Current Courses

Fall 2024

Asian Philosophies

PHIL 1502 | Dr. Trevor Pearce | MWF 10:10–11:00

Introduces students to a variety of Asian philosophies, concentrating on ancient texts and traditions. The first two thirds of the class will cover Chinese philosophy during the Warring States period (475–221 BCE), specifically Confucianism, Mohism, and Daoism. The last third of the class will cover a separate tradition within Indian philosophy: Buddhism, which emerged around the same time and famously argued that the self does not exist.

Citizens and Their Cities

PHIL 1502 | Dr. Gregory Convertito | multiple sections

In this course we will examine the notions of “city” and of “citizen” from different geographic, cultural, and historical contexts as an introduction to the practices and uses of philosophical thinking.

Living with Technology

PHIL 1502 | Prof. Sean Riley | online asynchronous

This course looks at ethical issues that emerge in the context of new technologies. We will combine a study of traditional moral theories with a look at how those theories might help us understand some of the many global challenges presented by contemporary technologies.

Philosophies of Death and Dying

PHIL 1502 | Dr. Ruth Groenhout | MWF 10:10-11:00

Introduces students to the field of philosophy via the theme of death and dying. Examines the meaning(s) of death and dying and how one’s attitude toward death could be connected to living a good life.

Democracy and Virtue

PHIL 1512 | Dr. Daniel Boisvert | various times (hybrid asynchronous)

Introduces students to a number of important virtues—including intellectual virtues such as intellectual honesty, truth-seeking, humility, courage, and others—that any thriving deliberative democracy requires of its citizens.

Language, Identity, and Power

PHIL 1512 | Prof. Reginald Raymer | multiple sections

This course introduces philosophy as a way of worldmaking, interpreting, and resisting. We will read diverse forms of philosophy that serve as points of inquiry into the intersections of language, identity, and power.

Philosophy and Science Fiction/Fantasy

PHIL 1512 | Dr. Damien Williams | MWF 11:15-12:05

This course will look at several different pieces of speculative fiction in television, film, short stories, books, and comics—from the works of Ursula K. Le Guin and Octavia E. Butler, to television series such as Farscape, to musical projects in multiple genres—and use them to explore different philosophical questions and problems.

Critical Thinking in Philosophy

PHIL 2100 | Dr. Tina Talsma | MWF 12:20–1:10

Fundamental skills of clear thinking that help students reason better during communication, problem-solving, and design, particularly as these integrate scientific/engineering efforts with social needs and values. Focuses on clarifying goals, identifying constraints, and generating and evaluating ideas or solutions. = PHIL 1105

Deductive Logic

PHIL 2105 | multiple sections

Principles of deductive logic, both classical and symbolic, with emphasis on the use of formal logic in analysis of ordinary language discourse.

Healthcare Ethics

PHIL 2220 | Prof. Reginald Raymer | MWF 9:05–9:55

Major ethical dilemmas within medical science and biology are examined to assist students to identify, analyze, and decide ethical issues in such a way that they can defend their positions to themselves and others. Issues include reproductive and genetic technology, death and dying, patient rights, and distribution of healthcare benefits.

History of Modern Political Philosophy

PHIL 3019 | Dr. Amber Knight | T/Th 10:00-11:15

Critical examination of the foundations of modern political thought from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century.

Black Aesthetics

PHIL 3039 | Dr. Michael Kelly | online asynchronous

Aesthetics is as old as philosophy, but Black aesthetics typically has not been recognized as part of the modern history of aesthetics because of anti-Black racism. Some of the most creative philosophical as well as political developments in modern and contemporary aesthetics are to be found within the history of Black aesthetics.

History and Philosophy of Computing

PHIL 3079 | Dr. Damien Williams | MW 2:30–3:45

Students will gain the tools to explore and understand the developments of computing technology in multiple societies and relating to many lines of philosophical and social scientific inquiry.

Latin American Philosophy

PHIL 3211 | Dr. Pedro Monque | T/Th 2:30–3:45

What is progress or development? How is colonialism still alive today? This class will empower you to think broadly and creatively about these and other questions, while helping you see that Latin American and Latinx people have historically made profound contributions to human culture.

Philosophy of Religion

PHIL 3243 | Dr. Tina Talsma | MWF 1:25–2:15

This course will serve as an introduction to the main themes in Western analytic philosophy of religion, with a primary focus on the Christian belief system. We will focus primarily on the concept of God, arguments for and against the existence of God, and the relationship between faith and reason.

Philosophy of Language

PHIL 3252 | Dr. Daniel Boisvert | W 2:30–5:15

Study of language and its use in actual practice. Discussion will focus on theories of meaning and their relations to the fields of logic and linguistics, and will address special topics such as linguistic creativity and linguistic violence.

Philosophy of Education

PHIL 3274 | Dr. Mark Sanders | T/Th 1:00–2:15

This class will explore the philosophy of education in terms of classic Western approaches to education and the contemporary moral problems faced by schools, including the effect of race, class, and gender on school culture.

African Diaspora Theory

PHIL 4079 | Dr. Eddy Souffrant | MW 2:30–3:45 [first half-term]

This course looks at the influence and presence of Africans in the USA and the Caribbean, specifically exploring the African American struggle for freedom and the African diasporic struggle against racism and colonization.

Race, Sexuality, and the Body

PHIL 4079 | Dr. Sonya Ramsey | Th 5:30–8:15 [online]

This course examines how historical and cultural interpretations of race and gender influenced and characterized definitions of sexuality and body image among Black, White, Indigenous people, and Persons of Color.

Indigenous Feminisms

PHIL 4079 | Prof. Michelle Stanley | online asynchronous

This course focuses on Indigenous feminist analyses and theories to examine the historical and contemporary perspectives, ideologies, politics, and experiences of Indigenous Peoples living in the U.S.