PHL 100.001 & 002 Introduction to Philosophy
Dr. Stephen Davey
Not open to anyone who has taken PHL 191 (Honors Introduction to Philosophy).
Philosophers get excited about things they don’t understand. This provides a lot of material, as there are puzzles and unanswered questions in most every facet of our lives. In this class, students will be introduced to a variety of questions that have received great attention from philosophers, and to some of the most influential historical and contemporary attempts to answer them. They will learn to analyze philosophical theories and arguments, and to construct their own answers to these difficult questions with a measure of creativity and rigor. The schedule will be broken down into five broad topics: (i) puzzles and paradoxes, (ii) the existence and nature of God, (iii) the nature, grounds, and varieties of knowledge, (iv) the nature of the mind, its relation to the body, and personal identity, and (v) what it means to be a good person, to live a good life, and to do the right thing.
Prerequisites: None
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 100.003 & 004 Introduction to Philosophy
Dr. Timothy Butzer
Not open to anyone who has taken PHL 191 (Honors Introduction to Philosophy).
This course will be an introduction to a series of philosophical puzzles. We will ask questions like: does God exist? If God does exist, why does God allow us to suffer? Can we be certain of anything? Can we trust our senses? Do we have free will? Can we exist beyond the death of our physical body? While we may not find definite answers to any of these questions, we will be discussing some of the most influential positions and arguments about these questions that have been offered in the history of Western Philosophy.
Prerequisites: None
Requirements (tentative)
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation
PHL 100.005 Introduction to Philosophy
Dr. Mark Pickering
Not open to anyone who has taken PHL 191(Honors Introduction to Philosophy), and open only to freshmen and sophomores.
In this course, you will learn about what philosophy is and how philosophers apply logic to philosophical problems. You will explore a variety of areas, including philosophy of religion, theories of knowledge, philosophy of mind, personal identity, freedom of the will, ethics.
Prerequisites: None
Requirements (tentative)
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation
PHL 100.006 Introduction to Philosophy
Dr. Scott Hestevold
Not open to anyone who has taken PHL 191 (Honors Introduction to Philosophy).
The course offers an introduction to philosophical methodology by way of studying several classic philosophical problems, which will likely include: (1) Should we be anarchists? If so, why? If not, when what type of government is justified? (2) Are there objective facts about right and wrong, or do moral claims reflect nothing more than certain facts about the natural world? (3) Do you have free will, or are your actions entirely determined by your genetic predisposition, biochemistry, and past and present environmental stimuli? (4) You are a conscious being; but what are you? Are you a non‑physical soul that inhabits your body? Are you identical with your brain? (5) Is there compelling evidence that God exists? Or, does the existence of evil imply that God does not exist?
Requirements(tentative)Four multiple-choice/short-answer examinations (90%) and course involvement (10% – attendance, short in-class or homework assignments, practice exams).
Prerequisites None
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 100.007 Introduction to Philsophy
Dr. Mark Pickering
In this course, you will learn about what philosophy is and how philosophers apply logic to philosophical problems. You will explore a variety of areas, including philosophy of religion, theories of knowledge, philosophy of mind, personal identity, freedom of the will, and ethics.
Prerequisites: None
Requirements (tentative):
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 100.900&901 Introduction to Philosophy (online)
Dr. Torin Alter
Not open to anyone who has taken PHL 191 (Honors Introduction to Philosophy).
This course introduces students to the basic concepts, methods, and problems of philosophy. Students will learn about philosophical approaches to issues such as the existence or nonexistence of God, the relationship between the mind and body, the freedom of the will, and the nature of right and wrong.
Prerequisite: None
Requirements: Seven module exams, comprehensive final. All work is done online.
