Philosophy

http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/philosophy/

Chair, 2000-01: Rick Fairbanks, philosophy of psychology, philosophy of science

Faculty, 2000-01: Karen Gervais, medical ethics, feminism; Geoffrey Gorham, philosophy of science and history of modern; Jeanine Grenberg, ethics, Kant and history of modern, feminist theory; Vicki Lynn Harper, classical philosophy, logic; Edward Langerak, ethics, social and political philosophy; Gordon Marino, Kierkegaard, Freud; Edmund Santurri, ethics, philosophical theology; Corliss Swain, philosophy of language, Hume; Charles Taliaferro, philosophy of religion, ethics, philosophy of mind

The aim of the philosophy department is to engage students in disciplined and imaginative thinking about the philosophical questions that arise naturally in the course of a liberal education. A religion course might raise questions about the justification of religious beliefs; a sociology course, questions about relativism and the good in human societies; a science course, questions about the nature of human knowledge.

Such questions not only fascinate the human mind, they also touch on issues central to understanding and improving human life in society and the world. These are not questions to which authoritative answers can be given; thinking about them requires that you decide for yourself what answers to accept. Yet it matters greatly which answers are accepted, and it is therefore important to engage in discussion with others who face those questions and to seek to learn from the philosophers of the past and present.

Engaging in philosophy develops skills in careful and fair-minded interpreting, creative but rigorous arguing, and reflective and wise evaluating of complex issues. These habits of mind are extremely valuable, and not only for the majors who continue study of philosophy, often in the highest-ranked graduate schools. Most of our students and majors discover that these skills make philosophy very useful for continuing their education and for negotiating the ambiguities of today's career paths.

OVERVIEW OF THE MAJOR

A major in philosophy is highly recommended as preparation for law, theology, business, management, medicine, journalism, or other careers which require the ability to think in a creative and disciplined manner about questions which are new or whose method of solution is debated.

Students can find a philosophy department course that satisfies one of all six categories of core General Education requirements. Also, a significant number of the courses that satisfy the WRI and EIN requirements are taught by philosophers. In the philosophy commons room, the department provides for each term a prospectus that describes the special focus and the expected reading and writing of each course and section. Great Conversation students receive credit toward the major for either Philosophy 235 or 236.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR

A major in Philosophy may be attained by completing the requirements for either a regular major or a contract major. Most philosophy courses simultaneously count toward the major and toward one or more of almost all the General Education requirements.

A regular major requires eight courses in philosophy, including Philosophy 235: Ancient and Medieval Philosophy, Philosophy 236: History of Modern Philosophy, Philosophy 240: Logic, and three Level III seminars. These specifications seek to assure a major's grasp of the history and methods of philosophy and then to provide practice in advanced philosophical inquiry.

A contract major involves a contract drawn up between the student and the Department of Philosophy. The contract combines six courses in philosophy - including Philosophy 235 and 236, two Level III courses, and a logic project - with four Level II or III courses in another department which are chosen to complement the work in philosophy.

DISTINCTION

Departmental distinction in philosophy is awarded by a vote of the department to those graduating students whose discourse, both oral and written, shows excellence in such philosophical virtues as clarity, coherence, cogency, sensitivity to the full range of relevant considerations, fair-mindedness, rigor, creativity, and imagination. Candidates submit a portfolio of papers by April 15 to the department chair. A sheet describing the details of applying for distinction is available in the philosophy commons room.

SPECIAL RESOURCES

The Howard and Edna Hong Kierkegaard Library at St. Olaf is an internationally acclaimed center for the study of Søren Kierkegaard, the 19th century Danish philosopher who is central to the history of existentialism and philosophy of religion. The Hongs have recently finished their definitive 26-volume Princeton University Press edition of Kierkegaard's Writings.

The annual Eunice Belgum Memorial Lectures are delivered by leading philosophers from around the world. Recently Amelie Rorty explained "The Many Faces of Morality" and Hilary Putnam discussed "Mind, Matter, and Making Sense." The 2000-01 lecturer is Stephen Darwall.

COURSES

General Education 111 First-Year Writing

Every year some of the first-year writing courses are taught by philosophers. Consult the GE 111 prospectus for details.

118 The Making of the Modern Mind

A survey of the development of historically significant conceptions of reality and knowledge. In order to see the historical contribution of philosophy to the self-understanding of Western culture, students study major philosophers from ancient, medieval, and modern Western philosophy, focusing on the ways they have related their explanations of the universe to their conceptions of meaningful human life. Open to first-year students and sophomores only. GE: HWC. Offered both semesters.

119 Moral Psychology

This course introduces students to the discipline of philosophy by focusing on psychological issues related to moral behavior. We will study those states of mind and character that are thought to constitute moral (or evil) character and produce moral (or evil) actions, relationships and societies. Guilt, shame, humility, self-respect; sympathy, compassion, caring, anger; truthfulness, courage, self-knowledge: what are these states? And what influence does their presence or absence have on human relationships and society? GE: HBS. Offered in 2001-02.

