Professors Straub, Kolb, Okrent, Tracy, Strong, Chair, and Allison (on leave, winter semester and Short Term); Associate Professors Cummiskey and Bruce; Assistant Professors Stark (on leave 2002-2003) and Chessa; Mr. Caspi and Ms. Conly

Philosophy examines our personal and shared beliefs about who we are and what we ought to do. Philosophy demands that we discover and critically reflect on our fundamental beliefs and the presuppositions of our various fields of knowledge. Such discussion has been continuing since the time of the Greeks, yet the subject remains in continual ferment, an interplay of insight and critical reason. The philosophy curriculum emphasizes both the history of thought and contemporary issues. For the beginning student there are courses that survey and others that treat single problems. More advanced courses concentrate on single thinkers or on crucial issues.

Cross-listed Courses. Note that unless otherwise specified, when a department/program references a course or unit in the department/program, it includes courses and units cross-listed with the department/program.

Major Requirements. Students who choose to major in philosophy are ordinarily expected to complete eleven courses in the field, distributed according to the requirements indicated below. Students arrange their programs individually in consultation with their departmental advisors. In individual cases, students may fulfill some of the requirements with appropriate Short Term units from philosophy or courses from other fields. The philosophy faculty has structured the major to allow students to plan their own program within the constraints of a broad philosophical education. To this end, almost every course offered by the department can satisfy one or another of the following requirements:

1) 195. Introduction to Logic.

2) 271. Greek Philosophy.

3) 272. Philosophy from Descartes to Kant.

4) Ethics and Political Philosophy (the good, the right, and community). One course from among:
    a) 212. Contemporary Moral Disputes;
    b) 214. Ethics and Environmental Issues;
    c) 256. Moral Philosophy;
    d) 258. Philosophy of Law.

5) Metaphysics (being, meaning, knowledge). One course from among:
    a) 211. Philosophy of Science;
    b) 232. Philosophy of Psychology;
    c) 235. Philosophy of Mind and Language;
    d) 236. Theory of Knowledge;
    e) 260. Philosophy of Religion.

6) Metaphilosophy (critical reflections on the tradition). One course from among:
    a) 241. Philosophy of Art;
    b) 262. Philosophy and Feminism;
    c) 273. Philosophy in the Nineteenth Century;
    d) 274. Phenomenology;
    e) 275. Existentialism and Deconstruction;
    f) 339. Africana Thought and Practice.

7) Two courses at the 300 level.

8) Senior Thesis: 457 or 458.

Students are urged to take the courses listed in 1) through 3) as soon as possible after they decide to major in philosophy.

The department encourages students to design interdisciplinary majors involving philosophy and religion.

Pass/Fail Grading Option. Pass/fail grading may not be elected for courses applied toward the major.

Secondary Concentration. The secondary concentration in philosophy consists of six courses. A coherent program for each student's secondary concentration is designed in accord with program guidelines and in consultation with a member of the philosophy faculty who is chosen or appointed as the student's departmental advisor for the secondary concentration. Among the six courses there should be a) at least one seminar at the 300 level; b) at least four courses related in a coherent group. Examples might include a group of courses relevant to philosophical reflections about the student's major field, or a group of courses on ethical and political questions, or a group of courses on a specific historical period. This group of courses should be designated, in consultation with the departmental advisor, before registration for the third course in the group. The secondary concentration may include up to two Short Term units in philosophy.

Pass/Fail Grading Option. Pass/fail grading may be elected for only one course applied toward the secondary concentration.

General Education. Any one philosophy Short Term unit may serve as an option for the fifth humanities course.

Courses

PHIL 150. Introduction to Philosophy. This course introduces students to philosophy and philosophical reasoning by examining some of the fundamental philosophical problems of human existence. Among these are the problem of doubt and uncertainty as an aspect of human knowledge; the justification and importance of religious belief; and the nature of mind, matter, and freedom. An attempt is made to establish a balance between philosophy as a vigorous and professional discipline and philosophy as a personally useful method for exploring one's own reasoning and beliefs. Readings include both historical and contemporary works. Enrollment limited to 30 per section. Normally offered every year. S. Stark.

