School of Humanities
Philosophy Undergraduate Course Descriptions
Spring 2022 Course Descriptions
PHI 151
PHI 151
H001
Intro to Philosophy
Dr. Sam Bruton
TTh 1:00-2:15
What is real? What is it to know something? What makes me me? Do I have free will?
What’s the difference between right and wrong? These are some of the classic philosophical
puzzles to be explored in this class. Learn how great philosophers from the past and
the best contemporary minds have answered these questions, and find out how their
answers apply to real world issues we all confront daily. The class will be taught
in an engaging and interactive way, and it fulfills GEC requirements.
PHI 151
H002
Introduction to Philosophy
Dr. Paula Smithka
MW 2:30-3:45 (face-to-face), course # 4048
Aristotle says, “For it is owing to their wonder that people both now begin and at
first began to philosophize”.
Philosophy begins in wonder. It’s about asking fundamental questions—questions like,
“Does God exist?”; “What is the nature of reality?”; “Is what I perceive really the
way things are?”; “What is a Self?”; “Am I the same person over time?”; “What makes
an action morally right?”
Study philosophy and unlock your mind!
PHI 151
PHI 151
H080
Introduction to Philosophy
Dr. Michael Dearmey
*Online
Basic questions and theories classical and present. PHI 410/510 Classical Philosophy
focusing on the Pre-Socratics, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
PHI 171
H080
Ethics and Good Living
Dr. Ian Dunkle
*Online
What is it to live well? This is one of the oldest and most foundational questions
in philosophy, and for good reason: what could be more important than understanding
how to live well?—Maybe, actually living well!—Granted. But how can we hope to live
well unless we have at least some idea of what that is?
Answering this question is hard, though, for several reasons, including these: First,
it seems to be ambiguous (to live uprightly? to maximize self-interest?). Second,
common answers are ambiguous; there are different senses in which something might
be good for you. Third, popular opinions on the good life contradict one another (consider
what your parents tell you about the importance and non-importance of pursuing a lucrative
career). But where else can we get a footing on the question except in popular opinions?
This course explores the central philosophical puzzles and controversies regarding
the good life and introduces students to major accounts offered in both the history
of philosophy and in contemporary value-theory. Throughout the course students will
also develop skills of critical thinking and argument analysis.
PHI 253
H001
Logic
Dr. Paula Smithka
MW 9:30-10:45 (face-to-face), course #5571
Developing good critical thinking skills is useful for clarity of reasoning and evaluating
the views of others both in philosophical studies and everyday life. In Logic, you
will learn the importance of having evidence or reasons to support one’s views, how
to evaluate arguments for their strength and cogency, and how to construct good arguments.
In addition, you will not only learn what constitutes a good/strong argument but we
will examine common mistakes in reasoning. The reasoning skills that you begin to
develop by taking a logic course will aid you in whatever academic or professional
directions you choose to take. This course will make you a detail person!
PHI 320
PHI 320
H001
Medical Encounters: Bioethics, Pandemics, and the Public Sphere
Dr. Ian Dunkle, Dr. Emily Stanback
MW 11:00-12:15
This course will focus on the bioethical questions raised by pandemics—COVID-19, but
also historical pandemics. Our goal will be to explore the ethically significant sites
of tension, and even breakdown, between patient and provider, as well as the public
and medicine writ large. We will examine how, why, and when the goals of a physician
may be at odds with the goals of the person they are treating; moments when communication
is insufficient and neither party can understand one another; moments when healthcare
fails to provide care, and even harms the patient. We are especially interested in
the conceptual gaps, structural challenges, and biases that complicate medical encounters,
and the ways that the current pandemic has called attention to the need to reexamine
and possibly restructure our medical system.
This course will be team taught by Dr. Kathryn Anthony (Communication Studies), Dr.
Ian Dunkle (Philosophy), Dr. Michelle McLeese (Sociology), and Dr. Emily Stanback
(English). Although this course will include lectures, including guest lectures, it
will be discussion oriented. Over the course of the semester, students will learn
how to assess medical sources, and will complete writing assignments in a variety
of genres.
PHI 351
H001
Critical Thinking
Dr. Ian Dunkle
MW 2:30-3:45
How is it possible to learn what you don’t already know; how do we acquire knowledge?
Sure, you could just find someone who does know and listen passively to what they
say. But how will you know that they know what they’re talking about? And even if
they do, is having the ability to parrot someone else’s knowledge the same as having
that knowledge yourself? Acquiring knowledge seems paradoxical.
The solution: we acquire knowledge by building on prior knowledge through logical
inference. The purpose of this course is to study and master the art of advancing
knowledge through inference. We will study formal logical inference, informal logical
rules and fallacies, statistical inference, and causal reasoning. Unlike in a logic
course, our focus will always be on applying these skills to actual questions we all
care about.
Note: Inferential skills are crucial to succeeding in standardized tests, especially
the LSAT. If you want to target the skills needed to raise your performance on those,
this is the class for you.
PHI 356
H001
Ethics
Dr. Sam Bruton
TTh 9:30 – 10:45 am
Come explore what great philosophers have thought about the difference between right
and wrong, virtue and vice. This class will introduce students to the timeless philosophical
theories of Aristotle, the Utilitarians, and Kant, and we will consider the strengths
and weaknesses of these theories by applying them to a wide range of contemporary
moral issues and ethical dilemmas. This class is required for philosophy majors.
PHI 410/510
H001
Classical Philosophy
Dr. Michael Dearmey
Online
Classical Philosophy focusing on the Pre-Socratics, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
REL 320
H001
Tibetan Religions
Dr. Daniel Capper
MW 1:00-2:15PM
Maybe you want to use your dreams for spiritual practice. Or perhaps you have close
friendships with animals and want to learn about how souls may be shared across species.
Alternatively, maybe you want to know about the Buddhist teachings that won the Dalai
Lama a Nobel Peace Prize. Do these things in Tibetan religions class! In this course
we visit the roof of the world to study a variety of spiritual forms in ways that
will be appealing to students of philosophy, history, politics, international studies,
psychology, ecology, or religion.
REL 340
H080
Beyond the Grave: Religion and the Afterlife
Dr. Amy Slagle
Online
This course explores concepts of death, dying, and the afterlife as found in the world's
major religions.