Philosophy Department
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2008 - 2009 Catalog
Philosophy
Central 253
541-552-6034
Prakash Chenjeri, Coordinator
The philosophy program is part of the Department of Language, Literature, and Philosophy. Philosophy offers minors in philosophy and ethics. Philosophy courses also support interdisciplinary programs and degrees such as women’s studies, international peace studies, environmental studies, and honors. Several courses fulfill University Studies requirements. The program offers classes for all students who would like to clarify their thinking and explore the great questions, such as the meaning of life, the nature of reality, right and wrong, knowledge, and language.
Requirements for the Minors
Philosophy Minor
The philosophy minor comprises at least 24 credits in philosophy, 12 of which must be upper division.
Required Courses
| Introduction to Philosophy (PHL 201) | 4 |
A minimum of 8 credits from the following:
| History of Western Philosophy (PHL 301, 302, 303) | 4 each |
A minimum of 4 credits from the following:
| Ethics: Moral Issues (PHL 205) | 4 |
| Moral Theory (PHL 323) | 4 |
| Indian Ethics: The River of Dharma (PHL 326) | 4 |
| Science and Religion: Critical Explorations (PHL 329) | 4 |
| Women and Ethics (PHL 426) or other approved ethics courses | 4 |
Ethics Minor
The ethics minor comprises at least 24 credits of philosophy and ethics courses, 12 of which are upper division.
Required Courses
| Ethics: Moral Issues (PHL 205) | 4 |
A minimum of 8 credits from the following:
| Moral Theory (PHL 323) | 4 |
| Indian Ethics (PHL 326) | 4 |
| Women and Ethics (PHL 426) | 4 |
| Issues in Bioethics (PHL 420) | 4 |
A minimum of 4 credits from the following (or from other approved ethics courses):
| Business Ethics (BA 476) | 4 |
| Biology and Society (BI 382) | 4 |
| Ethics and the Law in the Digital Millennium (PHL 310) | 4 |
| Mass Media Ethics (COMM 491) | 4 |
Philosophy Courses
See Course Prerequisites PolicyLower Division Courses
| PHL 199 Special Studies |
| Credits to be arranged |
| PHL 201 Introduction to Philosophy |
| 4 credits |
| Introduces philosophy’s basic questions, including the nature of reality, personal identity, religion, art, the world we live in, right and wrong, mind and body, and knowledge. Approved for University Studies (Explorations). |
| PHL 203 Introduction to Logic |
| 4 credits |
| Addresses how to recognize and think about arguments, reasonings, and proofs. One-third of the course focuses on informal logic (thinking about actual arguments made in English), while the remaining two-thirds is devoted to formal logic (using symbols to analyze valid and invalid arguments). |
| PHL 205 Ethics: Moral Issues |
| 4 credits |
| Includes an introduction to ethics and an exploration of important issues, such as war and peace, the ethics of personal relationships, racism, animal rights, and the environment. Approved for University Studies (Explorations). |
Upper Division Courses
| PHL 301, 302, 303 History of Western Philosophy |
| 4 credits each |
| Explores Western philosophy, beginning with ancient Greece and continuing to the present. Courses do not have to be taken in sequence, but it is strongly recommended that students take PHL 302 before PHL 303. |
| PHL 310 Information Technology: Legal and Ethical Issues |
| 4 credits |
| Investigates the ethical and legal implications of the products, activities, and behaviors of digital-technology users, with emphasis on U.S. laws and technology. Examines digital works, copyright laws, software, and business practice patents, in addition to significant court cases that raise fundamental constitutional issues. Explores the complexity of morals and laws in the midst of digital technology. Fosters the insight and discipline necessary to form sound moral and legal positions in the digital world. Approved for University Studies (Synthesis/Integration). Prerequisites: Completion of all lower division University Studies requirements and sophomore standing. (Cross-listed with CS 310.) |
| PHL 323 Moral Theory |
| 4 credits |
| Offers a critical analysis of major ethical theories, including relativism, utilitarianism, duty ethics, virtue ethics, and recent developments, such as the ethics of care. Prerequisites: USEM 102 and sophomore standing. |
| PHL 326 Indian Ethics |
| 4 credits |
| Offers a philosophical study of both classical and contemporary Indian ethics. Addresses such fundamental ethical questions as: What should we be doing, and why should we do it? Introduces students to the rich, ageless tradition of Indian ethics. Drawing on sources Indian and Western, classical and contemporary, the course explores key ethical concepts (e.g., dharma, karma, and moksa) and demonstrates an organic relationship among ethics and religion, philosophy, and social culture. Prerequisites: USEM 102 and sophomore standing. |
