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Travis Anderson
This Advanced Topics in Ethics course will focus on the emergent field of Care Ethics and its intersection with Virtue Ethics and Contractarianism (Social Contract Theory). Many prominent advocates of contemporary Care Ethics have also written widely in either Virtue Ethics or Contractarianism, and accordingly take an Aristotelian or contractarian approach when theorizing the merits of an ethics built around love, empathy, and caregiving—especially the kind of caregiving practiced in the home (and exemplified by Jesus in the New Testament). We will read key texts to date in all three ethical theories with an eye to identifying their shared commitments and values, and to evaluating their respective strengths and weaknesses. Throughout the course we will also discuss religious views of morality, and how Care Ethics might embody a secular, universalist approach to implementing religiously affirmed moral values.
This Advanced Topics in Ethics course will focus on the emergent field of Care Ethics and its intersection with Virtue Ethics and Contractarianism (Social Contract Theory). Many prominent advocates of contemporary Care Ethics have also written widely in either Virtue Ethics or Contractarianism, and accordingly take an Aristotelian or contractarian approach when theorizing the merits of an ethics built around love, empathy, and caregiving—especially the kind of caregiving practiced in the home (and exemplified by Jesus in the New Testament). We will read key texts to date in all three ethical theories with an eye to identifying their shared commitments and values, and to evaluating their respective strengths and weaknesses. Throughout the course we will also discuss religious views of morality, and how Care Ethics might embody a secular, universalist approach to implementing religiously affirmed moral values.
Justin White
Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908–1961) is a major figure in the phenomenological tradition and one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century. He is certainly one of the most important figures in so-called continental philosophy, but he also has influenced many who identify with analytic, Anglo-American philosophy (in particular in philosophy of mind and cognitive science). In this class, we will focus on Phenomenology of Perception, in which he analyzes the nature of perception and embodiment and such topics as spatiality, freedom, and subjectivity. In addition to engaging with Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, and Jean-Paul Sartre in the phenomenological tradition and others in the history of philosophy, Merleau-Ponty engages with contemporary research in psychology and neurology. In addition to his influence on phenomenology, his work continues to influence contemporary work in philosophy of mind and neurophenomenology, philosophy of art, feminist philosophy, and more, as well as in other scientific and humanistic fields, such as political theory, literature, film studies, and cognitive science.
His work does not have the public notoriety of many of his contemporaries, such as Hannah Arendt, Simone de Beauvoir, Jacques Derrida, Emmanuel Levinas, Jean-Paul Sartre. There are various explanations for this. One is his premature death. He died by a stroke at the age of 53 and left behind substantial and significant unfinished work. Another factor is likely what Dermot Moran describes as his “retiring personality,” including the fact that he did not collaborate with others. Even so, his influence has been felt in much subsequent philosophical work, as listed above, and in the work of people like Oliver Sacks. His work also ranges broadly—ranging from more traditional existential phenomenology to work on politics, art, and literature—and is interesting in its own right, but also for how it influences later discussions.
Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908–1961) is a major figure in the phenomenological tradition and one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century. He is certainly one of the most important figures in so-called continental philosophy, but he also has influenced many who identify with analytic, Anglo-American philosophy (in particular in philosophy of mind and cognitive science). In this class, we will focus on Phenomenology of Perception, in which he analyzes the nature of perception and embodiment and such topics as spatiality, freedom, and subjectivity. In addition to engaging with Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, and Jean-Paul Sartre in the phenomenological tradition and others in the history of philosophy, Merleau-Ponty engages with contemporary research in psychology and neurology. In addition to his influence on phenomenology, his work continues to influence contemporary work in philosophy of mind and neurophenomenology, philosophy of art, feminist philosophy, and more, as well as in other scientific and humanistic fields, such as political theory, literature, film studies, and cognitive science.
