Spring 2022
Spring 2022 Philosophy Courses:
PHIL 1300 Critical Thinking
This class will investigate what it is to think critically. Strong emphasis will be placed on the following: reading critically, analyzing texts, identifying and systematically representing arguments, recognizing formal and informal fallacies, and rationally evaluating what is heard and read.
This Course Satisfies the Language Philosophy and Culture Section of the Undergraduate Core
PHIL 1301 Introduction to Philosophy
An introduction to some of the major philosophical questions that have intrigued humankind over the centuries. This will be done through an examination of the thought of some of the most important figures in the history of philosophy from the early Greeks to modern times. Credit may be received in only one of PHIL 1301 or PHIL 1302.
This Course Satisfies the Language Philosophy and Culture Section of the Undergraduate Core
PHIL 1305 Introduction to Latin American Philosophy
An examination of some of the most important and influential contributions to Latin American thought. Material to be studied will be drawn from both past and contemporary sources. Topics may include Mayan and Aztec Philosophy, Iberian Scholasticism, Social and Political Philosophy, Latin American Positivism, Liberation Theology and/or Philosophy, Latin American Feminism, and Hispanic/Latino/a Identity.
This Course Satisfies the Language Philosophy and Culture Section of the Undergraduate Core
PHIL 1306 Introduction to Asian Philosophy
An analysis of the major movements in Eastern philosophy and religion and their relationship to basic philosophical developments in the West. This course will examine systems of thought and culture such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto.
This Course Satisfies the Language Philosophy and Culture Section of the Undergraduate Core
PHIL 1310 Ethics, Happiness, and the Good Life
This course will be concerned with human values: our own and those of other people. It will ask where these values come from, how we can know them, and how they relate to human happiness. It will also examine several related questions such as personal freedom and the meaningfulness of human life.
This Course Satisfies the Language Philosophy and Culture Section of the Undergraduate Core
PHIL 1312 Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy
A critical introduction to the current and historical relationships that define contemporary society and politics. Topics may include democracy, capitalism, communism, anarchism, political authority, norms, justices, pluralism, and rights.
This Course Satisfies the Language Philosophy and Culture Section of the Undergraduate Core
PHIL 1330 - Philosophy, Art, & Film
This course addresses philosophical issues in film and in art. Possible topics include questions of the meaning and the value of film, the nature and importance of beauty in art, the role of the artist’s intention in evaluating a work of art, and the roles of the director and viewer in film. As part of the course, some films will be screened and students may be expected to attend artistic performances or visit local museums and galleries.
This Course Satisfies the Creative Arts Section of the Undergraduate Core
PHIL 1340 - Intro to Logic
This class is an introduction to the formal techniques available for evaluating the correctness or incorrectness of arguments. Techniques likely to be discussed include: symbolization in propositional logic, parsing trees, truth tables or truth trees, natural deduction in propositional logic, Venn diagrams, and the probability calculus.
PHIL 1362 - Race, Sexuality, & Class
This course will analyze the role that race, sexuality, and economic class play in constructing
people’s self-identity, interpersonal relationships, social roles, and political power. Emphasis will be given to traditionally marginalized perspectives. Topics may include whiteness, Hispanic/Latino identity, ethnicity, biological sex, gender identity, queerness, labor, capital, inequality, and their intersections.
This Course Satisfies the Social and Behavior Sciences Section of the Undergraduate Core
PHIL 1366 Philosophy and History of Science and Technology
This course is designed to use history and philosophy in the service of science and engineering education. It does this by examining a selection of notable episodes in the history of science and Techno-Science. Episodes examined may include the mathematical sciences in Antiquity,
Archimedes’ inventions and principle of hydrostatics, Roman techno-science, Medieval medicine, alchemy, Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, Galileo's conflict with the Catholic Church, Isaac Newton's formulation of the laws of motion, Dalton’s atomic theory, Louis
Pasteur’s public trial of the anthrax vaccine, Charles Darwin's proposal of the theory of evolution by natural selection, the development of the atomic bomb, and the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA.
This Course Satisfies the Language Philosophy and Culture Section of the Undergraduate Core
PHIL 2306 - Introduction to Ethics
This course systematically presents, analyzes, and evaluations classical and contemporary ethical theories that provide normative frameworks for thinking critically about both personal conduct and our broader social responsibilities in a world of diverse values and cultures.
To develop a fuller understanding of the implications of the variety of normative frameworks presented, this course also introduces students to applied ethics, which uses philosophical methods to reach conclusions about what ethical sections and social policies are called for across the various practical domains and professional fields of human life.
The ethical theories presented will vary based on the expertise of the instructor and student interested but may include: virtue ethics, Kantian ethics, utilitarianism, egoism, altruism, pragmatic ethics, contractarianism, and care ethics. In a similar way, the practical fields of application will vary but may include issues in: social morality, public policy, biomedical ethics, business ethics, environmental ethics, engineering ethics, global justice, and personal responsibility.
