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In this course, we will strike a balance between discussing a variety of philosophical topics, thinking about what philosophy is and how best to practice it, and putting our theoretical work to practice by doing philosophy with kids in a school together. We'll begin the course by focusing on metaphilosophical and pedagogical readings, putting together a picture of what it is we're doing when we do philosophy and how we can do that best with children. Then we'll take that picture and put it to work, going into an elementary school together to do philosophy with children.

In this course, we will discuss some of the central topics in the philosophy of religion. We'll discuss the nature of the divine attributes and whether they are consistent. We'll also discuss the central arguments for and against God's existence; we'll talk about the ontological argument, the cosmological argument, the design argument, and the problem of evil. Finally, we'll discuss some issues in religious epistemology; in particular, we'll discuss whether we can be justified in believing in the existence of God even if we lack good arguments supporting this belief.

Metaphysics is sometimes defined as the branch of philosophy that addresses fundamental questions about the nature of reality. In this course we will consider five main topics: (1) causation, (2) freedom and determinism, (3) personal identity, (4) time, and (5) material objects. The aim of the course will be to educate students about some of the main issues, theses, and arguments concerning these topics, so that the students may arrive at their own considered opinions on these matters.

An introduction to the main themes of Existentialism through seminal writing by Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre. (Gen.Ed. AL)

Introduction to the history of modern philosophy; emphasis on Descartes, Leibniz, Locke, and Hume. Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy. (Gen.Ed. HS)

Introduction to the history of modern philosophy; emphasis on Descartes, Leibniz, Locke, and Hume. Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy. (Gen.Ed. HS)

Introduction to the history of modern philosophy; emphasis on Descartes, Leibniz, Locke, and Hume. Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy. (Gen.Ed. HS)

Continuation of PHIL 110. Three new logical systems examined: 1) Function Logic, 2) Identity Logic, 3) Description Logic. Work divided between translating English sentences into symbolic notation and constructing formal derivations. Prerequisite: PHIL 110 or consent of instructor.

This is a stand-alone independent study designed by the student and faculty sponsor that involves frequent interaction between instructor and student. Qualitative and quantitative enrichment must be evident on the proposed contract before consent is given to undertake the study.