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 104.001 Critical Thinking
Dr. Adam Arico
Thinking critically does not come naturally to most of us; in fact, it is often contrary to our natural inclinations. In this course, we begin by looking at how human cognition typically operates, and why our psychology can often interfere with rational, critical thought. We will explore the basic features of human learning, memory, and reasoning, including common predispositions that often lead us to draw faulty conclusions, to arrive at mistaken judgments, and to make bad decisions. Having identified some of the obstacles to and difficulties in behaving rationally and thinking critically, we will move on to the larger goal of the course: to better understand the structure of arguments and know how to critically assess them. This portion of the course will cover both inductive and deductive reasoning, as well as basic features of arguments, and will instruct you in identifying major fallacies, including ad hominem arguments, straw man arguments, appeal to irrelevant reasons, false dilemmas, etc. (see schedule for class meetings for more topics to be covered). Acquiring these skills will help you both better assess others’ arguments and better construct your own.
Prerequisite: None
Requirements(tentative): (a) three in-class exams; (b) homework and writing assignments (d) a course participation grade.
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 106.001 Honors Philosophical Introduction to Deductive Logic
Dr. Torin Alter
What is the difference between a good argument and a bad one? This course focuses on tools developed by philosophers and mathematicians for answering that question. In it, you will learn to use analytical methods such as the construction of proofs and countermodels to evaluate arguments. Along the way, you will explore and analyze influential arguments from the history of philosophy, including some concerning questions of value, ethics, and aesthetics. Philosophical arguments examined in this course may include Aquinas’s arguments for the existence of God, Parmenidean arguments that change is impossible, Berkeley’s argument for idealism, Descartes’ Cogito argument, John Stuart Mill’s “proof” of Utilitarianism, Kant’s argument for the Categorical Imperative, Singer’s argument for animal rights, the Stoics’ argument that death is not to be feared, and more. The formal tools used in this class include the notation of sentential and predicate logic (with identity), truth tables, a natural deduction proof system, and the use of semantic countermodels.
Prerequisite: C- or better in MATH 100, or equivalent. Admission to UA Honors or a 28 ACT.
Requirements: This course is self-paced, but regular class attendance is required until you have completed all the course work. The course is divided into seven modules, and students grades are determined primarily by how many modules they master by the end of the term.
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 195.001 Philosophical Introduction to Deductive Logic
Dr. Torin Alter
What is the difference between a good argument and a bad one? This course focuses on tools developed by philosophers and mathematicians for answering that question. In it, you will learn to use analytical methods such as the construction of proofs and countermodels to evaluate arguments. Along the way, you will explore and analyze influential arguments from the history of philosophy, including some concerning questions of value, ethics, and aesthetics. Philosophical arguments examined in this course may include Aquinas’s arguments for the existence of God, Parmenidean arguments that change is impossible, Berkeley’s argument for idealism, Descartes’ Cogito argument, John Stuart Mill’s “proof” of Utilitarianism, Kant’s argument for the Categorical Imperative, Singer’s argument for animal rights, the Stoics’ argument that death is not to be feared, and more. The formal tools used in this class include the notation of sentential and predicate logic, truth tables, a natural deduction proofsystem, and the use of semantic countermodels.
Prerequisite: C- or better in MATH 100, or equivalent.
Requirements: This course is self-paced, but regular class attendance is required until you have completed all the course work. The course is divided into six modules, and students grades are determined primarily by how many modules they master by the end of the term.
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 195.900(D)/901(M) Philosophical Introduction to Deductive Logic
Dr. Chase Wrenn
What is the difference between a good argument and a bad one? This course focuses on tools developed by philosophers and mathematicians for answering that question. In it, you will learn to use analytical methods such as the construction of proofs and countermodels to evaluate arguments. Along the way, you will explore and analyze influential arguments from the history of philosophy, including some concerning questions of value, ethics, and aesthetics. Philosophical arguments examined in this course may include Aquinas’s arguments for the existence of God, Parmenidean arguments that change is impossible, Berkeley’s argument for idealism, Descartes’ Cogito argument, John Stuart Mill’s “proof” of Utilitarianism, Kant’s argument for the Categorical Imperative, Singer’s argument for animal rights, the Stoics’ argument that death is not to be feared, and more. The formal tools used in this class include the notation of sentential and predicate logic, truth tables, a natural deduction proofsystem, and the use of semantic countermodels.
