Department of Philosophy
Spring 2004 Course Offerings
(HU) Selected Topics and Issues
Lec 004 R 5:30 – 8:10 pm TBA TBA
We will look at a representative selection of topics from the history of philosophy and current philosophical debates: ethics, social and political philosophy, the scope and nature of our knowledge of the world, the nature of the self and mind.
PHILOS 101 Introduction to Philosophy:
(HU) Reflections on the Human Condition
Lec 401 MW 10:00 – 10:50 am MER 131 HINCHMAN
Lec 402 MW 1:00 – 1:50 pm MER 131 HINCHMAN
This course is an introduction to Western Philosophy. Students need not have any background in philosophy, nor any plans for further study. The course has three broad aims:
(1) to introduce students to the tradition of philosophical argument in the West via primary texts (Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Berkeley, Kant, Emerson),
(2) to teach students how in general to make and evaluate philosophical arguments,
(3) to demonstrate to any student who cares to participate actively how exciting and even fun philosophy can be.
Since philosophy is simply informed public reflection on what we’re up to as we try to do and believe what we ought to do and believe—as Socrates put it, “What we are talking about is how one should live”— I hope that by the end of the term the third aim of the course will have taken priority over the other two.
PHILOS 111 Informal Logic - Critical Reasoning
(HU) Lec 001 MW 11:00 – 12:15 pm TBA STELDT
This course involves the study of arguments on social issues and on issues in various academic fields. The basic goal is to learn how to construct and evaluate such arguments. Some of the particular topics considered are the structure of arguments, definition, vagueness and ambiguity, informal fallacies, and sufficiency of evidence.
PHILOS 204 Introduction to Asian Religions
(HU) Lec 002 TR 11:00 - 12:15 pm CRT 309 NEEVEL
This course will be a historical and comparative introduction to Hindu and Buddhist religious life and thought. Special emphasis will be placed upon the development of the classical forms of these traditions within India. The Buddhist tradition will also be stressed as a missionary movement linking the various cultures of Asia and interacting with the indigenous traditions of East Asia.
PHILOS 204 Introduction to Asian Religions
(HU) Lec 401 MW 1:00 – 1:50 pm END 107 LEWIS
Emphasis in this course will be upon the philosophy and worldviews----the nature of the universe, human destiny, the problem of evil, etc.----of several forms of Hinduism and Buddhism, though some attention will also be given to Confucianism and Taoism. From time to time, representatives of these traditions will be invited in to dialog with the class.
PHILOS 207 Religion and Science
(HU) Lec 001 MW 4:30 - 5:45 pm CRT 309 LUCE
Straight thinking and sloppy thinking about religion and science. A conservative evangelical theologian who urges Christians to return to their Biblical roots (Karl Barth) turns out to be one of the straight thinkers, and an eminent philosopher and historian of science (Norwood Russell Hanson) proves himself one of the sloppiest.
And a well-known advocate of the so-called “identity” theory of the mind-body relation (J. J. C. Smart), writing on the question of survival after death and presuming a conflict between science and religion on that issue, reveals that he hasn’t read the relevant literature.
Picking and choosing from the Bible exactly what one wants to believe: Creationists reject evolution but allow that the earth moves like a planet; Conservatives quote Leviticus against gay rights but ignore Isaiah’s insistent call for justice. We are obliged to look at the general question of the role of authority in moral decision-making.
An entry-level course (no prerequisites). Topics and reading chosen for minimal overlap with other existing courses and maximal relevance for the pressing issues of our time.
PHILOS 211 Elementary Logic
(HU) Lec 401 MW 10:00 – 10:50 am ACL 120 TIERNEY
Lec 402 MW 12:00 – 12:50 pm MER 131 TIERNEY
Lec 003 W 6:30 – 9:10 pm CRT 309 TBA
The Island of Knights and Knaves is a place where only Knights and Knaves live. A Knight is a person who always tells the truth. Knaves, on the other hand, never tell the truth. Harry, who lives on the island, says: “If I am a Knight, then I’ll eat my hat.” Did you know that you can prove from the above information that Harry will eat his hat? Did you know: 1) Given that Sarah loves either Jim or Tom and that if she loves Jim then she loves Tom, you can prove that she loves Tom? 2) that if everyone loves a lover and there is even one lover in the world, then everyone loves everyone? Learn how to solve these and other puzzles in Philosophy 211, where we will study formal deductive logic -- the science of what follows from what.