120 Philosophy and Literature

Students analyze literary works of different genres as aesthetic treatments of philosophical themes. Poetry, prose, and drama explore themes such as the metaphysics and ethics of freedom, the problem of evil, and the role of character in choice and action. For example, with Camus students explore such ideas as absurdity, lucidity, rebellion, and human solidarity by studying plot, character, point of view, imagery, and symbolism. GE: ALS-L. Offered only in Interim.

147 Death and the Meaning of Life

This course introduces philosophical ideas and methods through reading, discussing, and writing about basic questions that arise when we reflect on the human condition. What is meant by "meaning" when one asks whether (a person's) life has meaning? How do our beliefs about human nature, religion, and morality affect how we ask or answer the question? How does our mortality affect our living? Classical and contemporary writings - philosophical and autobiographical - will be used. Offered only in Interim.

153 Vice

We investigate philosophically the nature of evil in competing, historically important contexts. Is evil the mere absence of good or a distinctive power? Can there be good without evil? To what extent should our concept of evil be rooted in the sciences? We read classical and contemporary work on evil and vice, good and virtue. Offered only in Interim.

231 Philosophy of Mind: Explaining Human Behavior

An examination of psychological theories of human behavior and central issues in philosophy of mind. The course addresses the following questions: (1) Is a scientific explanation of human behavior possible? (2) What kinds of explanations are currently live options? (3) Do these explanations constitute good scientific theories? (4) What are the implications for the mind-body relationship for freedom and determinism, and for personal identity? GE: HBS. Offered every year.

233 Kierkegaard and Existentialism

An introduction to Kierkegaard's work and existentialism, this course emphasizes the aesthetic, ethical, and religious "stages on life's way" in becoming a self. Students examine how existential philosophers and authors have portrayed the meaning of human existence, passion and faith, despair, the absurd, freedom and choice. GE: HWC. Offered every year.

235 Ancient and Medieval Philosophy

This course surveys the origins and development of Western Philosophy from the pre-Socratics to some Medieval attempts to synthesize the Greek philosophical tradition and the Judeo-Christian religious heritage. Students encounter pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, Stoics, Epicureans, Skeptics, Ploti-nus, Augustine, Anselm and Aquinas, usually through primary texts. GE: HWC. Offered every year.

236 History of Modern Philosophy

This course examines the origins and development of Western philosophy from the Renaissance to the great philosophical syntheses of Kant and Hegel. Students read and discuss the works of such thinkers as Bacon, Descartes, Pascal, Hobbes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, and Hegel. GE: HWC. Offered every year.

240 Formal Logic and Philosophy

Students explore propositional and predicate logic developed in a philosophical context with attention to such issues as truth and knowledge in logic and mathematics, the existence of abstract entities, paradoxes, multi-valued logics, and the use of logic in philosophy. Offered every year.

241 Philosophical Theology

Students consider the philosophical assumptions and implications of the core commitments of Christian theism, compare and assess competing philosophical interpretations of Christian doctrines about the existence and nature of God, the doctrines of the trinity and incarnation, human free will and responsibility, revelation and reason, religious experience, the problem of evil, life after death, and religious pluralism. GE: BTS-T. Offered every year.

243 Aesthetics

Contemplating art in relation to aesthetic as well as religious and moral values, students address such issues as the nature of creation and creativity, the character of visual metaphor, and the meaning of selected historical and contemporary works of art. While developing a more informed appreciation of aesthetic properties of art, students analyze major texts in philosophy of art and art criticism. GE: ALS-A. Offered every year.

244 Philosophy and Science

We examine concepts fundamental to the practice of natural science such as scientific method, theory, objectivity, observation, confirmation, and explanation. Students engage political or civic controversies that turn on the scientific status of particular practices in order to articulate an understanding of scientific practice necessary for the informed citizen. Such controversies include creationism, global warming, and repressed memory syndrome. GE: NST. Offered every year.

245 Philosophy and Feminism

Students examine feminist approaches to and critiques of aspects of contemporary culture that shape women's lives. These may include conventional morality, science, education, art, medicine, law, religion, social institutions such as marriage and political institutions. Students critically examine historical or contemporary philosophical views that underlie as well as those that challenge these institutions, including views of human nature, gender, rationality, knowledge, morality, justice, and the value of autonomy. GE: MCS-D. Offered every year.

250 Biomedical Ethics

This course clarifies central concepts and distinctions developed in the literature of moral philosophy, and applications of those concepts and distinctions to concrete moral problems that arise in the practice of medicine. Issues include euthanasia, abortion, medical paternalism, allocation of scarce medical resources, and conflicts of loyalty in managed care. Readings are drawn from both philosophical and medical discussions. GE: EIN. Offered every year.

