Philosophy
Course Offerings - Summer 2007
Phil 3000-01
M-R
7:30 – 10:20 am
5/14 - 6/10
Phil 3000-02
M-R
6:00 – 8:50 pm
5/14 - 6/10
Phil 3000-03
M-R
1:20-4:10 pm
5/14 - 6/10
Phil 3000-04
M-R
8:40-11:30 am
5/14 - 6/10
Phil 3000-05
M-R
8:40-11:30 am
6/11-7/08
Class will meet Fri., 7/6
Phil 3000-06
M-R
1:20 – 4:10 pm
6/11-7/08
Phil 3320-01
M-R
6:00-8:50
6/12-7/09
Seminar: How to Think About Weird Things - C1
Williams &
Thompson
The class will explore some of the more traditional forms of beliefs in the supernatural, such as
astrology, ghosts, UFO's, and clairvoyance, and discuss the recent debate between creationism
and evolutionary theory. We will examine the evidence and arguments for the reasonableness
of these beliefs.
Seminar: Destiny, Fate & FreeWill - C1
Thompson
In this course we will use Kurt Vonnegut’s acclaimed novel Sirens Of Titan as an ongoing
thought experiment that will bring up questions like “Are we destined?”; “What is the
significance of free will?”; “Does education increase one’s freedom/autonomy?” ; “What can
neuroscience tell us, if anything, regarding free will?” ; “What does quantum mechanics have
to do with free will?” ; “If there is a God, can we be free?” ; “To what extent might social and
environmental factors effect how free we are?” ; “If we do not have free will, can we be held
responsible?” ; “Is free will a necessary fiction?” While exploring these questions and others
we will look at what various philosophers and intellectuals have written on the subject of
destiny, fate, and free will, including Nietzsche, Dostoyevsky, Sartre, de Beauvoir,
Zagzebeski, and others.
Seminar: Philosophy of the Arts - C1
Griesmaier
What is this course about? Well, that depends. It depends on the right answer to one of its
central questions: What is art? Can everything, when placed in the right context, be art? Or is
being art an intrinsic property? If so, what things have this property? Does art have to be
beautiful? Can art in some sense be true? Can it represent aspects of the world that science
cannot repesent? We will discuss these and related questions with respect to literature, film,
music, painting/sculpting, and the performing arts.
Seminar: Philosophy of Hunting & Fishing - C1
Moffett
Hunting and fishing have three characteristics which make them particularly prone to abuse,
they are brutal, they are solitary, and they are hard. The brutality of hunting/fishing makes an
uncompromising ethical standard an absolute necessity; the difficulty and isolation make
transgressions of that standard all too enticing. In this course we will explore the philosophical
dimensions of hunting and fishing. In particular, we will use hunting/fishing as a way of
shedding light on such major philosophical questions “How ought I to live?” The course will
be broken down into three sections: (1) Bloodties: the hunter’s relationship to animals, (2)
Earthties: the hunter’s relationship to the land, and (3) The Sacred Game: the nature of the hunt
and the meaning of life.
Seminar: Sex, Love & Philosophy - C1
Bengson &
Wright
Foundational to philosophy is the belief that the unexamined life is not worth living. It thus
seems that sex and love, which are undeniably important parts of life, deserve philosophical
scrutiny. This course is designed to provide such scrutiny. We will examine several questions
related to sex and love: What is the nature of love? What is the role of physical attraction in
love? What is the difference between love, sex, infatuation, obsession, and friendship? What
stance should one take toward promiscuity, perversion, marriage, adultery, monogamy, and
homosexuality?
Seminar: Friend or Food? The Ethics of Animal
Treatment - C1
Williams
Is it morally permissible to use animals for food? Experiments? Entertainment? In this
course we will look at the arguments concerning the moral significance of animals, and how
these arguments dictate we should treat them.
Eastern Thought – C1
(Meets Non-Western Certification for A&S)
Devlin
Take a journey to the East and explore the central philosophies and religions of Asia, as we
examine four particular religions – Hinduism, Theravada Buddhism, Taoism, and Mahayana
Buddhism – and focus on the philosophical significance of these religions. Class discussions
will stress analysis of readings and important philosophical concepts that arise from our
Eastern exploration and how they apply to our lives at home in the West.
Major and Minor information can be found on the Philosophy web site at:
http://uwyo.edu/philosophy
or by contacting the Philosophy Department at 766-3204, Hoyt Hall, Rm 325