Current Course Offerings

Spring Schedule of Classes 2023

*for a complete listing of Philosophy courses visit the official SMU catalog

1301. Elementary Logic 
An introductory course in symbolic logic. Logic provides a means for determining whether the purported conclusion of an argument really does follow from the premises. In symbolic logic, mechanical procedures are developed for determining whether a given argument is valid. The techniques and skills acquired through logic have important applications not only within other academic areas such as the sciences and humanities, but may be of use within various professional areas, including law. Counts towards the cognitive science minor.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Quantitative Reasoning (section 002 only)

1305. Introduction to Philosophy 
A general introduction to the central questions of philosophy. We will discuss topics from such areas as the theory of knowledge, philosophy of religion, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, ethics, and political philosophy. Typical questions might include: Can we know the world outside our minds? Is it rational to believe in a God who allows evil to exist? Do the laws of physics allow for human freedom? Is morality more than a matter of opinion? Can there be unequal wealth in a just society? Readings will include classical authors such as Plato, Descartes, Locke, Hume, and Mill, as well as contemporary philosophers. The focus of the course will be on arguments for and against proposed solutions to key problems of philosophy.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

1306. Introduction to Philosophy – Mind, Machines, and Persons
A focused introduction to the central questions of philosophy, with an emphasis on the mind and the self. Typical questions might include the following: Does the soul exist? Is the mind the same thing as the brain? Can animals feel pain? Can they think? Can a computer think? Might the mind be a computer? What is consciousness? Can people understand experiences radically different from their own? What is the self? Can one survive the death of the body? The focus of the course is on arguments for and against proposed solutions to philosophical problems concerning mind, machines, and persons. Counts towards the cognitive science minor.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

1316. Introduction to Ethics
Introduces philosophical ethics focusing on questions in ethical theory. Topics vary, but the following are representative. What makes our lives good or bad? What makes our actions morally right or morally wrong? Is there a real, objective difference between good and bad, right and wrong? Why be moral? Focuses on arguments for and against major positions on issues such as these.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

1317. Business Ethics
Examines the moral dimensions of actions and practices in the business world. Students explore ethical theories and standards of evaluation for actions and practices generally, and discuss how these theories and standards apply to a variety of issues in business. Topics vary, but the following are representative: advertising, capitalism vs. socialism, corporate culture, product quality and safety, the responsibilities of corporations to the societies that sustain them, the use of animals in product testing, and working conditions and compensation.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

1318. Contemporary Moral Problems
An introduction to philosophical ethics focusing on questions in applied ethics. Students begin by exploring ethical theories and philosophical methods. The majority of the course is devoted to applying those theories and methods to some of the most controversial and pressing issues confronting contemporary society. Topics vary, but the following are representative: abortion, animal rights, affirmative action, capital punishment, economic justice, euthanasia, sexuality, war and terrorism, and world hunger. Class discussion is an important component of the course, as is reading and (in some sections) writing argumentative essays about these issues.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

1319. Technology, Society, and Value
Advances in technology are raising many ethical issues that require serious considerations. We will discuss issues surrounding such technologies and how they affect the views of warfare, privacy, human enhancement, and artificial intelligence.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Breadth: 2016 Technology and Mathematics

3310. Advanced Topics in Philosophy: Animal Minds
A topics offering that seeks to take advantage of the wide variety of issues that can be fruitfully explored in a course in advanced philosophy. May be repeated for credit. Recently offered topics include: the philosophy of human emotions; the metaphysics of necessity; meaning and methodology.

