Philosophy (PHIL)

Associate Professor

Rentaro Hashimoto,

Chair of the Department

Requirements for a Major in Philosophy: A minimum of thirty credits in Philosophy courses, which normally should include either LLRN 205, PHIL 211, PHIL 201 or their equivalent, Phil 215, (Greek Philosophy), one major author course from the ancient or medieval period (309, 310, 311, 312, or 313), and one major author course from the modern period (317, 321, 322, 323 or 325). 203 may be substituted for either 311, 312 or 313.

Requirements for a Minor in Philosophy: A minimum of fifteen credits in Philosophy courses, which normally should include either LLRN 205, PHIL 201, PHIL 211 or their equivalent (for transfer students), PHIL 215 (Greek Philosophy), and any three other Philosophy courses.

201. Ethics. An introduction to moral decision making emphasizing the criteria used in assessing moral problems and dilemmas. Required of students in the School of Business. (Cr.3)

203. Readings in Medieval Philosophy. Medieval thought generated a variety of philosophical perspectives. To understand the distinctive character of the medieval philosophical pluralism, selected texts will be examined in Augustine, Boethius, Abelard, Anselm, Bonaventure, Aquinas, Ockham. (Cr.3)

211. Introduction to Philosophy. The major theoretical and practical issues raised by the classical philosophers, especially Plato, Aristotle, and later figures. (Cr.3)

213. Introduction to Logic. Fundamental principles of correct reasoning; logical validity; deductive argument; formal and informal fallacies; problems of semantics and definition; problem of induction and scientific method. (Cr.3)

215. Greek Philosophy. The major theoretical and practical issues raised by the classical Greek Philosophers, especially the pre-Socratics, Plato, and Aristotle. Required for majors and minors. (Cr.3)

220. Philosophy of Religion. Symbols and myths in religious experience; arguments for believing or not believing in God; the problem of evil; critiques of religion as projection, opiate or illusion. (Cr.3)

230. Philosophy of Law. Theories of law; natural law versus legal positivism; legal paternalism; the right to privacy; legal reinforcement of moral standards; justice and fairness; legal responsibility; theories of punishment. (Cr.3)

236. Philosophy and Psychoanalysis. A concentration on selected major writings of Freud so as to achieve an understanding of the complexity of his thought before undertaking any kind of disciplined criticism in the light of oft-concealed philosophical presuppositions. (Cr.3)

238. Philosophies of War and Peace. Historical-conceptual consideration of war, peace, causes and conditions of war and peace; social strife, racism, sexism, attitudes toward war and peace, peaceful coexistence, pacifism, nonviolence as techniques of struggle. (Cr.3)

309. Plato. A study of selected Platonic dialogues—including the Protagoras, Gorgias, Symposium, Phaedo and Phaedrus—in connection with major themes: knowledge, beauty, love, immortality and political life. (Cr.3)

310. Aristotle. A critical and textual concentration on Aristotle’s major ethical, political and metaphysical writings in the light of a long tradition of conflicting Islamic, Jewish and Christian interpretations. (Cr.3)

311. Augustine. A critical examination of the life and thought of this seminal figure in Christian philosophy who attempted to harmonize faith and reason; his links to Platonism, Stoicism, and contemporary existentialism. (Cr.3)

312. Aquinas. A critical examination of the life and thought of the great scholastic philosopher and theologian; his links with Platonic, Aristotelian, Augustinian, and contemporary Catholic thought. (Cr.3)

313. Dante. A study of De Monarchia and the Divine Comedy in the light of the philosophical ideas woven into the very fabric of the deeply moral-political spirit of this philosophical poet. (Cr.3)

317. Rousseau. Rousseau’s treatment of the character, genesis and consequences of civilization; the interaction of organized striving by human beings to change both their physical environment and themselves. (Cr.3)

321. Kant. A concentrated textual-critical analysis of major sections of the three Critiques with the aim of achieving an understanding of Kant’s system in its major manifestations: theory of knowledge, metaphysics, moral philosophy and aesthetics. (Cr.3)

322. Hegel. An exploration of the mind of Hegel by critical readings of the Lectures on the History of Philosophy and an examination of the pivotal Phenomenology of Spirit. (Cr.3)

323. Nietzsche. The critique of many of the basic assumptions of civilized man in the areas of philosophy, art, morality and religion. The Ubermensch (Superman) as the creative outsider in the undermining of existing values and the establishing of new attitudes. (Cr.3)

325. Marx. A study of the genesis and development of Marx’s philosophy as a framework for understanding his theories of history and capitalism. (Cr.3)

330. American Philosophy. A critical analysis of the classical American concept of experience and pragmatism in its manifold modalities as exhibited in three major figures: Peirce, James and Dewey; an examination of the idealism of Royce. (Cr.3)

334. Existentialism. An exploration of the major themes in the writings of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Camus, Beauvoir, Sartre, Weil and others, with emphasis on their religious, social, political and economic implications. (Cr.3)

335. 20th Century Philosophy. The development of major movements in 20th Century Philosophy such as phenomenology and existentialism beginning with Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Levinas, Gadamer, and Habermas. (Cr.3)

342. Chinese and Japanese Philosophies. The role of filial piety and ancestor worship in perpetuating familial and social continuity; the Confucian union of nature and culture in the harmonious man; the Taoist emphasis on privacy in the midst of an overstructured world; Legalism as the first coherent totalitarian political philosophy; the Japanese sense for beauty. (Cr.3)

350. Philosophers on Race, Class, and Gender. An examination of theories of racial, cultural, class and gender superiority presented by traditional philosophers with a contemporary response. (Cr.3)

351. Philosophers on Education. An examination of conflicting philosophies of education to render humans either “civilized” or to develop their “true” nature. Highly recommended for students in the School of Education. (Cr.3)

352. Philosophers on Sexuality, Love, and Friendship. An examination of the views of Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Freud, and other major thinkers on these themes; some contemporary perspectives. (Cr.3)

374. Western Political Thought. Introduction to Western political theory through examining the written dialogue (between philosophers) which has contributed to what we know as the canon, on the state and society in the West. (Cr.3)

399. Topics in Philosophy. A seminar on a single philosopher, topic, or period. The subject will vary from semester to semester. Open to non-majors as well as majors. (Cr.3)

420. Independent Study. Individual study of a philosopher or topic area with a member of the department. Open only to students majoring in philosophy who meet the requirements set by the chair of the department and who secure the consent of the individual instructor. (Cr.3)