Department of Philosophy
201 Guilford House
Phone 368-2810; Fax 368-2216
Chin-Tai Kim
The Department of Philosophy offers two undergraduate majors leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree, one based on the Western Reserve Core and the other based on the Lambda Core. It participates in the Integrated Graduate Studies Program leading to the Master of Arts degree in philosophy. For the undergraduate, it offers minor programs and sequences; for the graduate, it offers graduate-level courses to candidates for the Master of Arts degree in philosophy and in other fields. The department's course offerings are designed not only to provide required knowledge and skills for students whose main interest is in philosophy but also to educate students in general about the intellectual issues a reflective person is likely to encounter in various contexts of civilized life. The department emphasizes the relevance of philosophy to mathematics, computer science, and disciplines in the natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities and arts, and law.
Both major programs in philosophy, besides offering a solid foundation for advanced study in philosophy or related disciplines and enriching programs in other disciplines, develop the skills of analytical and critical reasoning and the skills for effective communication and rational decision needed in a wide range of endeavors. The programs thus provide majors with unusual flexibility in the choice of subsequent careers, including law, medicine, and management. The programs also complement the pursuit of career objectives with a greater perspective and a richer quality of intellectual life.
The Department of Philosophy participates in an interdisciplinary major program in the history and philosophy of science and technology leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree in collaboration with the history department.
The department also participates in, and contributes courses to, the interdisciplinary minor, artificial intelligence. See interdisciplinary studies.
Chin Tai-Kim, Ph.D. (Harvard University)
Professor and Chair
History of philosophy (17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century philosophy); theory of knowledge, metaphysics; ethics; phenomenology
Barbara S. Krasner, Ph.D. (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
Assistant Professor
Political and social philosophy; ethics; philosophy of law; philosophy of feminism; Hegel; the Frankfurt School
Colin McLarty, Ph.D. (Case Western Reserve University)
Associate Professor
Logic; philosophy of logic; philosophy of mathematics; philosophy of science; contemporary French philosophy
Stephen Post, Ph.D. (University of Chicago)
Associate Professor of Biomedical Ethics, School of Medicine, and Associate Professor of Philosophy
Biomedical ethics; applied ethics
Scott A. Dowling, M.D. (University of Rochester)
Adjunct Associate Professor of Philosophy
Psychoanalytic Theory and Philosophy
This philosophy major ordinarily consists of 30 hours in philosophy, including PHIL 101, 201, 301, 302, and six other courses to be determined in consultation with the department's undergraduate adviser. However, a student may request of the adviser that up to 6 hours (two courses) of the required six electives (18 hours) be taken in another field or fields. Such a request should be supported by considerations showing how the substitution(s) would strengthen the student's major in philosophy. The adviser must approve the substitution(s) in advance.
This major ordinarily consists of 33 hours in philosophy including: PHIL 101, 201, 301, and 302; one from a group of courses consisting of PHIL 202, 306, 313, and 385; four electives in philosophy at the 200- or 300-level (excluding PHIL 390 and 398) and 6 hours of PHIL 398 (Senior Tutorial for the Lambda Core-Based major). However, a student may request of the departmental adviser that up to 2 courses (6 hours) of the required 4 electives (12 hours) be taken in another field or other fields. Such a request should be supported by considerations showing how the substitution(s) would strengthen the student's major in philosophy. The adviser must approve the substitution(s) in advance. A student must submit an acceptable thesis at the conclusion of PHIL 398.
The philosophy major based on the Western Reserve Core is appropriate for those students with broad liberal arts interests wishing to study philosophy with a greater range of course options. This major stresses traditional areas of philosophy such as history of philosophy, theory of knowledge, metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, political and social philosophy, and philosophy of law, and the relevance of philosophy to the other humanities disciplines and social sciences.
The philosophy major based on the Lambda Core is appropriate for those students who wish to acquire strong competence in the logico-analytical techniques that have been refined in recent analytic philosophy and to study in depth the relevance of philosophy to those technical fields in which the Lambda Core provides foundational skills and knowledge, especially mathematics, computer science, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, natural science, and the technical branches of social science.