Animal Minds: What does it mean to have a mind or mental states? What criteria can we use to determine the presence of consciousness or thought in human beings, other animals, and other types of systems? How complex must a system be in order to have mental states, and can consciousness come in degrees? We will explore these and other topics concerning the nature and scope of nonhuman minds, including: animal cognition, animal consciousness, the possibility of hive minds, and embodied cognition.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

3321. Time, Space, and Metaphysics
Does time pass? Do the past and the future exist? Is space a thing? What are the laws of nature? This course introduces some central issues in the metaphysics of science.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts
*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Oral Communication
*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Writing
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Oral Communication
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Writing

3323. Philosophy of Psychology and Neuroscience
What sorts of explanations do cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists seek about cognitive functions and the nature of our minds? What assumptions and what evidence, do such explanations rest upon? Counts towards the cognitive science or neuroscience minor.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts
*Foundations: 2016 Ways of Knowing
*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Writing

3352. History of Western Philosophy - Modern
Survey course in the history of modern philosophy covering the modern period, from Descartes to Hume, including Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, and Berkeley. Examines many seminal writings in philosophy on such key issues as rationalism and empiricism, the nature of external reality and one’s knowledge of it, the existence and nature of God, the relation between mind and body, causation, induction, and the nature of morality and moral action. Satisfies one part of the history requirement for philosophy majors. Please note: this course is not offered in the Fall term.
  
*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts
*Depth: 2016 History, Social and Behavioral Sciences

3372. Liberty
Investigates the topics of freedom and autonomy primarily from the standpoint of social and political philosophy. Students explore the nature of freedom and its role in a good society along with the nature of autonomy (self-governance) and its role in a good life. Also, the distinction between negative and positive liberty, the nature of coercion, the republican theory of freedom, the nature of personal autonomy, the value of freedom, and other topics.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Information Literacy

3374. Philosophy of Law
This course explores some central and interrelated issues in philosophy of law, or jurisprudence, with a particular emphasis on the role that morality plays in our understanding of law and in the interpretation and application of the law. Here are some of the questions we will consider: When and why does the content of law - what the law is - depend on the content of morality - on what is right and wrong, just and unjust, fair and unfair, etc.? When and how does interpreting and applying laws (statutes, precedents, etc.) involve making value judgments, including moral judgments? Does the United States Constitution enact the "original understanding" of freedom of speech, due process of law, equal protection of the laws, and so on? Or does it, instead, direct us to apply our own, perhaps quite different, understandings of these concepts? (The latter view is called "the moral reading" of the Constitution.) Is there a moral obligation to obey the law? When and why is punishing those who break the law morally justified? Satisfies elective requirements in the following majors and minors: philosophy, ethics, human rights, and law and legal reasoning.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

3375. Topics in Moral Philosophy: Meaning of Life
A topics offering that seeks to take advantage of the wide variety of issues that can be fruitfully explored in a course in moral philosophy. May be repeated for credit. Recently offered topics include the meaning of life, neuroethics, Plato’s ethical thought, practical rationality, and procreation & parenthood.

Meaning of Life: In this class, we'll take a rigorous approach to "the big questions" about the way we live our lives. What makes a person's life go well or badly? Is happiness the only thing that matters? Can you live a good life without being morally good? Must we be autonomous and self-expressive to live good lives? Is it important for there to be an afterlife? Does life have any grand purpose? If not, can life still be meaningful? Does life get worse with age or with disability? How should we make major life decisions? To think about these issues, we will focus primarily on western philosophy, both contemporary and historical, but we will also consider non-western thinkers and ideas. Other materials may include movies, fiction, and journalism.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

3383. Feminist Philosophy
Explores the distinctive concepts, methods, tools, and topics for analysis that feminist thinkers bring to bear on traditional philosophical topics, including metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics.

*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Civics and Individual Ethics

Fall Schedule of Classes 2022

*for a complete listing of Philosophy courses visit the official SMU catalog

1300. Introduction to Critical Thinking
Learning to analyze, evaluate, and present information in order to better assess one’s own beliefs and to persuade others more effectively.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

1301. Elementary Logic 
An introductory course in symbolic logic. Logic provides a means for determining whether the purported conclusion of an argument really does follow from the premises. In symbolic logic, mechanical procedures are developed for determining whether a given argument is valid. The techniques and skills acquired through logic have important applications not only within other academic areas such as the sciences and humanities, but may be of use within various professional areas, including law. Counts towards the cognitive science minor.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Quantitative Reasoning (section 002 only)

