98-99 LS&A Bulletin

Courses in Philosophy (Division 442)

180. Introductory Logic. Credit is granted for only one of Phil. 180 or 201. (3). (HU). (BS).
An elementary introduction to logic. Topics include the concepts of validity and invalidity of arguments, fallacies in reasoning, the nature and use of definitions. The basic principles of modern deductive logic are covered; elements of inductive logic may also be discussed.

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).
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.

182. Philosophical Issues: An Introduction. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 181, 202, 231, 232, 234, or 297. (HU).
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.

183. Critical Thinking. (3). (HU).
This course deals with methods and strategies of critical thinking, including: the construction of arguments, the use and misuse of statistics, the role of presupposition and frameworks, fact and value, cost-benefit analysis, interpretation, objectivity, ideology, approaches of the special disciplines, the use of alternative hypotheses, methods of quantitative and qualitative research.

196. First Year Seminar. Only first-year students, including those with sophomore standing, may pre-register for First-Year Seminars. All others need permission of instructor. (3). (HU).
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.

201. Introduction to Logic. Credit is granted for only one of Phil. 180 or 201. (3). (HU). (BS).
An introduction to logic at the elementary level. Topics include discussions of such notions as the validity and invalidity of arguments, fallacies in reasoning, the nature of argument, and the justification of belief. Basic elements of deductive reasoning are considered, and there is a survey of fundamental principles of modern formal logic. Elements of inductive reasoning may also be discussed.

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).
An introduction to the basic problems and methods of philosophy. The course may be oriented around certain fundamental problems of philosophy, with a content similar to that of Phil. 232, or it may have a more historical orientation. The course differs from Phil. 232 and Phil. 234 in that it is taught in class sections.

230/Buddhist Studies 230/Asian Studies 230/Rel. 230. Introduction to Buddhism. (4). (HU). May not be included in a concentration plan in philosophy.
Introductory lectures and readings on the history and literature of Buddhism in India and Tibet followed by a discussion of the basic problems of Buddhist religion and philosophy in the light of selected Buddhist texts in translation.

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).
An introduction to the basic problems and methods of philosophy. Such problems as the nature of the world and the place of minds in it, the grounds for our beliefs about the world, the justification of religious beliefs, and the nature and justification of our moral principles are considered. Readings from the works of philosophers of historical importance and from contemporary philosophers are assigned. The course is taught by lecture and discussion sections.

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).
An introduction to philosophy. The course considers some chief types of philosophical thinking by readings in and discussion of important, representative philosophers. The course provides an introduction to some fundamental problems and methods of philosophy by presenting them in historical perspective. The course is taught by lecture and discussion sections.

296. Honors Introduction to Logic. Honors students or permission of instructor. Credit is granted for only one of Phil. 203, 303, or 296. (3). (MSA). (BS). (QR/1).
An introduction to the study of modern formal logic, with attention to its mathematical development and to its philosophical foundations and applications.

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).
A thorough examination of selected philosophical problems.

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).
An introduction to formal logic with emphasis on truth-functional languages and monadic predicate logic with identity. The course covers the metatheory of truth-functional logic in detail, and also basic concepts of the proof theory and model theory for first-order languages.

319. Philosophy of the Arts. Phil. 202. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in Phil. 419. (3). (HU).
Philosophical problems concerning the interpretation and evaluation of the arts, and the place of the arts in society.

320. The World-View of Modern Science. (3). (HU). (BS).
A philosophical examination of the relation between our "common-sense" conception of reality and the world-view presented by modern science, especially physics. This course explores such topics as the impact of relativistic physics on our views about space and time and the impact of quantum mechanics on our views about causation, chance, and free will. No scientific background is presupposed as nontechnical expositions of the theories are presented in the course.

340. Mind, Matter, and Machines. (4). (HU).
A study of some central questions about the human mind and its place in nature. Topics may include the materialist vs. the dualist conceptions of mind, behaviorism, minds as machines, the mentality of computing devices, and the concept of a person as an enduring entity and moral agent.

344. Ethics and Health Care. Inteflex 101, 201, or 301, or an introductory philosophy course. (3). (HU).
This course addresses the ethical problems faced by patients, health care providers, and health care institutions. Students are presented with a wide variety of viewpoints on specific cases and theory that givers them the opportunity to become knowledgeable about the current literature on ethics in health care.