Prerequisite: C- or better in MATH 100, or equivalent.
Requirements: This course is self-paced, but regular class attendance is required until you have completed all the course work. The course is divided into six modules, and students grades are determined primarily by how many modules they master by the end of the term.
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 212.001 Early Modern Philosophy
Dr.Seth Bordner
This course will look at the main figures and intellectual developments of the early Modern period of philosophy. We will proceed chronologically, starting with Descartes’s seminal Meditations on First Philosophy and tracing two very different branches of influence from there to what are often called the Rationalist and Empiricist schools. Other figures of note will be Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant.
Prerequisites: None.
Requirements (tentative)
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 221.001 Honors Intro to Ethics
Dr. Stuart Rachels
This course will focus on a dozen or so matters of personal and social importance. Topics include abortion, pornography, famine relief, affirmative action, gay rights, and the death penalty. We will concentrate on the reasons that bear on these issues. Our approach to these issues will serve as a model for critical thinking in general. Our main text will be The right thing to do (8th edition)
Prerequisites: None
Requirements: Grades will be based on four exams. Attendance will be taken each class, and an attendance policy will be enforced.
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 223.001 Medical Ethics
Dr. Timothy Butzer
This class provides an introduction to the philosophical study of applied ethics by way of a discussion of topics related to the practice of medical and biological science. Topics of discussion will include abortion, stem cell research, cloning, the allocation of scarce or limited resources, animal experimentation, and patient autonomy, among others. Along the way, other important topics in moral philosophy will be discussed.
Prerequisites: None
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 223.901(M) & 223.902 (D) Medical Ethics (online)
Dr. Timothy Butzer
This class provides an introduction to the philosophical study of applied ethics by way of a discussion of topics related to the practice of medical and biological science. Topics of discussion will include abortion, stem cell research, cloning, the allocation of scarce or limited resources, animal experimentation, and patient autonomy, among others. Along the way, other important topics in moral philosophy will be discussed.
Prerequisites: None
Schedule: Online
Requirements (tentative):
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation. 7
PHL 234.001 Social Philosophy
Dr. Rekha Nath
The government intrudes in the lives of citizens in many ways, and some of these intrusions seem legitimate while others do not. We will consider some of the following issues concerning the legitimacy of government interference. Should citizens enjoy an unrestricted right to bear arms, or are some gun control policies justified? Should society ban or heavily regulate the use of recreational drugs and other addictive substances? Should individuals be able to buy and sell sex? What role if any should the government play in deciding who may legally marry whom? We will also consider whether we have a moral reasons to avoid eating meat as well as to make an effort to reduce our carbon footprints. In addressing a range of controversial social and political issues, our focus in this course is normative. Through the careful consideration of different philosophical frameworks, our aim is to make progress in arriving at well-reasoned positions about how our society ought to be organized as well as what it means for individuals to live ethical lives.
Prerequisites: None
Requirements (tentative)
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 240.001 Philosophy and the Law
Dr. Stephen Davey
It is one thing to be able to say what the law is, and another thing entirely to be able to say what The Law is. That is to say, if we want to know what the laws of the land say, we can read our constitution, or look up particular statutes, or just ask a lawyer. But if we want to know about the nature of the law – what sort of authority does it have, and where does that authority come from; what is the relation between the law and morality; what criteria must a rule or principle meet before it earns the status of law – we have to do some philosophy.
In this course, students will read and critically assess some of the most influential historical and contemporary efforts to do just that. The schedule will be broken down into five broad topics: (i) the role of governments and justification of political authority, (ii) the nature of law and its relationship to morality, (iii) the justification of punishment, (iv) the role of judges in interpreting the law, and (iv) contemporary controversies about legal rights.
