Spring 2012 Courses

PHILOSOPHY ELECTIVES
Dr. Benfield: Logic
Dr. Benfield: Philosophy of Mind
Dr. Chang: Intro to Asian Philosophy
Dr. Garrett: History of Philos: Modern Philosophy
Dr. Garrett: Existence and Reality
Dr. Herrera: History of Ethics
Dr. Herrera: Seminar in Philosophy
Dr. McDermid: Philosophy of Science
Dr. Rogers: Feminist Jurisprudence
Dr. Roholt: Contemporary Philosophers

RELIGION ELECTIVES
Dr. Aye-Addo: African Religious Traditions
Dr. Clatterbuck: Native American Religions
Dr. Ibrahim: Islamic and the Contemporary World
Dr. Kogan: Old Testament: Joshua-Daniel
Dr. Kogan: New Testament I: Paul & the Early Church
Dr. Kogan: Religion Issue
Dr. Johnson: Religion & Culture
Dr. Johnson: Catholic World
Dr. Marovich: Women & Religion
Dr. Vail: Asian Religions
Dr. Vail: Taoism

Spring 2012 Philosophy Electives

PHIL 106 - Logic (Call # 16415)
Dr. Benfield
A basic course in Logic covering the recognition of arguments, the nature of terms and propositions, the informal fallacies, and the elements of propositional logic and natural deduction.

PHIL 137 - Intro to Asian Philosophy (Call # 16414)
Dr. Chang
This course introduces students to the major movements and thinkers in Asian philosophy. It acquaints students with Asian philosophical interpretations of experience and reality found in both classical and contemporary Confucianism, Mohism, Daoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism in Eastern cultures.

PHIL 200 - History of Ethics (Call # 16416)
Dr. Herrera
Is cross-listed with PHIL 424 Extra work will be required as a seminar. See course description.

PHIL 233 - Contemporary Philosophers (Call# 16417)
Dr. Roholt
Continental philosophers emphasize the deep connections between art, culture, and politics. By focusing upon twentieth century continental philosophers' writing about art, we will seek to understand these connections. After some preliminary work on Hegel, Marx and Nietzsche, we will delve into phenomenology, critical theory, and post-structuralism by reading the work of philosophers such as Adorno, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Benjamin, Marcuse, Barthes, Foucault and Derrida. The arts examined will include music, visual art, literature, theatre and architecture. The coursework will include challenging reading, weekly Blackboard postings, two exams, and an essay.

PHIL 266 - Philosophy of Science (Call# 16809)
Dr. McDermid
In this course, we will ask foundational questions of science: what is science, really? Is it a special or privileged way to learn about the natural world? (The only way?) What is science actually telling us, about what the world is like? Are there limits to what science can learn, or how much it can tell us about the fundamental nature of reality? We'll have the opportunity to look at great episodes of scientific discovery, and huge shifts in the scientific conception of the world (like the Copernican and Quantum revolutions), as exemplars of these questions. The goal of the course is to give all students a deeper appreciation for the scope and nature of scientific knowledge, regardless of previous experience with science.

PHIL 270 - Philosophy of Mind (Call# 16418)
Dr. Benfield
Using current authors we will address two important questions: Does the conscious mind make free choices and will the conscious mind outlast its brain?

PHIL 333 - History of Philos: Modern Philosophy (Call# 15322)
Dr. Garrett
An introduction to European philosophy in the 17th and 18th centuries, which defined modern thought. Readings will be from the central works of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. The main themes will be the nature of knowledge, reality, and the human mind. Some of the specific issues to be considered are the following: Is it possible to prove that I really exist, or that the physical world exists? Do these questions even make sense? Is perception the basis of human knowledge, or can we learn things about the physical world just by logical thought (like mathematical deductions in theoretical physics)? Is the world a vast, unified structure in which each event is linked to other events by natural laws? Or is the world instead a miscellaneous collection of unconnected events that we simply think of more usefully in some ways rather than other ways? Can knowledge of the material world be as reliable as the direct knowledge I have of my own thoughts? What mental structures or capacities are needed to make either sort of knowledge possible?

PHIL 312 - Existence and Reality (Call# 15321)
Dr. Garrett
Metaphysics is the most general study of the nature of reality. Among the topics to be considered in this course will be the nature and reality of events, material bodies, colors and other properties, numbers, relations, possibilities, space, time, and causation. Readings will include Aristotle's Metaphysics and some notable work of the twentieth century.

PHIL 376 - Feminist Jurisprudence (Call# 16419 [or register under JURI 376 or WMGS 376])
Dr. Rogers
In this course, we will engage in a philosophical examination of legal doctrines and judicial interpretation as they relate to women's issues and feminist theory. The course will look at historical legal cases related to women's rights and women's legal status in politics, employment, education, and the family. It will then explore the legal and philosophical arguments feminists have made for social and political equality. Familiarity with feminism will be helpful, but students needn't consider themselves feminist to enjoy and gain insight from this course.  Cross-listed with JURI 376 and WMST 376. Pre-requisites: WMST 301 or one JURI, LSLW, or PHIL course at the 200-level or above.

