Philosophy is the critical exploration of complex questions relevant to the human condition. Since no topic is off-limits from the insight offered by philosophical inquiry, students trained in the art of rational argument are better prepared to tackle difficult and controversial issues that we encounter in private and public spheres alike. The benefits of studying philosophy are many. Philosophy teaches the habit of thinking and communicating through reasoned argument. This is a transferable skill: it is valued by employers, and, more importantly, the cornerstone for living a fulfilling life.
The philosophy minor at BHSU offers small class sizes, faculty affiliated with a range of intellectual backgrounds, and course topics relevant to students’ experiences.
Philosophy can apply to a range of vocations. Well known students of philosophy include: George Carlin and Steven Martin (comedy), George Soros and Carly Fiorina (business), Phil Jackson and John Elway (sports), Pearl Buck and T.S. Eliot (literature), Bill Clinton and Hon. Stephen Breyer (politics and law), and Martin Luther King, Jr., and Elie Wiesel (social activism).
3 take one of the following POLS 263 Intro to Political Theory POLS 470 Contemporary Debates in Political Thought POLS 471 Theories of the State
3 take one of the following AIS 460 American Indian Philosophy PHIL 492 Topics in Philosophy PSYC 348 Psychology of Religion ENGL 284 Introduction to Criticism SOC 403 Sociological Theory
*Current students, please refer to the DegreeWorks Dashboard in MyBHSU to confirm your minor requirements.
This course develops mature reasoning about deep questions of right and wrong, and how we should live our lives. Although no one “correct” answer is offered by this course, candidate answers are considered in terms of their strengths and weaknesses. The class has two major purposes. The first purpose is to explore the foundational answers as to why we should take moral reasoning seriously (e.g., Does goodness even exist? Why should I be good?). The second purpose is to consider three primary positive theories of “being good” (i.e., Virtue Ethics, Utilitarianism, and Deontology). The first purpose provides the foundation for the second purpose. Abridged classic books and seminal papers are offered as primary sources to the student including Kant, Hume, Bentham, Mill, Nozick, and Aristotle. Topics covered include thought experiments as persuasive devices, Hume’s “No-Ought-From-Is”, morality vs. ethics, free will, and universal human nature among others.
With the advent of modernism in the last century and a half, philosophy has entered a new phase in its long history. Metaphysics and ethics were on shifting ground, and the upheaval soon spread to logic and political theory. New, troubling questions emerged: Is our experience logical? Who decides what is good? Is god still relevant to how we live? Are we living meaningful lives? In the last seventy years, postmodern investigations into the discourse that had dominated since the Enlightenment raised even more questions about how we use language and whether our knowledge can be trusted. Suspicions about what makes power powerful were muttered. Our culture may be shaped by an industry. Our social roles may work against our own best interests. In fact, many began to doubt the nature of and future prospects for the self. Could truth come down to our emotions? Or, surprise, at the bottom of it all—What is art? Primary readings will include works by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Friedrich Nietzsche, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir. Philosophical movements and schools of thought to be considered include but are not limited to pragmatism, philosophy of science, modernism critical theory, logical positivism, poststructuralism perspectivism, postmodernism, existentialism, contemporary aesthetics, speech act theory, aesthetics, and ideology.
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
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?