The department offers a range of possible minor programs, each of which must include PHIL 101 and four other courses in philosophy at the 200- or 300-level (excluding PHIL 390, 398, and 399) chosen to meet the specific needs of students majoring in other fields. The undergraduate adviser will assist students in devising minor programs. The minor requirement is the same for those taking the Western Reserve Core and those taking the Lambda Core.
All sequences must include PHIL 101, 302, and two other philosophy courses at the 200 or 300 level (except PHIL 390, 398, and 399) as approved by the undergraduate adviser. A typical sequence, for example, would consist of PHIL 101, 302, and two courses from one of the four following groups:
- PHIL 201, Introduction to Logic (3)
- PHIL 203, Natural Philosophy I (3)
- PHIL 204, Natural Philosophy II (3)
- PHIL 303, Topics in Philosophy of Science (3)
- PHIL 201, Introduction to Logic (3)
- PHIL 306, Mathematical Logic (3)
- PHIL 310, Topics in Philosophy of Logic (3)
- PHIL 313, Philosophy of Mathematics (3)
- PHIL 305, Ethics (3)
- PHIL 330, Contemporary Moral Problems (3)
- PHIL 334, Political and Social Philosophy (3)
- PHIL 335, Philosophy of Law (3)
- PHIL 375, Aesthetics (3)
- PHIL 201, Introduction to Logic (3)
- PHIL 202, Introduction to Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (3)
- PHIL 345, Epistemology and Metaphysics (3)
- PHIL 365, Philosophy of Mind (3)
- PHIL 385, Philosophy of Language (3)
PHIL 301, Ancient Philosophy (3)
PHIL 320, Phenomenology, Existentialism, and Hermeneutics (3)
PHIL 345, Epistemology and Metaphysics (3)
PHIL 355, Nineteenth and Twentieth-Century Philosophy (3)
PHIL 356, Comparative Philosophy (3)
PHIL 358, Philosophy of the Frankfurt School (3)
PHIL 370, Philosophy and Literature (3)
PHIL 375, Aesthetics (3)
There are other possibilities for sequences.
PHIL 201 may be used to satisfy the Western Reserve Core in quantitative reasoning.
PHIL 101 and 302, or PHIL 203 and 204 may be used to satisfy the Western Reserve Core in history and culture.
PHIL 101 and 302 may be used to satisfy the Lambda Core in history and culture.
PHIL 203 and 204 are required for the Lambda Core.
The department offers an Honors Program for students in either of its two major programs which involves completing a substantial thesis, passing an oral examination on the thesis, and maintaining a B average in philosophy courses taken while in the program. An interested student should apply for admission to the program during the junior year. To be eligible for admission, a student should have an overall grade point average of B or better, and a grade of B or better in each philosophy course already taken. A student should normally have taken at least four, and at most seven, philosophy courses at the time of applying for admission. An honors student in the major based on the Western Reserve Core should register for PHIL 399, Directed Study (3), to do honors work, while an honors student in the major based on the Lambda Core will do honors work in PHIL 398, Senior Tutorial for the Lambda Core-Based Major (6).
The Department of Philosophy participates in the Integrated Graduate Studies Program. Interested students should note the general requirements and the general admission procedures in this bulletin and consult the department for further information.
The Honors Program and the Integrated Graduate Studies Program may be combined, with the department's approval.
Students wishing more information about any aspect of the undergraduate programs should consult the department.
The department offers graduate-level courses for the Master of Arts degree through the Integrated Graduate Studies Program and for graduate students in other fields.
Philosophy (PHIL)
PHIL 101. Introduction to Philosophy (3).
Basic problems of philosophy and methods of philosophical thinking. Problems raised by science, morality, religion, politics, and art. Readings from classical and contemporary philosophers. If the course is given in multiple sections by different instructors, all sections will share core materials in theory of knowledge, metaphysics, and ethics despite differences that may exist in emphasis or pedagogical style. PHIL 101 and PHIL 302 may be used to satisfy the Western Reserve Core or the Lambda Core in history and culture.