Prerequisites: None
Requirements: TBA
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 256.001 Philosophy of Sport
Dr. Seth Bordner
Sports command more of our attention (and money) than almost any other part of our culture, except for maybe religion. Sports are important to our culture, and interesting to watch. They’re also interesting to think about. This course provides an introduction to the burgeoning field of Philosophy of Sport. We will look at the nature of sports (and games more generally), sportsmanship and fairness, the role of officials, gender equity, racism, and issues surrounding the use of performance-enhancing drugs. This course is reading intensive. Prior exposure to philosophy is welcome but not required.
Prerequisites: None
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 260.001 Mind and Nature
Dr. Chase Wrenn
This course is organized around two central philosophical questions. What is the place of the mind in nature? And what is the place of nature in the mind? The first question raises issues about the nature of thought and consciousness and the relationship of our minds to our bodies. Are our minds non-physical spirits, or are they somehow identical with our brains or with things our brains do? The second question raises issues about the our knowledge of the world around us. What qualifies as a good reason to believe something? What’s the difference between what we know and what we have good reason to believe? And how is knowledge possible at all, if we can never rule out every possible sort of error?
The course includes a close study of René Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy, which tries to give answers to both the framing questions of the course. We then survey more contemporary answers to this question, with a strong emphasis on analyzing arguments.
Prerequisites: None
Requirements: TBA
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 292.001 Introduction to Ethics
Dr. Stuart Rachels
Not open to anyone who has taken PHL 221 (Honors Introduction to Ethics).
This course will focus on a dozen or so matters of personal and social importance. Topics include abortion, pornography, starvation, affirmative action, gay rights, and the death penalty. We’ll concentrate on the reasons that bear on these issues. Our approach to these issues will serve as a model for critical thinking in general.
Prerequisites: None
Requirements: TBA
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 292.002 & 003 Introduction to Ethics
Dr. Holly Kantin
The purpose of this course is to provide students with a general introduction to philosophical ethics. Students will become familiar with the main issues in ethical theory and learn how different theoretical approaches bear on specific ethical controversies. In the first few sections of the course we will discuss varying answers to the following theoretical questions: Are there moral facts and if so, what grounds these facts? How should we understand and respond to moral disagreements? What makes an action right or wrong? What does it mean to live well and have a good life? In the final section of the course we will discuss several specific ethical controversies including the debate over capital punishment and the ethics of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.
Prerequisites: None
Requirements: TBA
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 292.004&005 Introduction to Ethics
Dr.Adam Arico
What is the nature of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, ‘good’ and ‘bad’? What are the principles or guidelines for behaving morally? What sort of life should I live, and what sort of person should I be? How do I figure out what to do and which action is morally correct? Introduction to Ethics engages with all of these questions and surveys the various ways that influential philosophers have attempted to answer those questions.
The course will introduce students to the fundamental concepts of ethics, as well as the major ethical theories. The course begins by discussing basic metaethical questions about moral realism, moral relativism, and moral skepticism, as well as the relationship (or lack thereof) between religion and morality. In the second portion of the course, students are introduced to the historically-significant ethical theories: Virtue Ethics, Deontology, and Consequentialism.
The third portion of the course expounds on the implications of those ethical theories for various contemporary ethical issues—including abortion, animal rights, capital punishment, etc.
Prerequisites:none
Requirements (tentative):
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 292.006 Introduction to Ethics
Dr. Seth Bordner
This course is designed to give the students a broad introduction to the field of philosophical ethics. The primary aim is to acquaint students with the basic subject matter of ethics as it is studied within philosophy, a few central authorities and positions, and a feel for how philosophers engage with contemporary ethical issues in light of some of the historical influences on the discipline. We will read a variety of texts ranging from historical works on ethics generally to contemporary works focusing on specific moral issues. The hope is that students will develop an understanding and appreciation of how different ethical theories apply to particular cases, and how they might begin to engage in genuine ethical debates.