1305. Introduction to Philosophy 
A general introduction to the central questions of philosophy. We will discuss topics from such areas as the theory of knowledge, philosophy of religion, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, ethics, and political philosophy. Typical questions might include: Can we know the world outside our minds? Is it rational to believe in a God who allows evil to exist? Do the laws of physics allow for human freedom? Is morality more than a matter of opinion? Can there be unequal wealth in a just society? Readings will include classical authors such as Plato, Descartes, Locke, Hume, and Mill, as well as contemporary philosophers. The focus of the course will be on arguments for and against proposed solutions to key problems of philosophy.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

1306. Introduction to Philosophy – Mind, Machines, and Persons
A focused introduction to the central questions of philosophy, with an emphasis on the mind and the self. Typical questions might include the following: Does the soul exist? Is the mind the same thing as the brain? Can animals feel pain? Can they think? Can a computer think? Might the mind be a computer? What is consciousness? Can people understand experiences radically different from their own? What is the self? Can one survive the death of the body? The focus of the course is on arguments for and against proposed solutions to philosophical problems concerning mind, machines, and persons. Counts towards the cognitive science minor.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

1316. Introduction to Ethics
Introduces philosophical ethics focusing on questions in ethical theory. Topics vary but the following are representative. What makes our lives good or bad? What makes our actions morally right or morally wrong? Is there a real, objective difference between good and bad, right and wrong? Why be moral? Focuses on arguments for and against major positions on issues such as these.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

1317. Business Ethics
Examines the moral dimensions of actions and practices in the business world. Students explore ethical theories and standards of evaluation for actions and practices generally, and discuss how these theories and standards apply to a variety of issues in business. Topics vary, but the following are representative: advertising, capitalism vs. socialism, corporate culture, product quality and safety, the responsibilities of corporations to the societies that sustain them, the use of animals in product testing, and working conditions and compensation.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

1318. Contemporary Moral Problems
An introduction to philosophical ethics focusing on questions in applied ethics. Students begin by exploring ethical theories and philosophical methods. The majority of the course is devoted to applying those theories and methods to some of the most controversial and pressing issues confronting contemporary society. Topics vary, but the following are representative: abortion, animal rights, affirmative action, capital punishment, economic justice, euthanasia, sexuality, war and terrorism, and world hunger. Class discussion is an important component of the course, as is reading and (in some sections) writing argumentative essays about these issues.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry

*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

1319. Technology, Society, and Value
Advances in technology are raising many ethical issues that require serious considerations. We will discuss issues surrounding such technologies and how they affect the views of warfare, privacy, human enhancement, and artificial intelligence.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Breadth: 2016 Technology and Mathematics

3301. Intermediate Logic
Introduces the formal theory of the logical systems students have already learned to use: sentential logic and predicate logic. Students learn to prove the completeness and soundness of both of these systems. Also, simple nonstandard logical systems such as modal, epistemic, or deontic logic, if time permits. Prerequisite: PHIL 1301 or its equivalent. Counts towards the cognitive science minor.

*Breadth: 2016 Technology and Mathematics 
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

3315. Philosophy of Mind
A systematic treatment of the nature of consciousness, self, and person. Counts towards the cognitive science or neuroscience minor.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

3324. Consciousness: Theoretical and Empirical Approaches
How do recent empirical findings in cognitive psychology and neuroscience advance our understanding of the nature of consciousness? What philosophical issues do such findings and their explanations raise? Counts towards the cognitive science minor.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Oral Communication
*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Writing
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts
*Foundations: 2016 Ways of Knowing
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Oral Communication
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Writing

3351. History of Western Philosophy - Ancient
 A study of the major philosophers from Thales to Plotinus, including Plato and Aristotle. Please note: this course is not offered in the Spring term.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities & Fine Arts

3364. Philosophy of Biology
A survey of topics in the philosophy of biology, including evolution versus creationism, fitness, units of selection, adaptationism, biological taxonomy, evolution in humans, cultural evolution, and niche construction.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities & Fine Arts
*Foundations: 2016 Ways of Knowing

3371. Social and Political Philosophy
Explores central questions in social and political philosophy. Topics vary, but the following are representative. What forms of government are most reasonable and morally defensible? What is justice, and how might it be embodied in a system of government? Are there such things as natural rights? What is the basis for saying that we have rights to freedom of speech and religion? What would constitute a just or fair distribution of the benefits and burdens of social cooperation? Do citizens in a modern, democratic state have a moral obligation to obey its laws? When, if ever, is it legitimate for a state to go to war? 

