Philosophy
Fall 2026
PHIL 1101 - Introduction to Philosophy (multiple sections; online sections available)
Course Description
Introduction to critical exploration of such issues as knowledge, reality, consciousness
and the good life; readings from Plato, Descartes, Kant, Nietzsche, or more recent
sources.
PHIL 1102 - Introduction to Ethics (multiple sections; online courses available)
Course Description
Introduction to such social and ethical questions as, “What makes a happy life? What
justifies ideas of good and evil? How should we live with others? What is the role
of gender and race in society?” The subjects of justice, racism, and oppression, especially
as they figure into the American context, are highlighted.
PHIL 1611 - Elementary Logic (multiple sections; online courses available)
Course Description
Argumentation and debate is an important part of our lives. We might present an argument
for a raise to a boss or argue in the papers we write. We debate in the classroom,
the courthouse, or the halls of congress. While sometimes the goal of arguing is winning,
arguing is best when it helps us get closer to the truth. But arguing well is not easy and many people do not realize that there is a logic to it. This course
is a study of elementary methods of that logic. Through the examination of logical
concepts and the structure of sentences, this course will teach us how to make inferences
and reach conclusions in a way that avoids mistakes. This course will also investigate
common logical fallacies, so we can avoid making them and defend ourselves against
such fallacies. This course will focus on both formal and informal methods of logic.
Required Textbook (M50 online versions; always consult your syllabus or instructor
before purchasing textbooks)
MindTapV2.0 for Hurley/Watson's A Concise Introduction Logic, 1 term Printed Access Card. 2019. ISBN: 9780357419410
PHIL 3001 - History of Ancient Philosophy
CRN 82004
TR
11:20 AM - 12:45 PM
Sean Driscoll
Course Description
Follows the development of western philosophy in Ancient Greece by great thinkers
like Plato and Aristotle, puts their ideas and arguments in their historical context,
and covers questions about what exists, how we know things, who we are, what is just,
and how we should live to have a good life. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 1101 or PHIL 1102,
or permission of instructor.
PREREQUISITE
PHIL 1101 or PHIL 1102, or permission of instructor.
PHIL 3451 - Existentialism
CRN 85236
TR
09:40 AM - 11:05 AM
Michael Monahan
Course Description
Historical and comparative study of different existentialist writers and their relation
to literature, religion, and psychology; readings from such writers as Kierkegaard,
Nietzsche, Jaspers, Heidegger, Sartre, and Camus.
PHIL 3514 - Biomedical Ethics (multiple sections; online courses available)
Course Description
Discussion of ethical problems raised by contemporary medical practices and biological
innovations from standpoint of contemporary ethical theories including abortion, euthanasia,
human experimentation and genetic engineering.
Course Description (M50 online versions)
In this course we will begin by learning about moral theory, logic/argumentation,
and concepts related to biomedical ethics such as autonomy, paternalism, informed
consent, and more. We will then explore case studies in the modules that follow. Such
topics include human research, pandemic ethics, abortion, euthanasia, and health care.
You will be expected to apply moral theory to cases studies as well as identify relevant
concepts.
Required Textbooks (M50 online versions; always consult your syllabus or instructor
before purchasing textbooks)
Bioethics: Principles, Issues, and Cases by Lewis Vaughn (multiple editions available)
PHIL 3515-M50 - Climate Change, Ethics, and Environment
CRN 89740
Online/Asynchronous
Course Description
Most agree that we should treat people with respect and concern. In other words, we
should treat people ethically. But why should this ethical treatment extend to non-human
features of our world like oceans, forests, and non-human animals? This course will
investigate the sources of our ethical commitments to the environment with a special
focus on the effects of climate change and our obligations to reduce global warming.
Attention will also be paid to distinct ethical problems like those concerning animals,
biodiversity, sustainable energy, and environmental racism.
PHIL 3516 - Philosophy of Law
CRN 98201
TR
01:00 PM - 02:25 PM
Remy Debes
Course Description
This course will serve as an introduction to the philosophical analysis of law, legal
reasoning, and legal institutions: Major topics include models of legal interpretation,
principles of legal reasoning, and historical and contemporary accounts of the nature
of law and its authority. Finally, we take up the question of legal justification.
In particular, we will ask about the nature and justification of rights claims. That
we have rights has become a platitude of modern life. But in virtue of what do we
get rights? And what exactly are they?
PHIL 3701 - Human and the Divine
CRN 82017
MW
12:40 PM - 02:05 PM
Lindsey Stewart
Course Description
In the massive blockbuster film, Sinners (2025), Delta Slim claims that the:
“...blues wasn’t forced on us like that religion. Nah, son, we brought that with us
from home. It’s magic what we do. It’s sacred…and big.”
This course will explore the philosophical foundations of the religious traditions
invoked in Delta Slim’s quote: Christianity, West African spirituality, and hoodoo/Voodoo.
How have these religious traditions shaped our notions of freedom, social dynamics,
and what it means to be human? And with respect to Sinners, what roles have these
religious traditions played for African Americans in the history of oppression and
the struggle for liberation in the US?
PHIL 3703 - Philosophy of Death
CRN 98200
MWF
10:20 AM - 11:15 AM
James Bahoh
Course Description
We are each going to die. What does death have in store for us? Is an afterlife possible?
How should we contend with the fact that we will die? And what are the implications
for how we live our lives? This course will examine philosophical approaches to mortality
and the role of the concept of death in historical and recent philosophy. Along with
questions about the nature and meaning of death, we will look at ways different views
about death have philosophical views about life wrapped up within them. During the
course, we will interrogate a series of historical and recent philosophical texts
that deal with death. Through this we will explore and critically analyze arguments
that claim to answer the questions posed above in different and conflicting ways.
Emphasis will be placed on the metaphysics of death and the existential meaning of
death for the one who dies.
PHIL 4441/6441 - Recent Continental Philosophy
CRN 82031/82043
MW
12:40 PM - 02:05 PM
Kas Saghafi
Course Description
Through an examination of selective exemplary texts from 20th Century Continental
philosophy, this course will present some of the central questions and problems that
have animated contemporary Continental thought and will serve as an introduction to
some of the significant issues raised by it regarding fundamental ontology, intersubjectivity,
alterity, and difference.
PHIL 7030 - Seminar in Continental Philosophy
CRN 82048
Tuesday
02:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Daniel Smith
PHIL 7030 - Seminar in Classical Philosophy
CRN 82048
Wednesday
02:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Sean Driscoll
PHIL 7203 - Seminar in Contemporary Philosophy
CRN 82080
Thursday
02:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Shaun Gallagher
PHIL 7541 - Seminar in Social/Political Philosophy
CRN 82089
Monday
02:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Lindsey Stewart