paradoxes: Zeno's paradoxes about space, time and motion. Sorites paradoxes about vagueness (e.g. the paradox of the heap), paradoxes of rationality (e.g. Newcomb's paradox and the Prisoner's dilemma), paradoxes of belief (including paradoxes of confirmation, and the surprise examination paradox), and logical paradoxes (e.g. the Liar paradox about truth and Russell's paradox about classes). As we explore these paradoxes, we will wrestle with some of the most central and important philosophical questions: what is the nature of space, time and motion? Is the world a fully determinate place? What is it to act rationally? When is a belief justified? What is the nature of truth, and what are classes? But the paradoxes are not just important - they are fun, too. The encourage us to think creatively, in new and surprising ways. In this seminar, students will be given the opportunity to tackle the paradoxes themselves, through group discussions, oral presentations, and frequent written assignments. Student assessment will be based on in-class contributions as well as the written assignments. Philosophy is best viewed as a practice, as something one does. By actively engaging with he paradoxes, both orally and in their written work, students will develop the intellectual skills that make philosophical progress possible. My hope, then, is that this course will encourage some independent and original philosophical thinking.

PHIL 056 [006F]: Abortion
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
Dorit Bar-On
The subject of this seminar will be abortion. In the first part of the course students will be introduced to some basic philosophical tools and to major moral theories most often appealed to in the readings. We will also engage in a general philosophical discussion of the value of life, the evil in death, and the wrongness of killing. The second part of the seminar will be devoted to a critical examination of a representative sample of philosophical views on abortion, from extreme conservative to extreme liberal views. The final part of the seminar will provide students with an opportunity to participate in an on-going research effort: we will attempt to develop together a philosophical position on abortion that combines the strengths of positions examined in the second part while avoiding their weaknesses.

PHIL 057 [006F]: Race and Affirmative Action
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
Bernard Boxill
Affirmative Action has been defined as a means to color-blind society, and opposed as steering us away from the color-blind society. But the disputes concerning affirmative action go beyond this question. The course will begin with a discussion of the concept of race, whether it is a biological class or a social construction. This will be followed by discussion of the arguments for and against affirmative action. The goal of the course is to get a mature and correct understanding of race, racism, and affirmative action. The means to this goal will be reading, writing, discussion and debate.

PHIL 058 [006F]: From Vengeance to Mercy: Dealing with Evil
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
Gerald Postema
Revenge, retribution, reparation; hatred, resentment, forgiveness; punishment, pardon, mercy. These are some of the ways we respond personally and politically to grave wrongs done to us and to others. This course will explore the ethical dimensions of the responses to evil that we have developed over history. We will pay special attention to the role and limits of truth commissions (as was done recently in South Africa) in achieving justice and securing the conditions of democracy in injustice-ravaged countries. Through philosophical analysis and argument, we will seek to achieve a better understanding of the nature and limits of these typical human responses. The course will have a seminar format involving lots of informal discussion. All students will be expected to contribute actively.
Course requirements: at last one seminar presentation, written comment on the presentations of others, two medium sized (7 page) papers, a mid-term examination and a final examination.

PHIL 063 [006F]: Mind, Brain, and Consciousness
Social & Behavioral Science/Other (SS) [GC Philosophical]
William G. Lycan
What are minds and how are they related to bodies? Most philosophers and psychologists today reject the idea that minds are non-physical, and contend that one's mind is entirely constituted by neural activity in one's brain. This course explores answers to the question of how a mere lump of matter, however complex, could be conscious of such things as colors, smells, and the hurtfulness of pains.

PHIL 065 [006F]: Philosophy Through Mathematics
Quantitative Intensive (QI) [GC Philosophical]
Michael Resnik
This seminar introduces several of the central problems in philosophy through reflection on the nature of mathematics. Asking whether numbers and infinities are real and whether mathematics is true will lead us to raise philosophical questions concerning reality and truth in general. Asking how we can know an eternal and transcendent mathematical realm will promote us to probe the limits of knowledge in general. After surveying the difficulties confronting contemporary philosophy of mathematics the instructor will discuss his own attempt to solve them. Each week students possibly working in groups) will write one-page position statements on a course issue, which they will then defend in class. (Sample issue: Why affirm {deny} the existence of numbers?) The seminar is aimed at those who are comfortable with abstract thinking and mathematics, but it will presuppose no mathematical knowledge beyond that contained in a god pre-calculus course.

PHIL 066 [006F]: Ethics: Theoretical & Practical Issues
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
Thomas E. Hill Jr.
This seminar aims to encourage students to think seriously and clearly about ethical problems by means of class discussion, group research projects, and examination of philosophical and literary works. Theoretical issues to be considered include relativism, utilitarianism, deontological ethics, and virtue ethics. Practical issues may include abortion, substance abuse, treatment of animals and the environment, and sex, love, and marriage.

PHIL 067 [006F]: Issues in a World Society: Sports and Competition
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
Jan Boxill
What is involved in competition? Is there too much emphasis on winning? Are college sports getting out of hand? Do competitive athletics belong on campus? This seminar examines ethical issues, including Title IX, gender equity, racism, sexism, cheating, violence, and drug use.

