2016 Fall Course Descriptions
PH 101-Honors: Problems of Philosophy
INSTRUCTOR:
Stephen Campbell
TO BE OFFERED:
Section H01,
Tuesday & Friday 12:30 p.m. –1:50 p.m.
Course Description:
Do human beings have free will, or is our every action fully determined? Does God exist? Is it rational to
believe something by faith? What is knowledge, and what can we know about the world we inhabit? What
is a good life? What does morality demand of us? What makes a life meaningful? The aim of this course is
to help students think critically and rationally about these perennial philosophical issues. By the end of
the course, students should be able to discuss and critically evaluate some key issues in metaphysics,
epistemology, and ethics; identify and comprehend relevant theories and concepts; apply these ideas to
various issues, as well as novel problems and examples; and analyze and critique arguments.
(Fall 2016)
PH 101: PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
INSTRUCTOR: Jacqueline Gately
TO BE OFFERED:
Section 013, Tuesday & Thursday 3:30 p.m. – 4:50 p.m.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course explores issues that philosophers have traditionally considered, including morality,
reality, and knowledge. We will begin by discussing what philosophy is and why people engage in
it. Through an overview of the history of Western philosophy, with an emphasis on the
development of ethics, we will examine three philosophical time periods (ancient, modern, and
contemporary) by studying some of the major figures in each period. This will allow students to
examine the similarities and differences of the philosophers’ arguments, as well as their own, on a
variety of topics through in-class discussions as well as written work.
(Fall 2016)
2016 Fall Course Descriptions
PH 101: PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
INSTRUCTOR: James B. Hart
TO BE OFFERED:
Section 001, Monday & Wednesday 8:00 a.m. -9:20 a.m.
Section 002, Monday & Wednesday 9:30 a.m. -10:50 a.m.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course to focus solely on moral issues. Part will be an overview of the classic ethical theories of
Western philosophy (Kant, Mill, Aristotle, Hobbes, etc.). Part will be an application of these theories to
contemporary moral questions (immigration, abortion, torture, among others). There will be significant
student presentations and interaction with special emphasis on critical reading and writing techniques.
(Spring 2016)
PH 101: PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
INSTRUCTOR: Ranjoo Herr
TO BE OFFERED:
Section 007, Monday & Wednesday 3:30 p.m. -4:50 p.m.
Section 008, Monday & Wednesday 5:00 p.m. – 6:20 p.m.
Section E01, Tuesday 6:30 p.m. -9:10 p.m.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The aim of the course is to help students learn to think critically, reflectively, and deeply with
an open-mind. The ability to think critically, reflectively and deeply with an open-mind is highly valued
by the leaders of the world, whether in academia, politics, law, or business. In order to be recognized
as a leader in business or elsewhere, you must engage in critical thinking and understand the bigger
picture. This is what the philosophical method enables you to do.
Bentley University emphasizes ethics and social responsibility of business people. Therefore,
this course is designed to help students learn and practice the philosophical method by focusing on
moral philosophy, which examines fundamentals of ethics and social responsibility. Topics examined
are: First, questions about egoism and relativism; second, two major ethical theories of utilitarianism
and deontology; and third, the application of the two theories to highly debated contemporary ethical
issues (see the schedule below).
2016 Fall Course Descriptions
Classes are discussion-oriented following the philosophical method. You are expected to
have done the reading for each class, so that class discussions are informed and focused. To ensure
that everyone is prepared for each class, you are required to complete pre-class assignments before
the start of class. Preparing yourself for class in this way requires self-discipline, hard work,
persistence, and perseverance. The hope is that completing the coursework successfully will help you
develop these essential character traits for success in life. It is up to you! 
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By meeting the requirements of this course, you will learn how to:
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evaluate whether an argument makes sense
sharpen your ability to diagnose and troubleshoot flaws in an argument
make your point succinctly and precisely by formulating your own argument
construct as strong an argument for your position as possible
think/write logically
(Spring2016)
PH 101: PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
INSTRUCTOR: Jesse Hughes
TO BE OFFERED:
Section 011, Tuesday & Friday 11:00 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.
Section 012, Tuesday & Friday 12:30 p.m. -1:50 p.m.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a broad introduction to philosophy, in which we will touch on many traditional subjects. We will
begin with a section on epistemology (What stuff can we know and how?) and metaphysics (What stuff
is there anyway?). This section includes an introduction to philosophy of self (Did yesterday really
happen?) and artificial intelligence (Can a machine think?). Our second section is an overview of classical
ethical theories (What should one do? Why should one try to be good anyway?), and our final section
discusses certain problems of applied ethics (Is abortion morally acceptable? What moral duties apply in
a state of war?)