The concepts and techniques encountered in the study of deductive logic are of central importance to any analysis of argument and inference. They reflect fundamental patterns of proof found in science and mathematics, they underlie the programs that enable computers to “reason” logically, and they provide tools for characterizing the formal structures of language. This is an introductory course intended for students who have had no previous work in logic. There will be 3 exams and weekly homework assignments.
PHILOS 212 Modern Deductive Logic
(HU) Lec 001 MW 9:30 – 10:45 am CRT 309 LISTON
The task of the first logic course – Philosophy 211 – was to develop a means for evaluating deductive arguments. This task involved the use of a formal language for expressing the logical structure of English sentences and the use of various formal techniques, including truth tables and deductions, for evaluating arguments. Once an English argument was translated into the formal language, formal techniques were used to solve an apparently informal problem, i.e., the problem of finding out whether it is possible for the conclusion of the argument to be false while all its premises are true.
In Philosophy 212 we will continue this inquiry into the evaluation of deductive arguments. We will concentrate on two central areas. First, we will deal with statements and arguments that are more quantificationally complex than those studied in Philosophy 211. Second, we will address the issue of the adequacy of the formal system. Explicit definitions of validity of arguments and formal systems will be used for the investigation, via informal reasoning and proof, of what can be achieved by a deductive system. Philosophy 211 with a grade of ‘C’ or better is a prerequisite for this class.
PHILOS 215 Belief, Knowledge, and Truth:
(HU) An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge
People make all sorts of knowledge claims: “I know who fired the fatal shot,” “I know that the universe is about fourteen billion years old,” “I know I should keep my promise to help cut down the tree.” Such claims are sometimes challenged: “You don’t really know that.” These everyday disputes lead to a reflective inquiry into knowledge. In developing a theory of knowledge in which these disputes can be resolved, we address issues such as how we know what we know, what the relation is between knowledge and belief, and what we can reasonably doubt.
PHILOS 217 Introduction to Metaphysics
(HU) Lec 001 R 6:30 – 9:10 pm CRT 309 HAWI
The course deals with the nature of metaphysical thinking and the issues arising from such thinking. Representative philosophers from ancient, medieval and modern philosophy are dealt with at length, e.g. Plato ‘s Phaedo, Avicenna’s identity theory and metaphysical scheme, Descarte’s Meditation and Hume’s Dialogues concerning Natural Religion.
PHILOS 232 Topics in Philosophy
(HU) Islam: Intellect and Sufism
Lec 001 TR 9:30 – 10:45 am CRT 309 HAWI
This course deals with the early development of the Muslim creed, the teachings of Islam, and with some substantial examples of Muslim theology and philosophy. Also, the phenomenon of Sufism will be thoroughly discussed.
PHILOS 241 Introductory Ethics
(HU) Lec 401 MW 11:00 –11:50am BOL B56 SENSAT
We shall study three basic approaches in moral philosophy: ethical rationalism, which takes moral principles to describe an independent order of values fixed in the nature of things, the ideal-spectator approach, which takes morally wrong actions to be those an impartial, sympathetic observer would disapprove of, and contractualism, according to which the correct moral principles are those which would be agreed to by all reasonable beings as a basis for their community. We shall see how the second approach leads naturally to utilitarianism, while contractualism has important sources in Immanuel Kant’s moral philosophy. We shall see how the three basic approaches get reflected in theories of social and economic justice.