345. Language and Mind. One philosophy course. (3). (HU).
A study of the structure of language; the psychological mechanisms underlying language; the nature of meaning; and the relations among language, thought, and the world.

355. Contemporary Moral Problems. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 455. (4). (HU).
The purpose of this course is to explore the moral issues confronting us in our daily lives and in our special disciplines. The topics discussed may include abortion, sex and sexual perversion, drugs, death and suicide, civil disobedience, punishment, pacifism, war, problems in medical ethics (eugenics, euthanasia, sanctity of life, organ transplants, defining death), environmental ethics, and the ethics of scientific research.

356. Issues in Bioethics. No prerequisites; one philosophy introduction is recommended. (4). (HU).
An examination of various ethical issues having to do with biology, medicine, and human and animal life in general, such as abortion, euthanasia, the idea of the rights of animals, medical care and the rights and obligations involved in it.

359. Law and Philosophy. (4). (HU).
A philosophical analysis of legal institutions. Topics include: the nature of law, the source of legal authority, legal interpretation, equality and discrimination, democracy and voting rights, property rights and distributive justice, social control and liberty, the justification of punishment, and criminal responsibility.

361. Ethics. One philosophy introduction. (4). (HU).
An introduction to fundamental issues in moral philosophy.

363/RC Hums. 363. Philosophical Bases of Communism, Fascism, and Democracy. One philosophy introduction. (4). (HU).
An account of the philosophical ideas underlying liberal democracy, communism, and fascism, with special attention given to democracy and fascism. Particular emphasis is placed on the theoretical discussion of democracy and on the origin and systematic character of the official Soviet philosophy.

365/Rel. 365. Problems of Religion. (4). (HU).
A philosophic examination of basic religious problems such as the nature of religion, the existence and nature of God, methods of attaining religious knowledge, the problem of evil, and immortality.

366. Introduction to Political Philosophy. One philosophy introduction. (4). (HU).
A discussion of some of the major philosophical problems of the state. Topics discussed may include justification of the power of states, political authority and obligation, political freedom, democracy, representation, and justice.

368. Philosophy of Film. (3). (HU).
An investigation of fundamental philosophical issues concerning the nature and importance of the film medium.

369. Philosophy of Law. One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
A study of fundamental philosophical issues concerning law: What is law? And how do we know it? Are there empirical methods for determining law, or is it based in value?

370. Philosophical Aspects of Literature. (3). (HU).
An examination of selected literary works (novels, poems, plays) with emphasis on the philosophical, social, and political ideas expressed and on the philosophical problems associated with understanding, interpreting, and appreciating them.

371. Existentialism. One philosophy introduction. (3). (HU).
A consideration of the major twentieth-century representatives of the existentialist movement with special attention given to their novels and plays. Contemporary figures are introduced, with a discussion of their nineteenth century forebearers including Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, and Nietzsche.

375. Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud. (3). (HU).
This course traces and analyzes some of the principal ideas in nineteenth-century European thought through discussion of central texts by dominant figures of the time. Some of the areas which may be discussed include Hegelian metaphysics and political philosophy, Marx's theory of alienation, the doctrine of historical materialism, Nietzsche's views on ethics, and Freud's philosophy of culture.

383. Knowledge and Reality. One course in philosophy. (3). (HU).
An introduction to contemporary epistemology and metaphysics through an examination of such central topics as skepticism and the possibility of knowledge, the structure of epistemic justification, perceptions as a source of knowledge of the world, a priori knowledge, the persistence of persons and objects, the nature of causality, and the modes of existence.

385. Continental Philosophy Since 1900. One course in philosophy. (3). (HU).
This course is a survey of French and German philosophy since the emergence of phenomenology at the beginning of this century. Topics discussed include: phenomenology, existentialism, structuralism, critical theory, and hermeneutics, as represented in the works of such thinkers as Husserl, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Levi Strauss, Horkheimer, Foucault, and Gadamer.

388/Class. Civil. 388. History of Philosophy: Ancient. One philosophy introduction. A knowledge of Greek or Latin is not required. (4). (HU).
Western philosophy from its historical beginning through the Hellenistic period and including the pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Stoicism, and Scepticism.

389. History of Philosophy: Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. One philosophy introduction. (4). (HU).
An important formative period in modern Western philosophy. Writings of most or all of the following are studied: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. The course is planned with the needs of philosophy majors in mind and concentrates on metaphysical and epistemological issues. There may be some attention to the moral philosophy of the period.