*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Civics and Individual Ethics
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

3374. Philosophy of Law
This course explores some central and interrelated issues in philosophy of law, or jurisprudence, with a particular emphasis on the role that morality plays in our understanding of law and in the interpretation and application of the law. Here are some of the questions we will consider: When and why does the content of law - what the law is - depend on the content of morality - on what is right and wrong, just and unjust, fair and unfair, etc.? When and how does interpreting and applying laws (statutes, precedents, etc.) involve making value judgments, including moral judgments? Does the United States Constitution enact the “original understanding” of freedom of speech, due process of law, equal protection of the laws, and so on? Or does it, instead, direct us to apply our own, perhaps quite different, understandings of these concepts? (The latter view is called “the moral reading” of the Constitution.) Is there a moral obligation to obey the law? When and why is punishing those who break the law morally justified? Satisfies elective requirements in the following majors and minors: philosophy, ethics, human rights, and law and legal reasoning.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities & Fine Arts

3375. Topics in Moral Philosophy: Capitalism and its Critics
A topics offering that seeks to take advantage of the wide variety of issues that can be fruitfully explored in a course in moral philosophy. May be repeated for credit. Recently offered topics include the meaning of life, neuroethics, Plato’s ethical thought, practical rationality, and procreation & parenthood. 

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities & Fine Arts

3376. Bioethics
An examination of ethical questions arising within medical practice, medical research, and the life sciences. 

*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Civics and Individual Ethics
*Depth: 2016 Humanities & Fine Arts

3377. Animal Rights
Explores the nature of nonhuman animals, their moral status, and the way we treat them. First we will consider questions about the minds of animals. Are animals conscious? Can they think about the future? Are they self-aware? Exploring those questions will prepare us for our second set of topics about the moral status of animals. Do animals have rights like humans do? Do we have moral obligations to animals? Is there a difference between the moral status of animals that fall into different categories (pets, domesticated animals, and wild animals)? Third, we will examine the way animals are used for food, for entertainment, and in biomedical research. What laws already protect animals and what changes are needed?

*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Civics and Individual Ethics
*Depth: 2016 Humanities & Fine Arts
*Foundations: 2016 Ways of Knowing

3378. The Good Life: An Inquiry into Individual and Social Ethics 
Provides skills for reasoning ethically about a good life as an individual and society, drawing on resources from philosophy, theology, and political science.

*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Civics and Individual Ethics

3381. Neuroethics
Neuroethics concerns the ethical questions raised by the brain sciences. Is neuroenhancement morally problematic? Should the use of brain scans be limited? What does neuroscience tell us about ethical judgment?

*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Civics and Individual Ethics
*Depth: 2016 Humanities & Fine Arts

July B (11-day session) Schedule of Classes 2022

*for a complete listing of Philosophy courses visit the official SMU catalog

1319. Technology, Society, and Value
Advances in technology are raising many ethical issues that require serious consideration. We will discuss issues surrounding such technologies and how they affect the views of warfare, privacy, human enhancement, and artificial intelligence.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Breadth: 2016 Technology and Mathematics

July A (11-day session) Schedule of Classes 2022

*for a complete listing of Philosophy courses visit the official SMU catalog

1317. Business Ethics
Examines the moral dimensions of actions and practices in the business world. Students explore ethical theories and standards of evaluation for actions and practices generally, and discuss how these theories and standards apply to a variety of issues in business. Topics vary, but the following are representative: advertising, capitalism vs. socialism, corporate culture, product quality and safety, the responsibilities of corporations to the societies that sustain them, the use of animals in product testing, and working conditions and compensation.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

