Click on discipline or faculty name for information about electives
offered by the department in the Fall semester, 1997.
PHILOSOPHY
Overview of Fall, 1997 electives:
RELIGION
Overview of Fall, 1997 electives:
Check linked documents for further information
about the courses offered this semester, including information about specific
texts covered, writing assignments and other work required, general grading
policies, etc.
PHILOSOPHY ELECTIVES
PHIL 212 --
Social and Political Philosophy
We shall first attempt to grasp some key concepts from the great political
and social thinkers of history: Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau,
Marx and Rawls. Within this context, we shall read some contemporary essays
in order to examine such questions as these: What does freedom mean? Do
human rights exist, and what are they? What is fairness, and why is it
important for a society? When if ever, is one justified in disobeying a
civil law? Finally, we shall look briefly at the United States to determine
how successful we have been in forming a satisfactory social philosophy.
NOTE: Fulfills GER requirement for Philosophy/Religion.
PHIL 231/424 -- American
Philosophy
This course deals with major developments in American philosophy in the
great, creative period from 1865 to 1940. During this period, American
thinkers found a distinctive voice and, for the first time, attained international
recognition for the new ideas and methods they contributed to philosophy.
The course will concentrate on three major thinkers - Charles Peirce, William
James, and John Dewey - whose work spanned this period and each of whom
brought a distinctive method and vision to its shared interests. Among
the topics to be taken up in the course are the following:
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the invention of "pragmatism," defining knowledge and truth in terms
of human action rather than abstract theory,
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the interpretation of the human mind as a "stream of consciousness,"
emphasizing the continuity and relatedness of human experience,
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the invention of "semiotics" as a new, systematic approach to understanding
the complexity of meaning in human life,
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the use of new theories of meaning and mind to show that all knowledge
is fallible and therefore to understand better why all knowledge, including
scientific knowledge, is constantly changing and growing,
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the development of the radical view that reason and logic are themselves
not necessarily eternal truths but rather practical, evolutionary attainments
of mankind that, like anything else, must be justified by their results,
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the application of these new, practically oriented methods of thinking
to understand better the nature of religious belief, the nature of ethical
values, and the justification of larger social ideals such as democracy
and freedom.
PHIL
233 -- Contemporary Philosophers
In the last fifteen years, philosophical discussion in America has taken
some dramatic new turns. The positivism that dominated American thought
for fifty years has all but disappeared; French and German philosophers
such as Heidegger, Gadamer, Habermas, Foucault and Derrida are now on the
"must read" list in most graduate departments of philosophy; and disciplinary
boundaries between philosophy, history and literary theory have steadily
eroded. The level of intellectual excitement in philosophy and the humanities
in general is at a fever pitch. This course will introduce students to
the work of several of the most important figures in this contemporary
philosophical scene: Thomas Kuhn, Richard Rorty, Jean François Lyotard,
Jürgen Habermas, Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida and Hans-Georg Gadamer.
PHIL 260 -- Philosophies of Art
This course is an introduction to the philosophy of art. It will survey
major issues in this field, such as the nature of art, the relation of
art to reality and society, and the nature of aesthetic experience. Among
the questions to be considered are the following: How is art defined? What
makes a human activity an art? Are some artistic media better or more effective
than others in fulfilling the purposes of art? Does every art involve the
expression of emotion? What does it mean to call a work of art beautiful?
Are there other standards, in addition to beauty, by which works of art
should be judged? Is it reasonable to expect that people should agree regarding
which works of art are great and which are not? Reading for this
course will include the thought of classical writers like Plato and Aristotle,
modern philosophers such as Kant and Hegel, and twentieth-century thinkers
like Dewey and Heidegger.
PHIL 310 -- Knowledge, Belief and Truth
An examination of the nature and limits of human knowledge. Questions to
be addressed include: Can we know anything at all or are humans condemned
to (blessed with) scepticism? Is it possible to have knowledge of
God or of what is ethical or unethical? Is a priori knowledge (that which
philosophy allegedly provides) either possible or actual? Is guessing
a form of believing? And, what is the nature of truth? The
last few sessions of the course will be devoted to student projects involving
collaboration through the use of electronic resources and culminating in
the production of in-class presentations. Projects in the areas of
religious knowledge, ethical knowledge, and feminist epistemology will
be strongly encouraged. The course is required for Philosophy majors;
minors and interested non-majors are welcome.
PHIL
331 -- Ancient Philosophy
An introduction to the major figures of classical philosophy. The course
will focus on the writings of Plato and Aristotle, but will attempt also
to trace the development of ancient thought from the Pre-Socratics of the
sixth century B.C. through the rise of Neo-Platonism in the third century
A.D. and will also include representive readings from Epicureanism, Stoicism
and Skepticism. Classical philosophy first defined the central issues and
ideas -- God, reason, nature, history, freedom -- that shaped Western culture
during the first 2000 years of its history. Modern philosophy (starting
with Descartes), and European modernity in general, can be understood only
through its relationship to classical thought and culture. Today, with
the advent of postmodern culture, a familiarity with the main doctrines
of ancient philosophy is more important than ever before. This course will
provide an introductory overview of this formative period of European philosophy.