Prerequisites:none
Requirements (tentative)
Core Curriculum: This course carries an HU designation.
PHL 343.001 Philosophical Issues in International Law
Dr. Rekha Nath
This course explores philosophical issues concerning international law. We begin by considering the circumstances under which violence may be legitimately used in the international arena. What constitutes a just cause for war? What limits are there on how a war ought to be fought? We consider ethical issues pertaining to terrorism, torture, revolutionary activity, and humanitarian intervention. Following this, we examine how the international community ought to allocate responsibility for wrongful acts of violence. Throughout our exploration of these topics, we will engage with questions about the role that international legal bodies—such as the United Nations and the International Criminal Court—ought to play in addressing these issues.
In the latter half of the course, we turn to issues concerning the nature and significance of state sovereignty. We consider ethical dimensions of international rules about refugees and border control, ecological and health issues, as well as property rights to territory and natural resources. Then, we shift our focus to normative analysis of economic globalization, with a focus on international structures regulating intellectual property and trade. Along the way, we will engage with debates about the status of international law. For instance, we consider which agents, if any, have the authority to make and to enforce international laws. We will also address concerns about cultural sensitivity. In particular, we look at whether moral evaluation of international norms, which are frequently couched in the terminology of human rights, can avoid the charge of Western cultural imperialism.
Prerequisites:You are required to have taken at least two philosophy classes prior to this one, including one at the 200-level or above. If you do not meet this requirement, you must obtain special permission from the instructor.
Curriculum:This course is three credit hours and carries a W designation. Writing proficiency within the discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.
PHL 349.001 Legal Reasoning
Dr. Mark Pickering
This course covers the kinds of reasoning peculiar to the law from a philosophical perspective. Understanding these concepts is important not only to aspiring lawyers, but also to anyone wishing to understand, evaluate, and challenge the claims lawyers, judges, and legislators make. Topics may include rules, precedent, authority, analogy, the common law, legal realism, statutory interpretation, judicial opinions, and burdens of proof.
Prerequisites: a B in at least one other PHL class.
Tentative course requirement: TBD
Core Curriculum: None. This course is included in the Jurisprudence specialization.
PHL 387.001 Philosophy and Evolution
Dr. Richard Richards
The “Darwinian Revolution” – the acceptance and development of evolutionary theory – is one of the most significant intellectual events in recent human history. It is significant partly because it has changed the way we understand the world and the processes that operate within it. This ultimately has implications for our conception of human nature and our understanding of human psychological, social, cultural and conceptual processes, as well as knowledge, ethics and the arts.
Prerequisites: None, although previous courses in philosophy or fields associated with evolution will be helpful.
Core Curriculum: W
Requirements: A midterm (20% of the final grade) and a final exam (20%), two 5-7 page papers (20% each) and reaction notes, attendance and class participation (20%). Writing proficiency within this discipline is required for a passing grade in this course.
PHL 390.001 Special Topics: Symbolic Logic
Dr. Chase Wrenn
This is an intermediate course in formal logic. It will emphasize classical truth-functional logic and first-order predicate logic. We’ll explore the relationship between logic and language and learn a variety of methods for establishing validity and invalidity, beyond those studied in PHL 195 and PHL 106. The course also includes elementary metalogic – the study of the formal logical and mathematical properties of logical systems themselves.
Prerequisites: PHL 195 or PHL 106, or instructor permission
PHL 462.001 Neural Basis of Consciousness
Dr. Benjamin Kozuch
Consciousness is one of the last great mysteries. Recent decades have seen the use of neuroscientific methods to try to understand consciousness, in hopes that this approach succeeds where others failed. This course surveys and critiques current neuroscientific and philosophical approaches to studying consciousness, the goal being to integrate the two as much as possible.
Prerequisites: None
Tentative course requirement: TBD