|
< back
|
Printer Version 
|
|
LSA Course Guide Search Results:
UG, Fall 2010, Subject = PHIL
|
|
Courses in Philosophy
|
|
|
|
|
|
Philosophy is the systematic study of questions any thoughtful human being faces concerning the nature of knowledge, reality, thought, and value. What is valuable and what is value? What gives thought and language meaning? What is truth, and how can we know it? Philosophy cuts across other academic disciplines by examining their concepts, methods, and presuppositions. The main value of philosophy lies in its contribution to a liberal arts education. It can, however, also provide excellent preparation for a wide variety of professions (notably, law), because of the training it provides in rigorous thinking and incisive and clear writing.
Philosophy Introductions
There are several ways to begin the study of philosophy. Perhaps the most natural way is to take an introductory course. These come in several varieties.
- The approach through philosophical problems. One sort of introductory course consists in a survey of traditional and contemporary philosophical problems, ranging over a wide range of areas on philosophy, such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and religion. PHIL 181 and 232 are such courses, as are most sections of PHIL 202 and the Honors Introduction, PHIL 297.
- The topical approach. Another natural way to approach philosophy is to connect your interest in the subject to interests you already have – in natural science, the mind and psychology, religion, and the fine arts. For this reason, the Department offers a variety of topical courses. These include first-year seminars, under PHIL 196; courses in the 15x-series; and PHIL 262, 319, 320, 322, 340, and 365. The Department also offers first-year seminars on a variety of topics, under PHIL 196.
- The approach through ethics. The Department offers a variety of introductory courses devoted to topics in moral philosophy. These include PHIL 160, 224, 240, 355, 356, and 359, courses that often overlap with issues in economics, law, and political science. These courses do not have prerequisites.
- The historical approach. Another type of introductory course is the historically oriented introduction, which traces the development of philosophical thought through a series of major figures (such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, or Kant). PHIL 234 and some sections of PHIL 181, 202, and 297 are taught in this way.
Students interested in becoming acquainted with philosophy should decide for themselves which sort of introduction suits them best.
Logic Introductions
The Department offers a number of introductions to reasoning and logic, which can be an important tool in philosophy. See the link for "Techniques and Tools of Philosophy" here: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/philosophy/undergraduate.
- PHIL 180 is an introduction to logic at an elementary level; it is designed both to improve critical reasoning skills and to provide an introduction to formal logic. It is often taught using computer-assisted instruction
- PHIL 303 (which counts toward the BS and MSA requirements) is the Department's basic introduction to formal or symbolic logic. It is taught by faculty, in a combination lecture/discussion format.
- PHIL 296 (BS, MSA, QR/1), for Honors students, is faster-paced than PHIL 303 and covers a wider variety of topics. It is taught by faculty and does not divide into sections.
- PHIL 414 (BS, QR/1) is an advanced course in formal logic. The course is taught by faculty and does not divide into sections.
Non-Concentrators
One frequent motivation for incorporating philosophy into a program of study whose main focus lies elsewhere is the fact that philosophy deals with the methods and fundamental concepts that figure in most other areas of human intellectual interest. Thus the combination of philosophy with another field can enrich the study of that subject by encouraging reflections on its procedures and comparisons with the procedures of other disciplines. For this reason philosophy can be usefully combined the virtually any other program of study. Such combinations can shed light not only on the procedures of the other field but on those of philosophy itself. Thus students committed to philosophy should seriously consider combining it with the study of some other field as well.
Philosophy may be combined with other areas in various ways. One is to take a full concentration program in philosophy along with a concentration in another field. Another is to take just those philosophy courses that deal with one's primary interest. For example, a science concentrator might wish to take a sequence of courses leading to advanced work in the philosophy of science (e.g., a general introduction, PHIL 155, 320, or 322, followed by PHIL 381 or 383, followed by one or more 400-level courses in philosophy of science). Or a student interested in the ethics might take a general introduction, PHIL 160, 355, 356, or 359, followed by PHIL 361, 366, or 367, followed by one or more 400-level courses in the area. Or a student interested in the mind and psychology might take PHIL 156 or 340, followed by PHIL 345, followed by selected 400-level courses. There are many other such possibilities.