PHILOS 242 Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy
(HU) Lec 001 MW 9:30 – 10:45 am TBA WESTLUND
In this course we will consider the relationship between individual human beings, society, and the state. We will examine several different conceptions of society as a product of human interaction, with special emphasis on the idea that political authority and political obligation are grounded in some form of social contract. We will also consider, from a variety of perspectives, the idea that human individuals are themselves products of their social environments, and explore the different conceptions of power, liberty, and self-realization that emerge from these contrasting views. Readings will include selections from Plato, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, and Foucault, among others
PHILOS 244 Ethical Issues in Health Care:
(HU) Contemporary Problems
Lec 101 M 6:30 – 9:10pm OFC 1280 TYM
This course will provide a general overview of some of the ethical issues in health care. We will begin the course with an introduction to the basic ethical theories and approaches to moral decision-making. These theories and approaches will then be applied to ethical problems currently confronting health care providers, patients and their families, and society at large. Issues we will consider include informed consent, decision-making capacity, confidentiality, futility and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, euthanasia and assisted suicide, assisted reproduction, genetics, and research ethics.
*This course is taught off-campus at Whitefish Bay HS, 1200 E. Fairmont, Room 252.
PHILOS 245 Critical Thinking and the Law:
(HU) Law of Contracts
Lec 101 M 6:30 – 9:10pm off campus* SANTILLI
The goals of critical thinking are to instill in the student an understanding of the fundamental principles of analysis, problem solving, and construction of an argument. In order to convey these principles, students are taught how to use contract law using legal materials, including but not limited to, the language used by the legal profession and legal resources. It is through the study of law that teachers hope to impart to their students a system for analytical thinking which they may use in their every-day lives. Texts used will include Murphy, Speidel and Ayres’ Studies in Contract Law, 5th Edition, and Restatement of Contracts (Second) and case law.
*This course is taught off-campus at School of Continuing Education, 161 W. Wisconsin Ave. Room 6000.
(HU) Lec 401 MW 2:00 – 2:50 pm PHY 133 LEWIS
We shall analyze and discuss a) some of the traditional arguments for the existence of God (especially St. Thomas Five Ways and the ontological argument), (b) the so-called problem of Evil, (c) the question whether or not God's omniscience and human freedom are mutually consistent, and (d) the problem of miracles.
PHILOS 253 Philosophy of the Arts
(HU) Lec 001 TR 11:00-12:15 pm TBA MAHLIK
Art differs from nature in being a human creation, and as our own creation art has something to say about how we view our selves, our world, and our relationship to the world. An objective of this course is to examine philosophically the nature of art and its relation to individuals and their environment.
How do we distinguish works of art from natural objects? Is art merely an imitation of the natural world? Do works of art have intrinsic meaning, or do they have no meaning at all? Is the value of a work of art merely a matter of subjective judgment? Are there specific criteria by which to judge works of art? Are we to define art in terms of form, expressiveness, artistic intention, or social role? Is there a relationship between beauty and moral goodness?
In this course, we will consider these questions and the answers provided by a variety of philosophers and artists, both ancient and modern. Although an interest in art is recommended, this course requires no previous experience in art or philosophy.
PHILOS 272 Philosophical Classics:
272-001 Plato, Selected Dialogues 5 WKS. BEGINNING WEEK OF 1/26
272-002 Hume’s Dialogues on Natural Religion 6 WKS. BEGINNING WEEK OF 3/1
272-003 Mill’s Utilitarianism 5 WKS. BEGINNING WEEK OF 4/12
This course or courses offers an opportunity to earn from 1-3 credits. Each 1credit 5 week mini-course will examine carefully a different philosophical classic.
Topic: Plato, Selected Dialogues
5 WKS. BEGINNING WEEK OF 1/26
Lec 001 MW 12:30 – 1:45 pm TBA CASPER
Socrates’ life and teachings were immortalized by his great pupil, Plato, and in his own right, Socrates has been accorded an honored place in the history of philosophy. Yet he remains an enigmatic figure. What sort of a teacher was this man who insisted he was the wisest of all because he knew nothing? Why did the Athenians find his teachings so threatening that they put him to death? In this course we will seek to uncover the puzzle that was Socrates through a reading of Plato’s account of his last days.
