PHIL 100.  Introduction to Philosophy   (3).

General education humanities course. Provides an introduction to philosophy and an opportunity for students to dive into the deepest questions of life. What is the purpose of life? Can two people disagree and both be correct? Is beauty only in the eye of the beholder? What is science, anyway? Are people obligated to obey the law? What makes someone the same person over time? Students explore a variety of philosophical questions to develop their communication and argumentation skills through discussion, analytic reading, academic writing and other assignments. This is a Kansas Systemwide Transfer Course.

PHIL 105.  Critical Reasoning   (3).

General education humanities course. Helps students become better at reasoning. Focuses on different patterns of reasoning common in college-level studies and in everyday life. Some patterns are treated in concrete and content-specific ways, and others are treated in highly abstract ways. Students also learn to be critical by different kinds of standards. For example, students learn about how much precision to demand when reasoning about different kinds of topics, and how to evaluate considerations in terms of relevance. Ultimately, students learn how to strengthen their own capacities for reasoning and how to recognize and correct errors in their own thinking and in other people's reasoning. This is a Kansas Systemwide Transfer Course.

PHIL 125.  Introductory Logic   (3).

General education humanities course. Introduces students to the use of formal logic as a tool for understanding and evaluating patterns of reasoning. Focuses on deductive validity, logical equivalence and proving soundness. The formal systems introduced in this course are topic-neutral—i.e., they apply to patterns of reasoning on any topic. These formal systems are particularly useful for future studies in areas such as computer science, law, engineering and philosophy.

PHIL 125H.  Introductory Logic Honors   (3).

General education humanities course. Introduces students to the use of formal logic as a tool for understanding and evaluating patterns of reasoning. Focuses on deductive validity, logical equivalence and proving soundness. The formal systems introduced in this course are topic-neutral—i.e., they apply to patterns of reasoning on any topic. These formal systems are particularly useful for future studies in areas such as computer science, law, engineering and philosophy.

PHIL 150AI.  Ethics of Big Data and AI   (0.5).

In this era of ChatGPT, Alexa and algorithmically controlled social media, how can people develop informed opinions and make responsible decisions? This course presents a framework for ethical evaluation and explores its implication for current and emerging technologies that use big datasets to train machine learning and deep learning algorithms for predictive and generative AI.

PHIL 150D.  Science for Dummies: 2000 Years of Science with No Math   (0.5).

Presents the history of science as a series of connected and improving explanations. Students look at the questions and answers with a nontechnical view point, from the first naturalistic explanations, to questions about the nature of light and the origins of the universe and everything. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 150E.  What is Light? Science, Art and Life   (0.5).

This course looks at how various disciplines (physics, biology, art, philosophy) answer the question: what is light? The idea of light is central to human culture, as a metaphor, a physical thing or even as a god. The concept of light plays a foundational role from the invention of fire, to Genesis, the Enlightenment, quantum mechanics and the light of reason. Students examine some of those concepts, while also thinking about how the "right" answer to a question depends so much on the context in which it's being asked. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 150F.  How to Know You Know   (0.5).

This course looks at various strategies and principles for distinguishing knowledge from mere beliefs. This is a more popular and shorter version of an epistemology course. Participants talk about evidence, inference to the best explanation, the problem of induction, statistics, and truth.

PHIL 175.  Introduction to Ethics   (3).

General education humanities course. Introduction to normative ethical theories, including consequentialism, deontology, virtue ethics and care ethics, as well as the values and principles central to these evaluative frameworks. In guided discussion and argument, students apply these to a range of personal and contemporary problems such as the ethics of interpersonal relationships, epistemic and doxastic responsibility, environmental ethics, and cyberethics. This course is intended to empower students to advocate effectively. Course includes diversity content. This is a Kansas Systemwide Transfer Course.

PHIL 175H.  Introduction to Ethics Honors   (3).

General education humanities course. Introduction to normative ethical theories, including consequentialism, deontology, virtue ethics and care ethics, as well as the values and principles central to these evaluative frameworks. In guided discussion and argument, students apply these to a range of personal and contemporary problems such as the ethics of interpersonal relationships, epistemic and doxastic responsibility, environmental ethics, and cyberethics. This course is intended to empower students to advocate effectively. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 215.  Introduction to Ethics of Big Data and AI   (3).

General education humanities course. Examines ethical issues that have arisen or that may be expected to arise in the development and use of big data, data analytics, apps, automated personal assistants and smart technology. Topics may include privacy and transparency, pitfalls of personalized automation in medicine, alternatives to contracts of adhesion, identification and prediction in law enforcement and security, smartening agriculture, hardening social media against disinformation, and algorithmic oppression. Focus is on prevention and problem-solving for future professionals and anyone interested in data science, analytics, algorithm development and smart technology. The course may be tailored to address current events and student interest. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 228.  Introduction to Japanese Philosophy   (3).

General education humanities course. Cross-listed as JAPN 228. A survey of Japanese philosophy that selects topics and relevant figures from the ancient period (roughly the late sixth century CE) to the present day. Examines the emergence of Japanese philosophical contributions from philosophical movements like Buddhism (especially Zen and Pure Land Buddhism), Confucianism, and Shintoism prior to the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and the appropriation and critique of Western philosophy in the post-Meiji era. Topics may include the nature of reality, aesthetics, the “bodymind,” ethics, impermanence and the significance of death, the insubstantial self, questions about meaning, environmental philosophy, and philosophy of technology. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 300.  Science and the Modern World   (3).