Yet another is to take a variety of courses in philosophy in separate areas, as a way of getting a broad and general view of the various styles of intellectual endeavor. Such a selection may be linked with an ongoing project, or it might just be a way of broadening your horizons and seeing what there is in the world to think about. As before, even for people not concentrating or minoring in philosophy, the best thing to do in exploring what the Department has to offer is to talk to a concentration advisor. They will be more than happy to make suggestions about various possible combinations of interests and fields. For additional information about the Department’s programs, see http://www.lsa.umich.edu/philosophy/undergraduate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Title
Section
Instructor
|
Term
Credits
Requirements
|
PHIL
160
-
Moral Principles and Problems
Section
001,
LEC
Instructor:
Allhoff, Fritz
|
FA 2010
Credits:
4
Reqs:
HU
|
This course will focus on moral problems that arise in biomedical ethics. Biomedical ethics is composed of two separate fields: bioethics and medical ethics. Bioethics is the study of the ethics of life (and death), and includes familiar topics such as abortion, cloning, stem cell research, allocation of scarce medical resources, and euthanasia. We shall spend approximately the first two-third of the course on these issues. For the last third of the course, we shall discuss topics in medical ethics, which is concerned with “micro” issues such as the moral underpinnings of doctor-patient relationships as well as “macro” issues such as the structures of medical institutions or the duties that societies have to provide health care for those in need. No previous coursework in philosophy is required for this course and fundamental concepts in moral philosophy (e.g., consequentialism and deontology) will be explained as they become relevant. This is a course on theoretical (as opposed to clinical) bioethics.
|
|
|
PHIL
180
-
Introductory Logic
Section
001,
LEC
Instructor:
Jacobson,Daniel
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
|
Credit Exclusions:
Credit is granted for only one of PHIL 180 or 201.
Philosophy 180 is an introduction to both formal and informal logic. Formal logic attempts to uncover the underlying structure of arguments, their form, and assessing it for validity. Valid arguments preserve truth, in the sense that if their assumptions are true then their conclusion must also be true. Informal logic focuses on the content of reasoning in everyday contexts. We will consider some common kinds of arguments including informal fallacies: superficially compelling but bad forms of reasoning. This course aims to improve students' critical thinking and their ability to construct good and convincing arguments.
Assignments will include weekly problem sets, and computer-aided study and standardized exams.
|
|
|
PHIL
180
-
Introductory Logic
Section
020,
LEC
Instructor:
MacPherson,Brian C
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
|
Credit Exclusions:
Credit is granted for only one of PHIL 180 or 201.
This is a first course in logic and critical thinking. The course will be divided into two parts:
- informal logic which involves analyzing and evaluating arguments using fallacy theory and theory of definitions, and
- formal logic which involves symbolizing arguments and evaluating them using truth-tables and Venn diagrams.
This course will be helpful to those planning on writing standardized tests for law school, graduate school, or medical school. It is also good background for more advanced logic courses, and in general, it is a good course for improving reasoning skills with applications to any field.
|
|
|
PHIL
180
-
Introductory Logic
Section
030,
LEC
Instructor:
Sax,Greg M
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
|
Credit Exclusions:
Credit is granted for only one of PHIL 180 or 201.
This course is an elementary introduction to the history, concepts, and methods of symbolic or formal logic and to some related philosophical issues.
The first third of the course covers categorical logic: the traditional theory (begun by Aristotle) of the inferential relations among sentences of the forms ‘All S are P,’ ‘Some S are P,’ ‘No S is P,’ and ‘Some S are not P.’ We then introduce the fundamental theories of modern logic: propositional logic codifies the inference relations among sentences of the forms ‘p and q,’ ‘p or q,’ ‘it is not the case that p,’ ‘if p then q,’ and ‘p if and only if q,’ and predicate logic provides a general theory unifying the propositional and the categorical theories. In the final third, we examine several ancient paradoxes that raise very modern issues—presupposition, intensions, vagueness, and the possibility that true and false are not the only truth-values that sentences can take—in logic, the philosophy of logic, and the philosophy of language.
Marks on weekly homework assignments, two midterms, and a final exam determine grades.
|
|
|
PHIL
181
-
Philosophical Issues: An Introduction
Section
001,
LEC
Instructor:
Sax,Greg M
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
Reqs:
HU
Other:
Theme
|
Credit Exclusions:
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in PHIL 182, 202, 231, 232, 234, or 297.
An introduction to the basic issues and methods of philosophy. Topics and readings are from both traditional and contemporary philosophy, and include discussion of such issues as the nature and foundation of knowledge, the source and justification of moral values, the relation of mind and body, and determinism and free will.
|
|
|
PHIL
196
-
First Year Seminar
Section
001,
SEM
The Paradoxes of Time Travel
Instructor:
Miller,Kristie Lyn
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
Reqs:
HU
Other:
FYSem
|
Course Notes:
This course is designed to provide first-year students with an intensive introduction to philosophy in a seminar format. The content varies, depending on the instructor.
