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100 A- Introduction to Philosophy (AL)
MW 2:30-3:20
Chappell, 380 Bartlett
Two lectures, one discussion per week. An introduction to philosophical thinking,
stressing the formulation and evaluation of logical arguments. Readings include
traditional as well as contemporary works. Discussion of such topics as the nature
of knowledge, the human mind, death and immortality, the existence of God, and
the problem of evil. Texts: Plato, Apology, Crito, Meno,
and Phaedo; Descartes, Meditations; two recent dialogues by John
Perry. Requirements: several quizzes and exams, final exam.
100 B - Introduction to Philosophy (AL)
TuTh 1:00-1:50
Perin, 357 Bartlett
Two lectures, one discussion per week. An introductory survey
of some basic problems in philosophy. Readings will include texts
by Plato, Descartes, Berkeley, Hume, and others. Requirements:
participation in weekly discussion sections, several papers and/or
exams.
100 C - Introduction to Philosophy (AL)
TuTh 1:00-2:15
Doviak
This course provides an introduction to some of the
major themes in the Western philosophical tradition as well as
methods for analyzing and evaluating philosophical arguments.
We will focus primarily on four topics: the nature of knowledge,
the mind/body problem, personal identity, and free will. Text:
Elliott Sober, Core Questions in Philosophy: a Text with Readings.
100 D - Introduction to Philosophy (AL)
TuTh 1:00-2:15
Kristen Hine,
379 Bartlett
This introductory course will be divided into three sections: Plato;
arguments for the existence of God; the problem of personal identity.
In each section there will be an emphasis on precise formulation
of views and logical argumentation. Course requirements: several
quizzes and three exams. Texts: Plato , Apology, Crito, and Meno; John
Perry, A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality; John
Perry; Dialogue on Good, Evil, and the Existence of God.
100 E - Introduction to Philosophy (AL)
TuTh 1:00-2:15
Brandt van der Gaast
Description forthcoming.
100H - Introduction to Philosophy (Honors) (AL)
MWF 11:15-12:05
Ty Barnes
This course provides an introduction to philosophy by way of a discussion of
four central philosophical problems - the problem of free will and determinism;
the problem of the nature of knowledge, 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 including: Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy; Plato, Theaetetus and Phaedo;
Perry, A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality; Course Packet.
Requirements: 3 Exams, quizzes, a short term paper, and a presentation
110 - Introduction to Logic (R2)
MWF 12:20
Kornblith
This course offers an introduction to sentential and predicate
logic. Techniques for translating English into formal languages
will be developed, as well as proof techniques within the
formal languages. Requirements: In-class exams and a final exam. Text:
Hardegree, Symbolic Logic: A First Course, 3rd edition.
160 A - Introduction to Ethics (AT)
MWF 11:15
Feldman
Two lectures, one discussion per week. Consideration of some of
the most important theories about right and wrong, good and evil,
and virtue and vice. In each case, one focus will be on clear and
accurate formulation of the theory. Another focus will be on understanding
and evaluating classic objections to the theory. Readings from Plato,
Aristotle, Epicurus, Bentham, Mill, Kant, Ross, Moore, and others.
Text: Feldman, Introduction to Ethics. Requirements: three quizzes;
no papers, no final exam. Each student will be permitted to take
one quiz over again at the end of the semester.
160 B - Introduction to Ethics
TuTh 1:00-2:15
Justin Klockseim
This class provides an introduction to ethics by way of a discussion of doctrines
and arguments in two central areas of moral philosophy -- (a) the normative
ethics of behavior (the theory of right and wrong action) and (b) value
theory (the theory of good and evil). Along the way, other important
topics in moral philosophy will be discussed.
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.
