Course Descriptions

Undergraduate - Lower Division Courses

Undergrad Courses | Upper Division | Graduate Courses

SPRING 2009

1013/001  Introduction to Philosophy  MWF, 9:30-10:20  Osmundsen
Philosophy is concerned with the fundamental questions about ourselves and our world: What is the meaning of life? Does God exist? What does it mean to be a moral person? What is truth and how can we come to know it? We will learn how philosophers have sought to answer these kinds of questions and how we can do the same. We will learn what it means to think clearly and think well about “big ticket” questions. We will draw from historical philosophical texts, contemporary philosophical literature and popular culture for insights into these questions and their possible answers. Students can expect this class to sharpen their ability to think clearly, write well, and solve complex problems—skills that are invaluable not only in philosophy but also in virtually every field of study. Assignments will consist of a mid-term, a final exam and two papers, each of which is a summary of an article chosen by the student from the assigned readings in the anthology. Texts: Tamar
Szabo Gendler, Susanna Siegal, and Steven M. Cahn (Eds.), The Elements of
Philosophy: Readings from Past and Present, and James Rachels, Problems from Philosophy. [ IV-WC ]
      
1013/002 Introduction to Philosophy  MWF,10:30-11:20  Montminy
This course is a thematic introduction to philosophy that focuses on some of the most central issues in the field. The topics we will discuss include skepticism (that is, the view that we don’t know anything about the world), the mind-body problem, free will, the nature of persons, the existence of God, and the nature of good and evil. By the end of the semester, students will not only be familiar with some of the central philosophical questions, but will have developed and sharpened their analytic and argumentative skills.  Texts: course packet. Requirements (tentative): short in-class tests (30%), short essays (30%), final examination (40%). [ IV-WC ]

1013/003   Introduction to Philosophy  TR, 12:00-1:15  Thurmond
This course is an introduction to philosophy as both an academic discipline and an activity. We will study major philosophical works and popular movies with themes that include appearance and reality, good and right, freedom and determinism, the existence of God and human nature. This course aims to promote a better understanding of these important philosophical subjects as well as to encourage students to reflect on their own philosophical views. In addition to three exams, students will be evaluated through in-class group assignments and quizzes. The required text is Dean Kowalski's Classic Questions and Contemporary Film. [ IV-WC ]

1013/004  Introduction to Philosophy--Honors  TR, 10:30-11:45   Badhwar
This section requires permission of the Honor's Office for enrollment
This course is an introduction to philosophy through a study of seminal historical as well as contemporary texts of enduring importance. Among the topics we will discuss in this course are the nature of reality, the nature of knowledge, the mind-body relationship, our continuity with animals, good and evil, the foundations of morality, the morality of euthanasia, friendship, female and male nature, arguments for and against God’s existence, and explanations of the existence of evil. There will also be a short unit on logic and philosophical writing. Through an exploration of these questions, the course will introduce you to the major branches of philosophy - metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, and logic - and the work of some major philosophers (and a scientist) who have changed our conception of ourselves and the world we live in. The course will also help you develop the analytic and argumentative skills needed for a philosophical examination of issues - not just the issues that arise in this and other philosophy classes you might take, but also the issues that arise in other disciplines and (at least as importantly) in everyday life.
The three objectives of this course are: (1) familiarity with the major branches of philosophy and some central issues in those branches; (2) familiarity with the work of some major philosophers and scientists who have changed our view of the world and influenced philosophy; and (3) development of the analytic and argumentative skills needed for a philosophical examination of important issues.
Required Texts
1.                    Plato, The Trial and Death of Socrates (Hackett Publishing)
2.                    Mill, The Subjection of Women (Hackett Publishing)
3.                    Anthony Weston, A Rulebook for Arguments (Hackett Publishing)
4.                    Primis Reader
5.                    Coursepack (available later from King Kopy)
[ IV-WC ]

1013/900   Introduction to Philosophy   W, 6:30-9:20   Hussain
This course will offer an introduction to philosophy through select readings of works of important historical philosophers; classroom discussions on the topics of the readings, classroom exercises, possible take home exercises, a midterm exam and a final exam. Course material will be on the branches of philosophy which are: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and politics. The fundamental goals in regard to the student are: (1) to help develop the skill of sound reasoning needed to justify and refute claims, and thereby to understand various philosophic theories, and (2) to see the implications of various philosophic positions on daily living and decision-making. [ IV-WC ]