His work does not have the public notoriety of many of his contemporaries, such as Hannah Arendt, Simone de Beauvoir, Jacques Derrida, Emmanuel Levinas, Jean-Paul Sartre. There are various explanations for this. One is his premature death. He died by a stroke at the age of 53 and left behind substantial and significant unfinished work. Another factor is likely what Dermot Moran describes as his “retiring personality,” including the fact that he did not collaborate with others. Even so, his influence has been felt in much subsequent philosophical work, as listed above, and in the work of people like Oliver Sacks. His work also ranges broadly—ranging from more traditional existential phenomenology to work on politics, art, and literature—and is interesting in its own right, but also for how it influences later discussions.
Gordon Mower
This class is a survey of ethical theory in the classical world running from the Sophists through Markus Aurelius. We will read primary readings from early and middle Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, Epicurus, and Cicero. Alasdair MacIntyre will be our tour guide with his secondary reader, A Short History of Ethics. Students in this class will write on and come away with an understanding of classical virtue, eudaimonia, classical natural law, etc.
This class is a survey of ethical theory in the classical world running from the Sophists through Markus Aurelius. We will read primary readings from early and middle Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, Epicurus, and Cicero. Alasdair MacIntyre will be our tour guide with his secondary reader, A Short History of Ethics. Students in this class will write on and come away with an understanding of classical virtue, eudaimonia, classical natural law, etc.
Gordon Mower
This class surveys the thought of the seven major pre-Qin classical Chinese philosophers: Confucius, Mozi, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, and Han Feizi. We read an anthology of their primary writings, and contemporary philosopher, Bryan W. Van Norden, gives us secondary guidance with his Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy. Students navigate the thinking of an ancient and alien culture on topics of virtue, ritual, government, self, Dao, etc.
This class surveys the thought of the seven major pre-Qin classical Chinese philosophers: Confucius, Mozi, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, and Han Feizi. We read an anthology of their primary writings, and contemporary philosopher, Bryan W. Van Norden, gives us secondary guidance with his Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy. Students navigate the thinking of an ancient and alien culture on topics of virtue, ritual, government, self, Dao, etc.
Travis Anderson
Phil 300 is an intensive survey of all critical aspects of persuasive expository writing. The course begins with a brief overview of logic and critical thinking basics (deductive and inductive reasoning, argument strategies, fallacies, etc.), since every expository essay is essentially an argument in prose form. We will subsequently review key grammar and writing fundamentals, with an emphasis on learning to avoid and fix common grammatical errors and problems with concision and clarity. The course will then turn to exercises in critical reading and writing, mastering the skills involved in identifying and summarizing arguments in all their forms, progressing from paragraph-length texts and editorial cartoons, to opinion pieces and entire chapters and essays. Finally, the course will teach students the dominant rhetorical strategies of expository prose (thesis-defense arguments, compare and contrast arguments, research papers, etc.). Phil 300 culminates with a research paper involving all the skills covered by the course.
Phil 300 is an intensive survey of all critical aspects of persuasive expository writing. The course begins with a brief overview of logic and critical thinking basics (deductive and inductive reasoning, argument strategies, fallacies, etc.), since every expository essay is essentially an argument in prose form. We will subsequently review key grammar and writing fundamentals, with an emphasis on learning to avoid and fix common grammatical errors and problems with concision and clarity. The course will then turn to exercises in critical reading and writing, mastering the skills involved in identifying and summarizing arguments in all their forms, progressing from paragraph-length texts and editorial cartoons, to opinion pieces and entire chapters and essays. Finally, the course will teach students the dominant rhetorical strategies of expository prose (thesis-defense arguments, compare and contrast arguments, research papers, etc.). Phil 300 culminates with a research paper involving all the skills covered by the course.
