These courses meet the Philosophy and Ethics general education requirement.
PHIL 110P Introduction to Philosophy
Dr. Daniel Linford
MWF 10:00–10:50
MWF 12:00–12:50
MWF 1:00–1:50
Information not available at this time.
PHIL 110P Introduction to Philosophy
Prof. Josh Tignor
Online asynchronous
What does it mean to have free will? What is a person? What is morality? Is it possible to change who we are? These are four questions that will be guiding our discussion this semester. We will read scholarly articles, short stories, chapters from academic books and works of literature, and we might even watch a video or two.
PHIL 150P Life, Death, and Meaning
Dr. Andrew Snyder
TR 9:30–10:45
TR 1:30–2:45
TR 3:00–4:15
How can we find meaning in lives that are destined to end? Do we disengage and submit ourselves to the inevitability of fate? Do we strive to assert ourselves fully in every moment, making the most of the fleeting time in our grasp? Do we turn to the eternal with the hope that there is an existence to be had beyond the grave?
In this course, we will hear from a variety of philosophical and religious voices that focus on these perennial questions of life, death, and meaning. As we do so, we will develop a broad understanding of the history of ideas and strive to develop maps of meaning that inform the directions that our own lives might take.
PHIL 150P Life, Death, and Meaning
Dr. Antipas Harris
MW 4:30–5:15
Dr. Harris’s course focuses on how various faith traditions inform perspectives on the meaning of life and death. The students are invited to bring their own stories and traditions of faith to bear. The course involves a variety of course materials. For example, we watch movies and documentaries, read popular and academic publications, listen to music, analyze visual art, and more. This course aims to show how philosophy and religious studies are crucial dynamics to the way we interpret life and death. The goal is to help students deepen their reflection on life and death and consider how critical reflection informs their everyday choices and careers.
PHIL 150P Life, Death, and Meaning
Dr. Elena Lopez
Online asynchronous
Should we fear death? What happens when we die? Is death bad? How do we cope with grief? How does our view of death influence how we view ourselves and our lives? What does death teach us about the meaning of life? We will explore these questions and many others by reading thinkers both ancient and contemporary, Eastern and Western, and take time to reflect on how these ideas do (or don’t) impact our own worldviews.
PHIL 230E Introduction to Ethics
Prof. Dennis Feldman
MWF 11:00–11:50
MWF 2:00–2:50
MWF 3:00–3:50
Prof. Feldman’s Ethics course is rich in didactic stories as they stimulate reflection and lively discussion upon matters of profound moral significance. The course grade is derived from 3-4 exams and a few short essay assignments.
PHIL 230E Introduction to Ethics
Prof. Robert Irby
TR 9:30–10:45
TR 11:00–12:15
TR 1:00–2:15
Ethical theory is commonly understood as the study of what is right and what is wrong, and while there is some truth to that, ethics is more concerned with humanity ratifying conduct and upholding the social community. Ethical theory then is inherently focused on maintaining and building our relationships with one another, providing a determinant to ratify each other’s humanity. Students who take this course will examine the way that ethical theories build on each over time, understand the political ramifications of ethics, and will directly engage with ethical theory in their everyday life. This course will feature units on Classical Greece, The Warring States and Mahājanapadas Periods, the Enlightenment, and Contemporary Feminist Ethics.
PHIL 230E Introduction to Ethics
Dr. Michael Cooper
Online asynchronous
This course will examine the most popular ways that people argue about right and wrong. Over the course of the semester, students will cover the most influential ethical writers in history and apply their concepts to the most controversial debates of the moment, which will be determined by a class survey. Assignments in the course will focus on the logical presentation of ideas as well as students’ ability to present further research in support of their views.
PHIL 230E Introduction to Ethics
Dr. Shamim Hunt
Online asynchronous
This course will examine human nature and how it affects our behavior and how our behavior affects the rest of the world, other species and our planet that we all share. This course will consider ways in which we are thoughtlessly destroying our human existence, sometimes not caring, sometimes by blindly following the crowd, and sometimes without being aware of it. We will read the ethical theories of philosophers and the major thinkers and have deeper conversations about the behavior in the Business World that we all encounter.
PHIL 235E Love, Sex, and Desire
Prof. Anna Besch
MWF 9:00–9:50
MWF 10:00–10:50
MWF 12:00–12:50
This course is taught as a conversation between great thinkers happening in chronological order. The readings are used as content to teach the skills of Aristotle’s Five Common topics as well as Syntopical Reading, Mind Mapping, and other skills.
PHIL 235E Love, Sex, and Desire
Dr. Dana Rognlie
TR 1:30–2:45
This course is designed to provide meaningful tools for you to navigate your journey of love and life. The first unit focuses on the individual and society, engaging attachment theory, misogyny, racism, homophobia, transphobia, bodily autonomy, and intersectionality. The second unit focuses on the lived experience of dating and relationships primarily through the lens of feminist phenomenology. We conclude the course with a close reading of Plato’s Symposium. Students will have the opportunity to synthesize course material in creative assignments throughout the term.