| PHL 329 Science and Religion: Critical Explorations |
| 4 credits |
| Surveys the main issues in the interaction between science and religion. Topics include the nature of science and the scientific method, religion and religious worldviews, physics and Big Bang cosmology, evolution and genetics and implications for religious beliefs, models of interaction between science and religion, and recent research and scholarship in the science-religion debate. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. |
| PHL 330 Science, Democracy, and Citizenship |
| 4 credits |
| Explores the place of values in science and how it cuts across numerous debates in the philosophy, history, and social studies of science. Studies the place of values in science and how the practical implications are as deep as its philosophical implications. Considers the fundamental ideals of modern societies, such as rationality and progress, and how they are grounded in certain conceptions of science. Students are equipped to navigate through the complex issues of fact and value. Surveys various issues in the debate about the place of values and its ramifications. Prerequisite: Completion of Explorations courses or sophomore standing. |
| PHL 339 History and Philosophy of Science |
| 4 credits |
| Considers the nature of scientific reasoning. Analyzes basic scientific concepts, such as explanation, hypothesis, and causation. Approved for University Studies (Synthesis/Integration). Prerequisite: Completion of all lower division University Studies requirements. (Cross-listed with SC 339.) |
| PHL 340 Death and Dying: Multidimensional Explorations |
| 4 credits |
| Addresses many questions about death, including how it is defined in physical terms; how it is viewed by various cultures, times, and religions; and what insights the arts, and especially philosophy, can offer regarding the existential, moral, and metaphysical dimensions of death. Approved for University Studies (Synthesis). Prerequisite: Completion of all lower division University Studies requirements. |
| PHL 348 Philosophy of Religion |
| 4 credits |
| Studies specific issues arising from reflection on such topics as the nature of faith, proofs of the existence of God, the nature of divine attributes, the problem of evil, and religious ethics. Considers similar issues as they arise in Eastern religions. Prerequisites: USEM 102 and sophomore standing. |
| PHL 399 Special Studies |
| 4 credits |
| PHL 401/501 Research |
| Credits to be arranged |
| PHL 403/503 Thesis |
| Credits to be arranged |
| PHL 405/505 Reading and Conference |
| Credits to be arranged |
| PHL 407/507 Seminar |
| Credits to be arranged |
| PHL 409/509 Practicum |
| Credits to be arranged |
| PHL 420 Topics in Contemporary Philosophy |
| 4 credits |
| Topics are offered on the basis of interest. Past subjects include death and dying, biomedical ethics, analytic philosophy, and phenomenology and existentialism. Prerequisites: USEM 102, junior standing, and at least one course in philosophy. |
| PHL 425/525 Feminism and Philosophy |
| 4 credits |
| Examines the nature of feminism and explores current feminist thinking in the philosophies of knowledge and language, as well as metaphysics, religion, and aesthetics. Prerequisites: USEM 102, junior standing, and at least one course in philosophy or women’s studies. |
| PHL 426/526 Women and Ethics |
| 4 credits |
| Examines the ethic of care and offers a multicultural exploration of contemporary women’s writings on values (e.g., truth, love, and justice); issues of difference and oppression (e.g., gender, race, class, ability, age, sexual preference, and identity); and questions of birth and death, war and peace, animal rights, and ecology. Prerequisites: USEM 102, junior standing, and at least one course in philosophy or women’s studies. |
Religion Courses
See Course Prerequisites PolicyLower Division Courses
| REL 201, 202 Religion and the Human Experience |
| 4 credits each |
| Examines religion as a human experience and traces its influence on human concepts of spiritual, cultural, and physical reality. Explores the beliefs and practices of five religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism) and their influence on the cultural understanding of the individual; the world and the cosmos; the roles of the individual and the community; social, commercial, and governmental structures; and gender, race, and age. Addresses the influence of religion and religious practice on the philosophy, literature, music, and fine art of a culture. Approved for University Studies (Explorations). |