397. Topics in Philosophy. Permission of concentration advisor and instructor. (1-4). (Excl). May be elected for credit twice with permission of concentration advisor.
This course number is designed to permit philosophy concentrators, upon recommendation of a concentration advisor, to elect a course a second time for credit when it has a different instructor and covers substantially different material.

399. Independent Study. One philosophy introduction and permission of instructor. (1-4). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT). May be elected twice for a total of eight credits with permission of concentration advisor.
Independent study of a topic not otherwise available through a regular departmental offering.

401. Undergraduate Honors Seminar. Open to Honors concentrators in Philosophy and others by permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
A discussion of selected topics of contemporary philosophical interest within a seminar format. Students write papers for presentation and discussion in class.

402. Undergraduate Seminar in Philosophy. Open to junior and senior concentrators and to others by permission of concentration advisor. (3). (Excl).
A discussion of selected topics of contemporary philosophical interest within a seminar format. Students write papers for presentation and discussion in class.

404. Introduction to Analytical Philosophy. One philosophy introduction. Intended primarily for undergraduates with a philosophy concentration; not open to graduate students. (3). (Excl).
Some central problems of twentieth century analytic philosophers. Emphasis is on the techniques and methodology of recent philosophers.

405. Philosophy of Plato. One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
A systematic study of Plato's philosophy.

406. Aristotle. One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
A systematic study of Aristotle's philosophy.

409. Philosophy of Language. One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
A consideration of basic concepts and methods used by philosophers and linguists to analyze language and of fundamental problems concerning language and its place in human activity. Among the topics which may be considered are meaning, reference, synonymy, analyticity, speech acts, ambiguity, metaphor, truth and logical truth, and the relation of language, thought, and culture.

411. Philosophy of Social Science. One philosophy course or social science background. (3). (Excl).
The nature of science, scientific explanation, scientific laws and theories, theoretical concepts, and the testing of hypotheses with special reference to the social sciences. Special topics may include behaviorism, the nature of historical explanation, and alternative conceptual frameworks for the explanation of human behavior.

412. Philosophy in Literature. One course in philosophy; not open to first- and second-year students. (3). (Excl).
A study of the philosophic content of literary works by Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, Kafka, Gide, Hesse, Sartre, Camus, Doris Lessing, and others.

414. Mathematical Logic. (3). (Excl). (BS). (QR/1).
An introduction to truth function theory and quantification theory, including the completeness of quantification theory.

415. Advanced Mathematical Logic. Phil. 414. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in 417. (3). (Excl). (BS).
The principal topic is Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems, proved in detail, and some of their ramifications.

416. Modal Logic. Phil. 414. (3). (Excl). (BS).
The logic of necessity, possibility, and other intensional discourse. Emphasis is placed on the formal semantical structures of Montague, Kripke, and Scott in the analysis of both propositional and quantified modal languages and on the model theory of these structures.

418. Philosophy of Mathematics. Phil. 414. (3). (Excl). (BS).
The epistemological and metaphysical problems peculiar to mathematics. Some use is made of mathematical logic.

419. Philosophy of the Arts. Not open to philosophy graduate students. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in Phil. 319. (3). (Excl). Will not satisfy 400-level course requirement for concentration in philosophy.
Philosophical problems concerning the interpretation and evaluation of the arts, and the place of the arts in society.

420. Philosophy of Science. A course in logic. (3). (Excl). (BS).
Analysis of some of the basic concepts used to describe the structure of science such as explanation, prediction, law, cause, theory, confirmation, probability, observation, and measurement. Emphasis and content varies from year to year.

422. Philosophy of Physics. One philosophy introduction or logic introduction or 12 credits of science. (3). (Excl). (BS).
A philosophical examination of the foundation problems of physical theory such as the concepts of statistical mechanics; the nature of basic laws of dynamics; and the problem of measurement in quantum mechanics.

423. Problems of Space and Time. One logic introduction and either one other philosophy course or 12 credits of science. (3). (Excl). (BS).
An examination of philosophical problems associated with the nature of space and time. Both traditional philosophical questions and those suggested by classical and contemporary physics are discussed.

425. Philosophy of Biology. One course in philosophy or biology. (3). (Excl).
This course introduces students to basic concepts in evolutionary biology and in the philosophy of science, and discusses the connections between the two disciplines.