July (Summer 2) Schedule of Classes 2022

*for a complete listing of Philosophy courses visit the official SMU catalog

3351. History of Western Philosophy -Ancient
 A study of the major philosophers from Thales to Plotinus, including Plato and Aristotle. Please note: this course is not offered in the Spring term.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

June (Summer 1) Schedule of Classes 2022

*for a complete listing of Philosophy courses visit the official SMU catalog

1301. Elementary Logic 
An introductory course in symbolic logic. Logic provides a means for determining whether the purported conclusion of an argument really does follow from the premises. In symbolic logic, mechanical procedures are developed for determining whether a given argument is valid. The techniques and skills acquired through logic have important applications not only within other academic areas such as the sciences and humanities, but may be of use within various professional areas, including law.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Quantitative Reasoning

3352. History of Western Philosophy - Modern
Survey course in the history of modern philosophy covering the modern period, from Descartes to Hume, including Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, and Berkeley. Examines many seminal writings in philosophy on such key issues as rationalism and empiricism, the nature of external reality and one’s knowledge of it, the existence and nature of God, the relation between mind and body, causation, induction, and the nature of morality and moral action. Satisfies one part of the history requirement for philosophy majors; may be used to satisfy the history requirement for philosophy minors. Please note: this course is not offered in the Fall term.
  
*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 History, Social and Behavioral Sciences
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

May Schedule of Classes 2022

*for a complete listing of Philosophy courses visit the official SMU catalog

1305. Introduction to Philosophy 
A general introduction to the central questions of philosophy. We will discuss topics from such areas as the theory of knowledge, philosophy of religion, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, ethics, and political philosophy. Typical questions might include: Can we know the world outside our minds? Is it rational to believe in a God who allows evil to exist? Do the laws of physics allow for human freedom? Is morality more than a matter of opinion? Can there be unequal wealth in a just society? Readings will include classical authors such as Plato, Descartes, Locke, Hume, and Mill, as well as contemporary philosophers. The focus of the course will be on arguments for and against proposed solutions to key problems of philosophy.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

1317. Business Ethics
Examines the moral dimensions of actions and practices in the business world. Students explore ethical theories and standards of evaluation for actions and practices generally, and discuss how these theories and standards apply to a variety of issues in business. Topics vary, but the following are representative: advertising, capitalism vs. socialism, corporate culture, product quality and safety, the responsibilities of corporations to the societies that sustain them, the use of animals in product testing, and working conditions and compensation.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics

1319. Technology, Society, and Value
Advances in technology are raising many ethical issues that require serious consideration. We will discuss issues surrounding such technologies and how they affect the views of warfare, privacy, human enhancement, and artificial intelligence.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Breadth: 2016 Technology and Mathematics

3323. Philosophy of Psychology and Neuroscience
What sorts of explanations do cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists seek about cognitive functions and the nature of our minds? What assumptions, and what evidence, do such explanations rest upon? Counts towards the cognitive science or neuroscience minor.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Writing
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts
*Foundation: 2016 Ways of Knowing
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Information Literacy
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Oral Communication
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Writing

Spring Schedule of Classes 2022

*for a complete listing of Philosophy courses visit the official SMU catalog

1301. Elementary Logic 
An introductory course in symbolic logic. Logic provides a means for determining whether the purported conclusion of an argument really does follow from the premises. In symbolic logic, mechanical procedures are developed for determining whether a given argument is valid. The techniques and skills acquired through logic have important applications not only within other academic areas such as the sciences and humanities, but may be of use within various professional areas, including law. Counts towards the cognitive science minor.

*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Quantitative Reasoning (section 002 only)

1305. Introduction to Philosophy 
A general introduction to the central questions of philosophy. We will discuss topics from such areas as the theory of knowledge, philosophy of religion, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, ethics and political philosophy. Typical questions might include: Can we know the world outside our minds? Is it rational to believe in a God who allows evil to exist? Do the laws of physics allow for human freedom? Is morality more than a matter of opinion? Can there be unequal wealth in a just society? Readings will include classical authors such as Plato, Descartes, Locke, Hume and Mill, as well as contemporary philosophers. The focus of the course will be on arguments for and against proposed solutions to key problems of philosophy.

