Philosophy (PHIL)

11001 Introduction to Philosophy (3)
An introduction to the diverse methods and subject matters of philosophy. Primary philosophic sources from varied philosophical traditions focus on at least three philosophic areas. Prerequisite: none. This course may be used to satisfy the Kent Core and diversity requirements.

11009 Principles of Thinking (3)
The place of argument in reasoning and the place of reasoning in thinking are explored through a concentration on argument—its structure, expression, function and limits. Prerequisite: none. This course may be used to satisfy the Kent Core.

21001 Introduction to Ethics (3)
This course considers what constitutes ethics, not just which specific acts or act-kinds are ethical, using at least three primary philosophic sources from varied ethical traditions. Prerequisite: none. This course may be used to satisfy the Kent Core and diversity requirement.

21002 Introduction to Formal Logic (3)
Techniques of formal logic, traditional and contemporary. Prerequisite: none. This course may be used to satisfy the Kent Core.

21003 Ethics in Contemporary Contexts (3)
Interactions of ethical standards, sanctions, conflicts and priorities within contemporary contexts (legal, political, religious, professional, commercial, individual) having their own standards and logic. Prerequisite: PHIL 21001.

21020 Comparative Religious Thought I (3)
Philosophic study of the religious impulse as it manifests itself variously in beliefs, practices and institutions ranging over times and cultures. Prerequisite: none. This course may be used to satisfy the Kent Core and diversity requirements.

21021 Comparative Religious Thought II (3)
Comparative exploration in depth of three religions, selected to represent a Western religion, an Eastern religion and a religion often overlooked in traditional comparative studies. Prerequisite: PHIL 21020. This course may be used to satisfy the Kent Core and diversity requirements.

30005 Contemporary Moral Issues (3)
Philosophical examination of at least four issues currently debated in society—e.g., gun control, capital punishment, welfare and economic disparity, pornography, affirmative action, excluding ethical issues in medicine. Prerequisite: none.

30015 Medicine and Morality (3)
A philosophical exploration of at least three issues related to current medical practices, which may include ethical, religious, legal and clinical aspects. Prerequisites: none.

30025 Environmental Philosophy (3)
A philosophical examination of conceptions of nature and the relations between human beings and the natural world with emphasis on exploring connections between environment and science, the humanities, law, religion, ethics or aesthetics. Prerequisite: none.

31001 Ancient Greek Philosophy (3)
Examination of issues of Greek thought from its inception through Plato and Aristotle. Prerequisites: at least one of PHIL 11009 or 21002 or 30145; and at least one of PHIL 11001 or 21001. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course requirement with approval of major department.

31002 Medieval Philosophy (3)
Examination of issues in medieval thought; for instance, the existence and nature of God and the problem of universals. Prerequisites: at least one of PHIL 11009 or 21002 or 30145; and at least one of PHIL 11001, 21001. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course requirement with approval of major department.

31003 Continental Rationalism (3)
Selections from Rationalists; for instance, Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz. Prerequisites: at least one of PHIL 11009 or 21002 or 30145; and at least one of PHIL 11001 or 21001. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course requirement with approval of major department.

31004 British Empiricism (3)
Selections from British empiricists; for instance, Locke, Berkeley and Hume. Prerequisites: at least one of PHIL 11009 or 21002 or 30145; and at least one of PHIL 11001 or 21001. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course requirement with approval of major department.

31005 German Critical Philosophy (3)
Selections from Kant and post-Kantians. Prerequisites: at least one of PHIL 11009 or 21002 or 30145; and at least one of PHIL 11001 or 21001. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course requirement with approval of major department.

31006 Nineteenth-Century Philosophy (3)
Selections from works of 19th-century philosophers. Prerequisites: at least one of PHIL 11009 or 21002 or 30145; and at least one of PHIL 11001 or 21001. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course requirement with approval of major department.

31010 Twentieth-Century Philosophy (3)
Selections from the most influential schools of thought within 20th-century philosophy: existentialism, pragmatism, logical positivism, analytic philosophy, phenomenology. Prerequisites: at least one of PHIL 11009 or 21002 or 30145; and at least one of PHIL 11001 or 21001. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course requirement with approval of major department.

31020 American Philosophy (3)
Selections from principal American philosophers from Colonial times to present. Prerequisites: at least one of PHIL 11009 or 21002 or 30145; and at least one of PHIL 11001 or 21001. This course may be used to satisfy the writing-intensive course requirement with approval of major department.

31030 Existentialism (3)
Development and themes of existentialism. Prerequisite: none.

31035 Philosophy and Justice (3)
Consideration of topics and issues in the general sphere of justice from different perspectives by classical and contemporary philosophers. Prerequisite: none. This course may be used to satisfy the diversity requirement.

31040 Women and Philosophy (3)
Examines the influences and contributions of women to philosophy and the influences philosophy has had on women either historically or currently. Prerequisites: one course in philosophy (PHIL) and junior standing. This course may be used to satisfy the diversity requirement.

31045 Formal Logic (3)
(Cross-listed with CS 31045 and MATH 31045) Study of first-order predicated calculus with identity and function symbols. Prerequisites: none.

31060 Aesthetics (3)
Investigation of concepts such as the aesthetic object and creative expression, and critique of certain theories designed to solve various problems of aesthetic evaluations. Prerequisite: none.

