Philosophy (PHIL)

PHIL 102 Reason and Rhetoric (2 credits)

General Education: Oral Communication

Form and style of argumentative discourse; development of critical thinking and rhetorical skills as students prepare and deliver written and oral presentations; construction, evaluation, and presentation of arguments; identification of arguments and fallacies to improve abilities to organize thoughts, express them clearly and simply, and judge the suitability of material for the audience.

PHIL 103 Introduction to Ethics (3 credits)

General Education: Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing

Introduction to philosophical reasoning through historical study of moral thought.

PHIL 200 Philosophy of Alcohol (3 credits)

General Education: Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing

This course will introduce students to philosophical analysis through the topic of alcohol. Some issues we will cover are ethical: Can we exercise free will when intoxicated? If not, can we still blame an intoxicated person for their actions? What is the nature of addiction and when are we justified in intervening on someone else's addiction? Some issues are metaphysical: Are beer styles a natural classification or merely conventional? There are also aesthetic issues: Is taste just subjective, or can we scrutinize taste objectively? Some are historical: What is the role of alcohol in the history of philosophy? This course addresses these and many other philosophical issues that can be presented through the topic of alcohol.

PHIL 201 Critical Thinking (3 credits)

General Education: Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing

Acquiring and improving important skills of thinking, reading, and writing critically; emphasis on avoiding fallacies and mastering forms of valid argument in ordinary language.

PHIL 202 Introduction to Symbolic Logic (3 credits)

Development of systematic techniques for assessing validity of arguments; includes categorical logic, propositional logic, and elementary quantificational logic.

PHIL 204 (s) Special Topics (1-16 credits)

Credit arranged

PHIL 205 Topics in Social Philosophy (3 credits)

This course will introduce students to topics in social philosophy through historical and contemporary readings. Topics may include (but are not limited to), treatments of race, gender, disability status, human rights, and social and political institutions.

PHIL 208 Business Ethics (3 credits)

General Education: Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing

Introduction to philosophical reasoning through historical study of Western moral thought, with specific application to ethical issues related to business practice and corporate social responsibility.

PHIL 209 Mind and Madness (3 credits)

Just exactly what is mental illness? Do all cases of mental illness have some physical underpinning, or is there such a thing as a disorder of thought? What might delusions tell us about the nature and structure of mind? What are the prospects for mind-body medicine? Can we be justified in forcing persons to submit to mental treatment, and under what circumstances? Is mental illness the same across cultures? This course examines these and other questions raised by the study and treatment of mental disorder, as in philosophy of mind, epistemology, action theory, metaethics, and applied ethics. The course also examines the relationship between psychiatric research, clinical practice, and social policy.

PHIL 221 Philosophy in Film (3 credits)

This course uses film as a philosophical text, discussing philosophical theories and topics presented in films, both old and new. Topics typically include the nature of existence, the difference between appearance and reality, motivation, memory, personal identity, and/or authenticity. Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students.

PHIL 240 Belief and Reality (3 credits)

General Education: Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing

Introduction to epistemology (examination of grounds and limits of knowledge) and metaphysics (inquiry into the nature of reality) through historical and contemporary readings.

PHIL 302 Biblical Judaism: Texts and Thought (3 credits)

Cross-listed with RELS 302

Analysis of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and related texts with an emphasis on hermeneutics and thought.

PHIL 307 Buddhism (3 credits)

Cross-listed with RELS 307

Philosophy and religion of Gautama Buddha as it developed in India, Tibet, China, and Japan.

PHIL 312 Decision Theory (3 credits)

This course is an introduction to decision theory. Students will learn how to model decisions. The models will be used to analyze decisions made under ignorance and under risk (or uncertainty). The course then examines various philosophical aspects of the field, including the nature of utility and probability. Finally, the course examines various applications of decision theory and alternative approaches (some complementary, others rivalry).

PHIL 320 History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (3 credits)

Philosophical thought from the early Greeks through the Middle Ages; concentration on metaphysics and theory of knowledge. Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students.

PHIL 321 History of Modern Philosophy (3 credits)

Critical evaluation of the thought of major figures in early modern philosophy, such as Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant; emphasis on metaphysics and epistemology. Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students.

PHIL 325 (s) Historical Figures in Philosophy (3 credits, max arranged)

Study of a major philosophical figure from the history of philosophy. May be repeated for credit. Recommended preparation: one philosophy course.

PHIL 351 Philosophy of Science (3 credits)

General Education: Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing

Introduction to the critical analysis of the aims and methods of science, its principles, practices, and achievements.

Prereqs: 3 credits of philosophy or natural science Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students.