INDS 165. African American Philosophers. This course focuses on how African American philosophers confront and address philosophical problems. Students consider the relationship between the black experience and traditional themes in Western philosophy. Attention is also given to the motivations and context sustaining African American philosophers. Recommended background: African American Studies 140A or Political Science 119. Cross-listed in African American studies, American cultural studies, and philosophy. Enrollment limited to 40. Not open to students who have received credit for African American Studies 165. Offered with varying frequency. J. McClendon.

PHIL 195. Introduction to Logic. An investigation of the nature of valid reasoning, coupled with training in the skills of critical thinking. Close attention is paid to the analysis of ordinary arguments. Enrollment limited to 40 per section. Normally offered every year. M. Okrent.

PHIL 211. Philosophy of Science. Science has become our model for what counts as knowledge; the course examines that model and discusses how far its claims are justified in the light of the nature and history of science. Topics for consideration are drawn from the nature of scientific explanation, scientific rationality, progress in science, the nature of scientific theories, and the relations of science to society and to other views of the world. Readings include traditional, contemporary, and feminist work in the philosophy of science. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every other year. M. Okrent.

PL/RE 212. Contemporary Moral Disputes. The course focuses on particular moral issues and the ethical arguments provoked by them. Topics discussed in the course may include abortion and euthanasia, war and nuclear arms, world hunger, and the use of natural resources. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30 per section. Not open to students who have received credit for Philosophy 212 or Religion 212. Normally offered every year. S. Conly.

ES/PL 214. Ethics and Environmental Issues. A study of selected issues in environmental ethics, including questions about population growth, resource consumption, pollution, the responsibilities of corporations, environmental justice, animal rights, biodiversity, and moral concern for the natural world. The course explores debates currently taking place among environmental thinkers regarding our moral obligations to other persons, to future generations, to other animals, and to ecosystems and the earth itself. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Not open to students who have received credit for Environmental Studies 214 or 215, Philosophy 214, or Religion 215. Normally offered every other year. T. Tracy.

AR/PL 226. Philosophy of Art. An introduction to the major problems of philosophy of art including discussion of attempts to define art, problems concerning the interpretation of individual works of art, and recent theories of modern and postmodern art. Open to first-year students. Not open to students who have received credit for Art 226 or Philosophy 241. Normally offered every other year. D. Kolb.

PHIL 232. Philosophy of Psychology. We attribute beliefs, desires, emotions, and all sorts of other psychological states (such as moods or feelings) to human beings. We use these psychological states to explain the actions that human beings take, to evaluate the rationality of an action or of a human being, and to explain when and how a person's psychological development has gone awry. This course investigates the nature of these psychological states, the ways in which they are linked to behavior, and the problems that arise when those linkages are ineffective. Specifically, this course investigates a host of issues in the philosophy of psychology including, but not limited to, self-deception, weakness of the will, motivation, irrationality, the nature of emotions, and mental health and illness. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every other year. S. Stark.

PHIL 235. Philosophy of Mind and Language. An inquiry into the nature of human mentality that pays special attention to the issues raised by the phenomenon of language and the relation between thought and language. Is mind distinct from body? If not, are mental states identical with brain states, or does the mind relate to the brain as programs relate to computer hardware? What makes linguistic expressions meaningful? What do people know when they know a language? What is the connection between thought and language? Readings are drawn from historical and contemporary sources. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 40. Normally offered every other year. M. Okrent.

PHIL 236. Theory of Knowledge. Is knowledge possible, and if so, how? The course investigates how we can know the ordinary things we take ourselves to know. Students are introduced to major philosophical theories concerning when our thoughts about ourselves and the world are rationally justified. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every other year. Staff.

PHIL 239. Dwelling and Dispersion. Amid the disjointedness and the increasing homogeneity of the contemporary world, philosophers and urbanists have developed rival theories exalting either a deep and unified dwelling that we are in danger of losing, or a condition of dispersion that we embrace. This course examines representatives of both schools and compares them with analyses and proposals for suburban and urban development. Readings include philosophers (Heidegger, Deleuze, Derrida, and others) as well as architects and urban theorists (Norberg-Schulz, Benedikt, Eisenman, Duany, and others). Open to first-year students. Not open to students who have received credit for Philosophy 240. Offered with varying frequency. D. Kolb.