Topic: Hume’s Dialogues on Natural Religion
6 WKS. BEGINNING WEEK OF 3/1
Lec 002 MW 12:30 – 1:45 pm TBA CASPER
Through the mouths of his various characters, Hume recorded the struggles of his age, as thinkers tried to reconcile the discoveries of the great scientists, such as Isaac Newton, with the truths of religion that were supposed to be equally available to rational inspection. One mystery remains for Hume’s readers: Who speaks for Hume? Was Hume himself an agnostic or a believer?
Topic: Mill’s Utilitarianism
5 WKS. BEGINNING WEEK OF 4/12
Lec 003 MW 12:30 – 1:45 pm TBA CASPER
John Stuart Mill seeks to find a universal, objective principle of moral right and wrong, by which individuals, institutions, and even societies may judge their courses of action, policies, and social arrangements. His principle of utility, the principle of “the greatest good for the greatest number,” appeals strongly to common sense and to the democratic and secular consciousness of our modern era. Yet it has been criticized in many ways. We shall examine Mill’s attempt to formulate and justify the principle of utility and consider whether his enterprise is ultimately successful.
PHILOS 317 Metaphysics
Lec 001 TR 11:00-12:15 pm TBA MONDADORI
In this course we shall raise, discuss, and attempt to answer, the following (inter-related) questions: (1) whether or not it is possible to change the past (and what is meant by the claim that it can, or cannot, be changed); and (2) whether or not the effect can precede its cause, i.e., whether or not there can be such a thing as backward causation. We shall read texts by Aristotle, St. Thomas, Michael Dummett and David Lewis.
Lec 001 MW 9:30 – 10:45 am TBA LEEDS
We will be discussing scientific explanation; scientific reasoning; scientific realism; laws and causation; scientific
revolutions. We may also discuss the philosophy of mathematics, and the philosophy of physics.
PHILOS 349 Great Moral Philosophers
Arguably, Kant and Aristotle are the greatest moral philosophers of western tradition. In this course, we will consider in detail their conceptions of agency and deliberation as well as their legacy in contemporary ethics, dealing with questions such as choice, moral luck, the role of emotions and reason in deliberation, and the features of practical reasoning.
Kant and Aristotle offer two competing models of moral agency and deliberation. Kant's ethical theory focuses on choice, and promises a systematic, universalistic conception of morality on the basis of a procedure to determine our moral obligations. Because of its generality and abstractness, however, some have objected that Kant's model of practical reasoning cannot account for the role that the agent's history and personality play in making choices, and cannot capture the importance of particular moral emotions. On the contrary, Aristotle's ethics is sensitive to the various tonalities of concrete situations, and makes sense of the agents' relations with their community. However, some have objected that Aristotle's account of virtue overly emphasizes the role of upbringing and habituation, and discounts the role of reason in moral education.
Contemporary ethical debates are deeply influenced both by Kant's and Aristotle's ethics, and some philosophers have attempted to reassess their legacy by taking these two accounts of ethics as complementary, rather than mutually exclusive. The ancient idea that ethics is about how to lead a good life, and that such a life expresses emotions as well as reasons has found many supporters among our contemporaries. They have considered whether it is possible to reconcile universal criteria of moral justification with the acknowledgement of the particularity of moral emotions, the importance of the agent's history, character and personality. A sharp disagreement remains concerning the scope of deliberation and the bounds of choice.
We will read Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, Kant's Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, his Critique of Practical Reason, and his Doctrine of Virtue, as well as the work of contemporary philosophers such as B. Williams, J. Cooper, B. Herman, A. Rorty, N. Sherman, J. McDowell, O. O'Neill, and M. Nussbaum.
Lec 001 TR 4:00 - 5:15 pm TBA NEEVEL
This course is the basic theoretical requirement for the interdepartmental B.A. Major in the Comparative Study of Religion. As such, its central concern will be to provide a solid theoretical basis for an academic humanistic or anthropological approach that will be both critical and fair, an approach that will not only be valid within a public university but also be adequate for an appreciation of the many dimensions of human religious experience and expression.