160 C - Introduction to Ethics
TuTh 1-2:15
Andrew Platt, Bartlett
351
Start
thinking critically about ethics, and start understanding the ethical
theories that influence the modern world. In this course, we’ll do some philosophy,
and learn about philosophy, by discussing the core concepts
of ethics – rightness, goodness, duty and virtue. We’ll
approach these topics from a historical perspective, studying
texts by Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, Mill and Ross, with
additional readings by contemporary thinkers. Our
study of the ethical theories in these works will be supplemented
with discussions of how they can be applied to concrete cases – particularly
cases in biomedical and business ethics. Introduction
to Ethics (edited by Fred Feldman) is the only required
text. Requirements:
a weekly, short writing assignment; homework assignments; four
exams.
160 H - Introduction to Ethics (Honors)
MWF 1:25-2:15
Ty Barnes
What makes an act right? What makes someone's life good? What is
virtue? These are some of the questions that we'll consider this semester. This
course provides an introduction to ethics by way of a discussion of doctrines
and arguments in three central areas of moral philosophy--(a) the normative
ethics of behavior (the theory of right and wrong action), (b) value theory
(the theory of good and evil), and (c) virtue/vice theory (the theory of excellence
of character). Our focus will be on (i) careful study of the relevant
texts and (ii) clear and precise formulation and evaluation of the most important
theories and arguments. Text: Introduction to Ethics (anthology edited
by Fred Feldman); Course Packet. Requirements: 3 Exams, quizzes, a short term
paper, and a presentation.
164, Lecture 1 - Medical Ethics (AT)
MWF 10:10-11:00
Jason Raibley
The practice of medical and biological science raises certain
distinctive ethical issues. There are issues concerning abortion,
euthanasia, human and animal experimentation, patient autonomy,
human cloning, resource allocation, organ donation, patient confidentiality,
truth-telling, and more. The purpose of this course is to understand
and appreciate the moral questions raised by some of these topics
and to consider and critically evaluate some prominent positions
and arguments concerning them. Throughout the semester, we will
read and discuss reports of real-life cases, as well as several
influential essays on these topics, and we will try to assess whether,
and to what extent, the application of any overarching ethical
principle can guide us in making real-life ethical decisions.
164, Lecture 2 - Medical Ethics (AT)
TuTh 9:30-10:45
Michael Rubin
This course provides an introduction to applied ethics through
issues of medicine and health care. Topics include abortion, cloning,
euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, medical experimentation on humans
and animals, and the allocation of scarce medical resources.
164, Lecture 3 - Medical Ethics (AT)
TuTh 9:30-10:45
Uri Leibowitz
The practice of medical and biological science raises certain
distinctive ethical issues. There are issues concerning abortion, euthanasia,
human and animal experimentation, patient autonomy, human cloning, resource
allocation, organ donation, patient confidentiality, truth-telling, and
more. The purpose of this course is to understand and appreciate the moral questions
raised by some of these topics and to consider and critically evaluate
some prominent positions and arguments concerning them. Throughout the semester,
we will read and discuss reports of real-life cases, as well as several influential
essays on these topics, and we will try to assess whether, and to what
extent, the application of any overarching ethical principle can guide us
in making real-life ethical decisions.
161H - Problems in Social Thought (Honors)
TuTh 9:30-10:45
Ty Barnes
This course serves as an introduction to the history and philosophical foundations
for some of the problems and their attempted solutions in classical Western political
philosophy. The course is divided into three sections. In the first
section we will examine contemporary game theory as a means to understanding
the classical conception of the need for, and proper role of, government. In
the second section we will examine the origin of classical Western liberalism
in Hobbes and Locke. Finally, in the third section, we will focus on various
conceptions of justice, contemplating upon which conception of justice should
be used in assessing the values of political systems. If time permits,
we will, somewhere along the way, survey some of the historical justifications
for revolutions and rebellions against the state. Text: Course Packet. Requirements:
3 Exams, quizzes, a short term paper, and a presentation
310 - Intermediate Logic
TuTh, 9:30-10:45
Hardegree
Continuation of Philosophy 110. Three logical systems are examined: (1)
Function Logic, (2) Identity Logic, (3) Description Logic. Work is equally
divided between translating English sentences into symbolic notation, and constructing
formal derivations. Requirements: seven exams. Prerequisite: Philosophy
110, or consent of the instructor.
