University
of Wisconsin Oshkosh
PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT
Fall 2012 Schedule
Lower Division Courses
PHIL
101 (Section 1): Elementary Logic (Prof. Gilboa) [MWF 8:00 - 9:00 AM]
The first part of the course will be spent on deductive logic. Specifically, we will study the logic of categorical syllogisms and the logic of propositions. The second part of the course will be devoted to inductive logic, mainly probability and rational decision theory, and, if time permits, to the logic of scientific research. All homework assignments and tests are to be taken on-line.
PHIL
105: Ethics (Prof. Cordero) [One section on MW 3-4:30 PM, and another
on TTh 9:40-11:10 AM]
An examination of morality, the Good Life, and the meaning of basic ethical
terms. The required text is Ethics: Selections from Classical and Contemporary
Writers. Theories by Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Epictetus, St. Augustine,
St. Thomas, Hobbes, Butler, Hume, Kant, Mill, Nietzsche, Marx, Moore, Ayer,
Sartre, and Rawls will be discussed. Good note taking in class is a must. Up
to seven hours of study time per week outside of class may be necessary. Grades
will come from cumulative multiple-choice tests.
PHIL
105: Ethics (Prof. Gilboa) [One section on MWF 9:10-10:10 AM, and another
on MWF 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM]
After explaining the notion of an objective basis for ethics, we will study
the moral theory of John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism. We will next study the
moral theory of Immanuel Kant, and the Social Contract theory of Morals of Thomas
Hobbes. To demonstrate the usefulness of ethical theory, we will discuss along
the way questions of applied ethics. If time permits, we will take a look at
the modification of Hobbes' theory by Dr. Gilboa.
PHIL
105: Ethics (Prof. Wagoner) [One section on TR 11:30-1:00 PM, and another
on TR 3:00-4:30 PM]
PHIL 106: Honors Ethics (Prof. Kyburg) [W 6:00 - 9:00 PM]
This course addresses age-old questions in ethics: What makes something right or wrong? Does morality vary from culture to culture? Is right and wrong just a matter of personal opinion? Is it morally permissible to consider your own interests or the interests of your loved ones as more valuable than the interests of others? You will learn some of the different ways philosophers have answered these questions. The course also addresses ethical questions related to such topics as the treatment of animals, the treatment of environment, censorship and abortion. Emphasis is placed on developing the skills required to evaluate different points of view -- not on teaching you a particular point of view. By the end of the semester, you should have an appreciation for the complexity of ethical issues. You might also better develop you own view of right and wrong. More generally, you will learn to distinguish precisely how your point of view differs from those of other people, a skill that can help you in problem solving and communication. This course is run as a seminar and requires significant class participation and many short papers.
PHIL
109: Introduction to Philosophy (Prof. Burr) [One section on MWF 1:50-2:50, and another on MWF 3:00-4:00 PM]
The general goal of this course is to stimulate students to grow in Socratic
wisdom so that they no longer think they know what they do not know. To this
end, students will scrutinize some philosophical analyses and solutions to such
questions as: Is anyone or no one morally responsible? Does God exist? Is it
rational to obey the law? Is any knowledge possible? Does human life have any
meaning? Only when one has forged one’s own answers to these and similar
questions does he or she cease being the mere echo of other voices and, instead,
speak freely and independently and achieve genuine freedom of thought.
PHIL
109: Introduction to Philosophy (Prof. Herzberg) [One section on MWF 11:30-12:30, and another on MWF 12:40-1:40 PM)
What principles should guide us when we decide what to believe? Can anything be known with absolute certainty? What can arguments for believing in the existence of God teach us about logical argumentation more generally? If we are in some sense free to choose what to believe, just what sense of ‘freedom’ is that? We will discuss these and other intriguing questions from the perspectives of such philosophers as Socrates, Anselm, Aquinas, Blaise Pascal, René Descartes, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, and William James, illustrating methods of philosophical analysis and critical reasoning in the process.
PHIL 109: Introduction to Philosophy (Prof. Carlin) [TR 9:40-11:10 AM]
This course is designed to introduce students to a number of philosophical issues that have fascinated humankind for centuries. We will ask such questions as: Is it reasonable to believe in the existence of God? Do human beings have freedom of the will, or are all their actions determined? What, if any, knowledge do we have? What is the relationship between the mind and the body? What makes certain actions right (moral) and others wrong (immoral)? Is the death penalty morally acceptable? To what extent may the government rightfully restrict the behavior of its citizens? We will critically examine answers that have been offered to these, and other questions.
PHIL 109 : Introduction to Philosophy (Prof. Kyburg) [Interim: MTWTThF 9:00-12:00 PM]
Upper Division Courses
PHIL
215: Philosophy of Art (Prof. Burr) [MWF 10:20-11:20 AM]
This course will critically examine the fashionable thesis that contemporary works of art are philosophical statements about what art is, that contemporary art has become philosophy. In carrying out this examination, theories about the nature of art such as imitation, expressionism, formalism, and the institutional theory of art will be discussed and assessed. The discussion will range over the fine arts, literature, and such “popular” arts as motion pictures.
PHIL
301: History of Ancient Philosophy (Prof. Wagoner) [TR 9:40-11:10 AM]
In this course we will focus broadly on two recurring topics in ancient philosophical texts: (1) the nature of the cosmos and humankind’s place in it; and (2) the good or happy life for a human being. These two topics are related in many important ways for each of the ancient schools we will be studying and involve a variety of questions. Some questions that will concern us in the course are ‘What are the basic constituents of the cosmos?’, ‘How is the cosmos organized?’, ‘What is the importance of knowing the nature of the cosmos?’, ‘What is human nature?’ ‘How are human nature and the nature of the cosmos related?’ Our study in this course will focus on the answers that Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans, the Stoics and the Skeptics give to these and other questions.
PHIL
319: Theory of Knowledge (Prof. Herzberg) [TTh 3:00-4:30 PM]
What conditions must be satisfied before someone can properly be said to know something? Are there different types of knowledge, each with its own peculiar set of conditions? To understand how such questions have been approached by philosophers, we will discuss a variety of historical and contemporary articles on empiricism, rationalism, skepticism, foundationalism, coherentism, internalism, externalism, and other influential views about knowledge. Prerequisite: Philosophy 109 or consent of instructor.
PHIL
325: Social and Political Philosophy (Prof. Cordero) [TR 1:20-2:50 PM]
This course covers the meanings of certain terms basic to social-political discourse; arguments for and against living in society; theories about who ought to rule; theories about the sort of laws that people ought to have; questions of authority, obedience, and disobedience; and theories of long-range patterns in history. The required text is Social and Political Philosophy (Somerville and Santoni). Study time outside of class should be about seven hours per week. Grades will come from a combination of essay tests and cumulative multiple-choice tests.
PHIL 327: Philosophy of Mind (Prof. Kyburg) [T 6:00-9:00 PM]
In this class, you will be exposed to various theories in the philosophical study of the mind. This topic is fascinating, but difficult, and you will find the readings challenging. Questions we will address are: What are beliefs and feelings? Could the mind be purely physical? Will psychological discussions (about certain kinds of beliefs causing certain kinds of feelings, for example) eventually be replaced by discussions in the language of neuroscience (about groups of firing neurons causing other groups of neurons to fire, for example)? Are human minds essentially software (programs) and the brain a biological computer? While we take a historical approach to these subjects, contemporary theories (from the last 40 years) will be our main focus.
Last
Updated:12-14-11