251 Asian Philosophy

This course surveys the influential philosophical traditions of India and China. Students explore the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, and Taoism and consider other traditions with which they have interacted. Where appropriate, comparisons are drawn to Western philosophical traditions. GE: MCS-G. Offered every year.

252 Ethics and the Good Life

Students examine main Western ethical perspectives and how they apply to selected contemporary moral concerns. Theoretical issues include rights, duties, virtue, hedonism, egoism, the good life, ethics and theology, the fact-value distinction, relativism, and pluralism. Students discuss current topics such as economic justice, death, friendship, animal rights, censorship, racism, privacy, reproductive ethics, and environmental ethics. GE: EIN. Offered every year.

254 Law, Politics, and Morality

Students identify moral questions the state should answer in order to govern well and then consider a broad historical range of answers. Topics include natural law and natural rights, the rise of liberalism, the relation between liberalism and moral scepticism, contemporary critiques of liberalism, the rise of legal positivism, the privatization of moral and religious values, and the conflict between individual rights and the common good. GE: EIN. Offered most years.

256 Friendship, Love, and the Good Life

Moral issues concerning friendship and love are analyzed from the perspective of various theories of value. Issues may include friendship and the moral life, exploitative versus fulfilling relationships, the conflict between altruism and self-love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and civic friendship. Since loving is itself a form of valuing, value theory is approached by investigating philosophical and theological works concerning the basic types of love: philia, eros, and agape. Students are introduced to normative ethical theories. GE: EIN.

257 Environmental Ethics

Valuing nature raises significant philosophical and ethical issues. Students consider the nature of animal life, the character and control of pollution, the conflict between preservationism and conservationism, corporate responsibility for the eco-crisis, the use of economic categories to assess wilderness areas and endangered species, the conflict between eco-holism and individualism, and the philosophy of wilderness management. GE: EIN. Offered every year.

258 Vices and Virtues

This is a course in thinking morally, both about the vices and virtues and other normative moral perspectives (e.g., Kantian, Humean, utilitarian), and oneself. In what ways are the virtues a foundation for thinking and living in daily life? What are alternative proposals for 'the good life' and 'right' by which we conceive human behavior normally? In what ways does a Christian perspective modify our understanding of ourselves and the virtues? GE: EIN.

261 Freud and the Study of Human Behavior

Students examine Freud's thesis that our thoughts and actions spring from the darkness of our unconscious. Because Freud based his theory on a small sample of case studies, the class scrutinizes this qualitative data and discusses the role of case studies in the study of human behavior. Students evaluate the criteria for a scientific theory of human behavior and consider whether Freud's theory meets them. GE: HBS. Offered only during Interim.

294 Academic Internship

298 Independent Study

371 Studies in Epistemology

Students explore classical issues in theory of knowledge: the nature and limits of knowledge; foundationalist and holist conceptions of justification; conceptions of truth; relativism and skepticism; and knowledge in the sciences, mathematics, history, morality, and religion. Prerequisite: two courses in philosophy or consent of instructor. Offered 2001-02 and every two years.

372 Studies in Metaphysics

An examination of classical issues classical issues in theory of reality: body, self, and mind; minds and machines; determinism and freedom of the will; personal identity and life after death; and space, time, and causality. Specific issues discussed vary from year to year. Prerequisite: two courses in philosophy or consent of instructor. Offered 2001-02 and every two years.

373 Studies in Ethics

and Theory of Value Students examine classical issues in theory of morality and value: the nature of moral judgments; theories of moral obligation and value; the concept of moral responsibility; and the relation of morality to science, religion and law. Prerequisite: two courses in philosophy or consent of instructor. GE: EIN. Offered 2000-01 and every two years.

374 Studies in the History of Philosophy

Students consider, through intensive reading and discussion, a selected figure or movement from the history of philosophy. Prerequisite: two courses in philosophy or consent of instructor. Offered every two or three years.

375 Advanced Topical Studies

Students participate in intensive discussion of a philosophical topic selected from areas such as philosophy of religion or science, aesthetics, legal philosophy, or feminism, with emphasis on contemporary approaches. Prerequisite: two courses in philosophy or consent of instructor. Offered every two or three years.

94 Academic Internship

398 Independent Research

Prerequisite: one Level III course in philosophy.

399 Seminar

Intended as a capstone course for the major, the seminar studies a selected topic, figure, or movement in philosophy, with emphasis on student presentations in class. Consult department's prospectus for details. Prerequisite: upper level philosophy major or consent of instructor. Offered every year.

RELATED INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSES

• Great Conversation 310 Ethical Issues and Classic Normative Perspectives
• Interdisciplinary 232 Human Values
• Interdisciplinary 233 Ethics in Narrative
• Interdisciplinary 238 War and Peace