Below is a list of upcoming undergraduate courses with full descriptions (when available) and other specific information. For a full listing of undergraduate-level courses offered by the Department, please see the course catalog. For a complete listing of courses offered in the current and upcoming semester see the schedule of classes.
Please note the following regularities as you plan for upcoming semesters, but be aware that there will be exceptions in some semesters. Please contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies or the Academic Advisor for Philosophy for help planning your Major or Minor in Philosophy.
- Every Fall and Spring semester we typically offer 1100, 2120, 2450, 2465 and 2500, as well as a wide variety of other elective courses at the introductory level.
- Every Fall and Spring semester we offer 3000, the Gateway Seminar for Majors, as well as at least two courses from each category of courses required for the Major (i.e. at least 2 history of philosophy courses at the 3000 level; at least 2 topics courses at the 3000 level; and at least 2 advanced electives at the 5000 level, in addition to a variety of other electives.)
- Every Summer we offer a variety of courses at the introductory level.
GE Categories
Philosophy Courses in the General Education Program
| Course # and Title | Summer | Autumn | Spring |
| PHILOS 1100: Introduction to Philosophy | |||
| PHILOS 1100H: Honors Introduction to Philosophy | |||
| PHILOS 1300: Introduction to Ethics | |||
| PHILOS 1332: Engineering Ethics | |||
| PHILOS 2120: Asian Philosophies | |||
| PHILOS 2455: Philosophy and Videogames | |||
| PHILOS 2680: Scientific Controversies |
| Course # and Title | Summer | Autumn | Spring |
| PHILOS 3210: History of Ancient Philosophy |
|
Upcoming Course Offerings
Autumn 2025 course descriptions coming soon!
Summer 2025 Courses
1332-20: Engineering Ethics
Instructor: Layne Garrelts
LEC: asynchronous online
May 6-Jun 27
DL
Imagine you, an engineer at a large company, are given the task of working on a project that will come to bring about harm to society. Are you responsible for this harm to any extent? Is the company? If you know about the future harm ahead of time, what ought you to do? Should we proceed on projects that may result in harm? How much harm matters? These questions showcase the kinds of unique ethical considerations engineers routinely face. In this course, we will explore the ethical considerations that arise in engineering contexts such as: whistleblowing, risk and responsibility, AI ethics, authorship, leadership, and more.
GE: Cultures and Ideas; and Historical and Cultural Studies Foundation
Prerequisites/Restrictions: Not open to students with credit for 1300.
1332-30: Engineering Ethics
Instructor: Nathan Dowell
LEC: asynchronous online
May 6-Jul 25
DL
The purpose of this course is to equip engineering students with the skills necessary for resolving moral issues that are likely to arise in professional contexts. We will begin the course with a brief introduction to ethics and will then turn to contemporary issues in engineering ethics. We will discuss issues such as whistleblowing, chatbots, addictive technologies, privacy and surveillance, sustainability, and the ethics of artificial intelligence.
GE: Cultures and Ideas; and Historical and Cultural Studies Foundation
Prerequisites/Restrictions: Not open to students with credit for 1300.
1332-40: Engineering Ethics
Instructor: Dylan Flint
LEC: asynchronous online -
Jun 16-Jul 25
DL
In Philosophy 1332--Engineering Ethics--we get to explore some of the ethical dimensions of the engineering profession. In this class, we will first become familiar with the big three normative theories (Utilitarianism, Deontology, and Virtue Ethics). We will then examine the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Code of Ethics in light of these theoretical frameworks. We will then turn to some contemporary applied ethical issues that face the engineering profession. By taking this course, you will become sensitive to, and better equipped to navigate, ethical concerns that may face you in your career as an engineer!
GE: Cultures and Ideas; and Historical and Cultural Studies Foundation
Prerequisites/Restrictions: Not open to students with credit for 1300.
1332-50: Engineering Ethics
Instructor: Owain Griffin
LEC: asynchronous online -
Jun 2-Jul 25
DL
The purpose of this course is to equip engineering students with the skills necessary for resolving moral issues that are likely to arise in professional contexts. We will begin the course with a brief introduction to ethics and will then turn to contemporary issues in engineering ethics. We will discuss whistleblowing, conflicts of interest, diversity in the workplace, risk and uncertainty, privacy and surveillance, sustainability, autonomous weapons systems, and the ethics of artificial intelligence.
GE: Cultures and Ideas; and Historical and Cultural Studies Foundation
Prerequisites/Restrictions: Not open to students with credit for 1300.
