A number of philosophy courses that do not carry prerequisites are available in the Fall to first-year students. These include general introductions designed to acquaint students with a representative sample of philosophical problems (232, 234 and 297), as well as an introduction that focuses on philosophical issues that arise in conjunction with religion (365). The department also offers an introduction to formal logic (303) this Fall term, and a First-year Seminar (196).
The general introductions deal, for example, with questions concerning the nature of reality, knowledge, the self and the mind, freedom, morality, society, and religion. Philosophy 232 and 234 differ in that 232 is structured around the discussion of philosophical problems as addressed by philosophers in the twentieth century, whereas 234 is focused on major figures in the history of philosophy. Philosophy 297 is an introduction to philosophy open to Honors students (and to others by permission of the instructor), taught by faculty members to groups of 25 students. Philosophy 365, "Problems of Religion," is a more topical introductory course. Philosophy 303 is an introduction to formal or symbolic logic. Though these latter two courses carry a 300-level number, they have no prerequisites.
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/). To request a copy of the undergraduate brochure, contact the Department Office (2215 Angell Hall, 764-6285). The Office can also provide information about the Department's Undergraduate Philosophy Club and undergraduate e-mail group.
180. Introductory Logic. Credit is granted for only one of Phil. 180 or 201. (3). (HU). (BS).
This course is designed both to improve critical reasoning skills that could be of use in a wide range of disciplines and careers, and to provide an introduction to formal logic. The course examines some of the problems and fallacies which arise in informal reasoning, some of the elements of formal (symbolic) logic, and logical concepts used in the analysis and criticism of arguments. The course gives some attention to issues in branches of philosophy germane to logic, for example, the theory of knowledge, philosophy of language, and metaphysics. There will be lectures, demonstrations of problem-solving techniques, and a variety of exercises. The course is limited to 50 students, which should permit opportunity for discussion. Texts and methods of evaluation to be determined. WL:4
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181. Philosophical Issues: An Introduction. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 182, 202, 231, 232, 234, or 297. (3). (HU).
Sections 001 and 002. This course examines some of the main problems of philosophy, such as: How do we know that anything exists, other than ourselves? 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 free will or 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 different kinds of social, political, and economic organization, and what reasons are there for preferring one to another? How should one live one's life? What is the meaning of life, and what does this question mean? Are there good reasons for believing that God exists? Students will write papers discussing a number of these topics. WL:4Check Times and Availability
196. First Year Seminar. First year students; second year students with permission of instructor. (3). (HU).
Section 001 - Philosophy and the Future of Work. What will work be like in the next century? What jobs will have been automated away by then, and in what areas will the new ones be created? And what is happening to work overall? Is there an alternative to work becoming ever more frenetic and demanding? Is it conceivable that the brilliant inventions of Hi-technology could be used not to create ever greater pressures and more unemployment, but instead a culture in which work for a far greater number could become more nearly a vocation or a calling? What movements in various countries have already taken steps in this direction? This course will address these and similar questions quite directly, but it will also, and in large part, ask these questions in the light of major philosophic writings. These will include philosophers like Hegel, Nietzsche and Marx, but also Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism, Henry David Thoreau's Walden, and Paul Goodman's Growing Up Absurd. One paper, one oral presentation and final examination. WL:1 (Bergmann)
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201. Introduction to Logic. Credit is granted for only one of Phil. 180 or 201. (3). (HU). (BS).
This course aims to give students a thorough understanding of the fundamental forms of reasoning and rational argument, and to improve critical reasoning skills that could be of use in a wide range of disciplines and careers. The course examines some of the problems and fallacies which arise in informal reasoning and logical concepts used in the analysis and criticism of arguments. Some elements of formal (symbolic) logic might be introduced. Though students will be expected to master some technical detail, the course emphasizes informal logical techniques applicable to problem solving and argument in any area of inquiry. Both deductive and inductive patterns of argument will be examined. The small sections size (usually about 25 students) is conducive to informality and considerable student participation. There will also be lectures, demonstrations of problem-solving techniques, and a variety of exercises. Normally, there are weekly assignments, and short, periodic quizzes. WL:4Check Times and Availability
202. Introduction to Philosophy. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 181, 182, 231, 232, 234, or 297. (3). (HU).
This course introduces students to philosophy through an examination of some central philosophical problems. Topics might include: 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? In addressing these questions, 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. WL:4Check Times and Availability
230/Buddhist Studies 230/Asian Studies 230/Rel. 230. Introduction to Buddhism. May not be included in a concentration plan in philosophy. (4). (HU).
