Fall 2014 Course Descriptions
Introduction to Philosophy
10100 01 (12474)
Kelsey
2:00-2:50 TR (F)
First Year Students Only
co-requisite 12100, Sections 1-12
There are many ways to make a first approach to philosophy; in this course we will begin reading some
classic texts on the topic of “knowledge,” and then move to consider other themes as they arise in Plato’s
Republic. (Principal authors studied: Plato, Descartes, Wittgenstein.)
Introduction to Philosophy
10100 02 (19590)
Audi
2:00-2:50 MW (F)
First Year Students Only
co-requisite 12100, Sections 13-18
This course will introduce philosophy—conceived as the systematic study of ideas and issues—through
analysis and discussion of major works ranging from Aristotle to the contemporary age. The readings will
provide a sense of the history of the field; the discussions will engage enduring questions that these
readings address. These questions include the nature of the good and the right, of knowledge and
justification, of the relation between mind and body (“human nature”), and of religious experience and the
divine.
Lectures will discuss these and other topics in relation to both the readings and some problems facing the
world today. The two weekly lecture sessions will provide for questions and discussion at almost any
point, and the third weekly meeting will be devoted almost entirely to discussion. The course aims at
helping students in the assessment and use of reasoning, in making significant connections among
related ideas, issues, and authors, and in effective self-expression in writing and speaking.
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 01 (11609)
Murphy
8:20-9:10 MWF
First Year Students Only
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 02 (11614)
Murphy
9:25-10:15 MWF
First Year Students Only
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 03 (10964)
Gustin
11:30-12:20 MWF
First Year Students Only
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 04 (10952)
Immerman
11:30-12:20 MWF
First Year Students Only
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 05 (10409)
Gustin
12:50-1:40 MWF
First Year Students Only
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 06 (10410)
Hagaman
9:30-10:45 TR
First Year Students Only
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 07 (10425)
Snapper
9:30-10:45 TR
First Year Students Only
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 08 (10426)
Rodgers
11:00-12:15 TR
First Year Students Only
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 09 (12398)
Snapper
2:00-2:50 TR
First Year Students Only
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 10 (12399)
Rodgers
12:30-1:45 TR
First Year Students Only
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 11 (12995)
Potter
12:30-1:45 TR
First Year Students Only
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 12 (13002)
Potter
3:30-4:45 TR
First Year Students Only
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 13 (13668)
Reimers
3:30-4:45 TR
First Year Students Only
Introduction to Philosophy
10101 14 (13803)
Delaney, Jr.
5:05-6:20 TR
First Year Students Only
Philosophy University Seminar
13185 01 (11964)
Bays
9:30-10:45 TR
First Year Students Only
There's an old tradition in Western philosophy which says that people can't *really* be moral (or happy or
virtuous or excellent) unless they spend a lot of time thinking, both about morality itself and about certain
more purely intellectual subjects (for instance, mathematics and philosophy). The majority of this course
will examine some classical---i.e., Greek---developments of this idea. At the end, we'll examine some
more-modern responses to it.
Philosophy University Seminar: What Is a Philosophical Problem?
13185 02 (11965)
Joy
11:00-12:15 TR
First Year Students Only
What is a philosophical problem? How are philosophical problems related to what we study in the social
sciences, the natural sciences, and religion? This introduction to Philosophy focuses on classic
strategies for conducting philosophical inquiry, including those of Aristotle, Descartes, Mill, and several
21st-century thinkers. Readings will cover the history of philosophy as well as recent writings in ethics
and the neurosciences.
Requirements: This University Seminar satisfies the 100-level Philosophy requirement. Class
participation and regular attendance are important to success in the course. Classes will consist of both
lecture and discussion. Written work includes four papers and one revised paper.
Philosophy University Seminar: What Is a Philosophical Problem?
13185 03 (11966)
Joy
2:00-3:15 TR
First Year Students Only
What is a philosophical problem? How are philosophical problems related to what we study in the social
sciences, the natural sciences, and religion? This introduction to Philosophy focuses on classic
strategies for conducting philosophical inquiry, including those of Aristotle, Descartes, Mill, and several
21st-century thinkers. Readings will cover the history of philosophy as well as recent writings in ethics
and the neurosciences.
Requirements: This University Seminar satisfies the 100-level Philosophy requirement. Class
participation and regular attendance are important to success in the course. Classes will consist of both
lecture and discussion. Written work includes four papers and one revised paper.
Philosophy University Seminar
13185 04 (11967)
Karbowski
12:30-1:45 TR
First Year Students Only
Plato’s early Socratic dialogues are some of the most engaging philosophical works ever written. They
can be approached on many different levels and in many different ways, but their charismatic nature
makes them an attractive tool for introductory philosophy courses. This course aims to introduce students
to philosophical questions and puzzles by a close study of the views and methods of Socrates and his
interlocutors in the early Socratic dialogues. We will read the Apology, Euthyphro, Crito, Protagoras,
Gorgias, Meno, and Phaedo. The issues examined will include the nature of the best human life, the
structure of knowledge, the immortality of the soul, the justifiability of civil disobedience, hedonism,
among other things.
Requirements: There will several writing assignments of various lengths. Please email the instructor for
more details about the course assignments.
Required Texts:
Plato: Five Dialogues (Hackett)
Protagoras (Hackett)
Gorgias (Hackett)
Philosophy University Seminar
13185 05 (14030)
DePaul
3:30-4:45 TR
First Year Students Only
Two things follow from the fact that this is a University Seminar: (1) Classes will have a discussion rather
than a lecture format. (2) The course will be writing intensive, with students required to write and rewrite
three short papers (5-7 pages).
As an introduction to philosophy, we will use contemporary and historical texts to examine a number of
questions that have vexed philosophers from ancient times to the present:
Does God exist?
Why does God allow evil?
Can we know about the world external to our own thoughts and sensations, and if we can, how?
What if anything unifies ourselves through time?
Are there any objective moral truths or are all moral claims relative?
What determines whether an action is right or wrong? Is it the consequences of the action, the intentions
of the actor, or something else?
What is the good life for a human being?
Philosophy University Seminar
13185 06 (16496)
Stubenberg
5:05-6:20pm TR
First Year Students Only
This is an introduction to philosophy. Guided by Thomas Nagel’s book, we will start by surveying a large
number of different philosophical themes. We then turn to a historical text in which Bishop Berkeley
argues that the nature of reality is mental through and through. Russell’s book contains a pointed attack
on Berkeley’s central ideas. And we will then have occasion to wonder whether Russell’s own ideas fare
much better than Berkeley’s. While the first part of the course focuses primarily on problems of knowledge
and reality, the second part of the course addresses moral questions. The two books by Cathcart and
Frankfurt both discuss moral issues, but in quite strikingly different ways. Taken together they will,
hopefully, give us some sense about how to think clearly about how to act and how to live a good life.
Requirements
University seminars are writing intensive. So there will be five papers of 1500 words each. That adds up
to about 25 pages of writing.
Books:
Thomas Nagel: What Does It All Mean? (1987)
George Berkeley: Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous (1713) (This text will be provided in an
online version.)
