AIS 460 American Indian Philosophy
PHIL 100 Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 200 Introduction to Logic
PHIL 220 Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 416 Contemporary Philosophy
PHIL 492 Topics in Philosophy
POLS 263 Intro to Political Theory
POLS 263 Intro to Political Theory
This course is focused on answering big political questions, including: Does justice exist or is the meaning of justice merely dictated to us by the powerful? What rights do we have and how are these rights in tension with one another? How much liberty must we forsake for security? Is democracy really the best political regime? Has capitalism and Modernity delivered all that it promised?
To answer these questions, we will survey the development of normative and political concepts in Western thought. Our journey will begin by examining the ancient thinker Plato and his discussion of Socratic justice. Next, we will look at Machiavelli and his challenge to traditional notions of morality. Then, we will trace other paradigmatic shifts in political ideas as they surfaced during the Enlightenment, as evidenced in the writings of social contract theorists Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. Our journey will also explore Madison’s thesis of factions, Mill’s understanding of free speech, and Smith’s defense of the free market. Finally, we shall investigate power and inequality from the perspective of 19th and 20th century thinkers like Marx, Dubois, and Friedan.
POLS 470 Contemporary Debates in Political Thought
POLS 470 Contemporary Debates in Political Thought
Is America polarizing in dangerous ways? In this upper-level course, we will attempt to answer this question by examining a range of topics, including questions relating to rights, diversity, inequality, community, patriotism, and globalism. However, our investigation will be centered on three major themes:
Speech in the Digital Age. What are the benefits and costs of free speech? Have these been fundamentally altered by the internet, social media, or fake news? What should the speech policy be on college campuses?
Multiculturalism. What are multiculturalism’s intellectual origins? What do proponents and critics say about it? What is the relationship between tolerance and multiculturalism? What can politically unify a multicultural America?
Nationalist Populism. How is nationalist populism different from other forms of populism? Is nationalist populism a response to globalization and economics? Is it the product of demagoguery, racism, and bigotry? Or is it a reaction to nihilism and the emptiness of the modern world?
POLS 471 Theories of the State
PSYC 348 Psychology of Religion
PSYC 348 Psychology of Religion
This course approaches the study of religious behaviors, attitudes, and experiences from two epistemological perspectives: philosophical psychology and empirical psychology. The course does not stake any metaphysical claim as far as the existence or non-existence of a supernatural being is concerned and is not focused, to any great extent, on institutional religion.
We are interested in understanding the personal experiences of individuals as they encounter the “holy” in their lives.
Why do an increasing number of people describe themselves as being spiritual but not religious? Even though science and technology have provided answers to many of our daily concerns and the resulting medical advances have alleviated much suffering, why is it that many people don’t seem to find this knowledge to be sufficient to answer ultimate questions about life and death? The course involves the reading and discussion of original works from four major philosophical psychology voices and their respective perspectives on religion, including William James, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Viktor Frankl.
The focus then shifts to an empirical psychology examination of the biological contributions, including the evolutionary, genetic, neurophysiological, and neurochemical, to current knowledge about religious/spiritual behaviors, attitudes, and experiences. The psychological research on religious development, conversion, and extraordinary experiences is examined. As an example of an application of the psychology of religion to current problems, its contributions to understanding terrorism is discussed.
SPCM 466 Principles of Rhetoric