We will explore the nature of religion and its significance for human life and culture; the problem of defining "religion"; the foundational role of symbols and symbolic activity in the construction of human "reality;" the structure and dynamics of religious "worlds" or symbolic universes, and the problems involved in understanding and interpreting, classifying and comparing, these different religious "worlds" and their various dimensions of "Transcendence" or "Ultimacy". We will also analyze and critique the major disciplinary approaches or methods that have been employed in the study of religion.
PHILOS 358 Action, Will, and Freedom
Lec 001 TR 12:30 – 1:45 pm TBA FERRERO
What differentiates actions, such as raising my arm, from mere
happening and body movements, such as the rising of my arm? In the first
part of this course, we will investigate the distinction between actions and
happenings and why this distinction should matter to us. To begin with, we will
investigate whether actions are distinct from mere bodily movements because
they are caused in special ways, i.e., by the agent or by acts of
will (or volitions) and whether this is sufficient to make the actions
voluntary. We then consider (a) the relation between simple momentary actions
and more complex and temporally extended activities; (b) the nature of
intentions and intentional actions; and (c) the relation between the nature of
the self and that of the loci of agential
and intentional control. Special attention will be devoted to the nature
of the understanding and explanation of actions. Can actions be fully explained
and understood in purely causal terms along with other natural phenomena or is there a special mode of interpreting, understanding and explaining our
conduct that appeals to the irreducible
idea of reasons for action?
The question of the relation between causal phenomena and actions
is also the starting point for the discussion of the problem of free will,
which is the focus of the second part of this course. What does it mean for our actions and our wills to be free? Is this freedom compatible with the
determination of our conduct by causal events outside of our control? What is
the relation between freedom and the idea of the self?
Readings drawn, for the most part, from works of contemporary analytic
philosophers.
PHILOS 381 Honors Seminar:
Space, Time, and Motion
Sem 001 MW 12:30 – 1:45 pm TBA LISTON
From ancient times to the present, mathematics, physics, and natural philosophy have struggled with numerous philosophical perplexities involving space, time, and motion. What is their ontological status? Do space and time exist as mind‑independent objects, or are they mind‑dependent constructions that enable human beings to make sense of their experiences? What is the nature of space, time, and motion? What properties do they have? Do truly parallel lines exist in physical space? Is there absolute motion (do bodies move relative to some absolute framework of space and time), or is all motion relative to some frame that is itself conventionally chosen? If the latter, what constrains the choice? What is the epistemological status of our beliefs about space and time? What kind of evidence could we provide for such beliefs? What kind of methodology could we use to answer such general, abstract questions?
In this course we will look at these and kindred problems from an historical, analytical, and critical perspective. We will study three major views ‑ Aristotle's, Newton's, and Einstein's ‑ about the nature of space, time and motion. We will first look at some ancient views, focusing particularly on Aristotle's theory. We will then examine the views of Descartes, Newton, Leibniz, and Kant in the context of 17th and 18th century natural philosophy. We will then move to the 19th century difficulties that led to Einstein's special theory of relativity and discuss that theory. Finally, we will take a brief look at Einstein's general theory. Throughout the course, we will (a) examine how difficult, conceptual problems ‑ e.g., Zeno's paradoxes, the twin paradox, backwards causation ‑ are interwoven with the fabric of science, (b) see how scientific theories often resolve such problems while forcing a revision of our customary beliefs, (c) discuss standard philosophical positions about the nature of science and methodology and evaluate their answers in the context of space, time, and motion. The course presupposes no prior familiarity with the content. Any mathematics needed to follow the discussion (generally simple algebra) will be supplied.
Lec 001 TR 2:00 – 3:15 pm CRT 309 MONDADORI
In this course we shall study, both critically and historically, the writings of such philosophers as St. Augustine, St. Anselm, Siger of Brabant, St. Thomas, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham. Avicenna and Algazali. We shall discuss, among others, such topics as the existence of God, the extent of God’s power, the eternity of the world, free will and determinism, the distinction between essence and accident, the nature of individuality, the nature of possibility, and causation.
