Courses
Philosophy 101
Introduction to Philosophy
Have you ever asked yourself, "Is anyone ever really free?" If so you were asking what is essentially a philosophical question. What can we know for certain? Is right and wrong something more than majority opinion? What is a mind? How can a three year old toddler and an eighty year old woman be the same person? Could we ever build a machine which could actually think? Is there a purpose to my life?
All of these questions and many more are questions which philosophers have asked. In this course we will look at some of these questions, examine some of the answers which have been offered, and try to distinguish good answers from bad.
Philosophy 130
Introduction to Ethics
Some argue that ethics is nothing more than the majority opinion of a society. Others argue that there is but one true ethics which holds for everyone. Some say that ethics requires supernatural justification; others that it can be justified by reason alone. We will examine the most important theories of ethics and subject them to rigorous examination.
Philosophy 150
Introduction to Logic
The thrust of this course is to improve your ability to analyze the kinds of arguments that you are presented with every day. These arguments appear in newspapers, magazines, textbooks, and conversations. While we will discuss both formal logic and informal logic, the majority of our work will be in informal logic.
You will learn to diagram arguments in order to understand fully the nature of the author's argument. You will then use that diagram give your own critique and evaluation of the argument. You also will do this to one of your own arguments to learn how diagramming your own argument can enable you to improve it.
Philosophy 230
Social & Political Philosophy
By what right does the government command us? Some say that the government has no right, that it commands us by naked power. Others have argued that the government governs by divine right. Still others say the government has been granted the right by a contract with us. We will examine these views and others and ask what implications they have on what the government is permitted to do and what it is prohibited from doing.