Web Site: http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~gmhwww/310/index.htm
321 - History of Modern Philosophy (HS)
TuTh 1:00-2:15
Brad Chynoweth
This course will be a survey of 17 th and 18 th century philosophy. We will carefully
and critically read Descartes’ Meditations, Leibniz’s Discourse
on Metaphysics, portions of Locke’s Essay Concerning Human Understanding, and
Hume’s Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. The goals of the
course will be to understand and evaluate the central arguments in these texts
as well as trace the development of certain controversial topics of particular
interest to early modern philosophers. Among these topics will be the existence
of innate ideas, the limits of knowledge, skepticism, the mind-body problem,
and free will.
Note: This course, when taken in conjunction with Philosophy
398W, satisfies the Junior Year Writing Requirement for Philosophy
Majors.
329 - Medieval Philosophy
TuTh 11:15-12:30
Matthews
Survey of medieval philosophy, focusing on such puzzling questions
as (1) Is human freedom compatible with God’s foreknowledge
of all that will ever happen? (2) Are there good arguments for the
existence of God? (3) Is the idea of an omnipotent being coherent?
(3) Could morality be adequately based on the mere fact that God
wants us to do something, rather than on the reason God has for
wanting us to do it? (4) Can there be a thing that is a universal
thing? Text: Hyman and Walsh (eds.), Philosophy in the Middle Ages
Mid-term exam, term paper, and take-home final exam. Prerequisite:
one course in philosophy, or consent of the instructor.
330 - Continental Rationalism
TuTh 1:00-2:15
Marcy Lascano
This course will be a critical study of selected works in metaphysics,
epistemology, philosophical theology, and philosophy of science
by17th-century rationalists on the continent. We will focus on
the works of Descartes, Spinoza, Malebranche, and Leibniz. Requirements:
several short papers and class presentations. Prerequisites: one
course in philosophy.
334 - American Philosophy
MWF 12:20-1:10
Brian Kiniry
This course is a survey of American Pragmatism and its influences on 19th
and 20th century philosophy in the United States. We will begin our survey
with a careful reading of essays by the founders of Pragmatism,
Charles Sanders Pierce, William James, and John Dewey. Next, we
will read a number of classic essays by C. I. Lewis, Wilfrid Sellars,
and W. V. O. Quine, all of which exhibit strong Pragmatic influences. We will
conclude with an examination of Neo-Pragmatism as espoused in a couple of recent
papers by Hillary Putnam and Richard Rorty.
335 - Contemporary Analytic Philosophy
MWF 11:15-12-05
Jacob Bridge
A survey of some of the most important works and themes of 20th century analytic
philosophy. We will be reading books by Bertrand
Russell, A.J. Ayer, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Saul Kripke. Themes include the
logical structure of the world, meaning, and the nature of analytic truth and
a priori knowledge. Requirements: several short papers and one longer term paper.
383 - Philosophical Approaches to Religion
MWF 1:25-2:15
Stephan Torre
The first section of the course will be devoted to arguments
for and against the existence of God. We will examine the
cosmological argument, the teleological argument, the ontological
argument and the problem of evil. The second section will concern
the divine attributes: omnipotence, omniscience, and God's temporality. In
the third section we will consider the role of evidence in religious
belief and the rationality of belief in God.
394D - Seminar: Death
W 3:35-6:00
Chris Heathwood
Epicurus claimed that it is irrational to fear death, since death does not
harm the living (it does not touch them while they live), and it does not
harm the dead (nothing can harm them, since they no longer exist). This argument
gives rise to many questions about the nature and value of death. One
of the most prominent is, What is death? Another concerns the possibility
of surviving death: What must human persons be like if "life after death" is
to be possible? The central questions about the value of death are, Is
death an evil?, and, If so, how? How is it possible for death to harm
someone if he or she doesn't exist when dead? Other evaluative questions that
we may study concern the rationality of the fear of death, the
asymmetry in our attitudes about postmortem and prenatal nonexistence, the
desirability of immortality, and the morality of killing.
