PHL 199 Special Studies TBA
Hamington (Online)
PHL 201 Introduction to Philosophy
Wichowski-Hill; In-person or Gillis (Online)
General introduction to philosophy; its practice and major areas of study. Topics typically include introductions to metaphysics (study of being), epistemology (study of knowledge), philosophy of language, morality, and critical thinking.
PHL 301U Ancient Philosophy
Berman; Online
An introduction to ancient Greek philosophy with a primary focus on the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle. May include topics in epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science, human flourishing, and political philosophy.
PHL 303U Early Modern Philosophy
Seppalainen; Online
An introduction to seventeenth- and eighteenth-century philosophy. May include topics in epistemology, metaphysics, mind and religion with readings by major thinkers such as Descartes, Spinoza, Conway, Locke, Cavendish, Leibniz, Berkeley, Shepherd, Amo, Hume, and Reid.
PHL 306U Science and Pseudoscience
Sepppalainen; Online
An examination of basic issues in philosophy of science through an analysis of creation science, faith healing, UFO abduction stories, and other pseudosciences. Some of the questions addressed: What distinguishes science from pseudoscience? How are theories tested? When is evidence reliable? Must we invoke the supernatural to explain certain aspects of reality?
PHL 308U Elementary Ethics
Jokic; Online
General introduction to ethical theories and topics such as whether there are objective moral distinctions, what makes right actions right and wrong acts wrong, and how we know (if we do) that actions are right or wrong, and how we know (if we do) that actions are right or wrong. Topics also include relativism, egoism, utilitarianism, and Kantianism (deontology).
PHL 309U Business Ethics
Hamington; Online
Study of the ethical aspects of practices and organizational structures in the business world. The bulk of the course is devoted to specific contemporary topics, for example: the moral status of corporations; the concept of work place rights; responsibility in advertising; environmental constraints on business; affirmative action in hiring; the social roles of profit and private property; and the role of work in the life of the individual.
PHL 313U Life and Death Issues
Berman; In-person
Study of moral problems dealing with life and death issues including abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, starvation, and war.
PHL 324U Introduction to Formal Logic I
Weber; Online
A course in basic formal logic. Major topics include the methods of deduction for showing propositional arguments valid and the method of counter-example for showing such arguments invalid. Truth table methods, tests for consistency, and syllogistic arguments are optional topics.
PHL 351U Philosophy of International Human Rights
Jokic; Online
Examination of concepts of human rights through classics of political philosophy, international human rights law and its development, and current high-profile cases of alleged violations of human rights.
PHL 355U Morality and Healthcare
Gillis; Online
Examination of issues in health care such as euthanasia, abortion, allocation of transplantable organs, rationing health care, treatment of impaired newborns.
PHL 367U Philosophy of Sport
Spencer; Online
An examination of the central conceptual, ethical, and existential issues concerning sports. Topics include the nature and role of sports in human flourishing, theories of embodiment, and the morality of sports as an institution and culture including competition and violence.
PHL 370U Philosophy of Work and Leisure
Elliott; Online
Role and nature of work and leisure in theories of the good life and central social and political practices.
PHL 371U Philosophy and the City
Elliott; In person
Explores the role and nature of the city in the history of philosophy and especially social and political theory and the philosophical bases of contemporary urban theory including political, civic, sustainable, and aesthetic ideas of the city.
PHL 380 Writing Intensive Course: Philosophical Writing
Coventry; Online
Philosophical Writing is a “writing in the genre” course for philosophy majors. It teaches strategies for the major types of philosophical writing, including summaries, blog posts, abstracts, argumentative essays, and research papers. Students may also study essays, dialogues, and short stories to explore the diverse ways in which people have communicated philosophical ideas. This is a writing-intensive course in which students will receive feedback on multiple drafts to improve their writing.
PHL 423/523 Metaphysics
Hiller; In person
Study of major systems of ontology (e.g., idealism, materialism) and traditional metaphysical issues (e.g., determinism, freedom, properties) including debates over the feasibility of the discipline of metaphysics itself (e.g., positivism and scientific realism).
PHL 451/551 - Major Figures: Anzaldua
Spencer; Online
Intensive study of one or more major figures.
PHL 451/551 - Major Figures: Sartre
Wichowski-Hill; In-person
Intensive study of one or more major figures.