PHIL 201. Introduction to Logic (3).
Presentation, application, and evaluation of formal methods for determining the validity of arguments. Discussion of the relationship between logic and other disciplines. May be used to satisfy the Western Reserve Core in quantitative reasoning.
PHIL 202. Introduction to Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence (3).
Overview of the field of artificial intelligence. Theoretical areas of artificial intelligence such as knowledge representation, natural language understanding, and the simulation of intelligent human behavior. Philosophical presuppositions and implications of artificial intelligence.
PHIL 203. Natural Philosophy I (3).
Historical and philosophical interpretation of some epochal events in development of science. Copernican revolution, Newtonian mechanics, Einstein's relativity physics, quantum mechanics, and evolutionary theory; patterns of scientific growth; structure of scientific "revolutions"; science and "pseudo-science". First half of a year-long sequence. PHIL 203 and PHIL 204 must be taken (not necessarily in sequential order) to satisfy requirements for the Lambda Core. A student not in the Lambda Core may take either course without taking the other. PHIL 203 and PHIL 204 may be used to satisfy the Western Reserve Core in history and culture.
PHIL 204. Natural Philosophy II (3).
Conceptual, methodological, and epistemological issues about science: concept formation, explanation, prediction, confirmation, theory construction and state of unobservables; metaphysical presuppositions and implications of science; semantics of scientific language; illustrations from special sciences. Second half of a year-long sequence. PHIL 203 and PHIL 204 must be taken (not necessarily in sequence order) to satisfy requirements for the Lambda Core. A student not in the Lambda Core may take either course without taking the other. PHIL 203 and PHIL 204 may be used to satisfy the Western Reserve Core in history and culture.
PHIL 205. Methods and Modes of Thought in Humanistic Studies (3).
Methods and modes of thought characteristic of philosophical, literary, historical and social scientific inquiries described, contrasted and applied in the context of reflecting upon select substantive problems concerning human nature, knowledge, belief, value and history. Emphasis on complementary relationships among the various approaches. Reading from classical and contemporary sources. Open to all students.
PHIL 301. Ancient Philosophy (3).
(Also listed as CLSC 301.) Western philosophy from the early Greeks to the Skeptics. Emphasis on the Pre Socratics, Plato, and Aristotle. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 302. Modern Philosophy (3).
British Empiricism: Bacon, Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. Continental Rationalism: Descartes, Spinoza, and Liebniz. The critical philosophy of Kant. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor. PHIL 101 and PHIL 302 may be used to satisfy the Western Reserve Core or the Lambda Core in history and culture.
PHIL 303. Topics in Philosophy of Science (3).
In-depth study of selected topics in general philosophy of science or philosophy of physical, biological, or social science. Topics may include theories of explanation, prediction, and confirmation; semantics of scientific language; reductionism, space, time, and relativity philosophical issues about quantum mechanics; philosophical issues about life sciences (e.g., evolutionism, technology, and functional explanation); explanation and understanding in social science; value in social science. Prerequisite: PHIL 101, 201, 203, 204, or consent of instructor.
PHIL 305. Ethics (3).
Analysis of ethical theories and concepts of goodness, right, and obligation. Discussion of nature of justice, problems of justification of moral principles, and relation between facts and values. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 306. Mathematical Logic (3).
Propositional calculus and quantification theory; consistency and completeness theorems; Goedel incompleteness results and their philosophical significance; introduction to basic concepts of model theory; problems of formulation of arguments in philosophy and the sciences. Prerequisite: PHIL 201 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 310. Topics in Philosophy of Logic (3).
Selected issues in the philosophical foundations of logical theory such as relation of logic to methodology, nature and epistemological status of "laws of logic," psychologism in logic, extensional and intensional logics, nature of logical entailment, significance of "nonclassical" logics, and possible world semantics. Emphasis on epistemological and metaphysical, rather than technical aspects of such issues. Prerequisite: PHIL 201 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 313. Philosophy of Mathematics (3).
