Philosophy and Religious Studies

Michael Bishop, Chair of Department
Professors: Comstock, Hollinger, Hunter, Kirschenmann, Kupfer, Robinson, Smith, Wilson
Professors (Emeritus): Hollenbach, Van Iten
Associate Professors: Avalos, Baum, Bishop, Holmgren, Sawyer
Assistant Professors: Bado-Fralick, Butler, Davidson, De Laplante, Fehr, Geirsson, Gross, Sanford, Svatos
Assistant Professors (Adjunct): McDuff, Torrago
Philosophy

Undergraduate Study

The major in philosophy offers study in the important ideas, values, and ways of thinking that underlie cultural, social, and political processes, and that direct the specialized search for knowledge. Philosophical study broadens the student’s educational experience and facilitates more effective participation in the human community.

An undergraduate major in philosophy should have a broad background in the liberal arts and sciences. The major program includes both a core and electives to provide a thorough acquaintance with the history of philosophy and further concentration in historical and systematic issues. An undergraduate major in philosophy can prepare the student for graduate work in philosophy, and also for further study in law, history, theology, religion, political science, social and political theory, or literature.

The degree program in philosophy requires a minimum of 27 credits in the core program and 6 credits of electives chosen from the remaining courses listed in the 300 or 400 levels.

The following courses compose the basic core program of the department from which 27 credits shall be chosen.

a. Introduction: 201 (required).
b. Logic: 207 (required).
c. Ethical theory: one course required. Choose from 330, 335.
d. Applied ethics: one course required. Choose from 230, 331, 333, 336, 442. 
e. History: Three courses required, at least one each from group A and group B: A. 310, 314, 315; B. 316, 317, 318. 
f. Two 400-level courses required.

The department offers a minor in philosophy which may be earned by completing a total of 15 credits in philosophy including 201 and at least 6 credits in courses numbered 300 or above. Students may want to emphasize specific areas by taking 15 hours of courses chosen from the following:

Philosophy of Science: 201, 206 or 207, 314, 315, 380, 381, 480

History of Philosophy: 201, 310, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318; 460 or 470

Social Values and Policy: 230, 235, 331, 332, 333, 335, 336, 338, 430, 442

English proficiency requirement: The department requires a grade of C+ or better in each of Engl 104 and 105 (or 105H), and approval of writing by instructor of one history of philosophy course (310-318), to be designated by the student.

Graduate Study

The department offers a graduate minor in philosophy. For those taking the M.A. or M.S., the minor requirement is two courses above 300 (but not 490) taken in conjunction with 590. For those taking the Ph.D., the requirement is four courses above 300, at least one of which is above 400 (but not 490) all taken in conjunction with 590. Interested students should ask the chair to assign a minor adviser.

The department participates in the interdepartmental program in general graduate studies. (See Index.)

Courses open for nonmajor graduate credit: All courses numbered above 300 except 490.

Courses Primarily for Undergraduate Students

Phil 201. Introduction to Philosophy
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS. It has been rumored that the unexamined life is not worth living. Philosophy is an attempt to begin examining life by considering such questions as: What makes us human? What is the world ultimately like? How should we relate to other people? Is there a god? How can we know anything about these questions? Understanding questions of this kind and proposed answers to them is what this course is all about.

Phil 206. Introduction to Logic and Scientific Reasoning
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS. Basic principles of critical reasoning and argument evaluation. A consideration of basic forms of argumentation in science and everyday life. Application to contemporary issues and controversies. This course is not recommended for students majoring in math, science, or engineering.

Phil 207. Introduction to Symbolic Logic (Same as Ling 207.)
(3-0) Cr. 3. S. Introduction to fundamental logical concepts and logical symbolism. Development of natural deduction through first order predicate logic with identity. Applications to arguments in ordinary English and to philosophical issues. Majors should take 207 as early as possible.

Phil 230. Moral Theory and Practice
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS. Investigation of moral issues in the context of major ethical theories of value and obligation; e.g., punishment, abortion, economic justice, job discrimination, world hunger, and sexual morality. Emphasis on critical reasoning and argument analysis.

Phil 235. Ethical Issues in A Diverse Society
(3-0) Cr. 3. S. This course will examine a range of arguments on diversity issues. Topics will include: the social status of women, the moral status of sexuality and homosexuality, the nature and role of racism in contemporary society, the relationship between biology, gender roles and social status, and various proposals for change from a variety of political perspectives.

Phil 298. Cooperative Education
Cr. R. F.S.SS. Prereq: Permission of the department cooperative education coordinator; sophomore classification. Required of all cooperative education students. Students must register for this course prior to commencing each work period.

