Spring 2009 Courses

Phil 2111. Introductory Ethics (Hum; 4 cr)

Matt Frank, Tu&Th 12-1:40 (Humanities 111) and M&W 3:30-5:10 (Humanities 5)

What should I do? How should I live? What is the difference between right and wrong, good and bad? What really matters in life? Questions such as these give rise to the study of ethics. In this course, we will examine ethical questions in theory and in practice. Ethical theories provide systematic answers to ethical questions by establishing certain values, principles, or character traits as paramount. We will begin the semester by considering the connection between morality and religion, in particular, whether morality depends on the divine for its existence and content. Next, we will carefully consider the merits of several ethical theories as offered by their most prominent authors: egoism (Thomas Hobbes), sentimentalism (David Hume), Kantianism (Immanuel Kant), and utilitarianism (John Stuart Mill). Finally, we will thoroughly examine and discuss a contemporary (and controversial) moral debate such as abortion, war, or civil disobedience. Students, in consultation with the instructor, will choose the moral debate on which they would like to focus as a class.

Philosophy 2151. Philosophy of Mind: Mind, Brain, and Computers (Hum; 4 cr)

Mark Collier, M&W 5:30-7:10 (Humanities 111)

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What is the relationship between consciousness and the brain? Can computers think? Will psychology eventually be eliminated by neuroscience? These are some of the questions that we will ask in this course, which serves as an introduction to the philosophy of mind and cognitive science. The first part of the course will survey the various positions that have been put forth concerning the relationship between the mind and body, with particular emphasis on computational approaches to cognition and the problem of consciousness. The second part of the course is concerned with the philosophical controversies surrounding the topic of psychological explanation.

Philosophy 3121. Political Philosophy (SS; 4 cr; prereq 1101 or 2101 or 2111 or instructor consent)

Matt Frank, Tu&Th 4-5:40 (Humanities 205)

Recent polls show that the American public has lost faith in the government's ability to do its job. But just what is the job of government anyway? Such a question requires political philosophy. In this course, we will carefully examine and discuss a number of questions on the proper relationship between the state and its people. For instance: What entitles a state to regulate our lives? Are there limits to the power a state may legitimately wield over us? Does justice require the state to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor? Is it ever permissible, or even obligatory, to break the laws of one's society? Should health care be a right afforded to everyone, or a privilege of those who can afford it? What considerations should determine the way we vote? Is patriotism a virtue or a vice? In trying to answer these questions, we will consider the work of classical and contemporary political philosophers: from Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, J.S. Mill, and Karl Marx to John Rawls, Robert Nozick, Norman Daniels and Simon Keller.

Philosophy 4000. History of Philosophy Seminar: Moral Sentimentalism (Hist. 4 cr [8 max]; prereq 1101 or 2101 or 2111 or instructor consent).

Mark Collier, M & W 3:30-5:10 (Imholte 202)

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Course Description: This course provides a survey of one of the most influential positions in the history of ethics: “moral sentimentalism”. Moral sentimentalists argue against those like Hobbes and Mandeville who maintain that human motivation can always be reduced to calculations of self-interest; they also challenge those who maintain that morality can be derived from pure reason. Rather, the sentimentalists assert that altruism and morality are made possible by the fact that human beings are passionate creatures who genuinely care about the welfare of others. We will carefully examine the writings of central figures in the sentimentalist movement. This includes classical thinkers like Shaftesbury, Butler, Hutcheson, Hume, and Smith, as well as contemporary philosophers such as Prinz, Greene, and Nichols. We will also consider recent approaches in cognitive science which promise to shed light on these traditional questions.

Philosophy 4121. Philosophy of Language (4.0 cr; Prereq-2101 or #)

Pieranna Garavaso, Tu&Th 2-3:40 (Imholte 217)

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PREREQUISITES: It is highly recommended that students registering for this course have already taken one introductory course in logic, such as Phil 2101 or equivalent course. Students who have not taken any such course should meet with the instructor before registering.

OBJECTIVES: This course is an advanced course in philosophy of language. The main objectives of the course are two: (1) to provide the students with the knowledge of first order predicate calculus with identity; and (2) to enable the students to appreciate some philosophical issues related to the use of both symbolic and ordinary language.
For the logic part of the course, we will use a classic introductory textbook, Lemmon’s Beginning Logic; we will read and discuss writings by such authors as Frege, Russell, Strawson, Donnellan, and Kripke. On the basis of these readings, we will discuss some of the following questions:

• What is the difference between the meaning of a word and what it refers to?
• Are statements such as "The present king of France is bald" true, false, or neither?
• How do proper names refer to their bearers?
• Why identity statements like "Hesperus = Hesperus" are trivial, whereas identities such as "Hesperus = Phosphorus" are informative?
• How can we reject hate speech?
• How can we successfully and meaningfully use Ethnic terms without relying on stereotypes?

My aim is to provide the students with the historical and technical background necessary to appreciate these problems and begin to think critically about their solutions. Since this is an upper level seminar, a significant degree of student participation is expected. The members of the seminar will be able to participate in different ways: facilitating the discussion concerning assigned readings, commenting on the written work of other members of the seminar, discussing the readings and lectures, etc.

Philosophy 4901. Senior Philosophical Defense