Texts (these are tentative): Feldman, Confrontations with the
Reaper; Fischer, The Metaphysics of Death; Perry, A Dialogue
on Personal Identity and Immortality; plus a course packet.
Requirements: two to three short papers; one term
paper.
394M - Seminar - Metaphysics
Tu 4:00-6:30
Schaffer
Metaphysics, according to Aristotle, is the study of being qua being. We will
investigate the structure of being, focusing on questions concerning properties,
possibilities, and persistence. For instance, we will consider what aspect of
reality grounds truths about what is and is not possible. Prerequisite: at least
two courses in philosophy.
398W - Junior Year Writing Course
Chappell
One-credit practicum: must be taken in conjunction with PHIL 321.
Satisfies the Junior Year Writing Requirement in Philosophy. Weekly
discussion sections. Text: Strunk & White, The Elements of
Style. Requirments: several short papers, some of which must
be rewritten in the light of the insturctor's comments. Pass/Fail
only. Prerequisite: English 112 or the equivalent, and Junior
class status
513 - Mathematical Logic I
MWF 12:20
Klement
Elementary meta-mathematics and logical meta-theory. Topics include
completness and consistency proofs for first-order logic, model
theory, elementary number theory (especially Peano arithmetic),
and Gödel's incompleteness theorems and related results. Text:
Mendelson, Introduction to Mathematical Logic, 4th ed. Requirements:
problem sets and exams. Prerequisite: Philosophy 310, or consent
of instructor.
594K - Seminar - Knowledge of Self and Other Minds
M 3:35-6:00
Kornblith
We seem to have a great deal
of knowledge about our own mental states and about the mental states
of other people. From a Cartesian perspective, knowledge
of our current mental states is entirely unproblematic, while knowledge
of the mental states of others (and, of course, knowledge of the
external world) cry out for explanation. But how is self-knowledge
possible, and how, if at all, does it differ from knowledge of
the mental states of others and of the physical world? We
will examine a variety of views on these matters in both the philosophical
and the psychological literature. We will read Shaun Nichols
and Stephen Stich's book Mindreading, as well as a selection of
material by a variety of other authors.
594M - Seminar - Mind and Meaning
Tu 7:30-10:00
Jay Garfield
This seminar will be an exploration of the philosophy of Wilfrid
Sellars. We will focus on his epistemology and philosophy of mind. After
considering Sellars' approach to the Kantian problematic and the
context this sets for his own work, we will turn to his account
of meaning. The center of the course will be a close reading
of Sellars' influential essay "Empiricism and the Philosophy of
Mind." Following this
we will read some his later essays on the philosophy of mind, meaning
and epistemology. We will consider the many dimensions of
Sellars' influence on 20th and 21st Century philosophy of mind,
epistemology and philosophy of language. Syllabus.
594S - Formal Semantics
time and place by arrangement
Hardegree
We usually understand novel sentences – e.g., this one – with little or no hesitation.
How do we accomplish this? According to the received opinion, our linguistic
knowledge divides into two modules – roughly, words and rules – which in turn
correspond respectively to Lexical Grammar and Compositional Grammar. The present
course concerns Compositional Semantics – the study of how the meanings of compound
expressions are derived from the meanings of their parts. We pursue this enterprise
within the framework of Categorial Grammar – more specifically, within the framework
of Type-Logical Grammar. Topics will include: set theory, type theory, lambda-calculus,
categorial syntax and semantics, type-logical syntax and semantics. Prerequisite:
graduate status, or consent of the instructor. Requirements: homework assignments.
Web Site: http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~gmhwww/595/index.htm |