Phil 310. Ancient Philosophy (Same as Cl St 310.)
(3-0) Cr. 3. F. Prereq: 201. Survey of the principal philosophers of the ancient world: the pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics and the Epicureans. Questions concerning being, knowledge, language, and the good life are treated in depth. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 314. 17th Century Philosophy
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered 2002. Prereq: 201. Readings from philosophers such as Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, and Locke. Changing conceptions of knowledge, self, and deities in response to Galileo’s new science and post-reformation challenge to ecclesiastical authority. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 315. 18th Century Philosophy
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered 2002. Prereq: 201. Readings from philosophers such as Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. Development of Enlightenment thought. Issues include idealism, causation, freedom, and knowledge regarding science, ethics, and deities. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 316. 19th Century Continental Philosophy
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered 2001. Prereq: 201. The thought of Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and their contemporaries. Various perspectives on the philosophy of history, the nature of reason and subjectivity, the contrast between dialectical and nondialectical philosophy, and the relationship between philosophy and society. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 317. 20th Century Continental Philosophy
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered 2002. Prereq: 201. An examination of 20th century continental philosophy against the background of the 19th century continental tradition. Movements covered include: Phenomenology, Marxism, Postmodernism, Post-structuralism, Feminism. Focus on attempts to develop history, society, and politics; debates about the crisis of reason and culture; political issues surrounding such debates. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 318. 20th Century Anglo-American Philosophy
(3-0) Cr. 3. S. Prereq: 201. Major movements in recent philosophy such as realism, logical positivism, ordinary language philosophy, and naturalism. Russell, Wittgenstein, Quine and other leading figures. Topics include knowledge of the material world, mind, language, values, and philosophical method. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 320. Existentialism and Its Critics
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered 2001. Prereq: 201. An investigation of Existentialism and its critics in historical and cultural context. Emphasis on existential phenomenology and French existentialism, and on criticisms. Existential Marxism and Heidegger’s later philosophy. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 330. Ethical Theory
(3-0) Cr. 3. F. Prereq: 201 or 230. Major theories in normative ethics and metaethics. Includes such views as relativism, emotivism, and absolutism. Comparison of ethics with science and how moral judgments are justified. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 331. Moral Problems in Medicine
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered 2002. Prereq: 230 or junior classification. In-depth study of some of the central moral problems arising in medicine, e.g., abortion, euthanasia, patients’ rights, health care professionals’ duties and responsibilities, allocation of medical resources. Major moral theories will be examined and applied. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 332. Philosophy of Law (Same as CJ St 332.)
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S. Prereq: 201 or 230. Extent of our obligation to obey the law; what constitutes just punishment; how much of the immoral should be made illegal? Relation of these questions to major theories of law and the state. Discussion of such concepts as coercion, equality, and responsibility. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 333. Family Ethics
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered 2002. Prereq: 3 credits in philosophy. Moral dimensions of marriage and love, parent-child relations, domestic work, and moral education. Can parents and children be friends? What do children "owe" their parents? Is there a feminist mode of moral thinking? Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 334. Environmental Ethics (Same as Env S 334.)
(3-0) Cr. 3. F. Prereq: 3 credits in philosophy or junior classification. Thorough study of some of the central moral issues arising in connection with human impact on the environment, e.g., human overpopulation, species extinction, forest and wilderness management, pollution. Several world views of the proper relationship between human beings and nature will be explored. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 335. Social and Political Philosophy
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered 2002. Prereq: 201 or 230. Foundations of social and political life. Metaphysical and epistemological grounds in classical and recent thinkers. The basis of political organization, the nature of social and political institutions, rights and authority, justice and the character of distinctly political action. Original texts. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 336. Bioethics and Biotechnology
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered 2003. Prereq: Phil 201 or 230 or 235, or permission of instructor. In-depth study of some central moral issues in the life sciences, e.g., genetic screening and testing, genetically engineered plants and animals, risk analysis, biotechnology patents, research ethics, biodiversity, the impact of biotechnology on society and the environment. Major moral theories will be discussed and applied. (Phil 336 contains almost no similarities to Phil 331.) Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 338. Feminism Philosophy