1013/995   Introduction to Philosophy--Online  Trachtenberg
Philosophy, like other disciplines in the Humanities, explores some of life's most fundamental questions.  What is distinctive about Philosophy is its effort to address these questions through the human capacity to reason: philosophical answers are based on reasoned arguments, which analyze and seek to justify beliefs.  Thus, Philosophy is a kind of self-examination, in which you will explore what you think, and then reflect on whether those opinions are really worth holding.  This is the essence of the life of reason: to look critically at your own ideas.
In this course, therefore, you will examine your views on several core philosophical topics: the existence of God, the possibility of knowing about the world, what makes actions moral, and the justifications for governmental authority.  The class begins with crash course in elementary logic.  Each topic will be covered in a three-week unit.
During the course you will read philosophical texts, in order to analyze traditional arguments and evaluate some classic answers to the questions explored in the units.  As appropriate, you will consider how philosophical concepts can help in understanding practical dilemmas, in particular in moral and political life.  And you will practice expressing ideas through arguments which present and justify your reasons for holding your beliefs.
Course work will include:

  • a series of short exercises, which will lead you through the ideas in each unit
  • posts to the course discussion board, including answers to assigned questions, and responses to other students’ answers
  • exams on each unit (the final grade will be based on the best three of five unit exams)
  • a comprehensive final exam

All work will be submitted on-line, through the course website or learn@OU.  The website will include readings that supplement the textbook, which is The Big Questions: A Short Introduction to Philosophy (7th ed), by Robert Solomon.  The website will also include the exercises, discussions of the issues raised by the exercises, detailed outlines of the ideas presented in the course, and study-guides for the exams. [ IV-WC ]

1103/001   Critical Reasoning   MWF, 9:30-10:20   Cook
This is not a typical philosophy class. It has the purely practical goal of developing thinking skills that you will apply outside of this particular class. Accordingly, we won’t stress facts or complicated formulas that you might quickly forget. (The facts we will discuss are fascinating and hard-to-forget discoveries about how people reason badly.) We will stress techniques that you can use in other classes and in everyday life (and on tests like the Law School Admission Test and the Graduate Management Admission Test). Coursework: three one-hour examinations, quizzes, and short homework assignments. Text: Swoyer, The Critical Reasoning Course Manual, available at King Kopy Shop. [ III-SS ]

1103/002   Critical Reasoning   MWF, 1:30-2:20   Seachris
This course is designed to improve your ability to think critically. Cultivating your critical thinking skills will aid you in your other classes and in life. Like other skills, though, thinking well takes practice. In order to improve this skill, we will study the various components involved in good reasoning. In addition, we will examine factors that mitigate good reasoning, including a look at discoveries in cognitive and social psychology that reveal ways in which people reason poorly. Our studies will be set in the context of becoming intellectually virtuous people. Topics in this course will include, but are not limited to: the nature of arguments, deductive validity, necessary and sufficient conditions, informal fallacies, perception, memory, induction, and social influences on thinking. Coursework: three one-hour examinations, approximately 10 quizzes, and a few homework assignments. Text: Chris Swoyer, The Critical Reasoning Course Manual, available at King Copy. [ III-SS ]

1113/001   Introduction to Logic   MWF, 11:30-12:20   Feldt
Prerequisite: Math 0123 or satisfactory score on Math Placement Test.
This course is designed to help students to increase their ability to analyze and critically evaluate arguments in ordinary language from a logical point of view.  This involves both learning the logical principles which underlie good reasoning and becoming skilled in applying those principles to arguments which are expressed in everyday English.  We will begin the course with a careful examination of what arguments are and how they function.  Following that, we will briefly take up categorical syllogisms and Venn diagrams.  We will then proceed to look at different ways of formalizing arguments, including translating ordinary language into symbolic form, testing them for validity, and using them in proofs.  After examining the formal aspects, we will end the course by looking at informal logic in order to see how ordinary language arguments can be bad arguments, even if they are formally valid. Grades will be determined by three exams, regular homework assignments, and periodic quizzes.  All quizzes will be announced the class period prior to the quiz.
[ I-Math ]