31065 Philosophies of Religious Experience (3)
Examination of phenomena of religious experience, its structure, ramifications and expression in myth and ritual. Prerequisite: none.

31068 Religious Thought in Contemporary Contexts (3)
An inquiry into religious convictions, beliefs, symbolizations and texts in contemporary contexts in which religious considerations influence conception, valuation or interpretation of a contemporary situation and how contemporary contexts influence religious thought. Prerequisite: none.

31070 African and African-American Philosophies (3)
(Cross-listed with PAS 30010) Exploration of philosophical issues in African and African-American thought systems including examination of traditional and emerging approaches to developing conceptions of African and African-American philosophies. Prerequisite: none. This course may be used to satisfy the diversity requirement.

31072 American Indian Philosophies (3)
Examination of philosophical issues and themes in American Indian world views, with attention given to the reflections of contemporary native scholars. Prerequisites: prior course in philosophy (PHIL) and junior standing. This course may be used to satisfy the diversity requirement.

31075 Philosophy and Multiculturalism (3)
Philosophical examination of various approaches to multiculturalism, in terms of definitions, justifications and relevant alternative views regarding the scope and nature of multiculturalism. Prerequisite: none. This course may be used to satisfy the diversity requirement.

32091 Seminar: Philosophical Reflections (3)
(Repeated registration permissible with departmental approval) Exploration of philosophic literature for contrasting or developing conceptions of human beings. Prerequisite: none.

40005 Health Care Ethics (3)
Ethical problems in health care critically assessed, and consideration of how these specific ethical problems illuminate the ethical enterprise. Prerequisites: none.

40093 Variable Title Workshop in Philosophy (1-6)
S/U grading. Prerequisite: special approval.

41010 Problems in the Philosophy of Religion (3)
Philosophical examination of issues and problems presented by various writers in philosophy of religion. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41015 Philosophical Study of Religion (3)
A philosophical examination of pivotal issues, schools and theorists in the study of religion and the future of comparative studies. This course pursues the academic study of religion at an advanced level. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31002 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41020 Social Philosophy (3)
Philosophic examination of theories of societies as proposed by various writers. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41025 Philosophy of Law (3)
Critical examination of the nature and function of law. Prerequisite: none.

41030 Ethical Theories and Practices (3)
Intensive and in-depth study of some dimensions of philosophic traditions in ethics. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31002 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41035 Philosophy of Science (3)
Analysis of methodological problems in scientific disciplines. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41040 Theories of Knowledge (3)
Study of various problems in philosophic theories of knowledge with some emphasis on current philosophic challenges on such theories. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41042 Topics in Metaphysics (3)
Philosophical examination of at least three issues in metaphysics with an emphasis on the historical debates that give rise to them and their contemporary contexts. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31002 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41045 Metalogic (3)
(Cross-listed with CS 41045 and MATH 41045) Consideration of various metatheorems, including soundness and completeness of propositional and predicate calculus, undecidability of predicate calculus and incompleteness of the theory of arithmetic. Prerequisite: PHIL 31045.

41048 Metaethics (3)
Examination of the semantics, ontology and modes of justification employed in ethical theories. Prerequisite: PHIL 31001 or 31002 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41050 Philosophical Analysis (3)
Study of major problems in analytic philosophy and subsequent philosophical analysis. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41055 Phenomenology (3)
Investigation of phenomenological movement, its methods and the scope and course of its applications in philosophy and other disciplines. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41060 Pragmatism (3)
Detailed reading from classical American pragmatists, along with some attention to later interpretations and explorations of current reappraisals and developments. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41065 Plato (3)
Detailed examination of selected Platonic dialogues, with some attention to Plato’s development and dismissal of certain pre-Socratic (and Socratic) themes. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41070 Aristotle (3)
Detailed examination of selected works of Aristotle, with some attention given to Aristotle’s development and dismissal of certain pre-Socratic and Platonic themes. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41076 Continental Philosophy (3)
Investigation of some figure, issue or theme in continental philosophy from Descartes to present. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41077 British and American Thought (3)
Detailed investigation of a figure or issue in British or American philosophy. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41080 Philosophy and Art in the Modern Age (3)
Exploring, with emphasis on the modern age, philosophical conceptions of art in their interplays with, especially, practicing artists’ attitudes toward theory. Prerequisites: none. This course may be used to satisfy the writing intensive requirement (WIC).

41085 Philosophy and Cultural Theory (3)
A discussion of the philosophical bases of aspects of cultural theory such as post colonialism and the negritude movement. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

41086 Philosophy of Expression (3)
Concentrated study of expression through philosophy of literature, of music, of body, of language or of symbols. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL 31001 or 31003 or 31004 or 31005 or 31006 or 31010 or 31020.

49995 Special Topics (2-3)
(Repeatable when content varies) Prerequisite: special approval.

49996 Individual Investigation (1-3)
(Repeated registration permissible with departmental approval prior to registration) IP grade permissible. Prerequisite: departmental special approval prior to registration.

49999 Senior Honors Project (2-3)
(Repeated registration permissible with departmental approval prior to registration) Thesis or other independent study or creative project. IP grade permissible. Prerequisite: departmental special approval before registration.