Angela Faulconer
Do you have a body? Do the people you love have bodies? Then you are someone who will inevitably face questions at some of the key junctures of life: birth, reproduction, and death. If you live in society with others (and we all do), then you may have questions about what should be legal and what is moral for others to do with their bodies, and what is moral for you to do if you disagree with them or think they aren’t competent to decide. If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you may want to learn more about why the Church opposes physician-assisted suicide, surrogate motherhood, and egg and sperm donation. If you lived through the pandemic, you may be interested in questions about rationing and how we should allocate scarce medical resources. Finally, it’s critical that we think about the coming questions about gene editing and genetic enhancement. Medical Ethics is applicable to everyone! Take this course to think through these controversial topics in a rigorous way. Expect a heavily participatory class. You should be prepared to share your thoughts and questions every class period. A great elective! Also fills the Core Topics in Western Philosophy requirement
Do you have a body? Do the people you love have bodies? Then you are someone who will inevitably face questions at some of the key junctures of life: birth, reproduction, and death. If you live in society with others (and we all do), then you may have questions about what should be legal and what is moral for others to do with their bodies, and what is moral for you to do if you disagree with them or think they aren’t competent to decide. If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you may want to learn more about why the Church opposes physician-assisted suicide, surrogate motherhood, and egg and sperm donation. If you lived through the pandemic, you may be interested in questions about rationing and how we should allocate scarce medical resources. Finally, it’s critical that we think about the coming questions about gene editing and genetic enhancement. Medical Ethics is applicable to everyone! Take this course to think through these controversial topics in a rigorous way. Expect a heavily participatory class. You should be prepared to share your thoughts and questions every class period. A great elective! Also fills the Core Topics in Western Philosophy requirement
Derek Haderlie
Many believe that the modern sciences have had greater success in telling us about the world than any other approach to learning about the world. What justifies this belief? What are the methods that scientists use and are they good methods? The philosophy of science examines these and other questions and issues that arise from the methods and results of science. In this course, we will explore one central question: In general, what makes a good explanation of some phenomena? To do this, we will study debates over the methods and forms of explanation that scientists use.
Many believe that the modern sciences have had greater success in telling us about the world than any other approach to learning about the world. What justifies this belief? What are the methods that scientists use and are they good methods? The philosophy of science examines these and other questions and issues that arise from the methods and results of science. In this course, we will explore one central question: In general, what makes a good explanation of some phenomena? To do this, we will study debates over the methods and forms of explanation that scientists use.
Nathan Rockwood
This course aims to answer the questions “What is knowledge?” and “What kind of evidence (if any) is needed for a belief to be rational?” We will look at classic views in the history of philosophy such as Plato on the definition of knowledge, Aristotle on the foundation of knowledge, and Descartes, Locke, and Hume on skeptical doubts. We will also look at contemporary debates such as the Gettier Problem and responses to it, the debates concerning the nature of justification, and religious epistemology. The goal is to see the historical trajectory and motivations that led to the prominent theories in contemporary epistemology, and to evaluate the major views concerning the nature and structure of knowledge.
This course aims to answer the questions “What is knowledge?” and “What kind of evidence (if any) is needed for a belief to be rational?” We will look at classic views in the history of philosophy such as Plato on the definition of knowledge, Aristotle on the foundation of knowledge, and Descartes, Locke, and Hume on skeptical doubts. We will also look at contemporary debates such as the Gettier Problem and responses to it, the debates concerning the nature of justification, and religious epistemology. The goal is to see the historical trajectory and motivations that led to the prominent theories in contemporary epistemology, and to evaluate the major views concerning the nature and structure of knowledge.
Mike Hansen
Rene Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz—these are the rationalists from the 17th century. Four issues can help us group their philosophies together: the mind, physics and metaphysics, epistemology, and theology. I. Rationalists on the mind. Where do our mental items come from? The senses seem like a great place to start. They provide lots of material for our mental life, like colors, shapes, and maybe even concepts for objects and motions. But can the senses provide everything found in mental life? The rationalists claim that they can’t: some items found in the intellect are not first found in the senses. For example, our concepts of God, of mathematics, and of the self. These special concepts don’t come through the senses according to the rationalists, but we certainly have them in the intellect (the rationalists are theists, practicing mathematicians, and have strong theories of the self). II. Rationalists on metaphysics. The rationalists believe everything happens for a reason: This position is known as the principle of sufficient reason (PSR). It leads the rationalists to attempt comprehensive explanations (grasping the reasons) for everything. They introduce universal law into physics (things don’t just move without a sufficient reason to move), and they approach metaphysics with a revitalized theory of substances and essences (things don’t just have properties without a sufficient reason). III. Rationalists on epistemology. Because of these positions on the mind and on reality, the rationalists have rather optimistic epistemologies. Everything has a reason, and so everything can be known, at least in principle. Knowledge is grasping the reasons for the way things are, and there is always a reason to ty to grasp. IV. Rationalists on Theology. God is at the heart of all of this for the rationalists. They provide various arguments for God’s existence, and various explanations for how God figures into every aspect of their philosophy. In this course, I will focus on primary texts from Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz. I’ll pay special attention to rationalist theories of the mind, and to how they relate to current trends in the philosophy of mind.