INDS 240. Theory and Method in African American Studies. This course addresses the relationship between political culture and cultural politics within African American studies. Particular attention is paid to the contending theories of cultural criticism. Cornel West, Molefi Asante, Patricia Hill Collins, Angela Davis, bell hooks, Maramba Ani, and Henry Louis Gates Jr. are some of the theorists under review. Recommended background: Political Science 119 or significant work in political science, American cultural studies, or African American studies. Cross-listed in African American studies, American cultural studies, and philosophy. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 50. Not open to students who have received credit for American Cultural Studies 240 or Political Science 240. Offered with varying frequency. J. McClendon.

PHIL 245. Metaphysics. This course introduces students to some of the central issues in metaphysics. Possible questions considered include: Which kinds of things exist? What is one saying when one says that some thing "exists"? What does it mean to say that something causes something else? What is one saying when one says that something might possibly be other than it is? What does it mean to say that some thing is the same identical thing at one time that it is at another? Enrollment limited to 30. Recommended background: Philosophy 195. M. Okrent. New course beginning Fall 2003.

PHIL 256. Moral Philosophy. Is there a difference between right and wrong? Is it merely a matter of custom, convention, preference, or opinion, or is there some other basis for this distinction, something that makes it "objective" rather than "subjective"? How can we tell, in particular cases and in general, what is right and what is wrong? Is there some moral principle or method for deciding particular moral problems? Philosophers discussed include Aristotle, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, and Mill. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30 per section. Normally offered every year. D. Cummiskey.

PHIL 258. Philosophy of Law. What is law? What is the relationship of law to morality? What is the nature of judicial reasoning? Particular legal issues include the nature and status of liberty rights (the right to privacy including contraception, abortion, and homosexuality, and the right to die), the legitimacy of restrictions on speech and expression (flag burning and racist hate speech), and the nature of equality rights (race and gender). Readings include traditional, contemporary, and feminist legal theory, case studies, and court decisions. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every year. D. Cummiskey.

PL/RE 260. Philosophy of Religion. A consideration of major issues that arise in philosophical reflection upon religion. Particular issues are selected from among such topics as the nature of faith, the possibility of justifying religious beliefs, the nature and validity of religious experience, the relation of religion and science, and the problem of evil. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Not open to students who have received credit for Philosophy 260 or Religion 260. Normally offered every other year. T. Tracy.

PHIL 262. Philosophy and Feminism. To what extent, and in what sense, are the methods and concepts of traditional Western philosophy "male"? What implications might the answer to this question have for feminist philosophical thinking? This course examines the suggestion that many philosophical conceptions of knowledge, reality, autonomy, mind, and the self express a typically or characteristically male point of view. Students examine the contributions that women are making to philosophy, as well as the contributions that philosophy makes to feminism. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every year. S. Stark.

PHIL 271. Greek Philosophy. A study of the basic philosophical ideas underlying Western thought as these are expressed in the writings of Plato and Aristotle. Greek thought is discussed in its historical and social context, with indications of how important Greek ideas were developed in later centuries. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every year. D. Kolb.

PHIL 272. Philosophy from Descartes to Kant. The problems of knowledge, reality, and morality are discussed as they developed from the time of the scientific revolution and the birth of modern philosophy until their culmination in Kant. The course considers thinkers from among the classic rationalists (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz) and empiricists (Locke, Berkeley, Hume) as well as Kant. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every year. M. Okrent.

PHIL 273. Philosophy in the Nineteenth Century. The course follows the development of modern thought from Kant, through the rise and breakup of Hegelianism, to the culmination of nineteenth-century thought in Nietzsche. The impact of science, the relation of the individual and society, and the role of reflection in experience are examined in readings drawn from among Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Feuerbach, Marx, Mill, Nietzsche, and Kierkegaard. Recommended background: two courses in philosophy or Philosophy 272. Open to first-year students. Normally offered every other year. D. Kolb.

