Department of Philosophy

Course Information

Course code(s): PHIL

PHIL 111 Ethics Cr. 3.: A study of the nature of moral value and obligation. Topics such as the following will be considered: different conceptions of the good life and standards of right conduct; the relation of nonmoral and moral goodness; determinism, free will, and the problem of moral responsibility; the political and social dimensions of ethics; the principles and methods of moral judgment. Readings will be drawn from both contemporary and classical sources.

PHIL 111H Ethics—Honors Cr. 3.: Honors equivalent of PHIL 111.

PHIL 312 Medical Ethics Cr. 3.: A critical examination of various issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, the healthcare system, and experimentation on humans. Topics will be dealt with from medical, ethical, religious, and legal perspectives.

PHIL 326 Business Ethics Cr. 3.: Philosophic examination of such topics as morality and self-interest, freedom and coercion, distributive justice, limits of the law, moral and legal rights, fair equality of opportunity, justice between nations. These topics are seen from a new perspective when they are connected to discussions of fair wages and capitalism, legal constraints on manufacturers and advertisers, affirmative-action programs, environmentalism, and multinational corporations.

PHIL 327 Environmental Ethics Cr. 3.: A study of traditional ethical theory applied to environmental issues such as population control, conservation, human rights and pollution, nuclear energy, extinction and animal rights, our obligations to future generations, toxic waste, and issues in agriculture.

PHIL 328 Ethics and Animals Cr. 3.: A study of traditional philosophical positions on questions of animal rights. Topics covered typically include human rights and doctrines of duty and obligation, vivisection, animals and food, extinction, the pet industry, hunting, the fur industry, and animal-rights organizations.

PHIL 480 Practicum in Applied Ethics Cr. 3.: Prerequisite: Junior class standing and consent of instructor. Students will be assigned a definite task relevant to their educational interests in applied ethics. Students may be placed in appropriate cooperating local social-service agencies, educational institutions, legal services offices, businesses, or medical facilities.Work will be supervised by the department and the agency. Research and written reports will be required.

PHIL 524 Contemporary Ethical Theory Cr. 3.: Prerequisite: 110 or 111. A critical review of 20th century developments in ethical and value theory, with particular reference to the dispute between utilitarianism and deontological theories and to the problem of justification.