PHIL 068 [006F]: The Moral Life
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
Douglas MacLean
What does it mean to live a moral life? Are moral instincts built into human nature? To what extent can we apply reason to understand our moral duties and give shape to our moral ideals? These are the questions we will explore in this seminar. The readings will be drawn from philosophy, literature, and science. We will examine the relationship between morality, religion, and the theory of evolution, and we will look at what some philosophers and other writers have said about moral ideals and the role of morality in a life that is healthy and flourishing. If time permits, we will also look at how these issues are presented in movies and art.

PHIL 076 [006F]: Is "Free Will" an Illusion?
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
Douglas Long
Is our belief in freedom of action compatible with the modern picture of ourselves as being controlled by our genes, our inborn traits of character, and by our environments? If that freedom is compromised, then are we as responsible morally and legally for our actions as we, and society, tend to think? We will attempt to clarify these questions through group discussions and analysis of compelling writings on the mind-body problem and the controversy over whether "free will" is an illusion. Students will also be asked to search current news accounts for illustrative cases to discuss in which individuals are praised for their character or rewarded for their deeds or where it might be claimed that life circumstances have diminished an individual's responsibility and culpability. Throughout the semester students will develop and defend their own considered views on the subject. A seminar format will encourage active participation in informal discussions, as well as in debates where students represent opposing sides of the issues, and in brief presentations that provide each student with an opportunity to express his or her reactions to these issues. Course requirements: no prerequisites; at least one seminar presentation, three short (2-3 page) written assignments; one longer paper (5 pages); and a final examination.

PHIL 077 [006F]: Moral Weakness and Conscience
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
Edward Galligan
Is man's reason a powerful thing: If one had knowledge or belief about something that should be done, would that be enought to position one to do it? Socrates thought so. For him, moral weakness, the overcoming of our knowledge by fear, lust, anger, etc. was an absurdity. Ignorance alone accounted for wrongdoing. Many have disagreed with Socrates. From Euripides to Freud and Sartre, thinkers have analyzed and speculated about the causes of moral weakness. Drawing upon sources ancient, medieval and modern, students will read about, discuss and valuate the issues involved. Questions and reflections will be posted on our class website in preparation for class conversation and critical discussion. There will be two oral exams, a ternm paper and a final exam.

PHIL 078 [006F]: Death as a Problem for Philosophy: Metaphysical & Ethical Issues
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
Jay Rosenberg
We will explore both old and new questions regarding death. We will examine the presuppositions and cogency of the classical religious-philosophical conception of death as a separation of the soul from the body, in contrast to more "naturalistic" alternatives. We will ask whether the modern "brain-death" criterion represents a radically new conception of death per se and, if so, whether it is a reasonable one. And we will investigate a number of the most important ethical questions centered on death, including the morality of euthanasia and suicide.

PHIL 078: Death as a Problem for Philosophy: Metaphysical and Ethical
Philosophy & Moral Reasoning (PH)
Ryan Preston
This course will explore the nature and significance of death by drawing on a wide range of works in philosophy, literature, and film.  We will use these works to address the following questions: (1) Do people have souls that can survive bodily death? (2) What is a good life? (3) Why is death bad for the person who dies? (4) Do our lives have meaning? (5) Does our mortality have any implications for the way we should live?  Beginning with Plato’s account of the trial and death of Socrates and ending with Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, the course will also include readings by Descartes, Don DeLillo, Margaret Edson, Kazuo Ishiguro, and William James. 

PHIL 079: Words That Bind: The Structure of Constitutions
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH); Communication Intensive (CI)
Michael Louis Corrado
Constitutions are very much in the news: Iraq and Afghanistan have new constitutions, and the European Union has attempted to adopt a constitution. The very first job for a new state is to come up with a constitution. But why? What is a constitution supposed to do? Constitutions resolve conflicts, limit government, provide stability; but some constitutions do it better than others. The United States Constitution has worked well enough to become an influential model. Can we nevertheless learn something from the constitutions of other countries? Perhaps. In this seminar we will examine a number of constitutions and try to determine what makes a constitution better or worse, and when it makes sense to borrow constitutional principles from other countries. We will also try our hand at designing a constitution.

PHIL 085 [006F]: Reason, Religion, and Reality in the Copernican Revolution
Philosophical and Moral Reasoning (PH) [GC Philosophical]
Marc Lange
The arguments by which Galileo and his contemporaries defended the Copernican model of the solar system (with the Earth and other planets revolving around the Sun) puzzle philosophers even today as they struggle to understand the logic of testing scientific theories. Was Copernicanism genuinely well-supported by Galileo's evidence? Or was the Church justified at the time in regarding Copernicanism as just one among many fairly successful techniques for predicting the night sky's appearance? Could Galileo argue for his telescope's reliability and use mere thought-experiments to defend Copernicanism? To grapple with these issues, we will explore some philosophical accounts of theory testing. Ultimately, we will gain a more nuanced conception of scientific reasoning and of how scientific revolutions occur.