304 Ethical Theory (AV) A critical examination at an advanced level of different kinds of ethical theories. Ethical theories to be considered may include those of Butler, Hume, Kant, Bentham, Mill, Sidgwick, and Nietzsche. The course will focus on central ethical concepts and the way in which different ethical theorists organize them in a systematic way. Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy or consent of instructor. Offered in alternate years. 305 Philosophy of Law (AV) Examination of philosophical and legal questions about judicial decision-making and the interpretation of law. Are there correct answers in controversial legal cases? What are a judge’s obligations in deciding such cases? Special attention will be paid to recent work in the intersection of philosophy of language and law. Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy or consent of instructor. Offered in alternate years. 307 Philosophy of Natural Science (IT, W) Analysis of central issues in the philosophy of natural science, such as the problem of induction, scientific realism, and scientific theory selection. The course will examine accounts of these issues and may include alternative views provided by historians of science and feminist philosophers. Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy or consent of instructor. Offered as needed. 308 Ancient Philosophy (IT) Survey of the development of philosophy from Thales to the early Roman philosophers, with emphasis on Plato and Aristotle. Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy. Offered annually. 309 Modern Philosophy (IT) Survey of the development of philosophy from the rise of modern science to Kant, with emphasis on Descartes and the Classical Empiricists. Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy. Offered annually. 310 Social and Political Philosophy (IT, W) A critical examination of questions such as: Why do we have to do what the state says? What is the basis of political obligation? What duties, if any, does the state have to its citizens? Is there a conflict between the ideals of equality and liberty? Prerequisite: Either one course in Philosophy, PSCI 315, PSCI 316, or consent of instructor. Offered as needed. 311 Philosophy of Mind (IT, W) Examines issues raised by this question: ‘Can mental phenomena be accounted for by a physicalist theory?’ Topics such as the problem of other minds, artificial intelligence, mental causation, mental imagery, intentionality, and consciousness will be studied. Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy or consent of instructor. Offered in alternate years. 340 Philosophy of Language (W) What are the relationships between language, thought, and reality? How is the study of language important to philosophy? Through classic texts in the analytic tradition, we will investigate questions concerning meaning, truth, and the relationship between words and things ‘in the world.’ Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy or consent of instructor. Offered in alternate years. 341 Religious Tolerance and Pluralism (AV), (Cross-listed with REL 341) In the contemporary world, religious differences are a major cause of conflict. How are we to contend with these differences? This class debates various arguments about tolerance and pluralism such as whether or not Jews and Christians are morally obligated to adapt their religious world-views to these principles. Offered in alternate years. 342 Judaism through the Ages (IT, W), (Cross-listed with REL 342) A survey of the varied nature of Judaism focusing on history, theology, philosophy, and politics. Subjects covered will include the Hebrew Bible, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic theology, Maimonides, the Haskala (Jewish Enlightenment), Hasidism, Zionism, and the diversity of contemporary Judaism. Offered in alternate years. 343 American Jewish Thought (IT), (Cross-listed with REL 343) How have developments in history, philosophy, science and especially the multicultural nature of society in the twentieth and twenty-first century US, shaped Jewish self-understanding?
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