Bertrand Russell: The Problems of Philosophy (1912)
Thomas Cathcart: The Trolley Problem, or Would You Throw the Fat Guy Off the Bridge?: A Philosophical
Conundrum (2013)
Harry Frankfurt: The Reasons of Love (2004)
Honors Philosophy Seminar
13195 01 (11968)
Delaney, Sr.
11:00-12:15 TR
First Year Students Only
Honors Philosophy Seminar
13195 02 (11969)
Loux
11:00-12:15 TR
First Year Students Only
A first course in philosophy, focusing on problems about the rationality of religious belief, the nature of the
human person, the foundations of ethical values, and the justification of political authority.
Readings will include selections from classical philosophers as well as more recent writings on these
topics. Weekly papers are required.
Honors Philosophy Seminar
13195 03 (11970)
Roeber
3:30-4:45 TR
First Year Students Only
This course will explore the nature and relevance of philosophy, as well as major themes in Western
philosophy, including the existence of God and the origins of the universe, knowledge of the external
world, the mind-body problem, personal identity, free will, morality, happiness, and love. It also aims to
teach how to think, read, and write critically about philosophical issues.
Honors Philosophy Seminar
13195 04 (11971)
Blanchette
12:30-1:45 TR
First Year Students Only
This seminar is an introduction to several central issues in philosophy, using both historical and
contemporary texts. Topics to be treated will include some subset of these: The nature of human
knowledge, the existence of God and the rationality of faith, the nature of the human mind (and its relation
to the brain), ethical theory.
Requirements include active seminar participation, a number of short and medium-length writing
assignments, quizzes, and exams.
Honors Philosophy Seminar
13195 05 (12135)
Franks
3:30-4:45 TR
First Year Students Only
In this seminar, we learn how to think philosophically about science, art, history, ourselves, and inquiry
itself. Unlike many philosophy classes, we spend less time looking at the canon of philosophical writing
and more time looking at items from our broader intellectual culture. We discuss things as diverse as U.S.
Supreme Court cases (in order to see how the law is actually practiced) and modern poetry (in order to
see how language can actually be used).
We read Plato, but we also look at quantum mechanics and evolutionary game theory. In the end, we
hope to have some facility with looking at the full gamut of things we do from a philosophical perspective.
Every seminar meeting begins with a workshop, in which we read, discuss, and critique one another's
writing. The purpose of these workshops is threefold: to learn how to make pointed, concrete
observations and to communicate these clearly and effectively, to learn how to engage constructively with
other's ideas, and to learn how to make good use of other's reactions to your work.
At the end of the term, you will submit two essays. Your grade will reflect the quality of these essays, your
demonstrated understanding of and ability to grapple with the the texts and concepts we encounter, and
your performance in the writing workshop.
Honors Philosophy Seminar
13195 06 (13000)
Cross
2:00-3:15 TR
First Year Students Only
The course introduces some central philosophical concepts and methods by tracing the origins of Ancient
Greek thought, beginning with the pre-Socratic philosophers and advancing through the most important
philosophers up to the time of Augustine. In addition to this, the course allows some time to be devoted
to close readings of extracts from Thomas Aquinas on topics related to those discussed in the earlier
thinkers. The emphasis will be two-fold: while endeavoring to understand and appreciate the historical
milieu within which the questions considered first arose, we will, at the same time, seek to determine for
ourselves where we should agree, and where we should disagree, with the theses promulgated. Among
the questions given sharp formulation in our period are: Is morality relative? Or are there moral facts?
What does morality have to do, if anything, with religion? Are there defensible reasons for being a theist?
Or is theism somehow essentially irrational and indefensible?
Honors Philosophy Seminar
13195 07 (14562)
Gutting
2:00-3:15 TR
First Year Students Only
We will read classic texts (e.g., Plato) and relate them to issues raised in current discussions of, for
example, neuroscience, education, religion, ethics. There will be four papers (~1500 words each).
Introduction to Philosophy
20101 01 (11448)
TBA
9:30-10:45 TR
Introduction to Philosophy
20101 02 (11449)
TBA
11:00-12:15 TR
Introduction to Philosophy
20101 03 (11450)
TBA
12:30-1:45 TR
Introduction to Philosophy
20101 04 (11451)
TBA
2:00-3:15 TR
Introduction to Philosophy
20101 05 (11452)
TBA
3:30-4:45 TR
Introduction to Philosophy
20101 06 (11006)
TBA
5:05-6:20 TR
Introduction to Philosophy
20101 07 (11453)
TBA
8:20-9:10 MWF
Introduction to Philosophy
20101 08 (11454)
TBA
9:25-10:15 MWF
Introduction to Philosophy
20101 09 (10393)
TBA
10:30-11:20 MWF
Introduction to Philosophy
20101 10 (12980)
TBA
11:30-12:20 MWF
Introduction to Philosophy
20101 11 (19594)
TBA
12:50-1:40 MWF
Philosophy of Human Nature
20201 01 (11946)
Reimers
8:20 -9:10 MWF
In our age, the nature of the human person has become increasingly important theme in philosophical
anthropology. Is there a difference between being a member of the species homo sapiens and being a
person? If a person is an animal with an inner life, can members of other species be considered as
persons? Or must we say that contemporary sciences have shown that personhood is a kind of
subjectivist illusion, that we are basically organic machines? Is there a spiritual ‘self’, and if so what must
this be like? We will consider the nature of the human person in the light of contemporary challenges
such as scientific materialism, Cartesian dualism, and political totalitarianism.
Texts will be drawn from the Vatican Council's Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, Karol Wojtyła Love
and Responsibility, Adrian J. Reimers The Soul of the Person, Jacques Maritain The Person and the
Common Good, and a course packet of readings.
Course requirements: two tests, one term paper, and a final exam.
Philosophy of Human Nature
20201 02 (11947)
Reimers
9:25 - 10:15 MWF
In our age, the nature of the human person has become increasingly important theme in philosophical
anthropology. Is there a difference between being a member of the species homo sapiens and being a
person? If a person is an animal with an inner life, can members of other species be considered as
persons? Or must we say that contemporary sciences have shown that personhood is a kind of
subjectivist illusion, that we are basically organic machines? Is there a spiritual ‘self’, and if so what must
this be like? We will consider the nature of the human person in the light of contemporary challenges
such as scientific materialism, Cartesian dualism, and political totalitarianism.
Texts will be drawn from the Vatican Council's Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, Karol Wojtyła Love
and Responsibility, Adrian J. Reimers The Soul of the Person, Jacques Maritain The Person and the
Common Good, and a course packet of readings.
Course requirements: two tests, one term paper, and a final exam.
Philosophy of Human Nature
20201 03 (20125)
Helms
3:30-4:45 TR
The definition of personhood is significant in contemporary conversations about ethical issues, since
some philosophers think of persons as the primary bearers of rights. In the history of philosophy,
however, the concept first became significant in the context of medieval Christian philosophers’ efforts to
give a coherent account of the Trinity and the Incarnation. Sometimes, understanding a conversation
requires knowing some of the history of the important concepts that the conversation involves; and there
is reason to think that is so in this case. Therefore, in addition to examining contemporary ethical
conversations that involve personhood and rights, this course will also explore three medieval Christian
philosophers’ accounts of personhood. These three philosophers are representatives of contrasting
schools of thought that continue to the present day: Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), John Duns Scotus (c.