PHIL 352 Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (3 credits)

Cross-listed with POLS 352

This course will introduce students to the topics and methods of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). The approach will be interdisciplinary, with the aim of investigating and illustrating how and why these three disciplines are indispensable to addressing both the normative and factual issues each poses on its own. The course will cover basic methods in rational choice theory, game theory, social choice theory, and political philosophy to explore problems pertaining to decision-making, coordination, cooperation, and justice. The texts will include both traditional and contemporary writings on these issues.

PHIL 361 (s) Professional Ethics (3 credits, max 6)

General Education: Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing

Study of ethical issues and problems arising in professions. Each section focuses on a specific area of professional ethics including, but not limited to, agricultural ethics, bioethics, business ethics, and engineering ethics.

Prereqs: PHIL 103

PHIL 400 (s) Seminar (1-16 credits)

Credit arranged

PHIL 404 (s) Special Topics (1-16 credits)

Credit arranged

PHIL 408 Feminism and Philosophy (3 credits)

An exploration of how feminist philosophies have brought to light gender bias in western philosophy and have (re)constructed theories in metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Students will see how these philosophies address the experiences of women and other groups whose interests have been historically neglected and misrepresented.

PHIL 417 Philosophy of Biology (3 credits)

Philosophical thinking about meaning, reference, and truth. Additional assignments required for graduate credit.

Prereqs: 3 credits of biology and 3 credits of philosophy or Permission

PHIL 427 Contemporary Political Philosophy (3 credits)

Cross-listed with POLS 426

Joint-listed with POLS 526

and This course will introduce students to major themes and topics in contemporary political philosophy. Students will study several of contemporary political philosophy's most important “-isms,” including liberalism, republicanism, socialism, anarchism, and fascism. Students will then focus on topics of particular importance to contemporary democracy; possible topics include the value of democracy, the nature of justice in democracy, and both the institutional and non-institutional structures that undergird democracy.

PHIL 443 Philosophy of Language (3 credits)

Joint-listed with PHIL 543

Philosophical thinking about meaning, reference, and truth. Additional assignments required for graduate credit. Recommended Preparation: PHIL 202 and PHIL 240. Cooperative: available to WSU degree-seeking students.

PHIL 446 Metaphysics (3 credits)

Classical and contemporary readings on such items as realism versus nominalism, free will and determinism, the nature of causality, the existence of God, personal identity, modality. Recommended Preparation: PHIL 202 and PHIL 240. Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students.

PHIL 447 Theory of Knowledge (3 credits)

Analysis of the nature of knowledge; survey of various philosophical positions on the sources and extent of what we know. Recommended Preparation: PHIL 202 and PHIL 240. Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students.

PHIL 450 Ethics in Science (3 credits)

An investigation of social and ethical issues in scientific research and the place of ethics in a scientific worldview.

Prereqs: PHIL 103, PHIL 201, PHIL 202, or PHIL 240; or Permission

PHIL 452 Environmental Philosophy (3 credits)

Joint-listed with ENVS 552 and PHIL 552

Philosophical examination of various ethical, metaphysical, and legal issues concerning humans, nature, and the environment; issues covered may include biodiversity and species protection, animal rights, radical ecology, environmental racism, wilderness theory, population control, and property rights. Additional projects/assignments required for graduate credit.

PHIL 490 Senior Seminar (3 credits)

General Education: Senior Experience

Required of all philosophy majors; capstone course devoted to mastery of the philosophical essay; topics will vary.

Prereqs: Senior standing or completion of 24 credits in philosophy.

PHIL 496 Teaching Methods in Philosophy (2 credits, max 4)

Learn methods of teaching while assisting in an introductory-level philosophy course. Graded P/F.

Prereqs: Four upper-division courses in philosophy, the introductory course in which the student will participate, and Department Permission

PHIL 498 (s) Internship (1-16 credits)

Credit arranged

PHIL 499 (s) Directed Study (1-16 credits)

Credit arranged

PHIL 500 Master's Research & Thesis (1-16 credits)

Credit arranged

PHIL 501 (s) Seminar (1-16 credits, max arranged)

Credit arranged. Graded P/F.

Prereqs: Permission

PHIL 502 (s) Directed Study (1-16 credits)

Credit arranged

PHIL 503 (s) Workshop (1-16 credits)

Credit arranged

PHIL 504 (s) Special Topics (1-16 credits)

Credit arranged

PHIL 552 Environmental Philosophy (3 credits)

Cross-listed with ENVS 552

Joint-listed with PHIL 452

Philosophical examination of various ethical, metaphysical, and legal issues concerning humans, nature, and the environment; issues covered may include biodiversity and species protection, animal rights, radical ecology, environmental racism, wilderness theory, population control, and property rights. Additional projects/assignments required for graduate credit.

PHIL 599 (s) Research (1-16 credits)

Credit arranged