First-Year Courses in Philosophy (Division 442) This page was created at 8:02 AM on Wed, Oct 4, 2000. Fall Term, 2000 (September 6 - December 22) Open courses in Philosophy Wolverine Access Subject listing for PHIL Take me to the Fall Term '00 Time Schedule for Philosophy. To see what first-year courses have been added or changed in Philosophy this week go to What's New This Week. Philosophy is about as broad a subject as one can find in a university curriculum. It addresses a wide array of questions, some quite familiar (Does God exist? Why be moral? What is art?), others less so (What is a thing? Is space a substance?). Philosophy includes the examination of its own methods, and its own history. It also falls within philosophy to examine the methods and practices of virtually all academic disciplines. Because of this breadth, a person can study philosophy in ways involving the styles and techniques of thought of most other fields of inquiry. For example, the work of a philosopher concentrating in logic is much like that of the student of mathematics. A philosopher primarily interested in the philosophy of religion will often be doing much the same things as a theologian or a student of the history of religion. Political philosophy is regarded by some as including political activity itself. Many other such examples exist. In addition, Philosophy examines the practices of other activities, such as the fine arts, that are sometimes thought of as different from typical academic disciplines. However, for the most part the activities characteristic of philosophy are peculiar to the discipline. The only way to know what it's really like is to give it a try. The Department offers a number of courses that do not carry prerequisites: (A) general introductions designed to acquaint students with a representative sample of philosophical problems (181, 202, 232, and 297); (B) introductions that focus on a particular area of philosophy or of human concern – e.g., Chinese philosophy or philosophical issues concerning the law or religion – designed for students who, having no previous background in philosophy, want to study these areas in a philosophical way (263, 359, and 365); and (C) introductions to logic and reasoning (180, 201, and 303, and 414). (A) The general introductions deal, for example, with questions concerning the nature of reality, knowledge, the self and the mind, freedom, morality, society, and religion, but they differ in their instructional format and staffing. Philosophy 202 is taught by advanced graduate students in independent sections of 25 students. Philosophy 181 is taught by faculty, in a combination lecture/discussion format, limited to 50 students. In Philosophy 232, a faculty member delivers a lecture two hours per week, and students divide into groups of 25 for discussion sections led by graduate students. Finally, Philosophy 297, "Honors Introduction," is taught by a faculty member to a group of 25 students. (B) Fall Term courses not carrying prerequisites, but that are more specialized than the general introductions, include "Chinese Philosophy" (263), "Law and Philosophy" (359), and "Philosophy of Religion" (365). These courses do not require previous work in philosophy. In Philosophy 263, 359 and 365, a faculty member delivers a lecture two hours per week, and students divide into groups of 25 for discussion sections led by graduate students. A number of Fall Term 300-level courses require only a single philosophy introduction as a prerequisite: "Philosophy of the Arts" (319), "Language and Mind" (345), "Ethics" (361), "Existentialism" (371), and "History of Philosophy: Ancient", (388). Of these, 345, 361, and 388 meet requirements for the concentration. (C) Among the introductions to logic, Philosophy 180 is designed both to improve critical reasoning skills, and to provide an introduction to formal logic. Philosophy 201 is designed to improve critical reasoning skills, through an introduction to informal logic. Philosophy 303 is an introduction to formal or symbolic logic. Philosophy 414 is a more advanced course in formal logic, and is approved for (QR/1). Philosophy 180 and 303 are taught by faculty, in a combination lecture/discussion format, limited to 50 students. Philosophy 201 is taught by advanced graduate student teaching assistants in independent sections of 25 students. There is additional information about the Department's curriculum in "The Undergraduate Program in Philosophy." This brochure contains information intended for students interested in taking philosophy courses, whether or not they are considering a Philosophy concentration. The Department also maintains a home page (http://www.lsa.umich.edu/philosophy/). Students considering a concentration in Philosophy are encouraged to make an appointment with a Philosophy concentration advisor. To request a copy of the undergraduate brochure, or to schedule an appointment with a concentration advisor, contact the Department Office [2215 Angell Hall, (734) 764-6285]. The Office can also provide information about the Department's Undergraduate Philosophy Club and undergraduate e-mail group. Philo. 297. Honors Introduction to Philosophy. Section 001. Instructor(s): Thomas Hofweber (hofweber@umich.edu) Prerequisites & Distribution: Honors students or permission of instructor. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in Phil. 181, 182, 202, 231, 232, or 234. (3). (HU). Credits: (3; 2 in the half-term). Course Homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hofweber/courses/introfall00.html An introduction to philosophy, focusing on five major topics: Can the existence of God be proven? Can there be an all-powerful and good God in a world with suffering? What is it to be the same person over time? Is it possible to survive the death of one's body? Are we ever free? How, if at all, does freedom fit into a material world? Can we know that there is anything other than ourselves? Might the world around you just be an illusion, or a dream? Why, if at all, should you ever do something other than what is in your best self-interest? What is it to be a good person, and why should one care about being one? Readings will be partly from major historical figures, and partly from contemporary authors. Evaluations will mostly be based on papers. Check Times, Location, and Availability Cost: 1 Waitlist Code: 4 Philo. 297. Honors Introduction to Philosophy. Section 002 – Topic to be determined. Instructor(s): Jason Stanley Prerequisites & Distribution: Honors students or permission of instructor. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in Phil. 181, 182, 202, 231, 232, or 234. (3). (HU). Credits: (3; 2 in the half-term). Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted. A thorough examination of selected philosophical problems. Check Times, Location, and Availability Cost: No Data Given. Waitlist Code: No Data Given. Philo. 297. Honors Introduction to Philosophy. Section 003. Instructor(s): Ian Proops Prerequisites & Distribution: Honors students or permission of instructor. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in Phil. 181, 182, 202, 231, 232, or 234. (3). (HU). Credits: (3; 2 in the half-term). Course Homepage: No Homepage Submitted. This course will provide an introduction to some of the main problems and methods of philosophy, through an examination of three central questions: The existence of God: Are there plausible arguments for the existence of God? How can the existence of an all-powerful, all-knowing, and loving Creator be reconciled with the existence of worldly evil? Free will: How can there be room for human free will and responsibility in a world governed throughout by physical laws? Ethics: Are there any plausible principles dictating how one ought to act? How might we construct a theory to explain our ethical intuitions? There will be about 20-30 pages of (relatively challenging) reading per week, three short papers, and a final exam. The required text is: Reason and Responsibility, edited by Joel Feinberg and Russ Shafer-Landau, 10th edition, Wadsworth Publishers. Overrides: Students seeking overrides should attend the first meeting of classes and give their name to the instructor. Eligibility for overrides will be decided only after that meeting. Please do not e-mail the instructor on this subject. Check Times, Location, and Availability Cost: 2 Waitlist Code: 4 This page was created at 8:02 AM on Wed, Oct 4, 2000. University of Michigan | College of LS&A | Student Academic Affairs | LS&A Bulletin Index This page maintained by LS&A Academic Information and Publications, 1228 Angell Hall Copyright © 2000 The Regents of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA +1 734 764-1817 Trademarks of the University of Michigan may not be electronically or otherwise altered or separated from this document or used for any non-University purpose.