1266-1308), and William Ockham (c. 1287–1347). We will explore the answers they give to the questions
“What is a divine person?” “What is a human person?” Since, in Catholic Christianity, the person of Christ
represents a special case as a person who is both divine and human, we will briefly explore how the
philosophers account for this possibility.
As a complementary emphasis of the course, we will also explore how the term ‘person’ is used in
contemporary ethical debates. This part of the course will examine current debates about ethics and
policy that invoke the ideas of personhood and rights, focusing on papers by prominent analytic
philosophers such as Judith Jarvis Thomson. In the course of discussing these debates, we will discuss
differing perspectives on the status of human embryos and fetuses, the moral status of abortion, and the
resolution of what Thomson calls the Trolley Problem.
Existentialist Themes
20202 01 (15715)
Ameriks
11:00-12:15 TR
This course focuses on writings from three main figures: Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Sartre. The contrast
of aesthetic, ethical and religious views, as discussed from an existentialist perspective, is the main
thematic focus of the course.
Students are advised to purchase texts in the editions that are on order for the course at the Notre Dame
bookstore.
Requirements: The main requirements are two papers, two tests, and a final.
Existentialist Themes
20202 02 (16498)
Ameriks
2:00-3:15 TR
This course focuses on writings from three main figures: Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Sartre. The contrast
of aesthetic, ethical and religious views, as discussed from an existentialist perspective, is the main
thematic focus of the course.
Students are advised to purchase texts in the editions that are on order for the course at the Notre Dame
bookstore.
Requirements: The main requirements are two papers, two tests, and a final.
Existentialist Themes
20202 03 ( TBA)
Jech
11:30-12:20 MWF
This course will focus upon the early development of existential thought as it took shape within the
writings and thought of such philosophical “outsiders” as the French polymath Blaise Pascal, the Danish
philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, the Russian philosopher-novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky, and the German
philologist and philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Central themes will include the nature of the human
condition, the nature of freedom, and the relationship between reason and human life.
A central conviction of traditional philosophical approaches is that human reason provides an adequate
guide to human life and that rationality is either an, or the, essential element in a human life lived well. But
can reason adequately provide answers to the deepest and most important questions about the nature of
human existence? Can it lead us to some transcendent standard of all meaning and value, such as God
or the Form of the Good, which would satisfy our desire to know and live by reason? If reason cannot do
this, can it find a standard of value within ourselves, perhaps within the nature of reason itself? The
writers we will consider were motivated by the conviction that reason was not up to the task of providing a
ground of intelligibility, meaning, and value for human life. It could neither ascend to a transcendent
source of value, such as God, nor establish a suitable replacement for such a transcendent source within
human nature or reason itself. Each therefore attempted to find alternate sources of intelligibility,
meaning, and value for human life. In this course we will survey, investigate, and evaluate the alternative
answers that they provided.
Requirements: Class discussion, three papers, and two tests
Existentialist Themes
20202 04 (20897)
Watson
3:30-4:45 TR
An examination of fundamental questions about the nature of human beings and their destiny - based on
a critical examination of the work of pivotal existentialist thinkers: Kierkegaard, Marcel, and Sartre.
Existentialist Themes
20202 05 (20898)
Watson
5:05-6:20 TR
An examination of fundamental questions about the nature of human beings and their destiny - based on
a critical examination of the work of pivotal existentialist thinkers: Kierkegaard, Marcel, and Sartre.
The Meaning of Life
20235 01 (20127)
Seachris
9:30-10:45 TR
This course will cover the broadly normative territory (the realm of value) associated with the question of
life’s meaning. Due to the expansive nature of the topic, we will explore a number of interconnected
themes including value, significance, teleology, futility, narrative, science, naturalism, worldview, God,
religion, death, absurdity, pessimism, hope, and eschatology to name several. We will begin by
considering the question, “What might the question of life’s meaning even mean?” Once we address this
thorny interpretive question, we will spend most of the balance of the semester comparing three
prominent positions on whether and how life can be meaningful under the following broad categories: (1)
Naturalistic Pessimism, (2) Naturalistic Optimism, and (3) Theistic Optimism. We will conclude by
discussing a cluster of topics surrounding death, futility, and hope, weaving these themes back into our
discussions of (1) – (3) above. Prominent questions we will discuss include (among others): Does the
question of life’s meaning make sense? Does it have an answer? Is leading a meaningful life a function of
fulfilling one’s strongest desires? Can one be wrong about what constitutes a meaningful life? Is life
cosmically futile? Does life have a purpose? Is God necessary for a meaningful life? How does death
relate to the meaning of life? Is an afterlife necessary for a meaningful life?
In considering the question of life’s meaning we will not limit ourselves to the work of professional
philosophers. Given that the question is humanity’s question, others from both within and outside of the
Academy have as much to say. We will carefully listen to them as we consider life’s grandest question.
Ethics
20401 02 (12996)
Sterba
2:00-2:50 MWF
Crosslist: HESB 30263 02
This course will begin by considering three challenges to a reason-based morality: 1) It’s all relative, 2) It’s
better to be an egoist, 3) Morality is determined by religion not reason. Assuming we can overcome these
challenges - if we can’t, we will stop the course right here - but if we can, we will then evaluate three
traditional moral perspectives: 1) Kantian morality (It is all about doing your duty), 2) Utilitarian morality (It
is all about maximizing utility), and 3) Aristotelian morality (It is all about being virtuous) to see if one of
them is better than the others. That accomplished, we will then take up three challenges to a traditional
conception of morality: 1) the Feminist challenge (Traditional morality is biased against women), 2) the
Environmental challenge (Traditional morality is biased against nonhuman living beings), and 3) the
Multicultural challenge (Traditional morality is biased against nonWestern cultures). Assuming we think
some defensible form of morality survives these challenges (We will take a vote), we will then go on to
apply that morality to the solution of a number of problems. You will select which ones from the following:
the Distribution of Income and Wealth, Distant Peoples and Future Generations, Abortion and
Euthanasia, Human Enhancement, Work and Family Responsibilities, Women’s and Men’s Roles,
Affirmative Action, Pornography, Sexual Harassment, Gay and Lesbian Rights , Animal Liberation and
Environmental Justice, Punishment and Responsibility, and War, Torture and Terrorism.
