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School of Humanities

Philosophy Undergraduate Course Descriptions

Summer 2023

*images coming soon!*
 


PHI 151  
Introduction to Philosophy 
Online 
Dr. Paula Smithka 
 
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! 
 
 


Fall 2023

 
 
PHI 151 
Introduction to Philosophy 
Online (2 sections) 
Dr. Michael DeArmey 
 
Introduction to philosophical problems and questions by examining major philosophers. PHI 410/510 Classical Philosophy. A study of the origins of Western philosophy and culture, from the Pre-Socratics through Aristotle. 
 
 
PHI 151  
Introduction to Philosophy 
M/W 9:30-10:45 
Dr. Paula Smithka 
 
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 351 
Critical Thinking 
T/TH 11:00-12:15 
Dr. Ian Dunkle 
 
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. 
 
 


PHI 406/506 
Philosophy of Human Nature 
M/W 11:00-12:15  
Dr. Paula Smithka 
(ASYNCHRONOUS ONLINE sections available for FULLY ONLINE students only) 
 
‘Philosophy of Human Nature’ could be taken to mean a variety of things, given the many facets of human existence and our nature (if there is such a thing). However, in this class, we will focus on the nature of the self (if there is one), personal identity, the nature of mind and its relation to the body, and the nature of consciousness, all of which are central questions for our existence. 
 
 
PHI 452/552 
Health Care Ethics 
T/TH 1:00-2:15 
Dr. Ian Dunkle 
 
This course introduces students to the dominant theory for making ethical decisions in medical ethics, which has come to be called Principlism. We will begin by considering (1) what Principlism is. Then we will take each of the four core ethical principles—namely, Beneficence, Non-Maleficence, Respect for Patient Autonomy, and Justice—and consider both (2) their philosophical support and (3) the conceptual and practical issues that emerge in applying these principles in medicine. 
 
 
 
PHI 453 
Philosophy of Law 
T/TH 9:30 – 10:45 
Dr. Sam Bruton 
 
This class introduces students to pivotal issues in the philosophy of law: the nature of legal authority, the relationship between law and morality, and debates about the appropriate balance between legal regulation and individual liberty.  There will be two emphases in Fall 2023.  First, we will examine in detail the justification of punishment and ethical and legal questions about the U.S. criminal justice system. Second, we will look closely at the Americans with Disabilities Act and related legislation and court cases involving disabilities accommodations.  This course satisfies a required option for Philosophy majors in the Pre-law emphasis track, and it will be taught in Fall 2023 as an approved Community Service Learning course.  Also, it is cross-listed as IDS 352 and as such, it counts towards the Disabilities Minor.  
 
 
REL 335 
The Life of Jesus 
T/TH 1:00-2:15 
Dr. Amy Slagle 
 
This course is a cultural and historical exploration of the different portraits of Jesus of Nazareth produced and circulated from the first to the twenty-first centuries. Beginning with the political and religious context for the “historical Jesus,” we will study how the authors of the New Testament, extra-canonical Christian literatures, and church doctrine as well as modern scholarship responded to cultural expectations and pressures in crafting their various, often conflicting, portrayals of Jesus. In this course, special attention will be paid to the place of Jesus in non-Christian religions as well the different Jesuses that appear in art and film. 
 
 
REL 131 
Comparative Religion 
M/W 11:00-12:15; M/W 2:30-3:45 
Dr. Timothy Gutmann 
 
How can we talk about what matters most to people? How can we think about what is sacred to us? How can we encounter strangers in space and time on their own terms? For centuries, the term “religion” has been used to include ideas of what is sacred, what is forbidden, what is out of this world, and what is everyday, and the stories and ideas that inspire us to think these ways. This is a class for everyone curious about religion, both the religion they know and what they want to know more about. 
 
 
REL 490 
Issues In Religion: Religion and Violence 
M/W 9:30-10:45 
Dr. Timothy Gutmann 
 
Is religion a force for good or bad in the world? Does religious belief or belonging justify the use of violence? Ours is a course that asks questions like these, which have troubled people from diverse religious traditions for long periods in history. In our class, we will think together about just and unjust wars, terrorism and freedom fighting, and violence and nonviolence. 

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