*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry

1306. Introduction to Philosophy – Mind, Machines, and Persons
A focused introduction to the central questions of philosophy, with an emphasis on the mind and the self. Typical questions might include the following: Does the soul exist? Is the mind the same thing as the brain? Can animals feel pain? Can they think? Can a computer think? Might the mind be a computer? What is consciousness? Can people understand experiences radically different from their own? What is the self? Can one survive the death of the body? The focus of the course is on arguments for and against proposed solutions to philosophical problems concerning mind, machines, and persons. Counts towards the cognitive science minor.

*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry

1316. Introduction to Ethics
Introduces philosophical ethics focusing on questions in ethical theory. Topics vary, but the following are representative. What makes our lives good or bad? What makes our actions morally right or morally wrong? Is there a real, objective difference between good and bad, right and wrong? Why be moral? Focuses on arguments for and against major positions on issues such as these.

*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry

1317. Business Ethics
Examines the moral dimensions of actions and practices in the business world. Students explore ethical theories and standards of evaluation for actions and practices generally, and discuss how these theories and standards apply to a variety of issues in business. Topics vary, but the following are representative: advertising, capitalism vs. socialism, corporate culture, product quality and safety, the responsibilities of corporations to the societies that sustain them, the use of animals in product testing, and working conditions and compensation.

*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry

1318. Contemporary Moral Problems
An introduction to philosophical ethics focusing on questions in applied ethics. Students begin by exploring ethical theories and philosophical methods. The majority of the course is devoted to applying those theories and methods to some of the most controversial and pressing issues confronting contemporary society. Topics vary, but the following are representative: abortion, animal rights, affirmative action, capital punishment, economic justice, euthanasia, sexuality, war and terrorism, and world hunger. Class discussion is an important component of the course, as is reading and (in some sections) writing argumentative essays about these issues.

*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry

1319. Technology, Society, and Value
Advances in technology are raising many ethical issues that require serious consideration. We will discuss issues surrounding such technologies and how they affect the views of warfare, privacy, human enhancement, and artificial intelligence.

*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Technology and Mathematics

3310. Advanced Topics in Philosophy: Rationality
A topics offering that seeks to take advantage of the wide variety of issues that can be fruitfully explored in a course in advanced philosophy. May be repeated for credit. Recently offered topics include: the philosophy of human emotions; the metaphysics of necessity; meaning and methodology.

Rationality: In this class we will be looking at questions about the nature of rational belief and rational action, paying special attention to ways in which these are interrelated.  Topics to be covered will include logical and probabilistic consistency of belief, representation of preferences by utility functions, decision theory, and the challenges of making rational collective decisions.  PHIL 1301: Elementary Logic not required, but recommended as background.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

3315. Philosophy of Mind
A systematic treatment of the nature of consciousness, self, and person. Counts towards the cognitive science or neuroscience minor.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

3321. Time, Space, and Metaphysics
Does time pass? Do the past and the future exist? Is space a thing? What are the laws of nature? This course introduces some central issues in the metaphysics of science.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Oral Communication
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Writing
*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Oral Communication
*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Writing

3322. Pleasure and Pain
Explores the nature of pleasure and pain, their relationships to other mental states, and their significance and value. Do pleasures and pains have intentional content? If so, what do they represent? How are pleasure and pain related to motivation? What can we learn from neuroscience concerning pleasure and pain? Are pleasure and pain essential to what makes life worth living? A previous philosophy course is recommended, but not required. Counts towards the cognitive science or neuroscience minor.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Writing
*Proficiencies and Experiences: CC Writing

3352. History of Western Philosophy - Modern
Survey course in the history of modern philosophy covering the modern period, from Descartes to Hume, including Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, and Berkeley. Examines many seminal writings in philosophy on such key issues as rationalism and empiricism, the nature of external reality and one’s knowledge of it, the existence and nature of God, the relation between mind and body, causation, induction, and the nature of morality and moral action. Satisfies one part of the history requirement for philosophy majors. Please note: this course is not offered in the Fall term.
  