Texts:
Sterba, Introducing Ethics (Prentice-Hall, 2012)
Sterba and Bornschein, Morality in Practice 8th edition (Wadsworth, 2013)
Requirements: Three papers 5-7 pages (1500-2100 words), e-mail comments on all readings, and
participation in class discussions
Ethics
20401 03 (20129)
Madison
9:30-10:45 TR
Crosslist: HESB 30263 03
This course will introduce students to the foundations of moral reasoning by examining several of the
most prevalent ethical theories: consequentialism, deontology, virtue ethics, and natural
law. Deontological or duty based ethics is an approach that attempts to establish the universal rules that
every rational agent or moral being is obligated to follow. According to this theory, actions are right,
independently of their consequences, if they conform to the universal moral law. Consequentialism
proposes an alternative criterion for evaluating moral actions: actions are moral if they produce the best
results for the most people. Virtue ethics in its turn focuses neither on universal moral rules nor on the
consequences of our actions but on the character of the person performing the action. Actions are good,
according to this theory, only if they are done well, on the basis of good character, and from
virtue. Finally, natural law attempts to ground moral norms on Divine Reason and the nature of human
beings. There are three main objectives of this course: (1) to understand the philosophical foundations of
different ethical theories so as to evaluate their merits; (2) to be able to apply these theories to concrete
ethical dilemmas as well as contemporary moral issues; (3) to address the relationships between religion,
reason, society, and ethics.This course will introduce students to the foundations of ethics: the good life
for humans, the elements of moral reasoning, and the virtues. The first part of the course will examine
the nature of ethical life, its relation to happiness, the nature of human freedom, responsibility, and the
ultimate criteria of moral actions. Particular attention will be given to questions regarding the objectivity of
moral evaluation and the role of reason in human life. In the second part, the course will investigate the
nature and role of virtue and deliberation in relation to particular human actions. It concludes with an
evaluation of the prevalent ethical theories: virtue ethics, natural law, deontology and
consequentialism. Particular topics discussed include: justice, killing and war, honesty and lying, sexual
ethics, and issues related to commerce, property, and the common good. There are four main objectives
of this course: (1) to understand the nature of ethics and the role of reason moral philosophy; (2) to grasp
the foundations of different ethical theories so as to evaluate their merits; (2) to be able to apply these
theories to concrete ethical dilemmas as well as contemporary moral issues; (3) to address the
relationships between religion, reason, society, and ethics.
Moral Problems
20402 01 (20131)
Delaney, Jr.
2:00-2:50 MWF
Crosslist: HESB 30231 01
This course introduces students to a variety of ethical theories and deploys these theories in assessing
contemporary moral problems. A distinctive feature of the course is the introduction of Chinese theoretical
and applied moral philosophy as one of the approaches one might take to practical moral thinking.
Moral Problems
20402 02 (20130)
Delaney, Jr.
5:05-5:55 MWF
Crosslist: HESB 30231 02
This course introduces students to a variety of ethical theories and deploys these theories in assessing
contemporary moral problems. A distinctive feature of the course is the introduction of Chinese theoretical
and applied moral philosophy as one of the approaches one might take to practical moral thinking.
History of Aesthetics & Philosophy of Art 1
20430 01 (15888)
Rush
9:30-10:45 TR
Crosslist: 43325 01
1. A conceptual-historical survey of aesthetic theory and the philosophy of art that beginning in
antiquity and concluding in the Renaissance. The main readings will be historical sources in both
philosophy and art theory more broadly construed, with ample attention to various types and genres
of art and in-depth consideration of several individual works. Topics discussed: the relation of art to
truth the nature of artistic representation, tragedy and comedy, natural and artistic beauty, ethics and
art, genius and sublimity, social roles of art and of the aesthetic response to nature, etc.
Requirements: This course is designed to both fulfill the second philosophy course requirement for
general education and as a stand-alone majors’ course. Writing requirements will differ, depending
on which version of the course one opts for.
Please note: this is the first of a two-semester series of lectures. The second part covers aesthetics
and philosophy of art from the Reformation, through modernism, up to the most contemporary
materials. Neither part is a prerequisite for the other; they may be taken individually, both serially, or
both but out of order.
Markets and Morality
20434 01 (20133)
Hammond
11:00-12:15 MW
In many ways we live in an age dominated by markets. Rather than relying upon the whip of
authoritarianism or the yoke of tradition, markets purport to efficiently allocate resources simply by
allowing each person to pursue his or her own advantage. Markets, it is said, best satisfy preferences,
increase overall happiness, and can solve various social problems. The seeming success of markets has
led to “market thinking” permeating many fields – from public policy, to law, to philosophy. Yet markets
and market thinking are not without their critics. In this course, we will examine moral and political issues
as they relate to markets. Some of the issues we will examine include: Are there things that should not be
for sale at any price? How do markets relate to freedom? What is the relationship between markets and
justice? Does one have a right to property? Does having more options make us happier? What duties do
we have, if any, to the poor? In the course of examining these issues, it is hoped that you 1) develop
certain philosophical skills such as the careful analysis of texts and arguments, and 2) develop your own
informed and considered views on these issues.
Markets and Morality
20434 02 (20132)
Hammond
12:30-1:45 MW
In many ways we live in an age dominated by markets. Rather than relying upon the whip of
authoritarianism or the yoke of tradition, markets purport to efficiently allocate resources simply by
allowing each person to pursue his or her own advantage. Markets, it is said, best satisfy preferences,
increase overall happiness, and can solve various social problems. The seeming success of markets has
led to “market thinking” permeating many fields – from public policy, to law, to philosophy. Yet markets
and market thinking are not without their critics. In this course, we will examine moral and political issues
as they relate to markets. Some of the issues we will examine include: Are there things that should not be
for sale at any price? How do markets relate to freedom? What is the relationship between markets and
justice? Does one have a right to property? Does having more options make us happier? What duties do
we have, if any, to the poor? In the course of examining these issues, it is hoped that you 1) develop
certain philosophical skills such as the careful analysis of texts and arguments, and 2) develop your own
informed and considered views on these issues.
Medical Ethics
20602 01 (11918)
Solomon
10:30-11:20 MW (F)
Crosslist: CNST 20400 01, CST 20602 01, HESB 30237 01, STV 20245 01
co-requisite 22602
An exploration, from the point of view of ethical theory, of a number of ethical problems in contemporary
biomedicine. Topics to be taken up will include: 1) euthanasia, 2) abortion, 3) the allocation of scarce
medical resources, 4) truth telling in the doctor - patient relationship, 5) the right to medical care, and 6)
informed consent and human experimentation. No previous work in philosophy will be presupposed.
Requirements: Two short (4-6 pp.) problem papers, a mid-term, and a final exam.
Texts: Munson, Intervention and Reflection: Basic Issues in Medical Ethics.
Science, Technology, and Society
20606 01 (12858)
Jurkowitz, Bonneau
12:50-1:40 MW (F)
co-requisite: PHIL 22606
Crosslist: STV 20556, HESB 30246
This course introduces the interdisciplinary field of science and technology studies. Our concern will be
with science and technology (including medicine) as social and historical, i.e., as human, phenomena. We
shall examine the divergent roots of contemporary science and technology, and the similarities and
(sometimes surprising) differences in their methods and goals. The central theme of the course will be the
ways in which science and technology interact with other aspects of society, including the effects of
technical and theoretical innovation in bringing about social change, and the social shaping of science
and technology themselves by cultural, economic and political forces. Because science/society
interactions so frequently lead to public controversy and conflict, we shall also explore what resources are
available to mediate such conflicts in an avowedly democratic society.