(3-0) Cr. 3. S. Prereq: 3 credits in philosophy recommended. This course critically examines the work that oppositions such as sex/gender, self/other, subjectivity/objectivity, and nature/nurture, does in philosophy and in our culture more generally. In particular we will consider historical and contemporary, that feminism engages issues of sexual orientation, political equality, race, biology, violence and pornography, as it works toward the personal and political emancipation of women. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 340. Aesthetics
(3-0) Cr. 3. F. Prereq: 201 or 230. Is liking all there is to appreciating works of art or natural beauty? We will examine our appreciative experiences, talk about such experiences (e.g., art criticism), and what makes them valuable. Do the different arts have common values? How are their differences important? Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 343. Philosophy of Technology (Same as T SC 343.)
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S. Prereq: 6 credits of social science or T SC 341 and 3 credits of social science. Conditions under which technological innovations contribute to human emancipation, relationship of technology and democracy, utility and limits of technical rationality, and problems of ensuring that benefits of technological advance are communally shared. Issues discussed with reference to contemporary developments in microelectronics, technology transfer to the Third World, etc. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 350. Philosophy of Religion (Same as Relig 350.)
(3-0) Cr. 3. F. Prereq: 201. The value and truth of religious life and belief. Mystical experience; religious faith and language; arguments for God’s existence; the problem of evil; miracles; and religion and morality. Historical and contemporary readings from both the western and eastern traditions. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 380. Philosophy of Science
(3-0) Cr. 3. F. Prereq: 201 or 6 credits in a science. Introduction to the philosophy of science. A variety of basic problems common to the natural and social sciences: the nature of explanation, the structure of theories, the unity of science, and the distinction between science and nonscience. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 381. Philosophy of the Social and Behavioral Sciences
(3-0) Cr. 3. S. Prereq: 201 or 6 credits in the social sciences. Methodological, ideological, and doctrinal issues about the social and behavioral sciences against the background of influence of the natural sciences. Focus is on the historical and cultural background of 19th and 20th century western thought. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 398. Cooperative Education
Cr. R. F.S.SS. Prereq: Permission of the department cooperative education coordinator; junior classification. Required of all cooperative education students. Students must register for this course prior to commencing each work period. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 430. Value Theory
(3-0) Cr. 3 each time taken, maximum of 6 credits. S. Prereq: 230. Theoretical and normative issues in ethics, aesthetics, religious thought, or political philosophy. Topics vary each time offered. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 450. Free Will, Fate, and Moral Responsibility
(3-0) Cr. 3. F. Prereq: 3 credits in philosophy; 207 strongly encouraged. Are we free if all our actions are inevitable consequences of our past and the laws of nature, or if God exists and is omniscient? Examines what sorts of facts constitute threats to human freedom. Issues of time, truth, causation, and agency are treated in depth. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 460. Epistemology and Metaphysics
(3-0) Cr. 3 each time taken, maximum of 6 credits. Alt. S., offered 2002. Prereq: 201 and at least one course in the history of philosophy. Issues in epistemology and metaphysics. Topics vary each time offered. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 465. Brains, Minds, and Computers
(3-0) Cr. 3. F. Prereq: 201. Examination of concepts such as computability, intelligence, programming, and free will; and of arguments about whether any human capacity is forever beyond realization in a machine. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 480. Controversies in Science
(3-0) Cr. 3 each time taken. S. Prereq: 3 credits in philosophy or 6 credits in a natural or social science. Philosophical treatment of a branch of science that has (or has had) significant social, political, religious and/or moral implications. Possible topics include: the IQ debate, implications of Darwinism, the Galileo affair, the role of values in science, critical analysis of current science policy (e.g., the Human Genome Project). Topics will be arranged to meet the needs of interested students. Often team taught by a philosopher and a scientist from the relevant discipline. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Phil 490. Independent Study
Cr. 1 to 4 each time taken. Prereq: 6 credits in philosophy; permission of instructor, approval of chairman. No more than 9 credits of Phil 490 may be counted toward graduation. Guided reading and research on special topics selected to meet needs of advanced students.

                H. Honors

Phil 498. Cooperative Education
Cr. R. F.S.SS. Prereq: Permission of the department cooperative education coordinator; senior classification. Required of all cooperative education students. Students must register for this course prior to commencing each work period. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Courses Primarily for Graduate Students for minor credit, open to qualified undergraduates

Phil 535. Contemporary Political Philosophy (Same as Pol S 535.)
(3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered 2003. Prereq: 6 credits of philosophy or political science. Examination of theories of justice proposed by contemporary political philosophers. Analysis of the philosophical foundations of perspectives such as liberalism, libertarianism, communitarianism, socialism, feminism. Normative assessments of socio-political institutions.

Phil 590. Special Topics in Philosophy
Cr. 2 to 4 each time taken. Prereq: Permission of instructor; 9 credits in philosophy.