(Fall 2015)
2016 Fall Course Descriptions
PH 101: PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
INSTRUCTOR: Carolyn Magid
TO BE OFFERED:
Section 004, Monday & Thursday 12:30 p.m. – 1:50 p.m
Section 006, Monday & Thursday 2:00 p.m.-3:20 p.m.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
In this course we will study important philosophical theories which answer moral questions about how
people should live and how societies should function. We will explore the theories in the context of their
application to difficult moral choices about obligation to others, killing and violence, global warming and
inequality and difference. We will also use what we have learned about moral theory and reasoning,
supplemented by new reading and additional research on line, to prepare and hold debates about
several very controversial contemporary moral issues.
(Spring 2016)
PH 101: PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
INSTRUCTOR: Stephen Martin
TO BE OFFERED:
Section E02, Wednesday 6:30 p.m. -9:10 p.m.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
What should I do? How should I live? Who am I supposed to be? These questions are ethical questions.
Philosophical ethics is the at- tempt to figure out whether and how they ought to be answered, and, if
they have answers to them, just what those answers are. Be- cause these questions are such important
questions, theirs is not the province of philosophy alone. Rather, they figure prominently in all areas of
art and literature as well. In this course, we shall approach them as they appear in both the works of
great philosophers and contemporary filmmakers alike.
(Spring 2016)
2016 Fall Course Descriptions
PH 101: PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
INSTRUCTOR: Jason L. Megill
TO BE OFFERED:
Section 014
Tuesday & Thursday 3:30 p.m. -4:50 p.m.
Section 015
Tuesday & Thursday 5:00 p.m.-6:20 p.m.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
We will study several of the core areas of Philosophy, though there will be a special emphasis on Ethics.
We start by examining most of the major ethical theories: Utilitarianism, Kant, Aristotle, Ethical
Subjectivism, and Divine Command Theory. We then consider a number of topics in Applied Ethics,
including abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, genetic enhancement, and just war theory. We will
also cover some topics in Political philosophy (e.g., how should wealth be distributed), Philosophy of
Religion (e.g., does God exist), and Metaphysics and Philosophy of Mind (e.g., could a machine think?).
(Fall 2016)
PH 101: PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
INSTRUCTOR: Linda Paglierani
TO BE OFFERED:
Section 010, Tuesday & Friday 8:00a.m. – 9:20 a.m.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
To examine, analyze, consider, compare ways of philosophical thinking. To study and apply the kinds of
thinking that are associated with the various branches of philosophy. To apply systematic philosophical
approaches to issues of everyday life, such as in situations of Ethics, or matters of justice, freedom, and
responsibility, as well as in areas of Epistemology, Metaphysics, Perception, and Aesthetics, for example.
We will consider cases that challenge students to question the sufficient and necessary choices people
make to live a life worth living, with meaning and purpose. We will consider the relationship of the
individual to the group, society, culture, history, and in context of world view. We will study these topics
in relation to the themes that are part of the history of ideas in Philosophy, to include Nature/Nurture
theory, and the variations of influence that challenge and develop character and free will. Students will
have a cross section of interdisciplinary readings in the history of ideas in this discipline and in its
thematic context to explore ideas and ways of thinking related to our study. Additional materials and
forums for discussion on local to world events and issues will invite students to explore perspectives,
applications, implications, and consequences. All topics will have direct application to Bentley students.
(Spring 2016)
2016 Fall Course Descriptions
PH 101: Problems of Philosophy
INSTRUCTOR:
Jessica Payson
TO BE OFFERED:
Section 003
Section 005,
Monday & Thursday 11:00-12:20
Monday & Thursday 12:30 p.m. –1:50 p.m.
What is a “problem” and what does it mean to fix it? How does one identify a problem, and what
should motivate us to remedy it? Should problems be solved by any means necessary? If not, what are
the constraints and how are they justified? The course will focus on these and related questions to do
with recognizing and resolving problems. In addressing these questions, the section will introduce
students to prevailing philosophical theories in epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics, as well as
alternatives and challenges to these theories by non-Western, post-colonial, feminist, race, class, and/or
disability theorists.
PH 101: PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
INSTRUCTOR: Axel Seemann
TO BE OFFERED:
Section H02, Tuesday & Friday 2:00 p.m-3:20 p.m.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Two of the most important questions in philosophy are:
1)
What is the mind?
2)
What is moral responsibility?
The two questions are interconnected. We need to understand what the mind is in order to understand
what it means to have free will. And we need to understand free will in order to explain the possibility of
moral responsibility. In this course, we will explore this connection.
(Fall 2016)
2016 Fall Course Descriptions
PH 130: Corporate Social Responsibility
INSTRUCTOR:
Stephen Campbell
TO BE OFFERED:
Section 001,
Tuesday & Friday 9:30 a.m. –10:50 a.m.
