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Course Criteria
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3.00 Credits
Addresses the fundamental questions of philosophy (What is real? What is good? How do we know?) by considering the answers given by philosophers from India, China and Japan. Philosophy in Asia has not been viewed as an abstract academic subject with little or no relevance to daily life. Rather, it has been seen as one of life's most basic and most important enterprises. It is seen as essential to overcoming suffering and improving the quality of human life. There are no rigid distinctions between philosophy and religion in Asian thought. The class examines the Asian philosophical tradition in an attempt to understand both its historical importance and its relevance to society today. Prerequisite: none.
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3.00 Credits
Investigates the relation between science and society. Offered in either of the following forms: (1) Thinking About the Environment: A survey of contemporary environmental issues with emphasis on the development of the reasoning skills needed to make informed judgments. Topics include the history of environmentalism in the U.S., atmospheric ozone, global warming, acid rain, air pollution, global population growth, pesticides, radon, nuclear power, biodiversity and species extinction, and genetically modified crops. (2) Science and Pseudoscience: A survey of popular "pseudoscientific" claims withemphasis on such issues in the philosophy of science as demarcation, evidential warrant, scientific progress, science and public policy, and fallacies of reasoning. Topics include UFO sightings and alien abductions, the Nemesis theory of dinosaur extinctions, astrology, creationism, psychic phenomena, theories of intelligence, alternative medicines, global warming, and cold fusion. Student input in determining topics to cover is heavily emphasized. Students are required to make a 20-minute presentation on a topic of their choice and submit a follow-up written report. Prerequisite: none.
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3.00 Credits
What is the nature of space? Is it an independently existing substance, or does it merely consist in the relations between physical objects? Can motion be described simply in terms of the relational properties of objects, or must we always define motion with respect to an absolute motionless substratum? Does the existence of left-handed gloves entail the existence of absolute space? This course considers these and other questions about the nature of space and time as they appear in the writings of the following philosophers and scientists: Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Newton, Leibniz, Berkeley, Kant, Poincare and Einstein. Prerequisite: none.
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3.00 Credits
An introduction to basic issues in metaphysics (What does reality consist of?) and epistemology (What is knowledge and how is it obtained?). The course takes the form of a philosophically oriented survey of the history of western science from the Greeks to the Newtonian synthesis. It looks at the metaphysical and epistemological origins of three grand systems of thought -- organic, magical and mechanical -- and indicates the extent to which modern science can be seen as arising out of their synthesis. The course views the key figures in this history as they saw themselves, first and foremost as natural philosophers. Topics covered include Pre-Socratic cosmology, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, the Hermetic Corpus, Ficino's naturalistic magic, Pico's supernatural magic, Paracelsus and the ontic theory of disease, Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Descartes, Hobbes, the Cambridge Platonists, and Newton. Prerequisite: none.
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3.00 Credits
The first part of this course develops the physics underlying special relativity and considers such conceptual questions as: Does Special Relativity prohibit faster-than-light travel? Does it allow a traveling astronaut to age less and return home in the distant future? What is the significance of Einstein's famous equaiton "E = mc2" ? The second partof the course develops the physics underlying general relativity and considers conceptual issues surrounding such current applications as time machines, wormholes, and "warp-drive"spacetimes. Prerequisite: none.
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3.00 Credits
Quantum mechanics is the best-confirmed theory of particle dynamics in existence today. Not only is it the basis for all digital technologies, it also serves as the theoretical foundation for our best-confirmed theories of matter (quantum field theories). On the other hand, since its inception, it has been beset with conceptual problems. In particular, there is no current consensus on just how to interpret it: What would the world be like, if it were true? This course first develops the theory from a historical perspective, and then canvasses a number of proposals that have been offered as to how it should be interpreted. Other topics include conceptual issues surrounding such current applications as quantum teleportation, quantum computing, and quantum cryptography. Prerequisite: none.
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3.00 Credits
This course examines the central figures and issues of the Modern era -- 17th and 18th Century European Enlightenment. The course focuses on issues that were important not only in this modern period, but remain important today, including the state of nature and society, epistemology, metaphysics, and the role of God in philosophical thinking. Topics covered include the Renaissance and science, Descartes and rationalism, Hume and empiricism, and Kant's Copernican revolution. Prerequisite: none.
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3.00 Credits
This course demonstrates the soundness and completeness of first-order logic, the G?del incompleteness theorem for formal arithmetic, and reviews Turing machines and the notions of computability and undecidability. Prerequisite: PL 2104 or a strong mathematical background (third-/fourth-year mathematics major).
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3.00 Credits
Critical theory covers the interactions between the explanatory, the normative, and the ideological dimensions of social and political thought. It bridges the usual divides between explanation and justification, philosophical and substantive concerns, and theory and practice. The course examines a range of contemporary issues in critical theory, among them the fate and meaning of the ideal of a universal humanity, the standpoint of critique, the fragmentation of culture and politics, the rise in identity politics, the challenge to nationalism, feminist philosophies, race theory and other issues of historic, and contemporary theoretical and practical importance. Prerequisite: One 2000-level PL course.
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3.00 Credits
Political philosophy is concerned with evaluating the ways people should live together in communities and with finding the appropriate, legitimate, governing institutions that promote the ideals of freedom, justice, equality, and happiness. The question is why these institutions have a legitimate authority over their members, and what is their role in determining how the benefits and burdens of a society are distributed among citizens. The class starts from two essential historical sources, Locke and Kant, before considering contemporary social-political philosophy, including contractarianism, libertarianism, utilitarianism, communitarianism, and democratic socialism. Discussion includes the connections among such issues as democracy, freedom, justice, rights, private property, economic equality, global justice, and community. Prerequisite: One 2000-level PL course.
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