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Philosophy Course Offerings – Spring 2019 –
PHILOSOPHY COURSE OFFERINGS – SPRING 2019 – 200-level Courses (Tier Two) PHIL 272: Metaphysics | Andrew Cutrofello In Plato’s Phaedo, Socrates suggests that physics—the study of the physical world—can only tell us so much. There are things that physics cannot tell us about, such as the nature of justice or whether we have immortal souls. These topics belong to what we now call metaphysics. The prefix “meta-“ means “after” or “beyond.” Traditionally, it was the job of poets to deal with metaphysical topics. One of Plato’s goals is to explain the difference between poetic and philosophical approaches to metaphysical topics, while maintaining the difference between metaphysics and physics. Ever since, philosophers have struggled to articulate the relationship between physics, metaphysics, and poetry. Some have argued that as physics has become more sophisticated, it has swallowed up metaphysics. Others have argued that all metaphysics – even that of Plato – is just a kind of poetry. Still others have followed Plato in trying to carve out a special domain for metaphysics. In this class we survey various approaches to this problem. We will begin with Plato and then move on to Immanuel Kant, Kitaro Nishida, Susan Howe (a poet, writing about the philosopher Charles Peirce), and Werner Heisenberg (a physicist, writing about the relationship between physics and metaphysics). PHIL 274: Logic | Harry Gensler This course aims to promote reasoning skills, especially the ability to recognize valid reasoning. We'll study syllogistic, propositional, modal, and basic quantificational logic. We'll use these to analyze hundreds of arguments, many on philosophical topics like morality, free will, and the existence of God. -
Philosophy (PHIL) 1
Philosophy (PHIL) 1 Philosophy (PHIL) Courses PHIL 5210. Special Topics in Philosophy. 3 Credit Hours. Arranged each semester. Please consult the instructor. Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate. Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit. PHIL 5211. Intermediate Logic. 3 Credit Hours. This course will go through the soundness and completeness proofs for a first-order deductive system (i.e., the kind used in intro logic). The main goal of the course will be to deepen the students' understanding of logic by acquainting them with these formal results. But we'll also try to spend a little time on some philosophical issues (e.g., what, if anything, does logic have to do with reasoning). Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate. Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits. PHIL 5216. Philosophy of Science. 3 Credit Hours. Basic issues in the current philosophy of science, and particularly various accounts of such key notations of science as hypotheses, confirmation, laws, causation, explanation, and theories. Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate. Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits. PHIL 5217. Feminist Epistemology and the Philosophy of Science. 3 Credit Hours. This course explores the effects of gender on scientific creativity, method and decision making. Thomas Kuhn, in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962), was one of the first to show that political, social and psychological factors affect scientific change. Feminist criticisms of science, developed over the last thirty years, are one way in which his views have been developed. -
Philosophy 1
Philosophy 1 for an Advanced Placement score of 4 or 5 in any discipline recognized PHILOSOPHY by the College. One unit of credit is awarded for a score of 6 or 7 on a Higher Level International Baccalaureate Examination in a liberal arts Philosophy is concerned with fundamental questions about the nature subject. One unit of credit is awarded for a score of A/A* or B on an A- of reality; the foundations of science, ethics and art; and the nature Level exam in a liberal arts subject. The College does not award credit and scope of human knowledge. Philosophy is actually the meeting for the IB Standard Exam or the AS-Level Exam. AP, IB, and A-Level credit place for all disciplines, for any discipline becomes philosophical once may be used to satisfy deficiencies and common area requirements. it begins seriously to examine its own methodology and fundamental Each academic department has its own policy regarding the use of presuppositions. Ultimately, philosophy is much more than the AP or IB credit for placement in courses and progress in the major. acquisition of a certain kind of knowledge. It is the ability to think The Department Chair must also review the A-Level score to determine reflectively and to raise questions about problems that lie at the root placement in courses and progress in the major. See departmental of what might appear self-evident. The study of philosophy is therefore descriptions for further information. recommended to all students, regardless of their major. Jeffrey A. Bernstein, Ph.D., Professor and Chair Philosophy involves both systematic forms of inquiry and a prolonged reflection upon its own history. -
Reflection 19
