Philosophy

This course revolves around the three topics that Kant focuses on (scientific knowledge, morality, beauty and natural purpose) and four related questions (what can we know? What should we do? What can we hope? In the final analysis, what is a person?), based on Kant's three major "critiques."

Philosophy is one of the oldest intellectual pursuits in human civilization. Philosophers ask about the nature of things in a very general, abstract way. Philosophers try to discover the answers to their questions through careful understanding of the concepts involved in their questions and discovering arguments that rationally support answers to their questions. Philosophers thereby ask about the nature of things by carefully understanding concepts and constructing arguments. In this class you will learn yourself to ask some of the most fundamental questions about the nature of reality and existence that philosophers have asked. You will learn to think like a philosopher about philosophical questions. Why should you want to learn to think like a philosopher? Some of you will find it intrinsically rewarding. I know I do. But I also know some of you will find it frustrating. Sometimes I feel that way too. Either way, you will want to learn to think like a philosopher for at least two reasons, if not more. First, even though you didn’t know it, you already think a little bit like a philosopher, for you have opinions about many—if not all—of the deepest philosophical questions. The questions, you’ll see, are some of the oldest questions that, in many ways, define human civilization. You’ll then learn to do what you’ve already been doing, just much better. Second, philosophers are especially good at dealing with evidential ambiguity and thinking through many sides of an issue, thinking outside of the box, and putting a number of seemingly unrelated ideas together in creative ways. Thinking like a philosopher should make you smarter. So those are two reasons to think like a philosopher, even if (or especially because) it challenges you along the way. What questions will we address in this class? Here’s a list of some of the core questions: • What is philosophy? • What is an argument? What are the different kinds? How do we evaluate them? • What is the nature of God? Can we prove that God exists? • Why does He allow us to suffer? • What is freedom of the will? Is free choice possible in a deterministic universe? What are we responsible for? What is moral desert? • What is the nature of the mind? How is your mind related to your body? Could your mind be uploaded into the cloud? Can you survive the death of your body? • What is the nature of the person? Why do persons remain the same over time? Can you survive the death of your body? What is the happy life? What is wisdom? Here’s a list of some of the learning outcomes I hope for you to accomplish from taking this class: • An understanding of philosophy as a discipline, especially its core questions. • An understanding of the core concepts in philosophy. • An understanding of the main positions on some of the central questions in philosophy. • An understanding of the main arguments for and against the main positions. • An understanding of the method of philosophical analysis and argument. • An understanding of the structure of arguments and the ability to critique and repair an argument. • The ability to write a paper explaining and defending a philosophical position.

This course provides an interdisciplinary approach to ethical and legal issues stemming from recent advances in biomedical practices. Topics discussed include: fundamental principles of bioethics; the environment, animal welfare; informed consent, organ transplants, clinical trials; assisted reproduction, abortion, euthanasia; genetic advancements, intervention, and genetically modified organisms. *NOTE: Course is the same as PHIL/HLTHS 104, but taught in Spanish.

This course discusses the main intellectual movements in the search for a modern Japanese identity. Since the Meiji period, Japanese intellectuals have devoted themselves both to introducing Western thought and to creating a Japanese identity in response. This course emphasizes the complicated interplay between Japanese traditions and modern Western thought. Following a discussion of the complex issues of tradition and reception, the course discusses Buddhism, Confucianism and Nativism (Kokugaku) and their impact on modern Japanese thought; then, the course explores liberalism and socialism in modern Japan.