RELIGION ELECTIVES
RELG 103 -- Religion and Moral Issues
This course will explore moral rules of "wrong" and "right" in different
religions from a comparative stand point. In our changing world,
ethnocentrism and globalization present strong challenges to traditional
views of "good" and "evil". In our investigation of ethics in different
religious traditions, we will include such things as the Ten Commandments,
principles of freedom, love, forgiveness and social justice, theories of
a just war, and ethics in the global market. We will also focus our attention
on contemporary problems for the individual, such as abortion, euthanasia,
and birth control. Finally we will pay attention to issues of private property,
gender, class, race and genocide. The course will use writings from different
religious traditions.
NOTE: Fulfills GER requirement for Philosophy/Religion.
RELG 106 -- African Religious Traditions
An examination of the indigenous belief systems and ritual practices of
the people of sub-Saharan Africa. Concepts of the sacred, demonology, ancestor
worship, life after death, and individual and communal morality will be
discussed. Specific attention will be paid to the issue of human rights
and the role of religion as a tool of oppression or as an instrument of
liberation. We will also address the place of traditional religion in the
future of African peoples in the 21st Century.
RELG 107 -- Death and Dying: Religious
Perspectives (2 sections)
This course stresses cross cultural aspects of death, dying, and afterlife
as well as historical changes in attitudes about death. Among contemporary
topics covered are loss experiences; meaning and bereavement: medical ethics:
death in a technical age, capital punishment, war, abortion, euthanasia,
suicide, risk taking, disasters, and violence. We will look at death in
humor, literature, the arts and mass media and conclude with segments
on making meaningful choices around life and death. Small group work and
class presentation required.
RELG 200 -- Old Testament: Genesis
to Joshua
An examination of the history and theology of Israelite religion as seen
in the biblical books covering the Primeval, Patriachal and Mosaic periods(creation-1250
B.C.). A close reading of the Biblical text and analysis from a variety
of scholarly schools of interpretation and criticism. The course will include
treatment of the various schools of thought(documentary, form, etc.) as
to the authorship and dates of the texts under examination. The student
will also be exposed to various hermeneutical approaches to the texts (philosophical,
mythic, psychoanalytic,etc.) A follow-up course of Old Testament II, covering
the books from Joshua to Daniel will be offered in the Spring semester.
RELG 223 -- Religion in America (2 sections)
An introduction to American religious history with emphasis on the development
of religious thought and on the interplay of religious and social-political
and economic forces. A survey of the whole, with special attention to:
Native American religion and culture; the Puritan foundations, both mainline
and dissenters; the Great Awakening and its effects on the Revolution;
the "Evangelical" consensus and its later split into "liberals" and "fundamentalists,"
African-American religious life and thought; immigrations and pluralism;
multiculturalism and new civic faith. The course stresses lecture, reading
and video write-ups. Two or three tests and two papers are required.
RELG 256 -- Religion in Latin America
Religion has had an enormous impact on Latin Americans: in their literature,
culturally, historically, even in the contours of the land and villages.
From the powerful cosmologies of the Incas and Mayans to the sense of spirit
and miracle that animates a wide diversity of peoples today, religion has
been an ever-present reality. "Religion in Latin American " will examine
the following: (a) ancient and contemporary indigenous religions (b) the
influence of Spanish and other colonial powers on religions (c) religion
from below: base communities and liberation theology (d) syncretistic religion:
santeria, voodoo, candomble, etc. (e) the rise of Protestantism (f) religion
among Latinos in the US. In the course, we shall take advantage of some
of the rich resources in the metropolitan area, including speakers and
museums. THis course is recommended especially for students who would like
to have a better understanding of Latin America, a continent that will
certainly be more prominent in international affairs and American politics.
RELG 467 -- Modern Theology
Theology literally means "God-Talk." How is it possible for moderns to
speak of God in this post-mythological contemporary age? This course will
offer a close reading of major works by leading shapers of modern religious
thought, including Schleiermacher (Theology of Personal Religious Experience),
Buber (Existential Religious Ethics), Bultmann (De-mythologizing Scripture),
Tillich (The God beyond God), Barth (Neo-Orthodox Theology), and Lindbeck
(Post-Modern Theology). The class will read six primary texts.
NOTE: This course counts as a required seminar for religious study
majors. It is also listed in the honors program as HONP 301-02 --
Ways of Knowing, Call Number 06251.
Any broken links or other problems? Please e-mail Tom
Bridges
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