PHIL 274. Phenomenology. A survey of several of the dominant themes in twentieth-century phenomenology. The course is designed to familiarize students with this area through the study of some of the works of Husserl and Heidegger, among others. Prerequisite(s): one course in philosophy. Normally offered every other year. M. Okrent.

PHIL 275. Existentialism and Deconstruction. A survey of major themes and writers in the traditions of existentialism and deconstruction. Readings may include thinkers such as Kierkegaard, Sartre, Camus, Deleuze, Derrida, and Merleau-Ponty. Recommended background: at least one course in the history of philosophy. Normally offered every other year. D. Kolb.

PHIL 321. Seminar: Topics in the Contemporary Philosophy of Mind and Language. An examination of recent discussions of topics concerning language, intentionality, and what it is to be a person. Topics vary from year to year.

PHIL 321A. Evolution, Teleology, and Mind. Recently several philosophers, including Ruth Millikan and Daniel Dennett, have articulated "evolutionary" accounts of meaning. This seminar undertakes an evaluation of Millikan's and Dennett's proposals. In order to assess these accounts it is necessary to understand the logic of both teleological and evolutionary explanations. The seminar achieves such an understanding by looking at the work of both philosophers and biologists. Readings are taken from the work of Millikan, Dennett, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Jay Gould, Larry Wright, Elliot Sober, and Robert Cummins. Recommended background: Philosophy 235. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency. M. Okrent.

PHIL 321B. Meaning Holism. Meaning holism is the doctrine that "only whole languages or whole theories or whole belief systems really have meanings, so that the meaning of smaller units—word, sentences, ..., texts, thoughts, and the like—are merely derivative." Meaning holism characterizes a variety of twentieth-century views regarding mind and language in both the analytic and continental traditions. This seminar considers meaning holism in W. V. O. Quine and his descendants, Donald Davidson and Daniel Dennett, among others, as well as recent criticism of this position by Jerry Fodor. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency. M. Okrent.

PHIL 322. Seminar: Topics in Contemporary European Philosophy. An examination of recent developments in Continental philosophy. Normally offered every other year. Staff.

PHIL 324. Seminar: Topics in Ethics. This course focuses on important issues in ethics and political theory.

PHIL 324A. Kantian Ethics. This seminar uses Kant's moral theory as a vehicle to explore some of the central questions and assumptions of Western moral theory. Kantian ethics is typically contrasted with the moral theory of David Hume and its heirs, the utilitarians. Central to this contrast between Kantians and Humeans is an emphasis on the dualisms of reason and passion, duty and sentiment, principle and sympathy, autonomy and heteronomy, right acts and good consequences. In each case, Kant is identified with the first and Hume with the second of the pairs. On the other hand, recent interpretations of Kant's ethics by Marcia Baron, Barbara Herman, Thomas Hill, Christine Korsgaard, and Onora O'Neill present a more unified, and perhaps more compelling, picture of Kantian ethics. This seminar focuses on these new interpretations of Kantian moral theory. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: Philosophy 212, 256, 257, or 258. Offered with varying frequency. D. Cummiskey.

PHIL 324B. Consequentialism and Its Critics. Consequentialism is the view that the morally right act is whatever act produces the most good. The appeal of such a view is obvious: it provides a clear way of judging between moral claims, and it generally requires acts that benefit society. Critics complain that consequentialists can manipulate and even kill individuals to achieve their ends, and may also destroy themselves in the process of promoting the good. This course looks at this contemporary debate and the truth about what we ought morally to do. Prerequisites: Philosophy 212 or 256. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 12. Offered with varying frequency. D. Cummiskey.

PHIL 324C. Liberty and Equality. Liberty and equality are the central values of contemporary political philosophy. These values, however, inevitably seem to conflict. Unlimited freedom leads to inequality, and remedies to inequality restrict liberty. This seminar focuses on competing accounts of the proper balance of liberty and communitarian political theories, and the issues of economic class, racial injustice, gender difference, and the basic liberties, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency. D. Cummiskey.

