Philosophy Courses Spring 2025

Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 101
M/W: 12:45 – 2:00 PM, T/TH: 1:00 – 2:15 PM | 2:30 – 3:45 PM, M/W/F: 2:15 – 3:05 PM, M: 6:00 – 8:30 PM
C. McLarty | J. Bendik-Keymer | J. Wolfendale | H. Dang | J. Cauvin
Basic problems of philosophy and methods of philosophical thinking. Problems raised by science, morality, religion, politics, and art. Readings from classical and contemporary philosophers. Normally given in multiple sections with different instructors and possibly with different texts. All sections share core materials in theory of knowledge, metaphysics, and ethics despite differences that may exist in emphasis.

Philosophy of Science
PHIL 204
W: 5:00 – 7:30 PM
C. Haufe
Conceptual, methodological, and epistemological issues about science: concept formation, explanation, prediction, confirmation, theory construction and status of unobservables; metaphysical presuppositions and implications of science; semantics of scientific language; illustrations from special sciences. Second half of a year-long sequence. Offered as HSTY 207 and PHIL 204.

Indian Philosophy
PHIL 221
T/TH: 1:00 – 2:15 PM
D. Sarma
We will survey the origins of Indian philosophical thought, with an emphasis on early Buddhist, Hindu and Jain literature. Our concern will be the methods, presuppositions, arguments, and goals of these schools and trajectories of thought. What were their theories on the nature of the person, the nature of reality, and the nature and process of knowing? What were the debates between the schools and the major points of controversy? And, most importantly, are the positions/arguments internally incoherent? Offered as PHIL 221 and RLGN 221.

Bioethics: Dilemmas
PHIL 271
M/W: 12:45 – 2:00 PM, T/Th: 1:00 – 2:15 PM
J. Brundage | L. Grubbs
Bioethics is the study of value-laden issues and moral dilemmas related to health, medicine, and the life sciences. This course will introduce students to the field of bioethics, including key theories and debates that span clinical ethics, research ethics, public health ethics, and other approaches. Students will learn about ethical issues across the life course, including bioethics at the beginning and end of life, as well as ethics surrounding contemporary medical science and technologies and broader equity and justice concerns in healthcare. Through interactive lectures and discussions, students will explore multiple stakeholder perspectives on these debates and cultivate their own understanding about how to resolve challenging value conflicts. Offered as BETH 271 and PHIL 271.

Art and Thought
PHIL 271
T/Th: 1:00 – 2:15 PM
L. Hengehold
Do you visualize when you solve problems? Do you ever ask what art “means” and how this “meaning” differs from a theory or explanation? Is there a “philosophy” behind the work of painters, photographers, or installation artists? In this course, we will discuss the theoretical writings of some visual artists as well as philosophers’ and sociologists’ ideas about how art represents reality or provokes new experiences. Students will also consider the philosophical implications of intersections between visual arts and music or other creative genres. The course will involve field trips to University Circle museums and discussions with practicing artists and art specialists, including some specialists in non-Western art.

Modern Philosophy
PHIL 302
T/TH: 2:30 – 3:45 PM
C. Kim
British empiricism: Bacon, Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. Continental rationalism: Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz. The critical philosophy of Kant. Recommended preparation: PHIL 101 or consent of instructor.

Mathematical Logic and Model Theory
PHIL 306
M/W: 3:20 – 4:35 PM
C. McLarty
Propositional calculus and quantification theory; consistency and completeness theorems; Gödel incompleteness results and their philosophical significance; introduction to basic concepts of model theory; problems of formulation of arguments in philosophy and the sciences. Offered as PHIL 306, MATH 406 and PHIL 406.

Selected Topics in Philosophy – Foucault
PHIL 315
M/W: 4:00 – 5:15 PM
L. Hengehold
Examination of views of a major philosopher or philosophical school, a significant philosophical topic, or a topic that relates to philosophy and other discipline. Recommended preparation: PHIL 101. Offered as PHIL 315 and PHIL 415.

Philosophy of State Violence: War, Colonization, Punishment, and Immigration
PHIL 319
M/W: 3:20 – 4:35 PM
J. Wolfendale
The modern state inflicts forms of violence against its own citizens through the criminal justice system and wields violence against foreign citizens and states through immigration enforcement, war, and colonization. But what is the moral and ethical basis of the state’s authority to wield such forms of violence? What justifies a state in imprisoning and even killing its own citizens (as the US does via the death penalty), and inflicting the violence of war on other states? This course will examine historical and contemporary perspectives on the ethical basis of the state’s right to use force and explore arguments defending and critiquing the use of state violence in the areas of punishment, war, colonization, and immigration enforcement, from a diverse range of perspectives. Offered as LAWS 5746 and PHIL 319 and PHIL 419.