PHILOS 432 History of Modern Philosophy
Lec 001 MW 11:00 - 12:15 pm CRT 309 ATHERTON
The course will study the history of European philosophy in the 17th and 18th centuries, also called the modern period. This is an astonishingly rich period in the history of philosophy as thinkers came to grips with devastating challenges to the authority of centuries of tradition in the areas of religion, natural science and social theory. We will be concentrating on a few of the philosophers working at this time in order to be able to explore their ideas in some detail. We will be reading selections from Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume.
PHILOS 455 Recent Philosophy
Contemporary Aesthetics and the End of Art
Lec 001 R 2:30 - 5:10 pm CRT 607 GENDRON
There is an often expressed suspicion that fine art is undergoing a significant transformation – not merely in styles and values, but also in its meaning and place in contemporary culture. Arthur Danto, taking a cue from Hegel, has gone so far as to argue for the “end of art,” meaning the end of any meaningful historical trajectory for art (e.g., from representation to abstraction) in an age when “anything goes.” Meanwhile, the boundaries between what is art and non art have become murkier, as increasingly many types of mass entertainment (e.g., jazz, rock music, Hollywood and “independent” film) are receiving recognition as legitimate art forms. There is also the question whether art can continue to act “on the edge,” now that avant-garde shock, once the very embodiment of the “modern,” has become all-too-familiar and perhaps “old hat.” Some theorists are perceiving a “return to beauty” and to other supposedly pre-modernist values. Are they merely conservative malcontents or do they have their finger on the cultural pulse?
Accordingly this course will investigate four topics: the end of art, high art and mass culture, the ageing of the avant-garde, and the alleged return of beauty. We will read contemporary philosophers of art (in particular Danto, Nöel Carroll, Pierre Bourdieu), some classical philosophers who provide a touchstone on contemporary issues (Kant, Hegel, Adorno), as well as contemporary critics and artists (Elaine Scarry and Denis Donoghue).
PHILOS 532 Philosophical Problems:
The Aesthetics of Black Music
Lec 001 TR 7:00 - 8:15pm TBA GENDRON
Perhaps no medium of African-American culture has received as much attention, and for so long, as the music of African-Americans. In this course, we will explore how African-American philosophers, scholars, and critics have theorized about the aesthetics of black music, from the writings of Frederick Douglas on “slave spirituals” to recent discourses hip hop. Within this time frame, we will also read African-American works on black folk music, gospel, secular folk music, country and urban blues, classical and avant-garde jazz, rhythm and blues, funk and soul. The assigned readings will include works by W.E.B. Du Bois, Alain Locke, Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, Amiri Baraka, Larry Neal, Albert Murray, Stanley Crouch, Paul Gilroy, Tricia Rose and Greg Tate. Special attention will be given to the music philosophies of important African-American cultural movements, such as the 1920s Harlem Renaissance and the 1960s Black Arts Movement. Readings by some Euro-Americans on black music will be introduced to illustrate contrast and convergence. We will of course listen to the musics being discussed.
Lec 002 TR 9:30 – 10:45 am TBA FERRERO
In this course we will investigate the philosophical problem of
personal identity. There are two parts to this problem. First, what counts as a
person? Second, what makes us the particular persons that we are and how
is our identity preserved over time? Most of this class will be devoted to the
latter question. Does personal identity depend on the continuity of memories or
some other psychological traits? Or is it rather a matter of
the continuity of the body? We will read some classical discussion of the
problem (especially Locke and Hume) and the more recent debate in analytic
philosophy (especially Williams, Parfit and the so-called animalist view).
In the second part of the class, we consider the relation between personal
identity and the unity of the self. We will discuss self-deception, and the
philosophical implications of brain bisection experiments and
dissociative identity disorders. In the last portion of the class, we consider
the recent development of the narrative view of identity and the relation
between agency, self-constitution and personal identity.