Logical paradoxes and their effects on foundations of mathematics. Status of mathematical entities and nature of mathematical truths. Formalist, logicist, and intuitionist positions. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or PHIL 201 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 314. Poetics of Eros: Love Poetry from Sappho to Shakespeare (3).
(See CLSC 314 or CMPL 314.)
PHIL 315. Selected Topics in Philosophy (3).
Examination of a major philosopher or philosophical school, a significant philosophical topic, or a topic that relates to philosophy and another discipline. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 320. Phenomenology, Existentialism and Hermeneutics (3).
Husserl's phenomenology and its background including Descartes, Kant and Brentano. Interpretations and uses of phenomenology by twentieth-century philosophers of existence such as Heidegger, Sartre and Merleau-Ponty. The religious and humanistic background of existentialist thought. Influence of phenomenology and philosophy of existence upon twentieth-century hermeneutics. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 325. Philosophy of Feminism (3).
Dimensions of gender difference. Definition of feminism. Critical examination of feminist critiques of culture, including, especially, politics, ideology, epistemology, ethics, and psychology. Readings from traditional and contemporary sources. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 330. Contemporary Moral Problems (3).
Examination of selected contemporary moral problems relating to: allocation of scarce resources in health care, paternalism, lying, genetic engineering, abortion, euthanasia, suicide, distribution of wealth, punishment, care of the environment, obligation to future generations, obligation to distant peoples, collective responsibility and guilt, violence, just war, rights, equality and discrimination, and/or treatment of animals. Application of moral theories and their evaluation in the context of reflecting upon concrete problems. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 333. Philosophy of Religion (3).
(Also listed as RLGN 333.) Topics include: classical and contemporary arguments for God's existence; divine foreknowledge and human freedom; the problem of evil and theodicy; varieties of religious metaphysics; knowledge, belief, and faith; nature and significance of religious experience; mysticism; nature of religious discourse. Readings from traditional and contemporary sources. Prerequisite: 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 334. Political and Social Philosophy (3).
(Also listed as POSC 354.) Justification of social institutions, primarily political ones. Such distinctions as that between de facto and legitimate authority; analysis of criteria for evaluation, such as social justice and equality inquiry into theories of justification of the state; theory of democratic government and its alternative. Readings from classical and contemporary sources. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 335. Philosophy of Law (3).
Nature of law and legal systems; bearing of moral justice on legal validity; nature and justification of criminal law and punishment; nature of legal rule and of obligations to law in legal systems; logic of legal reasoning: distinctions of concepts such as legal responsibility and causation. Reading from classical and contemporary sources. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 345. Epistemology and Metaphysics (3).
Definition of knowledge; forms and objects of knowledge; nature of evidence; knowledge and belief; the roles of reason and experience in cognition; language and cognition; major metaphysical views and their epistemological foundations and implications. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 355. Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Philosophy (3).
History of philosophy after Kant up to and including logical empiricism. Interpretation and comparison of important philosophers and philosophical schools of the period in terms of common methods, problems, themes, doctrines, and ideologies. Emphasis on Schopenhauer, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Marx, and Nietzsche. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 356. Comparative Philosophy (3).
Comparison of significant philosophers or philosophical schools of non-Western traditions with Western counterparts on metaphysical, epistemological, ethical, aesthetic, and sociopolitical theoretic issues. The non-Western traditions to be considered include the Indian and the Far Eastern, but not exclusively. Discussion, in context, of the problems of comparative hermeneutics. Readings will include original sources in English translation. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 358. Philosophy of the Frankfurt School (3).
Understanding, analysis and critical assessment of the main concerns of the philosophers of the Frankfurt School (Adorno, Benjamin, Block, Horkheimer, Marcuse, and Habermas). Focus on their explanations of why rationalism has come to have such an important and widespread influence on all aspects of Western culture. A representative work by each member of the Frankfurt School will be read. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 365. Philosophy of Mind (3).