428/Poli. Sci. 428/Asian Studies 428/Soc. 426. China's Evolution Under Communism. Upperclass standing. (4). (Excl).
An analysis of developments since 1949 with particular emphasis on the evolution of political control, economic development, and social change and their relationship to ideology.

429. Ethical Analysis. Phil. 361, 363, or 366. (3). (Excl).
A discussion of questions about the nature, object, forms, basis, and justification of morality: the relation of morality to the good life.

430. Topics in Ethics. Phil. 361. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.
This course deals with a major topic or major topics in ethics. The topics vary, and sometimes will be the work of a single figure (e.g., Mill, Sidgwick, Rawls) or a small group of figures, and sometimes will be a school or a problem (e.g., utilitarianism, ethical relativism).

431. Normative Ethics. One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
An examination of normative theories such as egoism, utilitarianism, and social contractarianism; possible justifications for such theories; and their implications for economic policy, criminal law, etc.

433. History of Ethics. Phil. 361. (3). (Excl).
The history of ethical thinking in the Western tradition from the Greeks to 1930. Usually the course emphasizes only major figures, but sometimes there may be concentration on a particular period.

435. Philosophy of Logic. One Logic Introduction. (3). (Excl). (BS).
Analysis of some fundamental concepts of logic such as proposition, implication, and logical truth and the relations of formal logic to the logic of informal discourse and methodology of the deductive sciences.

437/MHM 437. Philosophy of Music. An introductory course in philosophy; or previous course work in music. (3). (Excl).
A philosophical investigation of the nature and significance of music. What is music and how is it important? Does music have "meaning"? What is musical expressiveness? Does music portray or represent emotions? What kinds of feelings does it evoke? What makes a musical performance not merely "correct" but good?

439. Aesthetics. One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
A theoretical examination of the nature of the institution of art, including an investigation of the concepts of works of art, aesthetic appreciation, aesthetic judgment, aesthetic value, representation and symbolism in art, expression, etc.

440. Camera Arts. One previous course in philosophy at the 300 level or above, or one course in History of Art, or one course in Film and Video Studies. (3). (Excl).
A philosophical study of the nature and significance of the main camera arts - still photography, film, and the art (or arts) of video - against the background of older and broader questions about the nature of art and the nature of pictures.

442. Topics in Political Philosophy. Phil. 363, 366, or 441. (3). (Excl).
An examination of the idea of a human right, liberty, democracy, justice, or alienation with special attention to the fundamental philosophic issues. Each time the course is offered, one of these ideas is taken as a central theme for the term's work.

443. Foundations of Rational Choice Theory. Two courses in philosophy, economics, or psychology (or some combination thereof), and satisfaction of the quantitative reasoning requirement. (3). (Excl).
Introduces advanced undergraduates and graduate students to the modern theory of rational choice, and explores some of its philosophical implications. The theory has three branches: decision theory, which evaluates the choices of individuals; game theory, which deals with interactions between agents in competitive situations; and social choice theory, which concerns the way in which collective choices depend on the choices of individual agents.

450. Philosophy of Cognition. Two courses in Philosophy. (3). (Excl).
A study of the aims, resources, and methods of cognition, including individual mental operations as well as social structures of communication. Perspectives from philosophy, psychology, and the social sciences are examined.

455. Contemporary Moral Problems. Not open to graduate students in philosophy. No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in Phil. 355. (4). (Excl). Does not meet the Philosophy Department's 400-level course requirement for Philosophy concentrators.
The purpose of this course is to explore the moral issues confronting us in our daily lives and in our special disciplines. Topics discussed may include abortion, sex and sexual perversion, drugs, death and suicide, civil disobedience, punishment, pacifism, war, problems in medical ethics (eugenics, euthanasia, sanctity of life, organ transplants, defining death), environmental ethics, and the ethics of scientific research.

458. Philosophy of Kant. Phil. 389, 461, or 462, or permission of instructor, or concentration advisor. (3). (Excl).
An intensive study of Kant's philosophy centered on The Critique of Pure Reason. Kant's major works in ethics and aesthetics may also be considered.

460. Medieval Philosophy. One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
The problems of evil, universals, essence and existence; proofs of God's existence; the relation of philosophy to revelation as discussed by Augustine, Anselm, Abelard, Aquinas, Duns Scotus, and William of Ockham.

461. Continental Rationalism. One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
Philosophical thought on the European continent in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, including Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz.

462. British Empiricism. One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
An examination of the philosophies of Locke, Berkeley, and Hume.