1. Editor’s Message 2. Can Animals be Moral Agents? 3. Intersectional Feminism 4. The Millennial Identity 5. A Brief Overview of Buddhist Ethics 6. World Philosophies 7. An Argument for Veganism 8. Philosophy of Language: The Linguistic Turn 9. A Question Concerning Agency of Self-driven Cars 10. Reflections on Heidegger’s “The Question Concerning Technology” 11. Abstraction and Interpretation in Art 12. Artworks and Photography 13. Activity Report 14. Appearance and Reality Greetings! Reflection – the annual newsletter of Department of Philosophy – is an endeavour to celebrate introspective thought in philosophy, and provides a forum to the students to express and share their deliberations on the topics and concerns they feel strongly about. The current issue of Reflection presents a collection of short essays, artworks and photographs, and a glimpse at the events last year. Contributors have presented their philosophical reflections and have raised crucial questions on a range of topics in areas like morality and ethics, philosophy of language, technology and art. We highly appreciate all the contributions and sincerely thank all the teachers for their constant guidance and support. Happy Reading! I hear a woman arguing with the guard about a sign recently placed outside the elevator doors which says “Pets not allowed”. She is holding the leash of her husky, and ardently pleading that it’s not just a dog, “He is her son.” Just like this woman, people of New York found an ingenious way to evade the “pets not allowed on the subway, unless they are in a carrier” rule by carrying their not-so-small pets in huge tote bags. -
THE PHILOSOPHY BOOK George Santayana (1863-1952)
Georg Hegel (1770-1831) ................................ 30 Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) ................. 32 Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach (1804-1872) ...... 32 John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) .......................... 33 Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) ..................... 33 Karl Marx (1818-1883).................................... 34 Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) ................ 35 Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914).............. 35 William James (1842-1910) ............................ 36 The Modern World 1900-1950 ............................. 36 Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) .................... 37 Ahad Ha'am (1856-1927) ............................... 38 Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) ............. 38 Edmund Husserl (1859–1938) ....................... 39 Henri Bergson (1859-1941) ............................ 39 Contents John Dewey (1859–1952) ............................... 39 Introduction....................................................... 1 THE PHILOSOPHY BOOK George Santayana (1863-1952) ..................... 40 The Ancient World 700 BCE-250 CE..................... 3 Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936) ................... 40 Introduction Thales of Miletus (c.624-546 BCE)................... 3 William Du Bois (1868-1963) .......................... 41 Laozi (c.6th century BCE) ................................. 4 Philosophy is not just the preserve of brilliant Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) ........................ 41 Pythagoras (c.570-495 BCE) ............................ 4 but eccentric thinkers that it is popularly Max Scheler -
Mohist Theoretic System: the Rivalry Theory of Confucianism and Interconnections with the Universal Values and Global Sustainability
Cultural and Religious Studies, March 2020, Vol. 8, No. 3, 178-186 doi: 10.17265/2328-2177/2020.03.006 D DAVID PUBLISHING Mohist Theoretic System: The Rivalry Theory of Confucianism and Interconnections With the Universal Values and Global Sustainability SONG Jinzhou East China Normal University, Shanghai, China Mohism was established in the Warring State period for two centuries and half. It is the third biggest schools following Confucianism and Daoism. Mozi (468 B.C.-376 B.C.) was the first major intellectual rivalry to Confucianism and he was taken as the second biggest philosophy in his times. However, Mohism is seldom studied during more than 2,000 years from Han dynasty to the middle Qing dynasty due to his opposition claims to the dominant Confucian ideology. In this article, the author tries to illustrate the three potential functions of Mohism: First, the critical/revision function of dominant Confucianism ethics which has DNA functions of Chinese culture even in current China; second, the interconnections with the universal values of the world; third, the biological constructive function for global sustainability. Mohist had the fame of one of two well-known philosophers of his times, Confucian and Mohist. His ideas had a decisive influence upon the early Chinese thinkers while his visions of meritocracy and the public good helps shape the political philosophies and policy decisions till Qin and Han (202 B.C.-220 C.E.) dynasties. Sun Yet-sen (1902) adopted Mohist concepts “to take the world as one community” (tian xia wei gong) as the rationale of his democratic theory and he highly appraised Mohist concepts of equity and “impartial love” (jian ai). -
Introduction: Five Trends in Confucian Studies
