Summer Session

PHI 101 Introduction to Philosophy
Instructor: Jisoo Seo
Online; May 28 to August 16, 2024 (Section J01)
Class #: 13103

Examines general topics in various areas of philosophy showing different sides of issues; develops critical thought and philosophical method.  This is an online course.  At NO time will the course require students to be on campus.

This course will introduce students to some of the central questions and debates in philosophy.  What (if anything) can we know about the world we inhabit, and how?  What does it mean to have knowledge? How do minds relate to bodies? What is consciousness? Is freedom necessary for moral responsibility? Do we have reasons to be good? How should we live and interact with the world around us? What is the extent of our ethical responsibilities to human and non-human animals? Under what conditions could a society be properly described as just? Is a just society even possible? Philosophers have grappled with questions of this sort for centuries, and so will we.  By examining various historical and contemporary approaches to such questions, the importance of philosophical reflection for everyday life should become evident.

PHI 105 Contemporary Moral Problems
Instructor: Noah Kim
Online; May 28 to July 8, 2024 (Section J02)
Class #: 13104

Introduces value theory, good and bad, justification of obligations to others, relationship of free choice and determinism, and contemporary moral problems analyzed by ethical principles.

In this online course, we will introduce philosophical methods as we explore competing responses to contemporary moral problems.  Such problems include, for instance, the moral status of abortion and capital punishment, how best to respond to economic inequality and poverty, issues in cyber ethics (including cyberbullying and online piracy), defining and responding to terrorism, the moral status of pre-emptive war, the responsibility for climate change, and the moral status of animals.  No prior experience in philosophy is required and no textbook required.  Coursework will consist of reading and preparing online readings, watching course lectures, creating posts to a course discussion board, six short written assignments, and two term exams.

PHI 107 Ethics
Instructor: Jisoo Seo
Online; July 9 to August 16, 2024
Class #: 11960

Introduces value theory, good and bad, justification of obligations to others, relationship of free choice and determinism, and contemporary moral problems analyzed by ethical principles.

Does morality depend on the person, situation, or culture? Even if an action feels right, is there a systematic way to avoid personal biases in my assessment? What kind of person should I be? This course introduces the ongoing discussion of the nature of morality, what might be the best criteria for assessing right and wrong, and what factors are relevant in difficult ethical situations.  The course is structured in two parts: first discusses what morality is and surveys the most influential ethical theories; the second applies these theories to practical circumstances and controversial policies, including abortion, euthanasia, treatment of animals, etc.  The course does not require familiarity with philosophy or ethical theory.

PHI 234 Environmental Ethics
Instructor: Vi Vonderhaar
Online; July 9 to August 16, 2024 (Section M06)
Class #: 13105

Examination of how humans should interact with the environment, both as individuals and as members of groups or organizations.

PHI 237 Medical Ethics: Social & Ethical Values in Medicine
Instructor: Sean Kermath
Online; May 28-July 8, 2024 (Section M05)
Class #: 10313

Examines techniques of problem solving, decision making, and evaluating pros and cons of an issue; organizing data; forming strategies and giving reasons; perceptual, cultural, emotional, intellectual and expressive blocks to thinking; and simple inductive reasoning and statistical fallacies.

In this course, we will consider a variety of ethical issues that arise in the biomedical field.  You will be introduced to some of the major ethical frameworks within moral philosophy (e.g. utilitarianism, deontology) as well as the basic methods and tools of philosophical analysis.  We will survey examples of applications of these frameworks to various bioethical issues.  You will develop the skills needed to read, discuss, and write about philosophical issues within bioethics.  You will practice applying the tools of philosophical analysis in order to (i) recognize the ethical frameworks being applied to various bioethical issues, (ii) identify arguments presented in the readings and assignments, (iii) discuss your own critical evaluations of the arguments, and (iv) construct and defend your own evaluations and arguments about these issues in writing.  The main goal is to get you to become better, more careful thinkers, both in general and about bioethical questions in particular.  Not only will you become familiar with a number of different views surrounding ethical issues in medicine, you will also have the opportunity to further develop your own view on these important issues.

Meeting days and times as arranged with professors. See listing on HUB Registration Window for Individual Tutorial Course Sections with Philosophy Department Faculty (to be arranged with Permission of Instructor.)