Education, Freedom, and Equality
PHIL 331
W: 6:00 – 8:30 PM
J. Bendik-Keymer
Since the Enlightenment, the trunk of the tree of modern democracy has been education in freedom and equality. In this tradition, freedom is complex: embodied, emotional, practical, intellectual, social, and political. Equality is indirect, especially in the learning space. Moreover, the nature of education is profoundly affected by freedom and equality. This introductory course in modern philosophy of education takes up core texts from the tradition to explore the meaning of education in a free society.

Methods and Problems of Science Communication
PHIL 340
Th: 2:30 – 5:00 PM
H. Dang
Effective scientific communication is essential for the dissemination of research findings and advancements in science. It is also a unique form of communication that requires clarity, precision, and the ability to translate complex concepts into understandable information for various audiences. This course aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to communicate scientific concepts and research findings to other scientists, policymakers, and the general public. Students will learn the history and development of scientific journals, peer review, and academic publishing. Key topics include structuring scientific arguments, tailoring messages to various audiences, and ethical considerations such as plagiarism and accuracy. Through writing assignments, peer reviews, and presentations, students will refine their ability to communicate complex scientific ideas clearly and persuasively. Students cannot earn credit for both PHIL 340/440 and WRIT 250/ASTR 350. Offered as PHIL 340 and PHIL 440.

Topics in Evolutionary Biology – Humn Evol & Pop Hist in Africa
PHIL 367
M/W: 5:30 – 6:45 PM
J. Bendik-Keymer
The focus for this course on a special topic of interest in evolutionary biology will vary from one offering to the next. Examples of possible topics include theories of speciation, the evolution of language, the evolution of sex, evolution and biodiversity, molecular evolution. The graduate level offerings of this course will require a longer, more sophisticated term paper, and additional class presentation. Offered as ANTH 367, BIOL 368, EEPS 367, PHIL 367, ANAT 467, ANTH 467, BIOL 468, EEPS 467, PHIL 467 and PHOL 467.

Advanced Bioethics
PHIL 371
M/W: 12:45 – 2:00 PM
N. Stout
This course offers upper-level instruction on many key bioethical issues introduced in BETH/PHIL 271. The class follows a discussion-intensive seminar format. Students begin with an in-depth analysis of ethical issues surrounding the conduct of clinical trials, both within the U.S. and through U.S.-sponsored research abroad. Next students examine the philosophical and practical challenges involved in medical decision making for adults and pediatric patients. This course concludes by addressing the broader ethical problem of what duties we owe to future generations in terms of our reproductive choices and the allocation of health-related public expenditures. Each of these general topic areas – clinical trials, medical decision making, and future generations – is of crucial importance for all students whether one plans to enter a career in biomedical research, the healthcare professions, or some other career path. Everyone is a potential patient or the family member of a potential patient. The topics covered in Advanced Bioethics will help prepare students to become responsible participants in an increasingly complex biomedical world. Offered as BETH 371 and PHIL 371.

Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology
PHIL 393
M/W: 12:45 – 2:00 PM
S. French
This course will explore ethical issues concerning the development and use of Artificial Intelligence and related emerging technologies, ranging from deferring to automation as an authority to the effects of bias embedded in algorithms to vital questions of autonomy and accountability, all the way to an examination of possible rights for advanced AI systems in the future. AI is currently used in many settings, from businesses to healthcare to the military, all of which have an impact on human lives. There are risks and opportunities associated with this, including the intriguing possibility that we could use AI as augmentation to make humans more ethical, not less. This course will give students the opportunity to consider and debate how AI can be designed and deployed in ways that promote the common good and avoid causing harm, especially to the most vulnerable among us. Offered as PHIL 393 and PHIL 493.

Directed Study
PHIL 397
Under faculty supervision, students will undertake a project that demonstrates critical thinking, has clear goals, features periodic reporting of progress, and will result in a final report.

Philosophy Capstone
PHIL 398
Under faculty supervision, students will undertake a project that demonstrates critical thinking, has clear goals, features periodic reporting of progress, and will result in a final report and public presentation.

Philosophy Honors Thesis
PHIL 398
Under faculty supervision, students will complete a substantial thesis that demonstrates critical thinking, has clear goals, features periodic reporting of progress, and will be the subject of an oral examination as well as a public presentation.