1 INTRODUCTION: FIVE TRENDS IN CONFUCIAN STUDIES John Zijiang Ding For over a decade, Confucian studies have gone through several evolutions and developments. From 2010 to today, this area has delivered a number of the fine scholars. This special issue of JET will examine the works of those Confucian scholars who have advanced significantly in the last few years in certain genres, and also share our thoughts on where certain tendencies are heading in the near future. For this purpose, we will analyze and compare five current trends in Confucian studies: global-contextualism, Asian-modernism, Asian-Americanism,multi-comparativism, and classical-textualism. We will offer an overview of these five trends revealing how each of them comprise a significant movement in Confucian studies. In addressing each, we will provide certain theoretical critiques and the responses to those critiques. The main thrust of this issue is to examine the similarities and differences among (between) those scholarly inquiries as well as to justify those research programs which are debatable, controversial and even confusing. I. Confucian Studies Based on Global-Contextualism Generally, contextualism means that any system of claims, values, and activities cannot be understood outside of the real cultural context in which they occur. For many scholars, to understand the philosophical background of contextualism is very helpful in exploring the real meanings of these crucial concepts in Confucianism. A modern practice of classical Confucianism requires a contextualist interpretation of the world. As virtue, consequent or normative ethics, Confucianism should be contextualized, globalized, and developed as the modern way of thinking emphasizing rationality and practice over traditional considerations. -
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY of AMERICA Doctrina Christiana
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA Doctrina Christiana: Christian Learning in Augustine's De doctrina christiana A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of the Department of Medieval and Byzantine Studies School of Arts and Sciences Of The Catholic University of America In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree Doctor of Philosophy © Copyright All Rights Reserved By Timothy A. Kearns Washington, D.C. 2014 Doctrina Christiana: Christian Learning in Augustine's De doctrina christiana Timothy A. Kearns, Ph.D. Director: Timothy B. Noone, Ph.D. In the twentieth century, Augustinian scholars were unable to agree on what precisely the De doctrina christiana is about as a work. This dissertation is an attempt to answer that question. I have here employed primarily close reading of the text itself but I have also made extensive efforts to detail the intellectual and social context of Augustine’s work, something that has not been done before for this book. Additionally, I have put to use the theory of textuality as developed by Jorge Gracia. My main conclusions are three: 1. Augustine intends to show how all learned disciplines are subordinated to the study of scripture and how that study of scripture is itself ordered to love. 2. But in what way is that study of scripture ordered to love? It is ordered to love because by means of such study exegetes can make progress toward wisdom for themselves and help their audiences do the same. 3. Exegetes grow in wisdom through such study because the scriptures require them to question themselves and their own values and habits and the values and habits of their culture both by means of what the scriptures directly teach and by how readers should (according to Augustine) go about reading them; a person’s questioning of him or herself is moral inquiry, and moral inquiry rightly carried out builds up love of God and neighbor in the inquirer by reforming those habits and values out of line with the teachings of Christ. -
OF NAMES and SUBJECTS* Absolutism 204 Apodictic Abstraction 112–113, 116, 123 Justification 15 Adorno, Theodor W
INDEX OF NAMES AND SUBJECTS* absolutism 204 apodictic abstraction 112–113, 116, 123 justification 15 Adorno, Theodor W. 280 apoha (denial, negation, exclusion, etc.) aesthetics/aesthetic 170, 183, 191, 280 199, 205, 208–209, 215 Africana philosophy (African, Appiah, Anthony 184, 195 Afro-Caribbean, and African American Aquinas 175 philosophy) 183–196 Argumentation 179, 193 Aitken, Robert 236 Aristotle/Aristotelianism 156, 175, 292 Allan, Sarah 262n Ariyaratne, J.K.P. 221 Althusser, Louis 166, 167 Armstrong, David 167 Ames, Roger 213n, 277, 277n, 279n Augustine 175 Analects 《論語 》 (Lun Yü) 154, 155 Austin, John L. 71, 79–80, 81, 168, analytic/analysis 244n analysis (versus synthesis), 153 Averroes 209n -continental divide, passim. method/methodological approach Bachelard, Gaston 125, 127, 129, 132, 133, passim. 135, 136, 143, 166 methodological guiding principle Baker, G.P. 77 (guiding-principle method) Bargh, J. 243 151–152, 156 Bashō, Matsuo 236 methodological instrument Bauman, Zygmunt 275n (instrumental method) 151, Bechara, Antoine 234–6, 246–247n 153–154 Bedeutung 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51 methodological perspective Benjamin, Walter 284–285 (perspective method) 151–157 Bennett, M.R. 81, 83, 86 analytic (as a generic type) Bergson, Henri 189, 236 153–154 Bernasconi, Robert 191 “continental” (as a generic type) Beyer, Christian 11–31 154–155 becoming (versus being) 153–155, 154n statements (versus synthetic See also being (versus becoming) statements) 153 Being, see also existence, non-being, philosophy (analytic style/orientation of you 有 and wu 無 doing philosophy) passim. as existence 290–1 contemporary/post-Kantian 2, 156 as non-existence 292n in other (culture-associated) (versus becoming) 153–155, 154n traditions than the Western issue of 289–318 tradition 147–319 non- 292n, 310 in the Western tradition (analytic Bhagavad Gītā 175 tradition in Western philosophy) Blyden, Edwin 187 7–144, 156 Bodhisattva 92 Anscombe, G.E.M. -