PHILOS 535 Philosophical Topics in Feminist Theory
Ethics, Dependency, and Care
Lec 001 T 2:30 – 5:10pm CRT 607 WESTLUND
Aristotle famously wrote that
"If people are friends, they have no need of justice." By and
large, liberal theorists have taken this adage to heart, and have extended it
beyond cases of friendship to relationships of love and
filial devotion as well. Relationships between husbands and wives and
parents and children have been thought by many to fall outside the scope
of a theory of justice, and to belong
instead to a realm more properly governed
by altruism and care than by considerations of fairness and equality.
Such assumptions, however, have been the subject of lively debate among
feminist thinkers for several decades. Some agree that personal
relationships are
A site of distinct, care-governed ways of relating to others, but argue that the ethical dimensions of such relationships have received far less attention than they merit, and that moral and political philosophers have much to gain from taking the perspective of care more seriously. Others have directly challenged the notion that personal relationships are not properly governed by norms of justice, arguing that considerations of fairness and
reciprocity are every bit as relevant
in the domestic as in the public sphere. Still others have argued that
our conception of social justice will be seriously flawed so long as we fail to
take into account the needs and perspectives of those who have taken on (or
been assigned) the responsibility of caring for children and other dependents
in our society. In this seminar we will explore each of these aspects of what
we might (in a
broad sense) refer to as the "ethics of care," critically examining
such concepts as love, care, dependency, respect, reciprocity,
and autonomy, and investigating the roles of considerations of care and justice
in moral and political thought. Readings will include selections from Susan Okin, Jean
Hampton, Carol Gilligan, Annette Baier, Marilyn Friedman, Stephen Darwall,
Martha Nussbaum, Eva Feder Kittay, and others.
PHILOS 681 Seminar
in Advanced Topics:
Wittgenstein
Sem 001 M 2:30 - 5:10pm CRT 607 KOETHE
Ludwig Wittgenstein's writings have been one of the dominant influences on the evolution of philosophy in the twentieth century. Though his work addresses issues in the philosophy of language, it has wide-ranging implications for such areas as philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, epistemology and metaphysics. He developed, in different periods, two different and in many ways opposing views of language, the first presented in the Tracctatus-Logic Philosophicus of 1921, and the second in the posthumously published Philosophical Investigations (1953) and related writings. We will look at aspects of both of these views, reading Wittgenstein's own work as well as a variety of secondary sources.
PHILOS 685 Capstone Senior Seminar:
Hume
Sem 001 W 2:30 – 5:10pm CRT 607 ATHERTON
The importance of the epistemological and metaphysical arguments put forward by David Hume in Book I of A Treatise of Human Nature and An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding is without question. A clear grasp of Hume's metaphysical and epistemological views is required, not only for a proper understanding of Hume's ethics and philosophy of religion, but is also necessary in order to follow the ramifications of much late 18th century, 19th century and 20th century English language philosophy, much of which takes place in conversation with his ideas. The central importance of Hume's work notwithstanding, what remains puzzling about the reaction to Hume's ideas is that there is no general agreement at all about what kind of philosopher Hume was. Hume is variously presented as an arch-sceptic, as a naturalistic psychologist or as the first post-sceptical philosopher. Through a close reading of Book I of A Treatise of Human Nature and Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, together with some representative samplings of the critical literature, we will try to come to terms with the mystery that is David Hume.
PHILOS 712 Fundamentals of Formal Logic
LEC 001 MW 9:30 – 10:45am TBA LISTON
We will work through standard soundness, completeness, and other metatheoretic results for first order logic.
PHILOS 941 Seminar in Ethics and Social and Political Philosophy
The Political Philosophy of John Rawls
Sem 001 MW 12:30 – 1:45pm CRT 607 SENSAT
Rawls is widely regarded as the most important political philosopher of the 20th century. His two main contributions are his theory of justice as fairness and his conception of political liberalism. The seminar will critically examine these two doctrines. Our main textual focus will be two of his last published works: Justice as Fairness: A Restatement and The Law of Peoples, though we shall refer to his other writings as needed. We shall also examine some of the secondary literature.
If you have any questions concerning the above philosophy courses, call the UWM Department of Philosophy at 414-229-4719 or e-mail the department at philosophy@uwm.edu.