Course Descriptions
Philosophy 101G The Art of Wondering TBA (Sections M01, M05)
General catalog description: Introduction to some of the main problems of philosophy, with an emphasis on critical thinking. Philosophy conceived as an aid to living in this world with oneself and with others.
Philosophy 101G The Art of Wondering Noonan (Sections M02, M03)
An introduction to the aims, methods, and problems of philosophy. The course will cover a broad range of questions of enduring philosophical interest including the following: What do we really know? Are minds just brains? Does God exist? Are moral judgments purely subjective? Grades will be based on performance on five exams.
Philosophy 101G The Art of Wondering Walker (Section M04)
This course is a “sampler platter” of philosophy: a rapid survey of some of the great philosophical questions. The following are some of the questions we may consider:
• Does life have meaning?
• What happens to us when we die?
• How do we know that we are not living in “The Matrix”?
• How should I live my life?
• Do we have a duty to help those starving in the two-thirds world?
• Does God exist?
• Is it wrong to eat animals?
• What can science tell us about our world and our place in it?
Grades will be based on exams, quizzes and assignments.
Philosophy 201G Introduction to Philosophy Vessel (Section M01)
This course provides an introduction to philosophy by way of a discussion of three central philosophical problems—the problem of free will and determinism, the "mind-body" problem (including puzzles about personal identity), and the problem of the existence and nature of God. In each case, the focus is on careful formulation of doctrines and arguments. The goals are (i) to understand the doctrines and arguments; (ii) to develop the ability to evaluate the doctrines and arguments; and (iii) to begin to develop the ability to extract well-formulated, interesting arguments from philosophical texts. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, Anselm, Aquinas, Descartes, Leibniz, Hume, and contemporary philosophers. Requirements: exams, quizzes, and mini-quizzes.
Philosophy 211G Informal Logic Noonan (Section M01)
The purpose of this course is to hone student’s critical thinking skills. This skill has wide application. It should help students in their other course work as well as in practically any profession they may choose. The course will expose students to claims and arguments from a wide range of sources including advertising, politics, popular media, science and pseudoscience in order to identify errors in reasoning, misleading phraseology and effective argument strategies. The textbook for the course will be Crimes Against Logic by Jamie Whyte.
Philosophy 223G Ethics TBA (Section M01)
General catalog description: The philosophical explication of morality. Significant ethical systems developed in the history of Western thought.
Philosophy 302 Business Ethics TBA (Section M01)
General catalog description: An analysis of the ethical issues that arise in contemporary business life, including the obligations businesses and employees have to each other, consumers, society and the environment.
Philosophy 3l2 Formal Logic Cleveland Section M01)
This course is an introduction to symbolic logic which is concerned with the formal aspects of correct reasoning. Logic is the most scientific branch of philosophy, and symbolic logic, like the sciences in general, makes ample use of symbols to represent the formal structure of arguments, as well as of other entities of logical concern.
As suggested by the reference to symbols above, the course is "mathematical in spirit," but, unlike a course in mathematical logic, a great deal of emphasis is placed on the proper symbolic representation of statements, sets of statements and arguments which are, in their original form, in ordinary language (i.e. the language of everyday use).
Formal techniques are introduced for the evaluation of the symbolic representations of the entities of logical interest. Specifically, the techniques of truth-functional and elementary quantificational logic will be treated. Selected additional topics will be treated, as well as some features of logical theory. The emphasis will be on deductive logic.
Students majoring in mathematics will find the course especially useful, for, while the course does not duplicate the usual course in mathematical logic, it constitutes a helpful preliminary to such a course. Students majoring in the natural or social sciences, especially those sciences involving the symbolic representation of statements in ordinary language, should also find the course especially useful. So too will those students majoring in engineering or other technological endeavors.
Philosophy 321 Biomedical Ethics Walker (Section M01)
In this course we will examine moral concerns that arise in connection with life, death and health. Some of these issues touch each of us: we are all born and we all die. Most of us have been ill, or have cared for someone who is ill. How we treat each other through these life stages profoundly impacts the quality of life we experience as individuals; it also says something important about us as a moral community. Some of the questions we will examine are:
• Is abortion ever morally permissible?