1113/002   Introduction to Logic   TR, 9:00-10:15   Jones
Prerequisite: Math 0123 or satisfactory score on Math Placement Test.
This course is designed to introduce the student to some basic principles of logic.  We will cover both informal and modern symbolic logic.  By better understanding informal logic and mastering some of the basic skills of symbolic logic, students will better understand good reasoning processes and develop skills in formulating and evaluating arguments.  Grades are based on exams, quizzes, and regular assignments. Text:  The Power of Logic (4th ed.), ed. Frances Howard-Snyder, Daniel Howard-Snyder, and Ryan Wasserman (published by McGraw Hill; ISBN 0073407372). [ I-Math ]

1113/003   Introduction to Logic   TR, 10:30-11:45   Swoyer
Prerequisite: Math 0123 or satisfactory score on Math Placement Test (this prerequisite is taken seriously)
This course introduces you to the central concepts of deductive or formal logic, which is the logic by which the premises of an argument, if they are true premises, may guarantee that the conclusion of the argument is also true. This kind of logic is one important component of human reasoning, and plays an especially important role in the sciences and in mathematics.  The only graded work will consist of a final examination and a quiz every two weeks. Quizzes will be announced well in advance, and a "practice quiz" will be given during the class meeting before the day of an actual quiz. [ I-Math]
    
1213/001   Introduction to Ethics   MWF, 10:30-11:20   Purinton
This course is an introductory survey of moral philosophy.  There are two required textbooks: Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy (5th edn.) and Mappes and Zembaty, Social Ethics: Morality and Social Policy (7th edn.).  The former offers an overview of the major ethical theories.  The latter is a collection of readings on ethical problems like abortion and euthanasia.  Classes will be a mixture of lecture and discussion.  Grades will be determined by exams and daily quizzes. [ IV-WC ]

1213/002   Introduction to Ethics    MWF, 1:30-2:20   Purinton
This course is an introductory survey of moral philosophy.  There are two required textbooks: Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy (5th edn.) and Mappes and Zembaty, Social Ethics: Morality and Social Policy (7th edn.).  The former offers an overview of the major ethical theories.  The latter is a collection of readings on ethical problems like abortion and euthanasia.  Classes will be a mixture of lecture and discussion.  Grades will be determined by exams and daily quizzes. [ IV-WC ]

1213/003   Introduction to Ethics   TR, 9:00-10:15   Smith
This course will serve as an introduction to major ethical theories, but will focus on how ethical thinking reaches beyond mere abstract theorizing and impacts our everyday lives. The semester will be structured into two parts. In the first, we’ll examine foundational ethical concepts, and in the second, we’ll examine examples of real life ethical applications, such as arguments about pornography, censorship, war, terrorism, and affirmative action. The content covered in the second half of the semester will be shaped largely by student interest. The requirements for this course will include weekly reading quizzes and two to three examinations. There is one textbook: Vaughn’s Doing Ethics. [ IV-WC ]

1213/900   Introduction to Ethics   T, 6:30-9:20   Taylor
This course is designed to introduce students to theoretical and applied ethics. During the semester we will encounter a diversity of moral viewpoints and develop skills needed to evaluate moral positions and problems. We will consider where our moral concepts come from, and what might motivate us to act morally. Some possibilities include: religion, individual perception, self-interest, consequences, individual character, and personal duty. These ethical theories are going to be tested on some actual issues we face in the 21st century; issues like animal rights, euthanasia, and environmental ethics. Our inquiry will proceed with a multicultural approach by incorporating both Western and non-Western thinkers. Students are to be evaluated by way of reading quizzes, in-class writings, exams, and formal essays. Text: Judith Boss, Ethics for Life, 4th ed. [ IV-WC ]

2900/001   Special Topics-Contemporary Issues in Philosophy of Mind & Personal Identity   MWF, 11:30-12:20   Southworth
In this course, we will take a close look at a variety of issues in philosophy of mind. Some of the questions we will discuss in class are “What is a person?,” “Are there non-human persons?,” “Are some humans not persons?,” “How can we know a physical body is the same person over time?,” “What is consciousness?,” and “Are the mind and the brain the same thing?”  The emphasis of this course will be on contemporary, rather than historical, answers to these questions. As a part of our investigation into these questions, we will look at answers given by neuroscience and psychology. We will also discuss how Eastern religion and narrative theory have influenced our answers to these questions. No prior knowledge of these issues is required for this course. Class will be a combination of lecture and discussion, with heavy emphasis on discussion.