PHIL 324D. Luck and the Moral Life. Our lives are deeply subject to the impress of luck. Most human needs are subject to fate, yet are necessary not only to a good life but to a morally virtuous life as well. This course explores the relationship between luck and morality. Students begin with the metaphysical problem of free will and then explore the different roles that luck plays in the ethics of Kant and Aristotle. They also consider issues in moral psychology. Ultimately the course raises two questions: What role does luck play in moral virtue? What role does it play in human happiness? Prerequisite(s): one of the following: Philosophy 256, 271, 324A, 324B, 324C, or 325. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency. S. Stark.

PHIL 325. Seminar: Topics in Meta-Ethics. This course examines contemporary theories on the meaning of moral language, the possibility of moral knowledge, the existence of moral facts, the nature of moral arguments, and the relationship between morality and rationality. Philosophers typically discussed include Moore, Ayer, Stevenson, Hare, Foot, and Mackie. Some background in moral or political theory is recommended. Enrollment limited to 15.

PHIL 325A. Moral Realism and Irrealism. Statements that seem to make an ethical judgement are a familiar feature of public and private discourse. Are these utterances really disguised expressions of emotion and personal preference? Or are they genuine claims that try to state a fact about the world and that may be assessed for their truth and falsity? This seminar investigates the debate between moral realists (who hold that moral utterances are fact stating) and moral irrealists (who hold that utterances are merely expressions of emotion and preference). The debate is relevant to a wide range of topics in ethical theory, including cultural relativism, skepticism about morality, and authority of civil and moral rules. Prerequisite(s): Philosophy 150, 256, or 324. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency. F. Chessa.

PHIL 325B. Moral Particularism. Until recently many moral philosophers have assumed that moral justification proceeds by showing that, for example, an action falls under some more general moral principle. However, the existence and epistemic value of moral generalities have increasingly come to be questioned by a group of contemporary moral philosophers, including Aristotelians, feminists, and some British moral realists. These particularists have advanced the striking metaphysical claim that there are no codifiable moral generalities, as well as the epistemological claim that moral justification need not be parasitic on a supposed metaphysical relationship between justified and justifying properties. This course investigates these claims. Prerequisite(s): First-Year Seminar 248 or Philosophy 256. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency. S. Stark.

ES/PL 330. Seminar: Topics in Environmental Philosophy. This seminar focuses on advanced topics in environmental philosophy and environmental ethics. A seminar from this topic is offered every other year.

ES/PL 330A. Nature and Intrinsic Value. Would it be wrong for the last person on earth to pollute a beautiful river? Many environmentalists answer with a resounding "Yes!" and thereby align themselves with some version of the claim that nature has intrinsic value. This course investigates the meaning and plausibility of that claim. Insights from ecology, political science (policy analysis), and economics augment the philosophical treatment of the topic. Prerequisite(s): One of the following: Environmental Studies 205, 212, 214, 215, 228, Philosophy 211, 212, 214, 256, 258, or 324. Open to first-year students. Offered with varying frequency. F. Chessa.

INDS 339. Africana Thought and Practice. This seminar examines in depth a broad range of black thought. Students consider the various philosophical problems and the theoretical issues and practical solutions offered by such scholar/activists as W. E. B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Kwame Nkrumah, Claudia Jones, C. L. R. James, Leopold Senghor, Amilcar Cabrah, Charlotta Bass, Lucy Parsons, Walter Rodney, and Frantz Fanon. Recommended background: a course on the Africana world, or a course in philosophy or political theory. Cross-listed in African American studies, American cultural studies, and philosophy. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Not open to students who have received credit for American Cultural Studies 339 or Political Science 339. Offered with varying frequency. J. McClendon.

PHIL 340. Feminist and Postmodern Critiques of Rationality. A study of current debates about the place of rationality and critical thought in life and history. These critiques reach into areas of rationality, rights, subjectivity, and normative judgment. Some see these critiques as a sign and perhaps a cause of a general decay of Western civilization. Others see them as the beginning of a new kind of liberation. This seminar includes readings from some classical philosophical systems, and from feminist and postmodern criticisms of systematic rationality. Readings include postmodern and feminist essays in the deconstructive and pragmatic traditions. Prerequisite(s): two courses in philosophy, political theory, or women's and gender studies. Offered with varying frequency. D. Kolb.

