200

A study of philosophical methods and concepts via selected philosophical systems and problems.

Studies principles of correct reasoning: formal and informal arguments.

Examines major systems of thought regarding problems of moral value and the good life.

Examines major concepts and methods of 20th- and 21st- century philosophy.

An examination of selected topics in the philosophy of art and critical appreciation such as the nature of art, aesthetic experience and aesthetic objects.

Examines the nature and validity of religious beliefs.

An examination by case study of moral problems in the business world. Topics include the obligation of industry to the natural environment, governmental regulation of private enterprise, employee rights and truth in advertising. Develops a number of ethical theories to assist the analysis.

An investigation of selected moral problems that arise in the contemporary biomedical setting. Issues include abortion, euthanasia, patient rights, animal experimentation, in-vitro fertilization, surrogate motherhood and genetic engineering.

An examination of issues that arise from human beings interacting with their natural environment. Initial discussion involves selected ethical problems that arise from human use of "common systems" (e.g., the atmosphere, oceans, wilderness). Further discussions consider whether ecological systems, natural features and non-human animals have moral worth independent of their utility for human commerce.

Designed to strengthen students' skills in reasoning about problems and issues of everyday life by helping them to distinguish between good and bad arguments. Students work to achieve these goals through reading and discussion of course materials, written analyses of others' arguments or development of their own arguments, and class debates for practice in persuasive argument.

An examination of ancient philosophy in the Western world with a concentration on the philosophical views of Plato and Aristotle.

A study of major social and political systems and issues from Plato to the present.

What is the mind? How is it related to the brain and body? How is it connected to the world? What exactly is consciousness? This course is an introduction to the philosophy of mind, with a focus on issues of metaphysics. Topics covered may include mind-brain dualism, logical behaviorism, mind-brain identity theory, functionalism, connectionism, artificial intelligence, philosophical questions about mental representation and the nature of consciousness, embodied cognition, and other current trends in philosophy of mind.

An in-depth study of selected philosophers or philosophical problems. May be repeated if content varies.

A study of the views of selected modern philosophers from Descartes to Kant.

An introduction to Indian and East Asian philosophy. Surveys the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, early Indian Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism (a.k.a. Taoism) and East Asian Buddhism.

Please note: This course was cross-listed as REL 217 prior to the 2013-2014 academic year. Students who took the course as REL 217 may not repeat it.