We see it depicted in film frequently — people travelling back through time to the past and finding themselves embroiled in events from the past or in some cases even meeting their younger selves. This course asks the question “it is coherent to suppose that someone could travel back through time in this way?”. Focusing on that question will provide a lens through which to consider a number of issues in metaphysics: what is the nature of the past and future, and are they somehow different from the present?; what is the nature of time — does it flow, and can you travel in it?; what makes a person at one time the same person as a person at some other time?; If someone could travel back in time, what’s to prevent them changing what happened in the past, or prevent them killing their grandfather so that they themselves were never born?
Advisory Prerequisites:
Enrollment restricted to first-year students, including those with sophomore standing.
|
|
|
PHIL
196
-
First Year Seminar
Section
002,
SEM
Introduction to Cognitive Science
Instructor:
Thomason,Richmond H
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
Reqs:
HU
Other:
FYSem
|
Course Notes:
This course is designed to provide first-year students with an intensive introduction to philosophy in a seminar format. The content varies, depending on the instructor.
This course is an introduction to cognitive science, with special attention to how linguistics, philosophy, and psychology have contributed to the study of communication.
We will examine topics such as the following: What disciplines contribute to the study of language and communication?
What evidence and methods do they use? What models and theories do they propose? What is the role of context in communication. How are conversations structured, and how does the structure of a conversation contribute to understanding what has been communicated?
Requirements for this course will include regular exercises, two short papers, and one final examination.
Advisory Prerequisites:
Enrollment restricted to first-year students, including those with sophomore standing.
|
|
|
PHIL
196
-
First Year Seminar
Section
003,
SEM
Love and Justice
Instructor:
Krenz,Gary D
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
Reqs:
HU
Other:
Theme, FYSem
|
Course Notes:
This course is designed to provide first-year students with an intensive introduction to philosophy in a seminar format. The content varies, depending on the instructor.
I love you….I want justice….Have I treated you fairly?….Can we be friends?....You have no right to do that….It is the just thing to do….Let justice roll down like waters….All you need is love….All is fair in love….Justice is blind….Love is blind…. In this course we will undertake a philosophical inquiry into two elemental virtues of human togetherness: love and justice — separately, in harmony, and in tension. Drawing upon philosophical texts as well as expressions of love and justice in various texts, music, drama, and art, we will endeavor to think through love and justice in our own lives, our public and personal situations, our own societies, our own bondings. And we will ask: can life be worth living without love or justice or both?
This course is part of the Fall 2010 Theme Semester, What Makes Life Worth Living?
Advisory Prerequisites:
Enrollment restricted to first-year students, including those with sophomore standing.
|
|
|
PHIL
202
-
Introduction to Philosophy
Section
003,
REC
Instructor:
Konek,Jason Paul
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
Reqs:
HU
|
Credit Exclusions:
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in PHIL 181, 182, 231, 232, 234, or 297.
This course introduces students to philosophy through an examination of some central philosophical problems. Topics might include some of the following:
- Are minds immaterial spirits, or are minds brains and hence nothing but complex physical objects?
- If human actions are causally determined by heredity and environment, is there any moral responsibility?
- Is abortion, or euthanasia, or suicide, morally permissible?
- Is the nature and extent of our moral obligations determined by our feelings, self-interest, social convention, Divine commands, or something else?
- What are the reasons for preferring one kind of social, political, and economic organization to another?
- Are there good reasons for believing that God exists?
How do we know that anything exists, other than ourselves?
Some sections focus on major historical figures, e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, and Kant; others focus on writings of twentieth century philosophers.
Requirements usually include a number of short, critical papers. The course is taught in sections of 25 students, which should allow for ample discussion.
|
|
|
PHIL
202
-
Introduction to Philosophy
Section
004,
REC
Instructor:
Konek,Jason Paul
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
Reqs:
HU
|
Credit Exclusions:
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in PHIL 181, 182, 231, 232, 234, or 297.
This course introduces students to philosophy through an examination of some central philosophical problems. Topics might include some of the following:
- Are minds immaterial spirits, or are minds brains and hence nothing but complex physical objects?
- If human actions are causally determined by heredity and environment, is there any moral responsibility?
