Philosophy courses

151. Introduction to Philosophy. 3 hrs. An introduction to the methods and major themes of philosophy.

171. Ethics and Good Living. 3 hrs. An exploration of the role of ethics in achieving a good life; includes reflection on self-interest, moral rules, concern for others and integrity.

253. Logic. 3 hrs. The development of critical thinking and argumentative skills utilizing informal and formal logical techniques.

300. Business Ethics. 3 hrs. A philosophical exploration of how to recognize, analyze, and implement ethical decisions within the multivalued contexts of the various fields of business; may not be taken as a substitute for PHI 151.

301. Philosophy and Film. 3 hrs. This course examines a variety of philosophical topics through both classic readings in philosophy and the medium of film.

316. Philosophy of Science. 3 hrs. An introduction to the study of scientific method, the nature of science, and the relationship of science to other academic disciplines and to culture at large.

333. Philosophy of Love and Sexuality. 3 hrs. Introduction to the philosophy of love and sexuality via classic texts by philosophers, poets and psychologists.

353. Study of a Major Philosopher. 3 hrs. May be repeated for credit to a total of nine hours; a detailed examination of a selected philosopher.

356. Ethics. 3 hrs. An examination of classical and contemporary moral theory

372. Philosophy of Religion. 3 hrs. An examination of classical problems in philosophical theology.

406. Philosophy of Human Nature. 3 hrs. A philosophical consideration of the nature of human consciousness including philosophical anthropology, philosophical psychology and cognitive science.

407. Critique of Christendom. 3 hrs. This course will focus on the very different critiques of Christianity and Christendom advanced by Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Freud.

410. Classical Philosophy. 3 hrs. An outline survey of Greek philosophical thought.

411. Philosophy of Music. 3 hrs. This class examines traditional and contemporary philosophical answers to two questions: What is music? and Why does it matter?

412. Modern Philosophy. 3 hrs. Survey of 17th and 18th century European philosophy.

420. Metaphysics. 3 hrs. Analysis of classical and contemporary problems in metaphysics.

436. Aesthetics. 3 hrs. Philosophical analysis of theories of art and beauty.

440. American Philosophy. 3 hrs. Survey of the development of philosophy in America and major American philosophers.

450. Existentialism and Phenomenology. 3 hrs. An examination of the central themes in contemporary European existentialism and phenomenology.

451. Political Philosophy. 3 hrs. A study of the major schools of political philosophy from classical to contemporary times.

452. Health Care Ethics. 3 hrs. A study of the moral dimensions of health care practice, choices confronting professionals and patients, and the role of health care in society.

453. Philosophy of Law. 3 hrs. An inquiry into theories of law.

457. Environmental Ethics. 3 hrs. An examination of human responsibilities for nature; the impact of civilization on the natural world; formulation of ethical principles and policies.

458. Symbolic Logic. 3 hrs. A study of the basic theory and operations of the propositional calculus, quantification and the logic of relations.

460. Contemporary Philosophical Issues. 3 hrs. An examination of the central themes in contemporary Philosophy.

462. Evil. 3 hrs. This course examines wrong- and evil-doing.  A taxonomy of wrongdoing is established.  Evil-doing, which is extraordinary wrongdoing, is examined in its various forms.

480. Philosophical Discourse. 3 hrs. A capstone course for philosophy majors, focusing on preparing and presenting philosophic work and engaging in public discussion of philosophical ideas.

492. Special Problems. 1-3 hrs. A study of a philosophical issue to be approved by the department chairman; may be taken for a total of nine hours (Students undertaking a Senior Honors Project will enroll in PHI H492).

499. Philosophical Study Abroad. 3-6 hrs

506. Philosophy of Human Nature. 3 hrs. Philosophical consideration of the nature of human consciousness, including topics in philosophical anthropology, philosophical psychology, and cognitive science.

507. Critique of Christendom. 3 hrs. This course will focus on the very different critiques of Christianity and Christendom advanced by Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Freud.

510. Classical Philosophy. 3 hrs. An outline survey of Greek philosophical thought.

511. Philosophy of Music. 3 hrs. This class examines traditional and contemporary philosophical answers to two questions: What is music? and Why does it matter?

512. Modern Philosophy. 3 hrs. Survey of 17th- and 18th-century European philosophy.

536. Aesthetics. 3 hrs. Philosophical analysis of theories of art and beauty.

540. American Philosophy. 3 hrs. Survey of the development of philosophy in America and major American philosophers.

550. Existentialism and Phenomenology. 3 hrs. An examination of the central themes in contemporary European existentialism and phenomenology.

551. Political Philosophy. 3 hrs. The major schools of political philosophy from classical to contemporary times.

552. Health Care Ethics. 3 hrs. An examination of various conceptual and ethical issues in the health care professions.

553. Philosophy of Law. 3 hrs. An inquiry into theories of law.

557. Environmental Ethics. 3 hrs. An examination of human responsibilities for nature; the impact of civilization on the natural world; formulation of ethical principles and policies.

558. Symbolic Logic. 3 hrs. The basic theory and operations of the sentential calculus, quantification, and the logic of relations.

560. Contemporary Philosophical Issues. 3 hrs. An examination of the central themes in contemporary philosophy.

562. Evil. 3 hrs. This course examines wrong- and evil-doing. A taxonomy of wrongdoing is established.  Evil-doing, which is extraordinary wrongdoing, is analyzed in its various forms.

592. Special Problems. 3 hrs. A study of a philosophical issue to be approved by the department chair.  May be taken for a total of 9 hours.

599. Philosophical Studies Abroad. 3-6 hrs.

610. Philosophy of Religion. 3 hrs. Seminar topics in philosophical theology.

620. Seminar in Metaphysics. 3 hrs. Classical and contemporary metaphysics will be examined.  Modern criticism by logicians, analytic philosophers, and philosophers of science will be presented.

630. Seminar in Epistemology. 3 hrs. Advanced study of issues concerning the theory of knowledge.

635. Ethics. 3 hrs. An advanced study of issues and problems in moral philosophy.

636. Major Philosopher. 3 hrs. An advanced study of the contributions of a selected philosopher.

640. Major Issues in Philosophy. 3-6 hrs. This course focuses on one or more major issues in philosophy in one or more historical periods of philosophy.  The student may repeat this course one time if the course involves a different major issue.

656. Philosophy of Science. 3 hrs. An in-depth study of the scientific method, the nature of science, hypothesis development, and theory choice.

658. Philosophy of Biology. 3 hrs. An in-depth study concerning the fundamental issues and recent developments in philosophy of biology.

681. Departmental Seminar. 1 hr. Repeatable up to a total of 3 semester credit hours.  Pass/fail only.

691. Research in Philosophy. 1-16 hrs. With the approval of the department and under the guidance of the student’s major professor, the student will begin research on his/her master’s thesis.  Pass/Fail only.

692. Special Problems. 1-6 hrs. A study of a philosophical issue to be approved by the department chair.

697. Independent Study and Research. Hours arranged. Not to be counted as credit toward a degree.  Students actively working on a thesis, consulting with the major professor, or using other resources of the university may enroll in this course.  Students who are not in residence and are not enrolled in at least 3 hours of thesis but who are actively working on a thesis, consulting with the major professor, or using other resources of the university must enroll in this course for at least 3 hours each semester.

698. Thesis. 1-6 hrs. for a total of 6 hrs.

735. Research Ethics and Skills. 3 hrs. This course is an examination of the ethics and skills of academic research and professional practice, covering both general issues and concerns specific to particular disciplines.

792. Special Problems. 3 hrs. A study of a philosophical issue to be approved by the department chair.