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Philosophy

Course Code
PHIL 318  Credits
Title Professional Ethics 
Lasc Area
  • Goal 6
  • Goal 9
 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Writing Intensive Yes  
Description The course explores the special ethical challenges that arise in professional life. The course is organized around issues common to many professions, such as competing rights, informed consent, professional obligation, and confidentiality. The course provides an overview of different normative theories and applies them to areas of concern that frequently arise in professional decision making. Case studies illustrate these issues. This course develops critical thinking and writing competencies. MnTC Goal 9. 



Course Code
PHIL 320  Credits
Title Philosophy of the Arts 
Lasc Area Goal 6  
Course Outline Course Outline 
Writing Intensive Yes  
Description A consideration of philosophical questions relating to the fine arts. Representative topics include the nature of art, aesthetic experience, criticism in the arts, representation, symbolism, and evaluation. Same as ART 320. MnTC Goal 6. 



Course Code
PHIL 322  Credits
Title Religious Traditions in our Global Society 
Lasc Area
  • Goal 6
  • Goal 8
 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Examination of how the five major world religious traditions-Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam-interact with each other in our contemporary pluricultural world. Emphasis on how they diversely, and divergently, influence and inspire their practitioners in our 21st century global society. MnTC Goal 6 and 8. 



Course Code
PHIL 335  Credits
Title Death and Dying 
Lasc Area
  • Goal 6
  • Goal 9
 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Everybody dies. But is that a bad thing? Going back to Epicurus, philosophers have argued about this question. The implications should be obvious: if death isn’t a bad thing, then what do we say about murder, war, suicide, and end of life issues? On the other hand, if death is bad, what makes it so? In this class, we will consider questions about what life is and what death is, what impact on life’s meaning death has, whether death is bad or not, and how our answers to these questions will impact our thinking about procreation, suicide, and killing others. MnTC Goal 6 and 9. 



Course Code
PHIL 340  Credits
Title Symbolic Logic 
Lasc Area Goal 4  
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description A survey of deductive logic, emphasizing the use of symbolism to interpret and evaluate arguments. Includes propositional and predicate logic. MnTC Goal 4. 



Course Code
PHIL 355  Credits
Title Existentialism 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description An examination of writings--both philosophical and literary-- of representative existentialists, such as Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Heidegger, Sartre, and Camus. 



Course Code
PHIL 357  Credits
Title Social and Political Philosophy 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Investigation of major issues of contemporary social and political philosophy. Topics may include the justification of the state, rights, equality and liberty, the major political ideologies, feminist politics, and critical theory. Listed prerequisites may be waived by prior completion of a 200 or 300 level philosophy course. 



Course Code
PHIL 358  Credits
Title Peace and War 
Lasc Area
  • Goal 6
  • Goal 8
 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description War affects people around the globe, both when their nation is at war and when allies of their nation are at war. By studying the writings of people from different cultures and nations, we will examine both the causes of war and alternatives. During this class we will have occasion to question whether war is ever moral and whether there are any viable alternatives to war that might allow for more peaceful resolutions of conflict. We will finish the semester with a discussion of terrorism and how it should affect our beliefs about some of these issues. MnTC Goal 6 and 8. 



Course Code
PHIL 390  Credits 1-4 
Title Topics in Philosophy 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Topics will be announced in semester class schedules. Students may repeat course when content varies. 



Course Code
PHIL 407  Credits
Title Theory of Knowledge 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Study of basic problems of theory of knowledge (epistemology) and discussion of contemporary epistemological theories. Topics will include the analysis of knowledge, epistemic justification, foundationalism, coherentism, reliabilism, traditional versus naturalistic epistemology, and skepticism. Course requires an oral presentation. Students should have taken at least two courses in philosophy or obtain the consent of the instructor. 



Course Code
PHIL 408  Credits
Title Metaphysics 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Study of major issues of contemporary metaphysics. Cover topics such as substance and properties, identity and persistence, necessity and possibility, essence and essentialism, causation and determinism, and ontology. Course requires an oral presentation. Students should have taken at least two courses in philosophy or obtain the consent of the instructor. 



Course Code
PHIL 483  Credits 1-3 
Title Major Philosophers 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Intensive study of some important figure in the history of philosophy. Students may register more than once when content varies. Students should have taken at least two courses in philosophy or obtain the consent of the instructor. 



Course Code
PHIL 490  Credits 1-4 
Title Topics in Philosophy 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Study of a selected philosophical problem or philosophical movement. Students may register more than once when topic varies. Specific topics will be announced in class schedules. Students should have taken at least two courses in philosophy or obtain the consent of the instructor. 



Course Code
PHIL 492  Credits
Title Senior Project 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description As a capstone requirement for the major, students will complete a research paper with departmental presentation or submit a portfolio. A portfolio containing (1) four or five papers they have written for philosophy courses; (2) a philosophical self-assessment. See Department Chair for details. 



Course Code
PHIL 495  Credits
Title Topics in Feminist Theory 
Prerequisite PHIL 101 OR PHIL 215 OR PHIL 105 PHIL 100 OR PHIL 110 OR PHIL 102 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Courses offered under this title will focus on feminist theories as frameworks for work on feminist issues. For specific topic see class schedule. Topics may include Knowledge, Ethics, Ecology, Reproductive Rights and Issues, Self-images and Identity, and Sexuality. Students may register more than once when content varies, but may not repeat the course for more than 6 credits. 



Course Code
PHIL 497  Credits 1-3 
Title Independent Study 
Course Outline Course Outline 
Description Intensive independent study of a philosophical problem, major philosopher, or philosophical movement, under the direction and supervision of one or more members of the department. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 credits. No more than 3 credits may be used to fulfill the major requirements.