• Is it morally justifiable to force expectant mothers into drug rehabilitation programs in order to protect the developing fetus?
• Are genetic researchers justified in their search for “gay genes”?
• How should we handle refusals of medical treatment?
• Can medical experiments on children ever be justified?
• Under what circumstances, if any, should physicians break physician-patient confidentiality?
Philosophy 323V Engineering Ethics Vessel (Section M01)
After a brief introduction to logic and ethical theory, students will gain familiarity with many of the most controversial philosophical arguments relevant to contemporary engineering. Topics to be studied include: the challenges of acting responsibly in engineering and scientific practices, how to balance profit and the risk of public harm, honesty in research, legal vs. moral responsibility, and environmental concerns. Our focus will be on (i) careful study of the relevant texts and (ii) clear and precise formulation and evaluation of the most important principles and arguments. Requirements: exams, a term paper, a short presentation, and a series of quizzes.
Philosophy 325 Topics in Feminist Philosophy Noonan (Section M01)
This course explores several issues related to gender from a philosophical perspective. Topics include the politics of work and family, pornography, abortion, norms of appearance, feminist critiques of science, and gender-based differences in thought and behavior. The class is discussion-oriented, encouraging lively debate rather than just “preaching to the choir.” The textbook for the course will be Feminism: Issues & Arguments by Jennifer Mather Saul.
Philosophy 327 Ethics and Sports Vessel (Section M01)
This course serves as an introduction to some of the most salient ethical puzzles associated with sports. The beginning of the course provides a brisk introduction to ethical theory by way of an exposure to the basic concepts of the normative ethics of behavior and a brief survey of a few of the more popular normative ethical theories. Then we will move immediately into an examination of the relationship between morally right action and action required for competitive success in sporting activities. We will explore whether consent among competitors can lift what might otherwise be considered to be binding moral constraints. We will examine and evaluate paternalistic arguments that have been put forth to restrict sporting competitors from engaging in certain types of action. And we will discuss the moral implications associated with fair play, rule-breaking, and “being a good sportsperson.” Finally, we will examine the positive and negative effects of sports on society by focusing on issues from violence and aggression in sports to the aesthetic and entertainment values associated with sporting events. Requirements: exams, a term paper, a short presentation, and a series of quizzes.
Philosophy 328 Applied Ethics TBA (Section M01)
General catalog description: Examines the implications of utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, natural law theory, and other moral theories for controversial moral issues such as the death penalty, euthanasia, abortion, genetic engineering, gay marriage, affirmative action, and pornography.
Philosophy 350 Epistemology Walker (Section M01)
In this course we will explore the contribution of philosophical analysis to understanding knowledge. Some of the questions we will explore are:
• Can skepticism be refuted?
• Is there a priori knowledge?
• Is inifinitism the solution to the regress problem?
• Is truth the primary epistemic goal?
Philosophy 370 Aesthetics TBA (Section M01)
General course catalog description: Theories on the nature and value of art.
Philosophy 540 Ethical Issues in the Biological Sciences Cleveland Section M01)
This course addresses complex ethical issues facing researchers in the basic and applied biological sciences. The topics discussed will include research integrity and scientific misconduct, intellectual property, conflicts of interest and effort, ethical implications of genetic research and environmental research, and the use of animals and humans in experiments.
Objectives of the course are to provide an introduction to Bioethics for graduate students in biology. The students will be presented with ethical questions, conflicts, and dilemmas that they can be expected to face someday as working scientists. The goal is that the students will gain a ‘literacy’ in the ethical aspects of science, especially biology. Ethical literacy is the ability to recognize ethical problems, articulate reasoned responses to such problems, and so develop an ethical view of one’s own. The goal is not to teach particular ethical ‘truths’ to students but to cultivate critical thinking about ethics in the students. The students will also become familiar with various theoretical views on ethics and how these theories may help formulate and address practical issues in science.
Course text will be Scientific Integrity by Francis L. Macrina, 3rd edition (American Society for Microbiology Press, 2005).