PHIL 235E Love, Sex, and Desire
Prof. Camilla Cannon
Online asynchronous
Through a diverse set of perspectives, including Ancient Greek philosophy, Black feminism, and Queer Theory, students will develop a familiarity with major philosophical approaches and the ability to analyze a variety of arguments and traditions regarding love, sex, and desire.
PHIL 250E World Religions: Beliefs and Values
LeADERS Diversity course
Dr. Kristian Petersen
MWF 10:00–10:50
MWF 11:00–11:50
This course is an introduction to various human beliefs, social practices, and cultures through the lens of the academic study of religion. The course examines several traditions categorized as ‘world religions,’ including their core doctrines, beliefs, practices, and institutions, and cultural expressions. Our goal is to explore various ways of defining religion and various methods of studying religion; develop the ability to think both empathetically and critically about conflicting religious claims; and to gain knowledge of the history and culture of several major religious traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
PHIL 250E World Religions: Beliefs and Values
LeADERS Diversity course
Dr. Michael McLaughlin
Online asynchronous
A survey of major religions in a global context, ranging from Christianity to Buddhism to Voudou, that will help you to think about your own beliefs about the ultimate reality.
PHIL 303E Business Ethics
Prof. Christopher Giofreda
T 4:30–7:10
Information not available at this time.
PHIL 303E Business Ethics
LeADERS Leadership course
Prof. Aaron Nachtigal
Online asynchronous
This course explores a variety of normative ethical theories including Utilitarianism, Deontology, Virtue Ethics, and Ethics of Care. It then applies them to different dilemmas encountered in the business world. The goal of this class is for students to learn to think critically about moral problems and their own ethical beliefs. The grading requirements for this course are a combination of short quizzes, short essays, and a final exam.
PHIL 303E Business Ethics
LeADERS Leadership course
Dr. Shamim Hunt
Online asynchronous
In this course, we will begin by exploring ethical theories and philosophical methods. The majority of the course will be devoted to applying those theories and methods to some of the most controversial and pressing issues confronting contemporary society. Topics will include capital punishment, poverty, environment, immigration, ethics and AI, business ethics, and animal rights. Class discussion is an important component of the course, as is reading and writing argumentative essays about these issues. By the end of the course, you should be able to understand the complexities of moral issues. You will not simply learn various theories and arguments but learn to think for yourself and argue for your position. You will achieve this aim by reading, researching, and having class discussions with open mindedness.
PHIL 345E Bioethics
Dr. Chad Wiener
MWF 10:00–10:50
MWF 11:00–11:50
MWF 12:00–12:50
This course covers topics including patient autonomy, personhood, animal ethics, abortion, voluntary active euthanasia, genetic engineering, racism in healthcare, and just distribution of healthcare resources. We will focus on grasping the moral arguments for and against various positions. There will be planned discussion days where students get to discuss what interests them most on these topics.
PHIL 345E Bioethics
Prof. Nathan Nicol
Online asynchronous
In this course we will examine the philosophical foundations of ethical decision making in biology, medicine, and the life sciences. We will begin with a review of major ethical theories and how they might apply to bioethics. Then, we will dive into the concepts of autonomy, well-being, beneficence, and informed consent. Our central topics will be research ethics, reproductive rights, conscientious objection, and end-of-life decisions.
For course work, there will be weekly discussion boards, two midterms (both multiple choice: designed to reward you for doing the reading, not to break your back), one short paper (3-4 pages), and one student presentation at the end (5-7 minutes in a zoom meeting). All of our readings will be classics in the field. Vanity be hanged, I’ve picked out only excellent things for us to work through.
PHIL 355E Cybersecurity Ethics
LeADERS Leadership course
(team taught)
Dr. D.E. Wittkower (course lead)
Prof. Nathan Nicol
Prof. D. Ryan Thompson
Online asynchronous
In this course, you’ll learn ethical theories through sci-fi short stories, read academic articles on the ethical issues distinctive of cybersecurity, and complete case analyses. Units are on privacy, data ethics, corporate social responsibility, professional ethics, whistleblowing, cyberconflict, and information warfare. No quizzes or exams, but expect weekly reading and writing assignments throughout the semester.
PHIL 357E Ethics and Data
Dr. Alice Fox
Online asynchronous
Leaning on perspectives from philosophy, critical statistics, and STS (Science and Technology Studies), we will learn how data collection, categorization, analysis, and communication shapes, and is shaped by, complex sociotechnical interactions. Topics of identity, knowledge production, privacy, truth, and agency will be covered throughout various contexts, which might include environmental science, social media, Machine Learning, and biomedical research. The final project for this course will be grounded in data journalism and scalable for students in any discipline.