Cyclical and Circular Aspects of Native American Thought
Coming Around Again: Cyclical and Circular Aspects of Native American Thought B. Steve Csaki East Central University Before I begin my discussion of circularity and cyclical aspects of native thought and the importance of them, I think it would be helpful for me to explain what I mean by these terms, and why it is that I believe that they are both of great significance, yet largely ignored and/or undervalued by contemporary Western philosophers. By definition, when I say “circularity,” I do not mean strictly the geometric version of a perfect circle that has 360 degrees, a diameter of 2πr, etc. What I mean is rather a much broader interpretation of circular, that is to say almost anything that has a beginning point and end point that are the same. I’ll use the term “cyclical” to refer to instances of similarity that recur with some regularity, like the intervals between day and night, or the phases of the moon for instances. I have long been interested in circularity and the cyclical order of things, but more recently these issues have become a central, and unavoidable part of my life. I am a “semi-retired philosopher” who has been ranching full-time for the past ten years here in Oklahoma. What this means is that I spend an inordinate amount of my time making circles in fields, whether it is cutting hay, raking it, baling it, or putting seed in the ground for next year, I just go round and round – and I think. Sometimes I think about the fact that all this machinery that I use is based on circularity. -
29.Philosophy of Liberation.Pdf
CONTENTS Preface viii Chapter 1 HISTORY 1.1 Geopolitics and Philosophy 1 1.2 Philosophy of Liberation ofthe Periphery 9 Chapter 2 FROM PHENOMENOLOGY TO LIBERATION 2.1 Proximity 16 2.2 Tota1ity 21 2.3 Mediation 29 2.4 Exteriority 39 2.5 Alienation 49 2.6 Liberation 58 Chapter 3 FROM POLITICS TO ANTIFETISHISM 3.1 Politics 67 3.2 Erotics 78 3.3 Pedagogics 87 3.4 Antifetishism 95 Chapter 4 FROM NATURE TO ECONOMICS 4.1 Nature 106 4.2 Semiotics 117 4.3 Poietics 126 4.4 Economics 140 vi Chapter 5 FROM SCIENCE TO PHILOSOPHY OF LIBERATION 5.1 Science 153 5.2 Dialectic 156 5.3 The Analectical Moment 158 5.4 Practice 160 5.5 Poietics 163 5.6 Human Sciences 165 5.7 Ideological Methods 167 5.8 Critical Methods 169 5.9 Philosophy of Liberation 170 Appendix PHILOSOPHY AND PRAXIS A. Philosophy and Ideology 181 B. Dialectic between Philosophy and Praxis 183 C. Exigencies for a Philosophy of Liberation 188 D. Toward an International Division of Philosophical Labor 195 Notes 197 Glossary of Concepts 201 Glossary of Non-English Terms 213 vii PREFACE What follows is addressed to neophytes in philosophy of libera- tion. It does not claim to be an exhaustive exposition. It is a discourse that proceeds by elaborating one thesis after another, using its own categories and its own method. It is a provisional theoretical philosophical framework. Except in the Appendix, this work has few footnotes and no bibliography. Writing in the sorrow of exile (in Mexico), I did not have access to my personal library (in Argentina). -
Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy
APA NEWSLETTER ON Hispanic/Latino Issues in Philosophy Eduardo Mendieta, Editor Spring 2004 Volume 03, Number 2 REPORT FROM THE CHAIR ARTICLES January 23, 2004 The Epistemology of Aztec Time-Keeping I am pleased to announce that the efforts of the Committee James Maffie on Hispanics toward establishing an annual prize for scholarly Colorado State University work in Latin American philosophy have been successful: the prize will soon be a reality, thanks to the APA’s recent decision Pre-Columbian Aztec (Mexica) astronomy achieved to support it for an initial period of three years. We plan to remarkable empirical accuracy, predictive success, and offer the prize once a year, at the Eastern Division meeting of mathematical precision.1 Aztec astronomers believed the the association, beginning this year in Boston. Those interested movement of time through space to be the self-presenting of in applying should be sure to check the conditions, which are the sacred. They followed celestial and terrestrial patterns, listed in this issue of the Newsletter. with an eye towards predicting the future, proper human ritual I would also like to report that we have continued moving participation and living in harmony with the cosmos, and ahead full-steam to promote Latin American philosophy, to understanding sacred reality. raise the profile of Hispanics in the profession, and to defend I want to examine two puzzles regarding Aztec astronomy. their rights. The Committee had a crucial role in the success of First, Aztec epistemology maintained that humans attain the first annual symposium on Latin American philosophy, held knowledge of reality a priori using their yollo (“heart”), not at Texas State University in San Marcos in October 2003.