See Buddhist Studies 230. (Lopez)
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232. Problems of Philosophy. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 181, 182, 202, 231, 234, or 297. (4). (HU).
This is a first course in philosophy assuming no background in the subject; it is open to students from all areas of the University at any stage in their studies. The course has two main goals. First, to provide a sense of what philosophers think about and why. This will be done through consideration of several historically important issues: the existence of God, skepticism about the external world, personal identity, freedom vs. determinism, moral relativism, and moral responsibility. The second goal is to assist those enrolled in developing their critical and argumentative skills. Philosophy 232 has two discussion meetings per week, and requires three short papers and a final exam. The course has two texts: Anthony Weston, Rulebook for Arguments (Hackett) and Joel Feinberg's anthology Reason and Responsibility (Dickenson). Cost:2 WL:4 (Haslanger)
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234. Introduction to Philosophy: Types of Philosophy. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 181, 182, 202, 231, 232, or 297. (4). (HU).
This course is an introduction to philosophy through aspects of its history. Participants will be introduced to philosophical problems and theories via the close study of central passages from at least some of Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. The emphasis will be equally on trying to discover what these writers were arguing, and whether their arguments are cogent. The topics that will be covered will be selected from a list including among others: the nature of human knowledge; the freedom of the will; the relationship between mind and body; the nature of the good life; the source of authority of the state. The mode of instruction will be lectures with attendance at discussion sections. Students will be expected to write two short papers and to take midterm and final examinations. WL:4 (Rumfitt)
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297. Honors Introduction to Philosophy. Honors students or permission of instructor. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 181, 182, 202, 231, 232, or 234. (3). (HU).
Section 001. This is an honors introduction to a sampling of contemporary philosophical problems. Topics might 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 four short papers (c. 5 pp. each) and a final exam. WL:4 (Gibbard)
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Section 003. This course serves as an introduction to three of the perennial issues on which the finest minds in history have exercised their intelligence. The first topic is philosophical scepticism: the thesis that you are never correct if you say you know something. As with many philosophical issues, this one is hard to believe, but also difficult to refute. The second topic is the relationship of the mind to the body and its physical activity. Are mental events just physical events such as states of the nervous system, or do they have a distinctive nature of their own? Finally, we will take up the question of how (if at all) we can rightly be said to act on rational decisions, or on choices made by our free will when we are apparently physical organisms in a universe governed by brute, unreasoning laws of nature. There will be three short papers. WL:4 (Tappenden)
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303. Introduction to Symbolic Logic. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in Phil. 203, 296 or 414. (3). (MSA). (BS).
Symbolic logic is the application of formal, mathematical methods to human reasoning. Its goal is to determine which forms of reasoning must produce true conclusions when applied to true premises. This course will introduce students to the two simplest, but most important systems of formal logic: the propositional calculus, which classifies forms of reasoning that involve the truth-functional operations of negation, disjunction, and conjunction ("not," "or" and "and"); and the monadic predicate calculus, which characterizes inferences involving the quantifiers "all" and "some." The first half of the course will focus on the propositional calculus. A system of inference rules will be developed, and students will be shown how it can be applied both to the evaluation of ordinary arguments and to problems as "practical" as the design of computer chips and the simplification of electric circuitry in houses. A series of "metatheorems" will then be proved to show that the system developed indeed captures all and only the valid truth-functional inferences. During this portion of the course, students will also be asked to master proofs by mathematical induction. The second half of the course will be dedicated to the study of first-order logic. Basic concepts of the proof theory and model theory for first-order monadic languages will be discussed, and the important metatheorems theorems will be stated, among them the completeness, compactness, and Lowenheim Skolem theorems. There will be regular homework assignments, assigned weekly, as well as a midterm examination and a final. WL:1 (Joyce)
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365/Rel. 365. Problems of Religion. (4). (HU).
This course will focus primarily on doctrines common to the major monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam): that there is one God, a personal being who created the universe, who has revealed himself to his creatures, and who requires certain conduct of them. We will explore various questions these doctrines raise: Are there good reasons to believe in such a god? Can his existence be reconciled with the existence of evil? Can we expect a life after this life? Is belief in such a god essential to morality? And how ought believers to treat those who hold very different religious beliefs? There will be some attention to non-western religions, of which Buddhism will be taken as representative. WL:4 (Curley)
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