- Is abortion, or euthanasia, or suicide, morally permissible?
- Is the nature and extent of our moral obligations determined by our feelings, self-interest, social convention, Divine commands, or something else?
- What are the reasons for preferring one kind of social, political, and economic organization to another?
- Are there good reasons for believing that God exists?
How do we know that anything exists, other than ourselves?
Some sections focus on major historical figures, e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, and Kant; others focus on writings of twentieth century philosophers.
Requirements usually include a number of short, critical papers. The course is taught in sections of 25 students, which should allow for ample discussion.
|
|
|
PHIL
202
-
Introduction to Philosophy
Section
005,
REC
Instructor:
Tucker,Dustin
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
Reqs:
HU
|
Credit Exclusions:
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in PHIL 181, 182, 231, 232, 234, or 297.
This course introduces students to philosophy through an examination of some central philosophical problems. Topics might include some of the following:
- Are minds immaterial spirits, or are minds brains and hence nothing but complex physical objects?
- If human actions are causally determined by heredity and environment, is there any moral responsibility?
- Is abortion, or euthanasia, or suicide, morally permissible?
- Is the nature and extent of our moral obligations determined by our feelings, self-interest, social convention, Divine commands, or something else?
- What are the reasons for preferring one kind of social, political, and economic organization to another?
- Are there good reasons for believing that God exists?
How do we know that anything exists, other than ourselves?
Some sections focus on major historical figures, e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, and Kant; others focus on writings of twentieth century philosophers.
Requirements usually include a number of short, critical papers. The course is taught in sections of 25 students, which should allow for ample discussion.
|
|
|
PHIL
202
-
Introduction to Philosophy
Section
006,
REC
Instructor:
Tucker,Dustin
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
Reqs:
HU
|
Credit Exclusions:
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in PHIL 181, 182, 231, 232, 234, or 297.
This course introduces students to philosophy through an examination of some central philosophical problems. Topics might include some of the following:
- Are minds immaterial spirits, or are minds brains and hence nothing but complex physical objects?
- If human actions are causally determined by heredity and environment, is there any moral responsibility?
- Is abortion, or euthanasia, or suicide, morally permissible?
- Is the nature and extent of our moral obligations determined by our feelings, self-interest, social convention, Divine commands, or something else?
- What are the reasons for preferring one kind of social, political, and economic organization to another?
- Are there good reasons for believing that God exists?
How do we know that anything exists, other than ourselves?
Some sections focus on major historical figures, e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, and Kant; others focus on writings of twentieth century philosophers.
Requirements usually include a number of short, critical papers. The course is taught in sections of 25 students, which should allow for ample discussion.
|
|
|
PHIL
230
-
Introduction to Buddhism
Section
001,
LEC
Instructor:
Lopez Jr,Donald S
|
FA 2010
Credits:
4
Reqs:
HU
Other:
Theme, WorldLit
|
Over the course of its long history, Buddhism has been the most influential and widely practiced religion in Asia. Beginning in India 2500 years ago, it eventually spread to China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, and Mongolia, and to Sri Lanka and throughout Southeast Asia. More recently it has spread to Europe and the Americas. This course is an introduction to the major themes in Buddhist thought and practice. Beginning with the early teachings associated with the historical Buddha, the course will go on to consider the development of the tradition across Asia. The readings for the course will consist entirely of Buddhist texts in translation.
Course Requirements:
-
Attendance at lecture and participation in discussion section (25%)
-
Four two-page papers (25%)
-
Midterm examination (25%)
-
Final examination (25%)
|
|
|
PHIL
232
-
Problems of Philosophy
Section
001,
LEC
Instructor:
Loeb,Louis E
|
FA 2010
Credits:
4
Reqs:
HU
|
Credit Exclusions:
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in PHIL 181, 182, 202, 231, 234, or 297.
This course is open to students from all areas of the University. No previous work in philosophy is assumed. First term undergraduates are welcome. The course will provide an introduction to some fundamental philosophical problems drawn from a variety of branches of philosophy.
The following topics will be discussed:
- determinism, free will, and moral responsibility;
- arguments for and against the existence of God;
- skepticism about knowledge of the material world;
- egoism, altruism, and the nature of moral obligation;
- the ethics of belief and the nature of faith.