463. Topics in the History of Philosophy. Phil. 388 or 389. (3). (Excl).
An intensive critical study of selected texts and issues from the history of Western philosophy, dealing with material that is not usually covered in the department's regular basic offerings in the history of philosophy.

465. Contemporary Continental Philosophy. One of philosophy 371, 375, 385, or 389. (3). (Excl).
A critical study of the philosophies of Heidegger, Jaspers, Sartre, Camus, and others.

466. Topics in Continental Philosophy. One of Phil. 371, 375, 385, or 389. (3). (Excl).
An intensive critical study of certain selected thinkers and topics in nineteenth and twentieth century continental philosophy.

468/Chinese 468/Asian Studies 468. Classical Chinese Thought (To A.D. 220). Upperclass standing; no knowledge of Chinese required. (3). (HU).
Focuses on the major philosophical schools of the Chou-Han period. Special consideration is given to the Confucian and Taoist schools since doctrines associated with them were the sources of the two major philosophical traditions in China for the next 2000 years.

469/Chinese 469/Asian Studies 469. Later Chinese Thought (A.D. 220-1849). Upperclass standing; no knowledge of Chinese required. (3). (HU).
Examines the poetic, philosophical, and religious aspects of the Taoist revival of the third century A.D., Chinese Buddhism, and Neo-Confucianism that dominates Chinese thought from the twelfth through the nineteenth centuries.

475/Chinese 475/Hist. of Art 487/RC Hums. 475/Asian Studies 475. The Arts and Letters of China. (4). (HU). May not be included in a concentration plan in philosophy.
An interdisciplinary introduction to Chinese civilization through the study of significant and representative works from philosophy, art, drama, and literature. Taught jointly by a team of faculty specialists.

477. Theory of Knowledge. One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
A philosophical examination of problems concerning the nature and possibility of human knowledge. Topics may include the definition of knowledge, skepticism, sense perception and the external world, memory and knowledge of the past, knowledge of necessary truth, conditions of justified belief, and the objectivity of knowledge.

480. Philosophy of Religion. One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
An intensive study of several of the major problems in the philosophy of religion such as the arguments for the existence of God, the significance of religious experience, the problem of evil, the meaning of religious language, and the possibility of resurrection and immortality.

481. Metaphysics. One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
An examination of some of the central problems in metaphysics such as appearance and reality, time, universals and particulars, causality and freedom, and the nature of metaphysical systems.

482. Philosophy of Mind. One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
Analysis of mental concepts such as consciousness, perception, and thinking. Consideration of philosophical problems concerning the mind such as personal identity, the relation of mind and body, and our knowledge of other minds. Attention is given to the bearing of psychology on these topics.

485. Philosophy of Action. Two philosophy courses. (3). (Excl).
This course investigates the nature of human action, including such issues as: reasons for acting, free will, moral responsibility, and intention.

486/WS 486. Topics in Feminist Philosophy. Two courses in either Philosophy or Women's Studies. (3). (Excl).
This course offers a philosophical examination of gender and feminism as these relate to topics of traditional philosophical concern. Topics to be studied may include feminist moral and political philosophy, feminist epistemology and philosophy of science, and feminist theories of the self, sexuality, and society.

487. Wittgenstein. One philosophy introduction and another course in philosophy. (3). (Excl).
An intensive examination of the writings of Wittgenstein.

492. Frege, Russell, and Wittgenstein. Phil. 414. (3). (Excl).
A study of the theories of meaning of Frege, Russell, and Wittgenstein, with reference to their metaphysical and epistemological implications.

498. Senior Honors in Philosophy. By departmental permission only. (3). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT).
Students who wish to elect the Philosophy 498-499 sequence should consult with the departmental Honors counselor by the end of the preceding academic year.

499. Senior Honors in Philosophy. By departmental permission only. (3). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT).
Students who wish to elect the Philosophy 498-499 sequence should consult with the departmental Honors counselor by the end of the preceding academic year.

505/Chinese 505/Asian Studies 505. Modern Chinese Thought. Permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
The philosophical foundations of Chinese views of man and society, with special attention to values. The historical period selected varies. Material in this course is accessible and of interest to both upperclass and graduate students who have had some previous introduction to China. The seminar format encourages debate on controversial interpretations of trends in Chinese thought.


University of Michigan | College of LS&A | Student Academic Affairs | LS&A Bulletin Index


Copyright © 1998
The Regents of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
1.734.764.1817 (University Operator)