Current Course Offerings

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)*

The following are the philosophy courses being offered in the Spring 2008 semester. For general descriptions of all the courses offered by the department, see the UL Lafayette course catalog.

Please note that PHIL 231, 234 and 235 are courses in Religious Studies rather than Philosophy, despite having the 'PHIL' prefix.

SPRING 2008:

Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 101    Sec 001    ID#: 202973   

We will discuss questions in the three main branches of philosophy – moral philosophy, metaphysics and epistemology – with an eye to providing a general overview of the subject. The questions we will discuss include: Is there really a difference between right and wrong and if there is how should we explain it? Are minds immaterial things? Do we know how things really are, or only how they seem to us?

PHIL 101    Sec 002    ID#: 202974   Dr  Istvan Berkeley  MWF  11:00 – 11:50    HLG 505

This course will provide students with an introduction to the discipline of philosophy. A brief overview of philosophical methodology and useful research skills will be offered. Students will also have the opportunity to study one major philosophical work in detail. The class will then consider philosophical reflections on a range of topics. These topics will include, the existence of God, the philosophy of science, the relationship between mind and body, and how society should be correctly structured. Other topics may also be considered, dependent upon student interest

Contemporary Moral Dilemmas
PHIL 111    Sec 001    ID#: 202975    Dr Keith Korcz    MWF 11:00 – 11:50    HLG 504

In the first quarter of the course, we'll discuss reasons for thinking that morality is not merely a matter of opinion as well as problems and
prospects for some religious and non-religious, philosophical accounts of ethics. The remainder of the course will be devoted to discussion of both sides of current moral issues such as the death penalty, homosexuality, legalizing hallucinogenic drugs, abortion and animal rights. No prerequisites. Visit the course home page at: http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~kak7409/111Home.html

Honors: Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 151    Sec 001    ID#:  202976  Dr. Jon Trigg   TR    9:30 – 10:45    HLG 501

An introduction to the major problems of philosophy through a critical reading of selections from great philosophers.

Critical Thinking
PHIL 202    Sec 001    ID#: 202977    Dr Steve Giambrone    TR    9:30 – 10:45    HLG 505
PHIL 202    Sec 002    ID#: 202978   Dr Steve Giambrone    TR    11:00 – 12:15    HLG505

An introduction to critical thinking, inductive logic, logical fallacies, and basic forms of valid reasoning.
Coreq: Eligibility for ENGL 101.

PHIL 202    Sec 003    ID#: 202979     Dr. Barbara Conner  MWF    10:00 – 10:50    HLG 505

Introduction to logic, based in language not symbols, that asks: "What are errors in reasoning?" and "How do we recognize deceptive or false reasoning?"

Professional Ethics
PHIL 316    Sec 001    ID#: 202983    Dr Brooke Hamilton    TR    9:30-10:45    FGM 215
PHIL 316    Sec 002    ID#: 202984    Dr Brooke Hamilton    TR    11:00-12:15    FGM 215

PHIL 316    Sec 003    ID#: 202985    Dr Richard Baggett    MWF    10:00-10:50    HLG 522
PHIL 316    Sec 004    ID#: 202986    Dr Richard Baggett    MWF    11:00-11:50    HLG 522

PHIL 316    Sec U01    ID#: 202987    Dr Richard Baggett    MW    4:00-5:15    HLG 505
PHIL 316    Sec U02    ID#: 202988    Dr Richard Baggett    W    5:30-8:30    HLG 505



History of Modern Philosophy
PHIL 322    Sec 001    ID#: 202989   Dr. Jon Trigg     TR  11:00 – 12:15    HLG 504

We will be studying the extraordinary explosion of philosophical activity which began in the early seventeenth century with Rene Descartes. The modern period can be divided into two phases – a pre-Kantian and a post-Kantian phase. We will focus on the pre-Kantian phase focusing on the works of Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz (the continental rationalists) and Locke, Berkeley and Hume (the British empiricists). Rationalists believe that our most basic way of acquiring knowledge is through judgment and reasoning, and empiricists believe it is through perception and observation. These views embody very different assumptions not only about the nature of knowledge but also about the nature of the objects of knowledge (the world). We will be studying these views not only in order to find out about the history of our civilization, but also because we want to work out the best way to handle the relevant philosophical problems.

Philosophy of Religion
PHIL 331    Sec 001    ID#:  202990   Dr Keith Korcz    MW    1:00 – 2:15    HLG 504

What is God said to be like? Does God exist? How can we know? Is faith enough? Is there life after death? Do miracles occur? Is the Bible historically or scientifically accurate? We'll look at a variety of answers to these questions as well as the reasons philosophers have
given for those answers. No prerequisites. Visit the course home page at: http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~kak7409/331PhiofReligionHome.html

Introduction to Symbolic Logic
PHIL 361    Sec 001    ID#:  202991   Dr Steve Giambrone    TR    12:30 – 1:45    HLG 505

The course will cover classical sentential and first order logic with identity and functions. The student will be introduced to the important logical concepts and techniques, including truth tables, semantic tableaux, and natural deduction. The student will also get a basic introduction to tree structures, recursive definitions, and proof by induction. Can be used for credit toward a Cognitive Science minor or concentration.

Experience and Judgment
PHIL 448    Sec 001    ID#: 202992    Dr. Jon Trigg    TR     2:00-3:15    HLG 501

It is a very deeply rooted assumption that our most basic or fundamental kind of access to objective reality is perception or experience (seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting, touching). But many philosophers have argued that perception is wholly subjective, giving us access only to our own ideas, impressions or experiences. If that is right it is hard to see how our assumptions about the role of perception can be justified. Other philosophers explicitly repudiate a subjectivist account of perception, but it is not clear that they are any better placed to defend common sense assumptions about the role of perception plays in connecting us to the world. The question we will pursue in this course is: what must perception be like if it is to provide the foundation for our judgments about objective reality?

Philosophy of Mind
PHIL 541        ID#:  202993   Dr  Istvan Berkeley    M    2:00 – 4:50    CLR

This course involves an examination of the major positions that have been taken in the philosophy of mind, by considering the crucial arguments offered both for and against these views.  Positions to be covered include dualism, behaviorism, identity theory, eliminative materialism and functionalism.  The latter portion of the course will examine some of the important recent developments in the philosophy of mind.  Topics will include antirepresentationalism, dynamical systems theory and embedded cognition.  This course is designed for students enrolled in the doctoral program in cognitive science and does not assume an extensive background in philosophy.

Religious Studies Courses:

Topics in World Religions: Cults
PHIL 231    Sec 002    ID#: 202981    Dr Richard Baggett     MWF    12:00-12:50    HLG 504

A penetrating look at the phenomena of alternative and fringe religions that are appearing on the American landscape. This study will examine Christian cults, as well as Islamic, Buddhist and Jewish cults. No prerequisite.

Intro. to the New Testament
PHIL 235    Sec 001    ID#: 202982    Mr. Rusty Chastant    MWF    10:00-10:50    HLG 504

This course is designed to help students gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the New Testament, that portion of the Sacred Scriptures that records the life, faith, and teachings of Jesus Christ, arguably the most influential person on civilization in the history of the world.  The course will use several interpretive methods which collectively enhance the reading of the text.

* Photo courtesy of The Bertrand Russell Archives at McMaster University.

©  Copyright 2001 by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Philosophy Department, P.O. Box 43770, Lafayette, LA  70504-3770 Telephone:  337-482-5401