Course Schedule

SUMMER 2009 COURSES

SESSION I (JUNE 8 – JULY 6)

1013/100 Introduction to Philosophy
Mon – Fri, 10:30-12:30  Landon Schurtz
The single most significant course you'll ever take.  No, really.  From the ethics of abortion to the true nature of the universe, philosophy has it all!  Specific course content will reflect, in part, the interests of the students and demands of time, but it's a safe bet that whatever big questions are rattling around in your head will be in some way, even if only briefly, touched on herein.  We'll discuss the big issues in the history of human thought as well as some of the current debates, so that whatever your favorite public target of contempt, we'll likely be looking into what particular flavor of Kool-Aid he or she drank.  Philosophy not only fulfills a general education requirement, but students who study philosophy do better on all the major graduate entrance exams, including the LSAT.  Sign up today! (IV - WC)

1213/100 Introduction to Ethics
Mon – Fri, 10:30-12:30 Angela Thurmond
As an introduction to ethics, this course will familiarize students with basic moral terminology and moral theories.  Using Lewis Vaughn’s Doing Ethics as a guide, we will discuss the importance of ethics in daily life and why we should approach this subject philosophically. We will examine in what several traditional moral theories consist and acquire the tools to evaluate these theories. In the second half of the semester, students will address moral problem cases to not only understand the variety of issues involved, but also to engage in and form judgments about these issues. Comprehension of philosophical positions and reflection on personal philosophical views are of equal importance in this course. This duality is evident in the course’s requirements, which include two exams and one paper. (IV - WC)

SESSION II (JULY 7 – AUGUST 3)

1113/200 Introduction to Logic
Mon – Fri, 10:30-12:30 Andrew Russo
Prerequisite: Math 0123 or satisfactory score on Math Placement Test
Deductive logics are systems of reasoning that include certain inferences. In other words, the premises of a valid deductive argument guarantee the truth of the conclusion just in case those premises are true. In contrast, inductive logics are systems of reasoning that extend these inferences to those that are less than certain. The premises of cogent inductive arguments do not guarantee the truth of the conclusion but rather provide some degree of support for the conclusion. In this course we will be mainly concerned with two systems of deductive logic: propositional and predicate logics. We will cover some of the basic concepts of these deductive systems and develop a fundamental understanding of

  • Translation from natural language into the language of logic
  • Deduction of conclusions from premises
  • The evaluation of arguments in accordance with these logics

By The end of the course, students should have a basic proficiency in these skills, which play an indispensible role in both the hard and social sciences as well as in mathematics. Logic, therefore, is not only important for philosophy but for all areas of inquiry. Grades will be based on attendance, quizzes, homework assignments, and exams. Text: A Concise Introduction to Logic, 10th ed. Authored by Patrick Hurley (ISBN: 0495504041). (I-Math)

1213/200 Introduction to Ethics
Mon - Fri, 10:30-12:30 Ruth Tallman
In this class, we will study moral theories as well as contemporary ethical issues. The first part of the course will be devoted to the study of major ethical theories. Students will examine the theories with an eye to developing and defending their own, reasoned moral framework. This will give us the groundwork needed for the remainder of the course, in which we will study various applied ethical issues. Possible topics include: capital punishment, pornography, environmental issues, homosexuality, poverty, feminism/gender equality, animal rights, family obligations, war, business ethics, abortion, drugs and addiction, stem cell research, cloning, euthanasia/assisted suicide, mental illness. Applied ethics topics will selected by the students, giving each class member a chance to focus on issues which they find relevant and interesting. Class meetings will be largely discussion-based. Students will be asked to critically examine their own beliefs, and should be willing to consider contradictory viewpoints with an open mind. Text: Peter Singer, editor. Ethics. Oxford University Press, 1994. (IV - WC)