Philosophy of Science
20617 01 (20530)
Climenhaga
12:30-1:45 TR
This course will examine the kind of reasoning that scientists engage in, and what it means for scientific
hypotheses to be confirmed or disconfirmed. Our primary focus will be on probabilistic, or Bayesian,
theories of scientific reasoning and confirmation. Students will learn the basic concepts and mathematics
of probability theory. Then we will examine case studies of scientific reasoning and confirmation to see
how they can be reconstructed and interpreted using probability theory. We will also discuss arguments
for and against Bayesian interpretations of scientific reasoning, alternatives to Bayesian approaches, and
open questions within Bayesian theories.
This course does not presuppose any acquaintance with probability theory in particular, but it does
presuppose some comfort with high school algebra and a willingness to learn the mathematical tools of
probability theory. Course assignments and tests will involve both written reflection on the conceptual and
philosophical issues we'll be discussing and mathematical proofs and calculations demonstrating facility
with the probability calculus.
Philosophy & Cosmology: A Revolution
20612 01 (19596)
Brading
12:30-1:45 TR
Crosslist: STV 20431 01
In the seventeenth century there was a revolution in our view of the cosmos and of our own place in it.
This course is about that revolution. Most vivid, perhaps, was the change from believing that the Earth is
at the center of everything, with the Sun and the stars revolving around it, to believing that the Earth is
just one planet among many, orbiting around the Sun. How and why did these changes take place? The
main philosophical themes running through this course are: (1) the nature of matter and of all the material
bodies in the cosmos, with the focus of attention on how and why these bodies move as they do
(including Newton's laws of motion and of universal gravitation), and (2) what constitutes knowledge of,
and how we justify our beliefs about, the cosmos (including the story of Galileo's condemnation by the
Church). We will explore these and other questions, reading as we go along from the work of some of the
main people involved, including Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Descartes and Newton. The class will
combine lectures with discussion, encouraging everyone to participate. Examination will be through a
combination of assignments and exams.
Philosophy of Medicine and Health Care Reform
20631 01 (TBA)
Smith
12:30-1:45 TR
This course is an introduction to questions of justice and legitimacy that pertain to healthcare. We will ask
about these questions against the background of current questions in US healthcare reform with an eye
to their relevance for patients (insured and uninsured), physicians, payers, and governments among
others. Further, we will consider these questions given the particular method and resources of
philosophy, which emphasize argumentative rigor, clarity, and precision.
Readings will be provided electronically. Each student will be graded on two short papers and one final
paper that will revise and extend one of the short papers. Each student will further be graded on one set
of comments on another student's paper, class participation, one group presentation, and weekly
homework assignments. The weekly homework will consist of roughly 5 questions about main claims in
one of the readings and will be open book.
Philosophy of Religion
20801 01 (20134)
Dumont
5:05-6:20 TR
A philosophical examination of religious beliefs. Topics include the existence and nature of God, the
problem of evil, immortality, miracles, the meaning of religious language, the basis for religious belief, and
the varieties and conflicts of religions. Readings will be taken from both classical and contemporary
sources.
Requirements: Term paper, midterm exam, and final exam.
Thought of Aquinas
20805 01 (19597)
O’Callaghan
11:00-12:15 TR
Crosslist: MI 20348 01
Thought of Aquinas: This course provides an overview of certain central teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas
with attention particularly to philosophical topics touching upon theological questions. 1) Faith and reason
and the ways to God; 2) Human nature, particularly soul, body, and the image of God; 3) Law and Virtue;
4) Nature and Grace.
Special Topics: Philosophical Issues
26999 01 (10120)
instructor TBA
time TBA
Ancient & Medieval Philosophy
30301 01 (11875)
Freddoso
2:00-3:15 MW
Crosslist: MI 30301 01 (13049)
Open to phil, mphi, or PHTH majors. New and non majors need permission from the Director of
Undergraduate Studies.
An introductory survey of western philosophy from the 6th-century B.C. Presocratics to the 16th-century
Scholastics. The lectures will focus primarily on Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas,
using the twin themes of nature and human nature as an occasion for (a) formulating with some precision
the main metaphysical and ethical problematics that emerge from the works of Plato and Aristotle, (b)
investigating the influence of Plato and Aristotle on the Catholic intellectual tradition, and (c) exploring in
some depth the relation between faith and reason as articulated by the medievals.
Because the lectures will not try to cover all the important figures (though there will be ample references
to them, as well as to key early modern philosophers), the students will be required to read all of the
assigned secondary source, viz., James Jordan's Western Philosophy: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages,
as well as the primary sources assigned for the lectures.
Requirements: (a) two 6-7 page papers on assigned topics, and (b) two exams.
This course is meant primarily to introduce philosophy majors to important figures and issues in the
history of philosophy, and so the course will be taught at a higher level of sophistication than ordinary
second courses in philosophy. As long as they understand this, however, non-philosophy majors, as well
as the undecided, are welcome.
Ancient & Medieval Philosophy
30301 02 (19598)
Dumont
3:30-4:45 TR
A survey of Western philosophy from its beginnings in the early Greek physicists to the late middle ages.
The emphasis in class will be on the reading and analysis of fundamental texts by main figures of the
period: Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Anselm, Bonaventure, and Thomas Aquinas. Concurrent
reading of a standard history will supply additional background and continuity.
Requirements: Two papers (one each for the ancient and medieval portions of the course), a mid-term,
and final examination.
History of Modern Philosophy
30302 01 (11240)
Newlands
2:00-3:15 TR
The sweeping scientific revolution of the 17th and 18th centuries paralleled the development of sweeping
new approaches to philosophy. Of particular concern to these so-called “modern philosophers” was to
understand the relationship between human beings and the natural world, especially in the light of the
emerging new scientific picture. In this course, we will explore many facets of this relationship: the
relationship between the mind and the body; the nature, role and knowledge of God; skepticism and
knowledge of the external world; the possibility of human freedom; the possibility of miracles; causation;
and the nature of the fundamentally real. As we will see along the way, many of the new methods,
problems and proposed solutions surrounding these topics are the very methods, problems, and solutions
still driving contemporary philosophy.
Readings will be drawn mainly from Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant.
Textbook: Modern Philosophy: An Anthology of Primary Sources, eds. Ariew and Watkins, Hackett
Publishing, 2nd edition
Requirements: 2 papers, 2 exams, occasional short writing exercises
Formal Logic
30313 01 (16500)
Blanchette
9:30-10:45 TR
Formal logic is a discipline which, in its modern version, dates to the late 19th century, when it was
introduced by mathematicians as a way of presenting careful and precise proofs. It has since become a
topic of mathematical and philosophical investigation in its own right: we ask questions e.g. about what
kinds of things can be proven in various “systems” of formal logic, about what those proofs tell us,
etc. This course is an introduction to formal logic. In it, students will learn how to give precise proofs in a
particular, standard system of formal logic, and they will be in a position to begin to address some of the
philosophical questions that arise regarding that formal system, and regarding formal logic in general. It's
more fun than it sounds.
Requirements include homework and exams.
