Philosophy Courses [145-166]

[051-144] [145-166] [167-210]

PHIL 145. Islamic Philosophy. 3 crs. A study of Islamic philosophy, focusing on major texts and systems.

PHIL 146. Latin American Philosophy. 3 crs. Investigation of the major philosophical systems in Latin America.

PHIL 147. Ethics and Public Policy. 3 crs. Philosophical investigation of the role of ethics in the formulation and execution of public policy in education, defense, health, housing, environment, etc.

PHIL 148. Environmental Ethics. 3 crs. Consideration of ethical issues in our interaction with the environment, including the impact of developments in technology.

PHIL 149. Philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. 3 crs. A study of the major philosophical writings of Martin Luther King, Jr. focusing on his principle of non-violence.

PHIL 150. Epistemology. 3 crs. Investigation of the possibility, sources, nature, and scope of knowledge, with examination of both classical and contemporary texts.

PHIL 151. Metaphysics. 3 crs. Examination of the fundamental nature of reality, including such topics as existence, space, time, infinity, causation, possibility, and actuality.

PHIL 152. Aesthetics. 3 crs. An introduction to aesthetics; a variety of theories of art, aesthetic analysis, and aesthetic judgment reviewed and evaluated, and the nature and role of the creative process in human experience are analyzed.

PHIL 153. Philosophy of Culture. 3 crs. A philosophical analysis of culture in its various aspects and an investigation of the cultural foundations of philosophical speculations. Issues to be discussed include the meaning of culture, varieties of cultural experiences, cultural identity, cultural pluralism, culture conflict. The course will also focus on issues of race, racism and racial conflict.

PHIL 154. Phenomenology. 3 crs. An examination of contemporary continental thought emphasizing the phenomenological philosophies of Husserl, Heidegger, Jaspers, Merleau-Ponty, and Sartre.

PHIL 155. Philosophy of Law. 3 crs. Treats the principles of jurisprudence in classical texts and recent cases.

PHIL 156. Pragmatism. 3 crs. An examination of the philosophy of pragmatism focusing on the contributions of its representative thinkers including Pierce and William James and on its contributions in the fields of epistemology, ethics and religion.

PHIL 157. Philosophical Assumptions and Social Conflict. 3 crs. Analysis of philosophical principles applicable in the explanation and evolution of social conflict, with attention given to the meaning and philosophical roots of such notions as culture, nationalism, racism, and totalitarianism. Includes comparative studies of rights, anarchism, and violence.

PHIL 158. Business and Professional Ethics. 3 crs. An analysis of the ethical issues raised in business practices and professional activities. Issues to be discussed include the social responsibility of business, ethical issues raised by advertising, whistle blowing, Employment Rights, Self-regulation and Theories of Economic Justice.

PHIL 159. Philosophy of Economics. 3 crs. Does the difference between the subject-matter of natural sciences and economics indicate an unbridgeable gulf between the methodologies of the two disciplines? What kind of science is economics? Is economics value-free or value-neutral? These are the main questions to be addressed in this course. The issue of economic justice will also be discussed.

PHIL 160. Pre-Socratic Philosophy. 3 crs. Deals with the birth of Greek philosophy, from prephilosophical world views to systems of the Pythagoreans and atomists.

PHIL 161. Introduction to Plato. 3 crs. Study of one or more of Plato’s Dialogues, with attention to the dramatic context as well as philosophical argument. 

PHIL 162. African-American Philosophy. 3 crs. An examination of the nature of philosophy and a reflection on African-American perspectives in philosophy. The course focuses especially on the context of African-American experience, issues of justice, freedom and identity.

PHIL 163. Medieval Philosophy. 3 crs. Major figures in Latin and Arabic traditions, from Augustine through Ockham.

PHIL 164. Current Topics. 3 crs. The content of this course varies from semester to semester. It may focus on issues such as the philosophy of technology, on the thought of a current or recent thinker or on an interdisciplinary theme. The course content is announced several months prior to the date the course is offered.

PHIL 166. Philosophy of Language. 3 crs. Analysis of the philosophical problems raised by the use of language, including theories meaning and the relationship between language, thought and reality.