This course is an introduction to some of the biggest questions about human existence and the human experience. Topics may include: Is my belief that I can have knowledge about a world outside of my own mind mistaken? Is there something special about being a human that makes our existence more meaningful than that of any other creature? What is the self and what makes me the person that I am? If there were no God, what would that do to morality –would murder then be acceptable, for instance? We will study both historical and contemporary perspectives when examining the selected topics.
Philosophy 130: Introduction to EthicsThis course examines some of our most deeply held beliefs about morality and our own identity as moral agents and as persons. The first part of the course is an extended examination of the nature and foundations of morality. One of the fundamental questions addressed is: What makes something morally right or morally wrong? The second part of the course tackles the question: What does it take for a person to be a moral agent, someone who can be held morally responsible for what she or he does? We will study the views of contemporary philosophers in addressing these questions.
Philosophy 150: Introduction to LogicThe aim of this course is to develop strong critical reasoning skills. In this course we study the art of argumentation, which is, roughly speaking, the general practice of offering reasons to believe a particular claim. We examine the basic principles of good argumentation; learn how to identify and evaluate the reasoning represented by an argument; and learn skills needed to produce good, clear arguments of our own.