PHIL 424 - Seminar in Philosophy (Call# 15324)
Dr. Herrera
This course will survey the main themes in philosophical ethics, beginning with the Greeks, and concluding with the work of contemporary scholars. We will pay particular attention to ethical skepticism, and the way that philosophical theories like utilitarianism or deontology try to respond to it. We will also examine the rise of applied ethics, and ethics "consulting."

Spring 2012 Religion Electives

RELG 106 - African Religious Traditions (Call# 15578)
Dr. Aye-Addo
This course seeks to explore African understanding and diverse ways of expressing meaning in symbols, myths, rituals, beliefs, and communities. It also seeks to investigate the religious dimensions of Africans through such lenses as history, culture, traditions rules, norms, anthropology, theology, and philosophy. This kind of study engages a constellation of issues and experiences that recur in different religious traditions present on the continent such as the various African Traditional Religions, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and the Baha'i Faith.

RELG 110 - Native American Religions (Call# 15579)
Dr. Clatterbuck
This course is designed to be an introduction to the religious beliefs, practices, and life-ways of indigenous tribal communities across the United States from the late 1800s (time of the so-called Indian Wars) up to the present time. The course uses a cross-disciplinary approach, drawing heavily from the fields of religious studies, history, literature, and anthropology. Real-life case studies, critiques of recent Native films, a field observation project, and a fry-bread feast will round out the classroom experience.

RELG 212 - Asian Religions (Call# 16811)
Dr. Vail
This course will explore major Asian religious traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto; we will examine the history, development, beliefs, and practices of these religions. The objective of this class is to understand and appreciate the religious heritage of Asia, and to be able to speak and write knowledgeably about the world views of these traditions. This course will emphasize the understanding of selected traditions through the study of primary religious texts supported by secondary readings in the relevant scholarly literature.

RELG 202 - Old Testament: Joshua-Daniel (Call# 15580)
Dr. Kogan
The course will cover the "Deuteronomic History" that runs through the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, Prophetic books including Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel and later biblical writings. Recommended for students with an interest in literature, history, philosophy and anthropology.

RELG 206 - New Testament I: Paul & the Early Church (Call# 15581)
Dr. Kogan
A close study of Luke-Acts, John, selected letters of Paul and other later Epistles. The course explores the development of the theology and institutions of the early Church as revealed in the New Testament documents of the first and early second centuries.

RELG 217 - Taoism (Call# 16812)
Dr. Vail
An introduction to Taoist religious texts and traditions, including the Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tzu; Taoist connections with traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts; Taoist ritual traditions; and sacred art. No prerequisites, but RELG 100 Religions of the World is recommended.

RELG 221 - Religion & Culture (Call# 15584 / 15585)
Dr. Johnson
This course takes an historical approach in studying the interactions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam with the broader cultures they impact and inhabit. Students will learn amazing amounts of religious and secular history and will be immersed in fascinating (sometimes terrifying) topics.

RELG 267 - Women & Religion (Call# 16810)
Dr. Marovich
This course investigates and analyzes women's practices and beliefs in a number of established and alternative faith traditions. Particular attention will be given to the ways in which gender roles shape and define the lived experience of a religious tradition. Through studies of women's ritual life, female religious figures, female images of the divine, and texts written by women, students will reflect on the various ways in which gender has helped to formulate (and continues to formulate) the religious life.

RELG 350 - Catholic World (Call# 16422)
Dr. Johnson
In "Selected topics in Roman Catholicism" we will learn the long-lasting intellectual and institutional effects of the French Revolution on the Catholic Church. We will study the faith and lives of two saintly Catholics -- the Italian peasant who grew up to become Pope John XXIII, and the American woman (Dorothy Day) whose radical life-lived-for-others still challenges all Christians. We will remember the consistent Church teachings on social-economic justice and policies (as politically progressive as they are usually overlooked). We explore in depth the revolutionary Vatican Council II (1961-1965) and its changes, as well as the reactions/reversals led by Pope John Paul II (1978-2005). With Dominican Sister Elizabeth Michael Boyle we will explore the impact of science on Catholic faith, spirituality, and prayer life. Heavy lecture and intense discussions; lots of serious reading and writing. Prerequisites: . . .

RELG 355 - Islamic and the Contemporary World (Call# 16813)
Dr. Ibrahim
The course will examine contemporary issues facing Muslim communities, especially how Islam is portrayed in Western media. We will study currents of thought such as Fundamentalism and Reform. The course will also focus on Muslim communities in the U.S. and their relationships with Middle Eastern and South Asian communities as well.

RELG357 - Religion Issue (Call# 15590)
Dr. Kogan
The most exciting and revolutionary development in religion over the past forty years has been the flourishing new relationship between Judaism and Christianity. Antagonists for centuries, these two faiths are discovering each other in new and creative ways. This class will examine the basic beliefs of both faiths, the causes of their separation in the first century, their history of mutual misunderstanding, and their unprecedented mutually affirming dialogue since 1965. We will consider the nature of "truth" in religion; religious exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism; and the possibility of religions learning from each other and even affirming each other's claims. Must religion divide people or can they be re-visioned so as to build bridges between communities long separated by convictions believed to be mutually exclusive?  Upon the answer to this question may depend the future peace of the world.