*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts
*Depth: 2016 History, Social and Behavioral Sciences

3362. Creativity, Discovery, and Science
Considers central issues in the history and philosophy of science, with a special emphasis on the nature of creativity and discovery in scientific thought. General questions include the following: What is science, and what is the nature of scientific method? What is the nature of evidence and explanation in science? Addresses in detail the question of how new ideas such as theories and problem solutions are produced and assessed in scientific thinking. Is creativity essentially a random or blind process or is it rule-governed in some way? What is the nature of scientific discovery? Combines literature in the history and philosophy of science together with psychological literature on the nature of creativity to answer these and other questions. No previous coursework in science is required, but some science background equips students to appreciate the relevant issues.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

3372. Liberty
Investigates the topics of freedom and autonomy primarily from the standpoint of social and political philosophy. Students explore the nature of freedom and its role in a good society along with the nature of autonomy (self-governance) and its role in a good life. Also, the distinction between negative and positive liberty, the nature of coercion, the republican theory of freedom, the nature of personal autonomy, the value of freedom, and other topics.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts
*Proficiencies and Experiences: 2016 Information Literacy

3375. Topics in Moral Philosophy: Lifespan Ethics
A topics offering that seeks to take advantage of the wide variety of issues that can be fruitfully explored in a course in moral philosophy. May be repeated for credit. Recently offered topics include the meaning of life, Plato’s ethical thought, practical rationality, and procreation & parenthood.

Lifespan Ethics: This course will explore questions about the nature and value of human life at different ages and stages: Is childhood a particularly good part of life, or the opposite – is it to be escaped as quickly as possible? Is midlife the “prime of life,” a period when everything matters more? Is old age a time when life is worse, or just the opposite – might it be an especially good time of life? Would it be desirable for our lives to last far longer, or would a super-long life inevitably be bad in some way? At every point in life should you “act your age” or is that expectation ageist? To explore these questions (and many others) we’ll make use of philosophical writing both classic and contemporary, writings outside philosophy, and also several movies.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

3376. Bioethics
An examination of ethical questions arising within medical practice, medical research, and the life sciences.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Depth: 2016 Humanities & Fine Arts

3380. Ethics: Morality, Self-Interest, and Justice
Explores issues in normative ethical and political theory, with a particular emphasis on morality, self-interest, and justice. Topics vary, but the following are representative. Might enlightened self-interest be the basis of morality? Is a morally right action one that maximizes overall happiness or well-being, or are there moral rights or duties that prohibit the sacrifice of individuals or their interests for the sake of the greater good? Does individual well-being (or self-interest) consist of pleasure and freedom from pain? Do our subjective interests (our desires or preferences) determine what is ultimately best for us, or are there desire-independent goods, such as knowledge or moral virtue? To what extent, if any, does justice permit inequality of income or wealth? Do individuals have "natural" rights that prohibit the state from using certain means (e.g. taxes, and transfers) to promote greater social welfare or less economic inequality?

*Depth: 2016 Humanities and Fine Arts

3383. Feminist Philosophy
Explores the distinctive concepts, methods, tools, and topics for analysis that feminist thinkers bring to bear on traditional philosophical topics, including metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry

January Schedule of Classes 2022

*for a complete listing of Philosophy courses visit the official SMU catalog

1319. Technology, Society, and Value
Advances in technology are raising many ethical issues that require serious consideration. We will discuss issues surrounding such technologies and how they affect the views of warfare, privacy, human enhancement, and artificial intelligence.

*Breadth: CC Philosophical, Religious, and Ethical Inquiry
*Breadth: 2016 Philosophical and Religious Inquiry and Ethics
*Breadth: 2016 Technology and Mathematics