Morality and Modernity
40314 01 (19599)
Solomon
5:05-6:20 MW
Crosslist: HESB 30232 01
Our society is deeply divided by controversies over a range of moral issues. Underlying the controversies
surrounding issues such as abortion, euthanasia, the conduct of war, and the distribution of scarce
medical resources are profound disagreements about the nature and purpose of morality.
In this course, we will read Alasdair MacIntyre’s groundbreaking account of the emergence of modern
morality, After Virtue, and compare his interpretation of the morality of modernity with that offered by
Charles Taylor in The Ethics of Authenticity. We will also read works by two of the philosophers who have
done the most to shape modern moral thought; Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche.
Having traced the origins of our deepest moral disputes in the history of modern morality we will turn to
questions of how, if at all, these disputes could be resolved and which ways of thinking about ethics are
best able to meet the challenges of the modern world.
Books: Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue (ISBN-10: 0268035040). Charles Taylor, The Ethics of
Authenticity(ISBN-10: 0674268636). Friedrich Nietzsche, On The Genealogy of Morals (ISBN-10:
019283617X). Immanuel Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals (ISBN-10: 087220166X), Walter
Miller Jr. A Canticle for Leibowitz (ISBN-10: 0060892994).
Requirements: 3 short (3-5 page) papers and 1 medium length (5-7 page) paper, a midterm, and a final
examination.
Late Plato
43114 01 (19600)
Hosle
11:00-12:15 TR
Crosslist: PHIL 83221 01
The course will focus on the four main dialogues of the late Plato that deal with metaphysics,
epistemology, philosophy of language, and ethics. We will look at the ideas they unfold, the arguments
they use for this purpose, the literary form in which they convey these arguments, and the predecessors
and antagonists of the late Plato. Beside the historical location of the dialogues, we will try to see what
essential tenets of Platonism can still be defended today.
Aquinas on Virtue and Law
43148 01 (19601)
Freddoso
3:30-4:45 MW
Crosslist: MI 43347 01
The purpose of this seminar is to provide the student with an opportunity (a) to see in some depth the
relation among the main elements of St. Thomas's general moral theory as laid out in the First Part of the
Second Part (Prima Secundae) of the Summa Theologiae, viz., the treatises on happiness, action,
passion, habit, virtue, sin, law, and grace, and (b) to explore in greater detail the twin realities of virtue
and law as complementary (rather than, as some would have it, fundamentally opposed or at least wholly
independent) influences on, and standards for, morally upright human action. We will pay special
attention to the ways in which Catholic faith and practice lead St. Thomas to appropriate, correct, and
transform the classical moral theories of Plato, the Stoics, and especially Aristotle.
Requirements: Submission of question on the reading for each class; 3 6-7 page papers; participation in
classroom discussions.
Text: My translation of the Prima Secundae, available on-line.
Aquinas’ Philosophical Theology
43149 01 (19602)
O’Callaghan
11:00-12:15 MW
A close examination of the philosophical arguments within the first thirteen questions of the first part of
Aquinas' Summa Theologiae, as well as related texts elsewhere in his work, and related discussions in
other authors as the occasion arises. We will read the entire 13 questions. However, we will not consider
all of the topics that come up on them. The course will focus upon certain topics to the exclusion of
others. One task of philosophy is to figure out what its subject matter is. So we will begin with an initial
discussion of the nature of philosophy. And the topics of particular interest in the 13 questions are the
relationship between Sacra Doctrina and the exercise of reason apart from Sacra Doctrina, the
demonstration of the existence of a god, and its role within Sacred Theology, the simplicity of a god, the
perfections that pertain to a god, our knowledge of a god, and how we speak about a god.
The Philosophy of Augustine
43161 01 (20531)
Gersh
11:00-12:15 TR
PHIL 83261 01, MI 40330 01, MI 60330 01
The course is intended as an introduction to Augustine's work from the philosophical viewpoint, although
necessarily certain theological questions will also be examined. The emphasis will fall partly on the
reading of selected texts (in English translation) beginning with dialogues of Cassiciacum such as Against
the Academics, On Order, Soliloquies, On the Teacher, continuing with On the Quantity of the Soul, On
Music, On the Immortality of the Soul, On Free Choice of the Will, and concluding with The City of God.
The course will also identify certain philosophical themes as particularly worthy of discussion, including
Augustine's ideas about the nature of God, his theories of knowledge and language, and his notions of
the relations between good and evil, providence and free will. Requirement: one final paper (ca. 20 pp.)
and an oral book report.
Anselm and Nicholas of Cusa: God as Maximum
43246 01 (TBA)
Gersh
12:30-1:45 TR
Crosslist: PHIL 83246 01, MI 40364 01, MI 60364
A study of two of the most important non-scholastic philosophical writers before 1500 -- Anselm of
Canterbury and Nicholas of Cusa -- laying emphasis upon the methodological and doctrinal continuities
and contrasts between them. Of Anselm, we shall read Monologion, Proslogion, and De Veritate, and of
Cusanus De Docta Ignorantia, De li Non Aliud, and De Possest. Among the philosophical issues selected
for discussion will be 1. starting from Anselm's notion of God as “That-than-which-a-greater-cannot-bethought” -- the theological and cosmological notion of maximum; 2. the contrast between Anselm’s
Aristotelian-Boethian logic and the alternative logic(s) of Cusanus; and 3. the contrast between Anselm’s
(apparently) Augustinian Platonism and the more Dionysian and “Chartrian” Platonism(s) of Cusanus.
Requirement: one final written paper of ca. 20 pp.
History of 19th Century European Philosophy
43220 01 (19603)
Rush
2:00-3:15 TR
This is a consideration of select aspects of philosophical thought in Europe from 1800-1890. Three
figures are treated in some depth: Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche.
Required texts:
1. Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit, tr. Miller (Oxford)
2. The Marx-Engels Reader, ed. Tucker (Norton)
3. Nietzsche, The Genealogy of Morality, ed. Ansell-Pearson (Cambridge)
Ethical Theory
43301 01 (19603)
Warfield
2:00-3:15 MW
This course is a majors level survey of standard topics in ethical theory. In the first half of the course we
will focus on normative ethics – first order theorizing about the nature of right and wrong. In the second
half of the course we will take up some topics in meta-ethics (debates about moral realism, moral
explanation, perhaps moral epistemology as well) and a topic applied ethics (demandingness) as well.
Requirements: this is primarily a paper writing class though a few other kinds of evaluation will also take
place.
Environmental Justice
43308 01 (15721)
Shrader-Frechette
3:30-6:15 T
Crosslist: PHIL 43308 01, BIOS 50544 01, GH 60544 01, HESB 43537 01, IIPS 50901 01, PHIL 63308
01 (15805), STV 43396 01
“Environmental injustice” (EIJ) refers to the fact that children, minorities, and poor people receive higher
exposures to environmental toxins that damage their health and kill them. This course is designed to
understand and to address EIJ, and it is for people interested in environmental problems and the resulting
social injustices that they cause. It will cover flaws in scientific method and in ethics that cause EIJ.
