Philosophy Courses with Diversity Content

General education humanities course. Cross-listed as JAPN 228. A survey of Japanese philosophy that selects topics and relevant figures from the ancient period (roughly the late sixth century CE) to the present day. Examines the emergence of Japanese philosophical contributions from philosophical movements like Buddhism (especially Zen and Pure Land Buddhism), Confucianism, and Shintoism prior to the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and the appropriation and critique of Western philosophy in the post-Meiji era. Topics may include the nature of reality, aesthetics, the “bodymind,” ethics, impermanence and the significance of death, the insubstantial self, questions about meaning, environmental philosophy, and philosophy of technology. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 300.  Science and the Modern World   (3).

General education humanities course. Develops an understanding of the methods and accomplishments of science and how they have affected the way people understand themselves, society and the universe. The approach is both historical, with respect to the re-creation of the prescientific world view and the developments of science, and analytical with respect to understanding the goals, methods and limits of contemporary science. No prerequisite, but prior completion of general education requirements in science is desirable. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 302.  Values and the Modern World   (3).

General education humanities course. Examines the philosophical pressures on values wrought by rapid modern cultural and technological change. Explores the relations between social values and social institutions, provides a framework for critically and objectively thinking about moral values, and considers various standards proposed for resolving moral dilemmas. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 304.  Latin American and LatinX Thought   (3).

General education humanities course. Cross-listed as MCLL 304. Examines the origins of Latin America, how social-political forces have shaped Latin American identity, and the borders that separate Anglo America and Latin America. Engages historically influential Latin American philosophers as well as contemporary Latinx philosophers. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 306.  Business Ethics   (3).

General education humanities course. A critical examination of representative moral issues that arise in the context of business. Focuses on topics such as the nature of professionalism, the social responsibility of business, regulation, employee rights and obligations, sexual harassment, economic justice, environmental impact, the limits of property rights, and conflicting international mores and practices. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 307.  Japanese Film   (3).

General education humanities course. Cross-listed as JAPN 322. Focuses on how Japanese culture is expressed via film. Intends to increase the student’s understanding of the rich history of Japan, Japanese mythology and symbolism, and ways in which these elements differ from what students are accustomed to seeing in American media. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 312.  Contemporary Philosophy of Law   (3).

General education humanities course. When should the Supreme Court decline to hear a publicly significant case? On what grounds could a judge decide a case isn’t clearly covered by any extant law, or is covered by too many conflicting laws? What do people mean when they say our laws are systemically racist? Through the course, engage in argument and analysis of endemic and emerging questions like these in jurisprudence and specific domains of law, with some guidance from current events. This course partially replaces PHIL 311. Department permission is required for students who have taken PHIL 311 to enroll in PHIL 312. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 312H.  Contemporary Philosophy of Law Honors   (3).

General education humanities course. When should the Supreme Court decline to hear a publicly significant case? On what grounds could a judge decide a case isn’t clearly covered by any extant law, or is covered by too many conflicting laws? What do people mean when they say our laws are systemically racist? Through the course, engage in argument and analysis of endemic and emerging questions like these in jurisprudence and specific domains of law, with some guidance from current events. This course partially replaces PHIL 311. Department permission is required for students who have taken PHIL 311 to enroll in PHIL 312. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 313.  Political Philosophy   (3).

General education humanities course. Examines various philosophical issues concerning political systems. Discusses issues such as the nature of political authority, the rights of individuals, constitutionalism and civil disobedience. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 315.  Late Modern Philosophy   (3).

General education humanities course. Studies philosophical thought in the 18th century with selections from philosophers such as Berkeley, Hume, Reid, Adam Smith, Butler, Hutcheson, Wolff and Kant, and movements such as empiricism, rationalism, the Scottish common sense school, and idealism.

PHIL 315H.  Late Modern Philosophy Honors   (3).

General education humanities course. Studies philosophical thought in the 18th century with selections from philosophers such as Berkeley, Hume, Reid, Adam Smith, Butler, Hutcheson, Wolff and Kant, and movements such as empiricism, rationalism, the Scottish common sense school, and idealism.

General education humanities course. Examines ethical issues related to health care such as truth-telling to patients, confidentiality, euthanasia, abortion, prenatal obligations and distribution of health care. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 331.  Ancient Greek Philosophy   (3).

General education humanities course. Examines the development of Greek philosophy in its major phases, including an exploration of the Milesian and Eleatic traditions, Pythagoras, the Atomists, the Pluralists, the Sophists, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

PHIL 338.  Philosophy of Feminism   (3).

General education humanities course. Cross-listed as WOMS 338. Explores philosophical issues raised by the feminist movement emphasizing conceptual and ethical questions. Course includes diversity content.

General education humanities course. Ethics with application to the ethical issues which may arise from the use of computers, including the moral responsibility of computer professionals for the effect their work has on persons and society; the moral obligations of a computer professional to clients, employer and society; the conceptual and ethical issues surrounding the control and ownership of software; and the justifiability of regulation of the design, use and marketing of computer technology. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): junior standing or departmental consent.

PHIL 355.  Minds and Machines   (3).

General education humanities course. Cross-listed as HNRS 305J. People have constructed machines designed to imitate living creatures in some way long before there were electronic computers. When is a machine’s behavior appropriately called "intelligent?" Must it be capable of using a language? Must a machine be capable of learning in order to be regarded as intelligent? Must it be able to communicate with humans? What criteria are appropriate for judging that an animal's behavior is intelligent; should the same criteria be used for machine intelligence? What lessons about machine intelligence should be taken from debates over recent studies of intelligence in animals with nervous systems very different from humans (e.g., corvids, cephalopods)? Students consider these and other, related questions. Course takes a historical and interdisciplinary approach, drawing on works in philosophy, literature, science and history of science. Course includes diversity content.

General education humanities course. Examines representative ethical issues that arise in engineering. Topics include: professional responsibility and integrity, whistle-blowing, conflict of interest, ethical issues in engineering consulting and research, engineering and environmental issues, and engineering in a global context. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing.

PHIL 386.  Biomedical Engineering Ethics   (3).

Biomedical engineering is changing extremely rapidly, with the incorporation of new technologies from material science, computer software, nano engineering and robotics, among others. Each of these emerging areas presents new questions in ethics, raising new questions concerning human subjects protections, autonomy, acceptable risks and more. The regulatory framework for evaluation and approval of these technologies is largely grounded in our current understanding of these ethical issues, thus it too is evolving. This course examines these areas and the questions they pose, and develops an ethical framework for evaluation of these issues. Cases illustrating the ethical issues are integrated into the course material. Course includes diversity content.

General education humanities course. When we aim to collect and transform data into insight for better decisions, ethical values determine the core of what counts as better. Unintended consequences and systemic biases often misdirect the outcomes. This course examines ethical issues that have arisen or that may be expected to arise in the development and use of big data, data analytics, apps, automated personal assistants and smart technology. Topics may include privacy and transparency, pitfalls of personalized automation in medicine, alternatives to contracts of adhesion, identification and prediction in law enforcement and security, smartening agriculture, hardening social media against disinformation, and algorithmic oppression. Focuses on prevention and problem-solving for future professionals and anyone interested in data science, analytics, algorithm development and smart technology. May be tailored to address current events and student interest. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 535.  Data Ethics for Professionals   (3).

Introduces students to the dimensions of ethical analysis that are necessary for responsible, professional practice of data science and analytics, from inception through the life cycle of their work products. Students analyze real and hypothetical cases and practice strategically advocating for changes, both to particular product specs and to broader corporate policy and professional practice. Course includes diversity content.

Other courses of interest