The course also seeks to develop, through written work and intensive discussion, skills in critical reasoning and argumentative writing. The course has two hours of lecture and two hours of discussion section each week. Course requirements are to be determined, but there will be at least two required papers and two hour exams.
|
|
|
PHIL
262
-
Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion
Section
001,
LEC
Instructor:
Baker,David John
|
FA 2010
Credits:
4
Reqs:
HU
Other:
Theme
|
This course is an introduction to philosophy, by way of religion. We will take a critical (not scripture-based) look at the idea, common to the major Western monotheistic faiths, of a single, perfect God. Does the unlikely existence of life and the precise natural order of the world around us make more sense if we posit such a being? Or does all the evil in the world count as evidence against a perfect creator? We will examine these and other arguments for and against God's existence. We will also discuss whether modern science offers a picture of the world compatible with and complimentary to religion, or if it provides an alternative and better world view that leaves the religious picture outmoded.
|
|
|
PHIL
296
-
Honors Introduction to Logic
Section
002,
LEC
Instructor:
Ruetsche,Laura
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
Reqs:
BS, MSA, QR/1
Other:
Honors
|
Credit Exclusions:
Credit is granted for only one of PHIL 296 or 303.
An introduction to the study of modern formal logic, with attention to its mathematical development and to its philosophical foundations and applications.
Advisory Prerequisites:
Honors students or permission of instructor.
|
|
|
PHIL
297
-
Honors Introduction to Philosophy
Section
001,
LEC
Instructor:
Gibbard,Allan F
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
Reqs:
HU
Other:
Honors
|
Credit Exclusions:
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in PHIL 181, 182, 202, 231, 232, or 234.
This is an Honors introduction to a sampling of contemporary philosophical problems. Topics include determinism, freedom, and moral responsibility; skepticism and the problem of induction; mind and body; the nature of morality; the existence of God; perception and the physical world; and meaning, verification, and the possibility of metaphysics. Extensive and very careful reading will be required. There will be little lecturing, and we will expect to benefit from active discussion on the part of everyone. The other requirements for the course are three short papers (c. 5 pp. each), a midterm and a final exam.
Advisory Prerequisites:
Honors students or permission of instructor.
|
|
|
PHIL
297
-
Honors Introduction to Philosophy
Section
002,
LEC
Instructor:
Schmaltz,Tad M
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
Reqs:
HU
Other:
Honors
|
Credit Exclusions:
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in PHIL 181, 182, 202, 231, 232, or 234.
In this course we will consider some of the central problems of philosophy. We will begin with a consideration of one of the foundational texts of modern philosophy, the Meditations of René Descartes (1596-1650). Then we will consider historical and contemporary treatments of three main topics related to the discussion in the Meditations, namely, the relation between mind and body, the existence and nature of God, and free will and moral responsibility.
Advisory Prerequisites:
Honors students or permission of instructor.
|
|
|
PHIL
303
-
Introduction to Symbolic Logic
Section
001,
LEC
Instructor:
Belot,Gordon
|
FA 2010
Credits:
4
Reqs:
BS, MSA, QR/1
|
Credit Exclusions:
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in PHIL 296 or 414.
Historically, at least two concerns have driven the development of formal systems of logic to make explicit principles of good reasoning and to systematize inquiry in mathematics and the physical sciences. Central to these concerns is the idea that good reasoning is 'truth-preserving' reasoning. ('Truth-preserving' reasoning cannot fail to take one from true premises to true conclusions.) One goal we have in the study of logic is to get a grasp on which forms of argument are truth-preserving and which are not. In this course, we study two simple yet powerful systems of formal logic — 'sentential' logic, which takes sentences as the basic unit of logical analysis, and 'predicate' logic, which takes predicates and terms as the basic units. In the course of learning these systems, we will have the chance to apply formal techniques in analyzing ordinary, garden-variety arguments, and in solving various practical problems. After mastering these logics, we'll raise some important questions concerning their power and dependability. In order to answer our questions we will have to develop a 'meta-theory' for the systems we've studied. And along the way, we will learn to employ the extremely important tool of mathematical induction. No previous training in logic is required. Frequent homework assignments, two midterm examinations, and a final examination.
|
|
|
PHIL
345
-
Language and Mind
Section
001,
LEC
Instructor:
Braddon-Mitchell,David Roy
|
FA 2010
Credits:
3
Reqs:
HU
|
An introduction to modern theories of the nature of mind, and some important contemporary issues in the philosophy of mind and some relevant background in the philosophy of language. Topics will include the problem of mental representation (how can minds think about the world?), the relationship of minds to brains, and the problem of consciousness.
Advisory Prerequisites:
One philosophy course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|