Course is hands-on, practical, and dedicated to showing students how to do environment-related socialjustice analysis and how to analyze environmental-impact assessments. Students choose individual
projects on which to work, and these projects determine most of the course grade. These projects also
are designed to help influence environmental policy or to serve the needs of pollution-threatened poor or
minority communities. For more information, see the syllabus at www.nd.edu/~kshrader/courses/
Course Prerequisites: Permission required if not a philosophy, science, or engineering major (via email to
kshrader@nd.edu) to register for course.
Course Requirements: There are weekly quizzes; but no tests and no exams, 2 short, analytic papers;
participation in classroom analysis, and one student-chosen project. Students each choose an EJ project
on which to work, so that they can use techniques (learned in the course) to promote real-world social
justice and improved use of scientific methods in specific poor or minority communities who are victimized
by pollution. There are no exams.
Course Texts include Peter Singer, One World; Shrader-Frechette, Environmental Justice; and a variety
of articles from scientific and medical journals.
History of Aesthetics & Philosophy of Art 1: The ancient, medieval, and renaissance contexts
43325 01 (15889)
Rush
9:30-10:45 TR
Crosslist: PHIL 20430 01 (16988)
A conceptual-historical survey of aesthetic theory and the philosophy of art that beginning in antiquity and
concluding in the Renaissance. The main readings will be historical sources in both philosophy and art
theory more broadly construed, with ample attention to various types and genres of art and in-depth
consideration of several individual works. Topics discussed: the relation of art to truth the nature of artistic
representation, tragedy and comedy, natural and artistic beauty, ethics and art, genius and sublimity,
social roles of art and of the aesthetic response to nature, etc.
Requirements: This course is designed to both fulfill the second philosophy course requirement for
general education and as a stand-alone majors’ course. Writing requirements will differ, depending on
which version of the course one opts for.
Please note: this is the first of a two-semester series of lectures. The second part covers aesthetics and
philosophy of art from the Reformation, through modernism, up to the most contemporary materials.
Neither part is a prerequisite for the other; they may be taken individually, both serially, or both but out of
order.
Ancient Wisdom Modern Love
43331 01 (20135)
O’Connor
12:30-1:45 MW
Crosslist: PRL 33110 01
Combining philosophy and literature in a study of romantic love, this seminar will include works by Plato,
Shakespeare, and Thomas Mann, as well as exploring more recent movies and Catholic writings.
Justice Seminar
43404 01 (11939)
Weithman/Keys
12:30 -1:45 MW
Crosslist: POLS 43640 01, ECON 33250 02
The Justice Seminar undertakes a critical examination of major theories of justice, using both
contemporary works (e.g., John Rawls' A Theory of Justice and Kenneth Arrow's seminal papers on
voting theory) and historical classics (e.g., Aristotle's Politics and the Lincoln Douglas debates). The
seminar requires substantial written work and discussion. This is the core course for the minor in
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (P.P.E.).
Political Philosophy and the Problem of Evil
43434 01 (20965)
Sterba
11:00-12:15 TR
In recent years, discussion of the problem of evil has been advanced by utilizing resources of
contemporary metaphysics and epistemology, for example, Alvin Plantinga’s application of modal logic to
logical problem of evil and William Rowe’s application of probabilistic epistemology to the evidential
problem of evil. The results have been impressive. What is a bit surprising, however, is that philosophers
currently working on the problem of evil have yet to avail themselves of relevant resources from
contemporary moral and political philosophy that could similarly advance the discussion of the problem.
For example, there is no discussion of the doctrine of double effect, or how to resolve hypothetical trolley
cases that have become the grist for moral philosophers ever since they were introduced by Judith
Thompson and Philippa Foot. What is particularly surprising, given that most of the defenders of theism in
this debate are self-identified Christian philosophers, is that the central underlying element in the doctrine
of double effect, what has been called the Pauline principle - Never do evil that good may come of it- has
been virtually ignored by contemporary philosophers of religion despite its relevance to the problem of
evil. Thus, while the principle has been a mainstay of religious ethics at least since the time of Aquinas,
contemporary philosophers of religion have simply ignored it when evaluating the goods and evils that at
stake with regard to the argument from evil. There is also recent work in political philosophy on freedom
that appears relevant to the appeals to freedom that the contemporary philosophers of religion make in
order to justify the evil that exists in the world, but it has not yet entered the contemporary discussion of
the problem of evil.
In this course, we will first survey recent developments in moral and political philosophy and then explore
their relevance to the problem of evil. Our task has been made easier by a just published book on trolley
problems and by a soon to be published collection of essays by Marilyn Adams, Stephen Wykstra, Linda
Zagzebski, John Hare and others, which are revised versions the talks these philosophers gave at Notre
Dame last year at two conferences that were sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation.
The format for the first two-thirds of the course will be primarily discussion of students’ views of the
readings. The writing requirements for the course will be two papers, one shorter, one longer, on different
topics arising out of the course. An important goal of the course is for each student to produce, if
possible, at least one paper that will be accepted for an APA Meeting and/or for publication in a journal.
The last third of the course will be devoted to the discussion of drafts of the longer papers that students
will eventually be submitting for presentation at APA Meeting or/and publication.
Some students will have the advantage of coming at these topics afresh without standard presuppositions
while other students will have the advantage of bringing with them relevant background knowledge. The
interplay of these two different types of advantage should be helpful to all.
Readings:
David Edmunds, Would You Kill the Fat Man? (Princeton, 2014).
John Finnis, Reason in Action (Oxford, 2014).
James Sterba, From Rationality to Equality (Oxford, 2013).
Marilyn Adams and others, Contemporary Moral Theory and the Problem of Evil (forthcoming).
Metaphysics
43501 01 (12069)
van Inwagen
5:05-6:20 TR
Metaphysics is the part of philosophy that attempts to get behind all appearances and to arrive at
reasoned judgments about how things really are. Metaphysics asks what the most general features of the
world are, why there is a world that has those features, and how we human beings fit into that world.
Some metaphysical questions that will be investigated are: Is the apparent existence of a multitude of
things a real feature of the world, or is reality somehow "one" and individuality an illusion? Is there a real
physical world outside the mind? Is there a mind-independent truth? Why is there a world: Why does
anything at all exist? Is the physical world the work of an intelligent designer? How are our thoughts and
feelings related to our bodies? Have we free will?
Texts: Peter van Inwagen and Dean Zimmerman (eds.), Metaphysics:The Big Questions; Peter van
Inwagen, Metaphysics
Written work: An hour examination and a term paper. There will be no final examination.
Epistemology
43601 01 (16504)
Roeber
2:00-3:15 TR
This course is a survey of some recent debates in epistemology, with special attention to the nature of
belief, and the effects of different theories of belief on the plausibility of the positions in the debates.
Topics will include: (i) closure principles, as they relate to skepticism, the lottery paradox, and the preface
paradox; (ii) the pragmatic encroachment debate, (iii) the epistemic significance of disagreement, (iv) the
internalism/externalism debate about justification, with special attention to virtue epistemology, and (v)
knowledge-first epistemology.