Traditional problems such as the relation of mind and body, knowledge of other minds, free will and determinism, and nature of psychological explanation. Analysis of chief theories of mind. Analysis of mental concepts such as intention, action, decision, emotion, and will. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 370. Philosophy of Literature (3).
(Also listed as CMPL 371, and ENGL 365D.) Affinities and tensions between philosophy and literature and issues that arise in their interface. Topics include: philosophical use of literary devices; literary use of philosophical ideas; literary philosophy and philosophical literature; hermeneutics of literature and philosophy. Readings in philosophy and literature from traditional and contemporary sources. Team-taught by faculty of the philosophy and literature departments.
PHIL 375. Aesthetics (3).
Chief theories of nature of art and aesthetic experience. Logic of criticism of the arts and of artistically relevant controversy. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 385. Philosophy of Language (3).
Nature of language: problems of meaning, reference, and truth. Prerequisite: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 390. Seminar in History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (3).
(Also listed as HSTY 390.)
PHIL 398. Senior Tutorial for the Lambda Core-Based Major (1-36).
A student must take two semesters (or six credits) of 398 to satisfy requirements for the Lambda Core-based major. Submission of an acceptable thesis at the conclusion of the second semester is required. A student may do honors work in this course, subject to eligibility conditions. Prerequisites: Philosophy major in the Lambda Core; completion of 21 credits required for the major approval of a study project by a philosophy faculty member and that faculty members agreement to supervise.
PHIL 399. Directed Study (3).
Open to students in either of the major programs, and to minors. A student in the Western Reserve Core-Based program may do honors work in this course, subject to eligibility conditions. Prerequisite: At least four philosophy courses with a GPA no lower than 3, approval of a course prospectus (with bibliography) by a member of the philosophy faculty, and that faculty member's agreement to supervise.
*PHIL 403. Topics in Philosophy of Science (3).
(See PHIL 303.)
*PHIL 405. Ethics (3).
(See PHIL 305.)
*PHIL 406. Mathematical Logic (3).
(See PHIL 306.)
PHIL 407. Category Theory (3).
(See MATH 407.)
*PHIL 410. Topics in Philosophy of Logic (3).
(See PHIL 310.)
*PHIL 413. Philosophy of Mathematics (3).
(See PHIL 313.)
*PHIL 415. Selected Topics In Philoso-phy (3).
(See PHIL 315.)
*PHIL 420. Phenomenology, Existentialism and Hermeneutics (3).
(See PHIL 320.)
*PHIL 425. Philosophy of Feminism (3).
(See PHIL 325.)
*PHIL 430. Contemporary Moral Problems (3).
(See PHIL 330.)
*PHIL 433. Philosophy of Religion (3).
(See PHIL 333.) (Also listed as RLGN 433)
*PHIL 434. Political and Social Philosophy (3).
(See PHIL 334.) (Also listed as POSC 454.)
*PHIL 435. Philosophy of Law (3).
(See PHIL 335.)
*PHIL 445. Epistemology and Metaphysics (3).
(See PHIL 345.)
*PHIL 455. Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Philosophy (3).
(See PHIL 355.)
*PHIL 456. Comparative Philosophy (3).
(See PHIL 356.)
*PHIL 458. Philosophy of the Frankfurt School (3).
(See PHIL 358.)
*PHIL 465. Philosophy of Mind (3).
(See PHIL 365.)
*PHIL 470. Philosophy and Literature (3).
(See PHIL 370.)
*PHIL 475. Aesthetics (3).
(See PHIL 375.)
*PHIL 485. Philosophy of Language (3).
(See PHIL 385.)
PHIL 600. Tutorial (credit as arranged).
Prerequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.
PHIL 700. Dissertation Research (credit as arranged).
For Ph.D. candidate in fields related to philosophy. Prerequisite: Ph.D. candidacy and consent of instructor.
*Graduate Students registered for these 400-level courses share class with undergraduates registered for the corresponding 300-level course. Students registered at the 400 level may be expected to attend an additional seminar and/or meet additional requirements beyond those demanded of students registered at the 300 level.
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