PHIL 350. Seminar on Major Thinkers. The course examines in depth the writings of a major philosopher. Thinkers who may be discussed include Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Hume, Marx, Wittgenstein, and Quine.

PHIL 350A. Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. A reading of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. In one of the most original and difficult works of philosophy, Hegel developed significant insights about the theory of knowledge and reason and about the interactions of persons and communities. Recommended background: two courses in philosophy or political theory. Written permission of the instructor is required. Offered with varying frequency. D. Kolb.

PHIL 351. Kant. This course is an intensive study of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. Interpretations by contemporary critics are considered. Prerequisite(s): Philosophy 272. Offered with varying frequency. M. Okrent.

PHIL 360. Independent Study. Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Normally offered every semester. Staff.

PHIL 365. Special Topics. A course or seminar offered from time to time and reserved for a special topic selected by the department.

PL/WS 365B. Sex, Love, and Marriage. This seminar focuses on differing feminist conceptions of love, sexuality, and marriage and other domestic partnerships. Readings include critical examination of writings on both heterosexual and homosexual relationships and their political and cultural implications. Prerequisite(s): one course in philosophy or women's and gender studies. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency. S. Conly.

PHIL 457, 458. Senior Thesis. Students register for Philosophy 457 in the fall semester and for Philosophy 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both Philosophy 457 and 458. Normally offered every year. Staff.

Short Term Units

INDS s18. African American Culture through Sports. Sports in African American culture have served in a variety of ways to offer a means for social, economic, cultural, and even political advancement. This unit examines how sports have historically formed and contemporaneously shape the contours of African American culture. Particular attention is given to such questions as segregation, gender equity, cultural images, and their political effects for African American athletes and the black community. In addition to the required and recommended readings, lectures, and discussions, videos and films are central to the teaching and learning process. Cross-listed in African American studies, American cultural studies, and philosophy. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Not open to students who have received credit for American Cultural Studies s18 or Political Science s18. Offered with varying frequency. J. McClendon.

PHIL s21. Philosophical Classics. This unit offers an experience of intense close reading of a classic major philosophical text. The book chosen varies from year to year. Members of the unit work through the text line by line, trying to understand the work, while continuing discussions of the issues and methods involved. Offered with varying frequency. Staff.

PL/RE s23. Environmental Ethics. This unit uses readings, seminar discussions, and field trips to examine and evaluate environmental issues. Consideration is given to the idea of expanding the moral universe to include forests, oceans, and other species. The class may travel to different locales in Maine to look at specific environmental situations. Internships also may be arranged for more extended study in the field. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 12. Written permission of the instructor is required. Not open to students who have received credit for Philosophy s23 or Religion s23. Offered with varying frequency. C. Straub.

PHIL s26. Biomedical Ethics. During the past forty years, the rapid changes in the biological sciences and medical technology have thoroughly transformed the practice of medicine. The added complexity and power of medicine has in turn revolutionized the responsibilities and duties that accompany the medical professions. This unit explores the values and norms governing medical practice; the rights and responsibilities of health care providers and patients; the justification for euthanasia; and the problems of access, allocation, and rationing of health care services. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 12. Normally offered every other year. F. Chessa.

EC/PL s33. Valuing the Environment: Ethics and Economics in Practice. Water is one of the most politicized natural resources in part because it is a basic resource required for life. This unit examines the history, politics, economics, and ethics of large dams. Dam building and removal illustrate the interdisciplinary, complex, and contentious nature of most environmental questions. The unit highlights the intersection of philosophy and economics as two disciplines that are each concerned with value. The unit includes a trip to a large dam site, for example, Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona. Prerequisite(s): Economics 101 and one 100-level philosophy course. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Written permission of the instructor is required. Not open to students who have received credit for Economics s33 or Philosophy s33. Normally offered every other year. L. Lewis, F. Chessa.

PHIL s50. Independent Study. Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term. Normally offered every year. Staff.

Religion

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