Rene Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz—these are the rationalists from the 17th century. Four issues can help us group their philosophies together: the mind, physics and metaphysics, epistemology, and theology. I. Rationalists on the mind. Where do our mental items come from? The senses seem like a great place to start. They provide lots of material for our mental life, like colors, shapes, and maybe even concepts for objects and motions. But can the senses provide everything found in mental life? The rationalists claim that they can’t: some items found in the intellect are not first found in the senses. For example, our concepts of God, of mathematics, and of the self. These special concepts don’t come through the senses according to the rationalists, but we certainly have them in the intellect (the rationalists are theists, practicing mathematicians, and have strong theories of the self). II. Rationalists on metaphysics. The rationalists believe everything happens for a reason: This position is known as the principle of sufficient reason (PSR). It leads the rationalists to attempt comprehensive explanations (grasping the reasons) for everything. They introduce universal law into physics (things don’t just move without a sufficient reason to move), and they approach metaphysics with a revitalized theory of substances and essences (things don’t just have properties without a sufficient reason). III. Rationalists on epistemology. Because of these positions on the mind and on reality, the rationalists have rather optimistic epistemologies. Everything has a reason, and so everything can be known, at least in principle. Knowledge is grasping the reasons for the way things are, and there is always a reason to ty to grasp. IV. Rationalists on Theology. God is at the heart of all of this for the rationalists. They provide various arguments for God’s existence, and various explanations for how God figures into every aspect of their philosophy. In this course, I will focus on primary texts from Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz. I’ll pay special attention to rationalist theories of the mind, and to how they relate to current trends in the philosophy of mind.
Phil 201 History of Philosophy 1
Fulfills GE Requirement: Civilization 1
Fulfills GE Requirement: Letters
Sec. 4, 5 Roger Cook
To begin, we will explore the nature of God, as understood by the ancients, and how the ideas of the Greek philosophers will have significantly altered how God is understood by Christians after the first-century CE. You will see how the ancients rejected an embodied God in favor of an immaterial Deity, leading to the classical Christian doctrine of the Trinity. You will deal with ethical theory as offered by Aristotle and Jesus, why morality seeks both human excellence and happiness, and on what basis people ought to be moral. Also studied will be physics and theories of reality, including the first claims that atoms are the basis of reality existing in a continuum called the Void, as well as an exploration of how humans can learn or know things. In one semester, you will be able to explain Western religion, and the difference between the first Christians and classical Christianity, offer reasons why one ought to be moral, deal with theories of reality, and offer insight as to how one determines the truth of all things.
Fulfills GE Requirement: Civilization 1
Fulfills GE Requirement: Letters
Sec. 4, 5 Roger Cook
To begin, we will explore the nature of God, as understood by the ancients, and how the ideas of the Greek philosophers will have significantly altered how God is understood by Christians after the first-century CE. You will see how the ancients rejected an embodied God in favor of an immaterial Deity, leading to the classical Christian doctrine of the Trinity. You will deal with ethical theory as offered by Aristotle and Jesus, why morality seeks both human excellence and happiness, and on what basis people ought to be moral. Also studied will be physics and theories of reality, including the first claims that atoms are the basis of reality existing in a continuum called the Void, as well as an exploration of how humans can learn or know things. In one semester, you will be able to explain Western religion, and the difference between the first Christians and classical Christianity, offer reasons why one ought to be moral, deal with theories of reality, and offer insight as to how one determines the truth of all things.