1420-10: Philosophical Approaches to Racism and Sexism
Instructor: Jake Beardsley
LEC: MWF 9:50:00 AM-11:25:00 AM
Jun 2-Jul 25
in person
Do your gender and race define you? Our identities have profound and often negative consequences, but they also create opportunities for solidarity and play with other people. In this class, we will develop the skills to critically evaluate the role that gender and race play in public and private life. What are the best arguments against racism and sexism, and what do those arguments ask us to do? Should we embrace gender and race as positive aspects of identity, treat them as necessary evils, or strive to eliminate them altogether?
GE: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Diversity Foundation
Prerequisites/Restrictions: None.
1500-10: Intro to Logic
Instructor: Anand Ekbote
LEC: asynchronous online
May 6-Jul 25
DL
“Then you should say what you mean," the March Hare went on. "I do," Alice hastily replied; "at least-at least I mean what I say-that's the same thing, you know." "Not the same thing a bit!" said the Hatter. "Why, you might just as well say that 'I see what I eat' is the same thing as 'I eat what I see'!" "You might just as well say," added the March Hare, "that 'I like what I get' is the same thing as 'I get what I like'!" "You might just as well say," added the Dormouse, which seemed to be talking in its sleep, "that 'I breathe when I sleep' is the same thing as 'I sleep when I breathe'!" "It is the same thing with you." said the Hatter,” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland What kind of logical error did Alice make? We will join Alice in her adventures in Wonderland to learn about reasoning, sound and valid arguments, logical fallacies, and critical thinking. The course will prepare you for courses in logic such as PHILOS 2500 Symbolic Logic, but more importantly for life! You will be able to reason well, be better informed, and make choices based on sound reasoning.
GE: Quantitative Reasons: Math and Logical Analysis and Math & Quant Reasoning or Data Analysis Foundation
Prerequisites/Restrictions: Math 1060 or 1075 or equiv; or an ACT Math subscore of 22 or higher; or Math Placement Level R or better. Not open to students with credit for 1500.01, 1500.02, or 1501.
2367-10: Contemporary Social and Moral Problems
Instructor: Instructor TBA
LEC: MTR 5:10:00 PM-6:45:00 PM
Jun 2-Jul 25
in person
In this course, we will consider a number of controversial issues that arise in our contemporary moral and political lives. In doing so, we will learn how to analyze moral arguments and civilly debate contentious topics. We will also hone our ability to defend our own positions with careful reasoning and to sharpen our skills at writing, communicating, and critical thinking.
GE: Diversity: Social Diversity in the US; Writing and Communication: Level 2; Writing and Informational Literacy Foundation
Prerequisites/Restrictions: EduTL 1902, 1902.04, IELP WRITE score of 80, or English Placement Level 4.
2455-10: Philosophy and Video Games
Instructor: Erich Jones
LEC: asynchronous online
May 6-Jul 25
DL
In this course we will conduct a philosophical exploration of video games. What is a game, and what is a video game? Are video games art and are they a distinct form of art? Are achievements in video games real achievements? Is pursuing these achievements a waste of time? Is it wrong to perform a virtual action that would be wrong to perform in real life? Is it wrong to modify one’s computer in order to have an advantage in multiplayer games? Is it wrong for tech companies to develop and market video games that are highly addictive? Is utopia a life full of games?
GE: Historical and Cultural Studies Foundation; and Literary, Visual and Performing Arts Foundation
Prerequisites/Restrictions: None.
2465-10: Death and the Meaning of Life
Instructor: Jacob MacDavid
LEC: asynchronous online -
Jun 2-Jul 25
DL
Humans are prone to existential crises. That is, we worry that our lives lack purpose, that nothing really matters, or that nothing makes sense. In short, we worry that our lives specifically, or human life generally, has no meaning. This course examines the question: what is it we want when we want to have a meaningful life? We then ask: are existential crises justified? Is there meaning to life? We’ll look at various potential sources of meaningfulness, such as religion, immortality, and personal values. We’ll also look at potential threats to the meaning of life, such as the absence of god(s), the fact that we all die, and the profound injustice in our world.
GE: Literature; Health and Well-Being Theme
Prerequisites/Restrictions: None.
2465-10: Death and the Meaning of Life
Instructor: Lyla Hestand
LEC: asynchronous online
Jun 2-Jul 25
DL
In this course we will explore philosophical questions concerning the nature of death and life. Questions such as: Should we fear death? What even is death? Is death the end, or is there something after? If there is nothing after death, does that make life more or less meaningful? Would endless life be eternal bliss or an unbearably meaningless existence? Does any life have meaning? If so, where does that meaning come from? Do we create it? Does God? Are some ways to die more meaningful than others? We will consider answers to these questions and more to help you cultivate your own philosophical views on death and the meaning of life.
GE: Literature; Health and Well-Being Theme
Prerequisites/Restrictions: None.