This Course Satisfies the Language Philosophy and Culture Section of the Undergraduate Core
PHIL 2322 - Ethics, Health, and Culture
This course will address the application of moral theories, ethical principles, and professional codes to ethical dilemmas faced by professionals in healthcare or research. Topics covered may include, but are not limited to, euthanasia, conflicts of interest, physicians as researchers, distribution of scare resources, and the impact of theories like moral relativism and psychological egoism on the application of ethical theory.
This Course Satisfies the Language Philosophy and Culture Section of the Undergraduate Core
PHIL 2326 - Ethics, Technology, & Society
This course investigates the ways in which technology influences culture and our individual lives, and the ways in which advances in technology create new ethical challenges that require creative solutions. These challenges face all of us; not only experts working at the cutting edge of technological progress, but also members of the public who must interact with new technologies as part of their daily lives.
The course emphasizes the need for responsibility at both the personal and societal levels to better understand technology in order to create and implement ethical responses to technological change. We will also discuss the ways in which technological advances may help us meet these challenges, and the ways in which experts and the public do and should interact around technological advances.
We look to thinkers from various cultures for help in developing strategies that students can apply in their personal and professional lives to recognize and respond to the challenges posed by technologies in a responsible manner, both as individuals and as members of communities.
This Course Satisfies the Language Philosophy and Culture Section of the Undergraduate Core
and is required by all Engineering and Computer Science Majors
PHIL 2351 Religious Diversity in the Global Community
The contemporary global community contains a wide array of religious beliefs, traditions, practices, and understanding these diverse religious dynamics is essential in building mutually supportive and peaceful relationships among such social groups. This course will examine the ways that religion shapes the self-understanding of different cultural traditions that students will encounter in their life work, and will focus on strategies for appreciating the worldviews, customs and intellectual convictions embodied by these religions.
This Course Satisfies the Language Philosophy and Culture Section of the Undergraduate Core
PHIL 3301 Ancient Philosophy
This course will discuss the development of Western philosophy (primarily in Ancient Greece) from the pre-Socratics through to Aristotle. Emphasis is likely to be placed on Plato and Aristotle.
PHIL 3302 Medieval Philosophy
This course will survey the major figures and issues of medieval philosophy in their historical context. Philosophers from the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic traditions will be examined.
Possible topics include: realism, nominalism, Augustinianism, and scholasticism.
PHIL 3303 Modern Philosophy (1600-1800)
A study of the history of philosophy from the Renaissance through the 18th century, with particular emphasis on Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant.
PHIL 3317 Perspectives on Science and Mathematics
This course examines a selection of notable episodes in the history of science and mathematics. Episodes examined may include mathematics and science in Antiquity, Medieval medicine, alchemy, Galileo's conflict with the Catholic Church, Isaac Newton's formulation of the laws of motion, Charles Darwin's proposal of the theory of evolution by natural selection, the development of the atomic bomb, the development of modern logic, the development of non- Euclidian geometry, and the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA.
This is a required UTeach content course. Enrollment cap: 25 students. Prerequisites: UTCH 1101, UTCH 1102.
PHIL 3330 Aesthetics/Philosophy of Art
This course will address classic issues in the philosophy of art and beauty and the philosophy of art and art criticism. These issues will be illustrated from the fine arts and contemporary media: literature, drama, music, painting, film, and television.
PHIL 3350 Philosophy of Religion
A philosophic study of the nature and varieties of religious experience, the meaning and validation of religious belief, the act of faith, the nature and existence of God, the problem of evil, mysticism, immortality, religious belief and moral conduct, religion and myth, and religion and culture.
PHIL 3365 Chicana and Latin American Feminisms
This course is designed to explore Chicana and Latin American forms of feminism, including their philosophies, history, and social movements.
PHIL 4310 Epistemology
This class will consider questions about the nature, criteria and sources of (epistemic) justification and knowledge. For example, under what circumstances do perception, memory, consciousness, reason and testimony endow us with justified beliefs? How is context relevant to justification and knowledge? Is there such a thing as religious knowledge? Is skepticism about the external world a serious threat? Does knowledge have a foundation?
PHIL 4316 Philosophy of Science
A philosophical examination of the assumptions and methodology of scientific inquiry, with examples drawn from a range of sciences. This course will consider the structure, meaning, confirmation and use of scientific theories, as well as the philosophical implications of current theories in science.
PHIL 4322 Social and Political Philosophy
A critical examination of the current and historical relationships that define contemporary society and politics. Topics may include democracy, capitalism, communism, anarchism, political authority, rights, justice, power, pluralism, and tyranny.
PHIL 4380 — Senior Seminar
This course will provide the opportunity for students to bring together the research methods, writing abilities, and sophisticated critical thinking skills developed throughout the course of their philosophical training. Enrollment cap: 30 students.
PHIL 4399 – Internship
This course is designed for students seeking credit through internship. The internship must take place in a professional or research areas in which the student will be directly applying the reflective and transferable skills specific to philosophy; the student must be under direct academic supervision and must complete written assignments to be evaluated by the supervising teaching. The course may be counted as an elective toward fulfillment of the requirements for a major in Philosophy.