Philosophy (PHIL)

PHIL 5010 Islamic Law and Society

[3 credit hours]

This course will survey Islamic law in historical and comparative modern contexts. This course will provide (a) basic introduction to the sources and methods of classical Islamic legal interpretation, (b) survey of the most pressing areas in which traditional Islamic norms remain relevant today—criminal law, family law, and commercial law, (c) the challenges and transformations introduced by colonialism, modernity, and the nation-state, and (d) comparison with the American law and the constitution, highlighting comparative interpretive methods such as originalism versus progressivism, and innovative dimensions of Islamic law such as legal pluralism, wide room for local custom, religious diversity, and restorative justice.

Term Offered: Spring

PHIL 5210 Ancient Philosophy Seminar

[3 credit hours]

An intensive study of the texts and arguments of Presocratic philosophers, Plato, Aristotle, or Hellenistic philosophers. Course may be repeated as topics vary.

Term Offered: Spring, Fall

PHIL 5230 Modern Philosophy Seminar

[3 credit hours]

An intensive study of one or more Continental or British philosophers from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries. Course may be repeated as topics vary.

Term Offered: Spring, Fall

PHIL 5240 19th Century European Philosophy

[3 credit hours]

An intensive study of European philosophy after Kant, including Hegel, Marx, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche.

Term Offered: Spring, Fall

PHIL 5250 Phenomenology

[3 credit hours]

An intensive study of major works from phenomenological philosophers, such as Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, or Merleau-Ponty. Course may be repeated as topics and texts vary.

Term Offered: Spring, Fall

PHIL 5260 Recent European Philosophy

[3 credit hours]

An examination of texts and problems in the Frankfurt School, post-structuralism, deconstruction, post-modernism, or of such thinkers as Habermas, Foucault, Derrida and Lyotard. Course may be repeated as topics vary.

Term Offered: Spring, Fall

PHIL 5270 American Philosophy

[3 credit hours]

A study of the development of American philosophy, or of one or more of Pierce, James, Dewey, or Mead. Course may be repeated as topics vary.

Term Offered: Fall

PHIL 5280 20th Century Analytic Philosophy

[3 credit hours]

Selected readings from Frege, the Russell, Wittgenstein, the Vienna Circle, the Ordinary Language school and American neopragmatists such as Quine, Rorty and Davidson. Course may be repeated as topics vary.

Term Offered: Spring, Fall

PHIL 5300 Philosophy Of Natural Science

[3 credit hours]

A study of scientific inquiry including the structure of scientific explanations, relation of evidence and confirmation, the metaphysics of theoretical entities, and the nature of scientific change and progress.

Term Offered: Spring, Fall

PHIL 5400 Ethics Seminar

[3 credit hours]

Selected topics or philosophers in ethical theory. Course may be repeated as topics vary.

Term Offered: Spring

PHIL 5650 Philosophy Of Mind

[3 credit hours]

Advanced study of issues in the philosophy of mind such as: intentionality and misrepresentation, rationality and interpretation, supervenience and reductionism, folk psychology and eliminative materialism. Course may be repeated as topics vary.

Term Offered: Spring

PHIL 5750 Political Philosophy Seminar

[3 credit hours]

Selected topics or philosophers in political philosophy. Course may be repeated as topics vary.

Term Offered: Spring, Fall

PHIL 5920 Readings In Philosophy

[3 credit hours]

Critical inquiry into selected works of a particular philosopher or a specific philosophical problem.

Term Offered: Spring, Fall

PHIL 5990 Independent Study

[1-3 credit hours]

Directed study in philosophy under supervision of a philosophy faculty member.

Term Offered: Spring, Summer, Fall

PHIL 6000 Advanced Logic

[3 credit hours]

A study of propositional and predicate logic, as well as examination of issues in the philosophy of logic.

Term Offered: Spring, Fall

PHIL 6800 Proseminar

[1-6 credit hours]

Participation in departmental faculty-graduate student colloquia and mentoring program. Credit will carry the grade of S or U, and will not count toward credit hour requirements for the M.A. degree.

Term Offered: Spring, Fall

PHIL 6930 Seminar

[3 credit hours]

Advanced philosophy seminar open only to graduate students.

PHIL 6960 Thesis

[1-16 credit hours]