Bio-Medical Ethics, Scientific Evidence & Public Health Risk
43708 01 (12640)
Shrader-Frechette
3:30-6:15 M
Crosslist: BIOS 50545, HESB 43538, PHIL 6370, STV 40216
This course is designed for those interested in social-justice, medical, and health problems, especially
premedical students and those studying the environment, science, and engineering. It will survey ethical
and scientific issues associated with current public-health problems such as pollution-induced cancers,
occupational injury and death, threats to children’s health, and inadequate emphasis on disease
prevention, nutrition, and environmental health. For more information, see the syllabus
at www.nd.edu/~kshrader/courses/
Course requirements: Weekly quizzes but no tests and no exams, 3 short papers, readings for every
class, participation in classroom analysis.
Course prerequisites: Instructor’s permission required if not premed or philosophy major/minor/phth
(obtained via email to kshrader@nd.edu).
The Science-Gender Connection
43721 01 (19605)
Kourany
12:30-1:45 TR
Cross List: PHIL 93828 01 (19616), GSC 43515 01, GSC 63515 01
In this course we will explore the science of gender and the gender of science. We will start with some of
the most important scientific underpinnings of gender—how certain well-placed scientists (particularly
psychologists and biologists) theorize gender difference and the critiques these theories have elicited. No
particular scientific background will be presupposed here and visits from science faculty will be organized
to help us understand the terrain. We will then consider the gendered underpinnings of science—how
gender shapes the scientific enterprise, its participants, projects, and even at times its results. Finally, we
will consider how these two aspects of the gender-science connection fit together and what advantages
there might be for severing that connection.
The course will be run as a seminar. Students will lead class discussions, present the results of individual
research projects to the group, and have the opportunity to further develop those projects using feedback
from the group. The aim in all this will be for each student to develop a fully informed and defensible
response to the controversial terrain we shall be exploring.
Philosophy of Mathematics
43906 01 (19606)
Bays
11:00-12:15 TR
This class will examine three questions: What are mathematical truths about? How do we come to know
these truths? What role do these truths play in natural science? Focus will be on the ways these
questions have been addressed in the recent literature.
The class itself will be a seminar. Each student will give one or two in-class presentations and write a
term paper. There will be no final exam.
Intermediate Logic
43907 01 (14197)
Franks
11:00-12:15 MW
Crosslist: PHIL 83901 01 (10963)
A survey of the modern science of logic, showcasing its central theorems and methods. Highlights include
the completeness of classical first-order logic as proved by Goedel and Gentzen, results about
decidability and proof transformation, Gentzen's cut-elimination theorem, the basic cardinality theorems,
the relationship between classical and intuitionistic logic. Our aim is to understand philosophically rich
concepts from a variety of perspectives.
Students seeking a grade may submit answers to periodically assigned problems. These problems will
generally be designed to foster understanding of the central proofs. Although the presentation is
mathematical, the course is meant to be self-contained and no mathematical background is presupposed.
Perception
43909 01 (19607)
Stubenberg
12:30-1:45 TR
In the first part of this course we will survey the various theories of perception that have dominated the
discussion (in the broadly analytic camp) from the beginning of the 20th century up till now. Our main text
will be William Fish’s book Philosophy of Perception. We will also read numerous of the original papers
that drove this development. In the second half of the course we will study Bill Brewer’s book Perception
and Its Objects. Brewer defends the view that in perception we achieve a form of direct acquaintance with
objects in the external world. This challenges the traditional view that perception is a matter of being
acquainted with special “inner” objects—ideas, representations, sense-data. And it challenges the widely
accepted contemporary view that what we are related to in perception are not objects (external or
internal) but propositional contents of some sort. Our main interest will concern the epistemic fruits that
Brewer’s type of approach to the problem of perception promises.
Requirements:
Three papers of increasing length—roughly 5, 10, and 15 pages. The first two should focus on various
theories that will be canvased during the first part of the course. The third paper should engage Brewer’s
work.
Books:
William Fish: Philosophy of Perception. A Contemporary Approach, Routledge 2010.
Bill Brewer: Perception and Its Objects, Oxford 2011. (This book is available through the Oxford
Scholarship Online service of the library.)
Additional papers will be made available online.
Between Math and Philosophy
43912 01 (19608)
Detlefsen
3:30-4:45 TR
The aim of the course is to introduce the student to some of the many important interactions between
mathematics and philosophy throughout their histories. After a look at some ancient and medieval cases,
we’ll turn our attention to the modern era and the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Particular attention
will be given to the use of so-called "imaginary" or "ideal" elements and methods in mathematics (e.g.
infinitesimals and imaginary and complex numbers in algebra and analysis, points at infinity, etc. in
geometry) and their justification.
Assignments will include one or perhaps two class presentations and two written projects. Grading will
reflect performance on these and also participation in class discussions.
Meaning, Vulnerability & Human Identity
43915 01 (16951)
Montemaggi
2:00-3:15 TR
Crosslist: LLRO 40107, ENGL 40157, MI 40584, PRL 33112, THEO 40837
This course explores the contribution that the coming together of theological and literary reflection can
make to our understanding of the nature of meaning. Focusing on the work of Augustine, Aquinas, Dante,
Primo Levi, Dostoevsky and Shakespeare, students will address questions such as "What is it we are
doing when speaking, reading, using language?," 'How do the intellect and the imagination work in
relation to literary texts?', 'How might all this relate to our ways of thinking about God, human nature, and
the relationship between them?' Such questions will be addressed, in particular, through reflection on how
the texts studied invite us to think about the nature of love, forgiveness, vulnerability and creativity.
Natural Language Semantics
43916 01 (19609)
Speaks
12:30-1:45 MW
This course will be an introduction to the project of constructing a compositional semantic theory for a
natural language like English. As such it will be as much a linguistics course as a philosophy course. The
course will break down into three parts. First, we will briefly discuss some of the central concepts of
linguistic semantics, and the reasons for thinking that there is a compositional semantics for English to be
found. Second, we will investigate the correct semantic treatment for a variety of expression types in
English. This will occupy the bulk of the semester. Third, we will conclude by discussing a few
foundational paradoxes involving the assumptions made in the preceding parts of the course.
Students should be aware that the material covered in the course is highly mathematical; it might be
useful to think of the course as somewhere between a logic course and a more standard philosophy
course.
Given the nature of the material, the course will involve a fair bit of lecturing. But I encourage, and expect,
students to interrupt frequently with questions, objections, and thoughts.
Texts
The main text will be Chierchia & McConnell-Ginet's Meaning and Grammar. Other readings will be made
available in PDF form via links from the syllabus.
Assignments
Like a logic class, the primary means of evaluation will be exams and short take-home assignments. The
midterm exam and (non-cumulative) final exam will each be worth 35% of the final grade; short take
home assignments will, collectively, be worth 10%. The remaining 20% of the final grade will be given on
the basis of class attendance and participation.
Directed Readings
46497 01 (11455)
Holloway
Directed Readings
46497 02 (10087)
Holloway
Senior Thesis
48499 01 (10876)
Speaks
* The 3xxxx and 4xxxx level courses are typically for majors only and carry the major core courses as
prerequisites. They are more difficult than 20000 level courses which should be used for completing
university requirements. If you are a non-major interested in taking one of these courses, you must sign
up for an appointment with Professor Speaks, the Director of Undergraduate Studies.