Prerequisite: PH101 or instructor’s permission
Course Description:
Business ethics is the study of the moral obligations of business organizations, both to shareholders and
to other stakeholders. We will review fundamental ethical and political concepts (e.g. utility, rights,
virtue, and justice) and will examine a variety of specific questions, focusing on such themes as the aims
of corporations, the environment, employment, sales, and marketing. The aims of this course are to help
you to recognize and think critically about the ethical dimensions of business activity and organizations,
and to give you the tools necessary to make informed and responsible decisions in the workplace.
(Fall 2016)
PH 270: CONSCIOUSNESS & EXPERIENCES
INSTRUCTOR: Axel Seemann
TO BE OFFERED:
Section 001
Monday & Thursday 2:00 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
We are conscious at every moment of our waking lives; it is a ubiquitous feature of our existence. But
what does it mean to be conscious? And how can it be that unspectacular physical events, perhaps
neural discharges, give rise to pain and love, hate and fear? In this course we will explore some of these
questions, drawing on both philosophical and psychological sources.
PREREQUISITE: PH 101 OR
INSTRUCTOR'S PERMISSION
(Fall 2016)
2016 Fall Course Descriptions
PH 301 Environmental Ethics
INSTRUCTOR: Jessica Payson
TO BE OFFERED:
Section 001, Wednesday 11:00 a.m. -1:50 p.m.
Prerequisite: PH101 or instructor’s permission
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
What is valuable about the environment? How ought humans think about themselves in relation to
non-human aspects of the natural world? What ought to be done in response to current environmental
problems? This course will address philosophical approaches to these and related questions. The first
half of the course will focus on theories of value, including anthropocentric and non-anthropocentric
frameworks. The second half of the course will examine a diversity of ethical responses to important
environmental issues, including climate change and world hunger.
(Fall2016)
PH 351: Perspectives on Poverty
INSTRUCTOR: Carolyn Magid
TO BE OFFERED:
Monday & Wednesday 9:30a.m.-10:50 a.m.
Prerequisite: PH101 or instructor's permission
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Required embedded service-learning project
(hours to be arranged).
Additional optional 4th credit.
Details below.
Are you concerned that
worldwide more than “1 billion children are severely deprived of at least one of the essential goods
and services they require to survive, grow and develop?” (UNICEF
2016 Fall Course Descriptions
`http://www.unicef.org/mdg/poverty.html)
“every 3.6 seconds one person dies of starvation. Usually it is a child under the age of 5.”? (UNICEF
http://www.unicef.org/mdg/poverty.html)
in the U.S.,22% of all children live below the federal poverty level? (National Center for Children in
Poverty http://www.nccp.org/topics/childpoverty.html)
in the U.S. an adult with a child can work full-time year-round at the current national minimum wage
and still be below the poverty line?
schools in poor communities in the U.S. lack basic resources needed to educate children well?
Have you wondered whose responsibility poverty is, and what obligation a just society has to its poor
people?
Are you interested in a service-learning opportunity to work with low-income children in their
community?
Do you want to be part of an ongoing discussion seeking solutions to problems of poverty?
If you answer "yes" to some or all of these questions, you should enjoy PH351.
The largest objective of PH351 is to enable you to develop some well-informed and well-defended ideas
about what can and should be done about poverty. The main focus will be on problem-solving for the
U.S., although we will also explore some important global and international initiatives. When we ask
what can be done, we need to understand (among other things) current circumstances and possible
directions for change. When we ask what should be done, we are asking a moral question to which
many answers have been and can be given. To achieve its objective, the course combines several
different elements: (1) study of a range of philosophical theories which offer different moral
perspectives on questions about obligation, rights, justice and care, (2) exploration of important current
public and private initiatives to address poverty on a global scale, (3) investigation of the experiences
and circumstances of children living in poverty in the U.S., through a service-learning project working
with children in a Waltham housing project (and related texts), (4) analysis and evaluation of a range of
current approaches (both public and private) to addressing problems of poverty in the U.S.
Service-Learning Projects for Fall 2016: all PH351 students will participate in an embedded servicelearning project --a commitment of about 10 hours (over 5 weeks in either the first or second part of
the semester) including transportation. You will be working in an after-school program or possibly
another project with children in a Waltham Public Housing Project. The after-school program runs from
3-5:30 five days a week. There are a few other (evening) options for service-learning. Please check with
me if you have concerns about scheduling. The Service-Learning Program has done very well in the past
at arranging times to fit student schedules and at helping to organize transportation. Note that this is an
embedded service-learning project not a 4th credit --it replaces some written texts rather than adding
additional course requirements. You can also do an optional 4th credit project in conjunction with this
class—it will require 20 additional hours at the service site and additional written work.
PH351 satisfies the Diversity Intensive requirement.
Questions? Email cmagid@bentley.edu
(Fall 2016)