General education humanities course. Develops an understanding of the methods and accomplishments of science and how they have affected the way people understand themselves, society and the universe. The approach is both historical, with respect to the re-creation of the prescientific world view and the developments of science, and analytical with respect to understanding the goals, methods and limits of contemporary science. No prerequisite, but prior completion of general education requirements in science is desirable. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 302.  Values and the Modern World   (3).

General education humanities course. Examines the philosophical pressures on values wrought by rapid modern cultural and technological change. Explores the relations between social values and social institutions, provides a framework for critically and objectively thinking about moral values, and considers various standards proposed for resolving moral dilemmas. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 304.  Latin American and LatinX Thought   (3).

General education humanities course. Cross-listed as MCLL 304. Examines the origins of Latin America, how social-political forces have shaped Latin American identity, and the borders that separate Anglo America and Latin America. Engages historically influential Latin American philosophers as well as contemporary Latinx philosophers. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 305.  Analytic Philosophy   (3).

General education humanities course. Studies the rise of analytic philosophy in the 20th century, emphasizing the themes unifying philosophers who originated modern philosophical analysis. Includes the nature of analysis and the relationship between analysis and classical philosophical problems, such as the nature of reality, the nature of knowledge, the nature of language, the nature of morality.

PHIL 306.  Business Ethics   (3).

General education humanities course. A critical examination of representative moral issues that arise in the context of business. Focuses on topics such as the nature of professionalism, the social responsibility of business, regulation, employee rights and obligations, sexual harassment, economic justice, environmental impact, the limits of property rights, and conflicting international mores and practices. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 307.  Japanese Film   (3).

General education humanities course. Cross-listed as JAPN 322. Focuses on how Japanese culture is expressed via film. Intends to increase the student’s understanding of the rich history of Japan, Japanese mythology and symbolism, and ways in which these elements differ from what students are accustomed to seeing in American media. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 310.  Classical Philosophy of Law   (3).

General education humanities course. What is law? Is it a system of commands, rules or norms? How are these different? Need law be a system at all? Can it be law if it doesn’t meet a minimum standard of ethical decency? Is law autonomous, or is it reducible to something else? In this course, students study the progression of philosophical arguments and issues concerning the nature, objectivity, normativity, authority, function and implementation of law through classical texts by founders of the discipline like Austin, Hart, Fuller, Finnis, Kelsen and Raz. This course partially replaces PHIL 311. Department permission is required for students who have taken PHIL 311 to enroll in PHIL 310.

PHIL 312.  Contemporary Philosophy of Law   (3).

General education humanities course. When should the Supreme Court decline to hear a publicly significant case? On what grounds could a judge decide a case isn’t clearly covered by any extant law, or is covered by too many conflicting laws? What do people mean when they say our laws are systemically racist? Through the course, engage in argument and analysis of endemic and emerging questions like these in jurisprudence and specific domains of law, with some guidance from current events. This course partially replaces PHIL 311. Department permission is required for students who have taken PHIL 311 to enroll in PHIL 312. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 312H.  Contemporary Philosophy of Law Honors   (3).

General education humanities course. When should the Supreme Court decline to hear a publicly significant case? On what grounds could a judge decide a case isn’t clearly covered by any extant law, or is covered by too many conflicting laws? What do people mean when they say our laws are systemically racist? Through the course, engage in argument and analysis of endemic and emerging questions like these in jurisprudence and specific domains of law, with some guidance from current events. This course partially replaces PHIL 311. Department permission is required for students who have taken PHIL 311 to enroll in PHIL 312. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 313.  Political Philosophy   (3).

General education humanities course. Examines various philosophical issues concerning political systems. Discusses issues such as the nature of political authority, the rights of individuals, constitutionalism and civil disobedience. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 315.  Late Modern Philosophy   (3).

General education humanities course. Studies philosophical thought in the 18th century with selections from philosophers such as Berkeley, Hume, Reid, Adam Smith, Butler, Hutcheson, Wolff and Kant, and movements such as empiricism, rationalism, the Scottish common sense school, and idealism.

PHIL 315H.  Late Modern Philosophy Honors   (3).

Studies philosophical thought in the 18th century with selections from philosophers such as Berkeley, Hume, Reid, Adam Smith, Butler, Hutcheson, Wolff and Kant, and movements such as empiricism, rationalism, the Scottish common sense school, and idealism.

PHIL 320.  Philosophy of Science   (3).

General education humanities course. Studies the methods, goals and world views of the sciences with attention to such topics as the structure and evaluation of scientific theories, the nature of explanation, the dynamics of scientific revolutions, and the impact of science on human society and values.

PHIL 321.  The History and Philosophy of the Physical Sciences in the 20th Century   (3).

The 20th century saw radical changes in our theories about the nature of the physical world. This course uses a brief initial survey of the so-called "classical" physics of the late 19th century as a springboard for exploring the rise and development of our current views about space, time, matter, energy, gravitation, cosmology and more. The emphasis is not on mastery of technical details but rather on understanding important results in the physical sciences from a humanistic perspective, including their cultural, philosophical and technological implications.

PHIL 322.  Early Modern Philosophy   (3).

General education humanities course. Studies philosophical thought in the period from the Renaissance through the 17th century with selections from philosophers such as Pico, Vico, Galileo, Cusanus, Telesio, Erasmus, More, Hobbes, Bacon, Machiavelli, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Malebranche and Locke.

PHIL 325.  Formal Logic   (3).

Studies systems of formal logic including sentential and predicate logic. Emphasizes the uses of these systems in the analysis of arguments. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 125.

PHIL 327.  Bioethics   (3).

General education humanities course. Examines ethical issues related to health care such as truth-telling to patients, confidentiality, euthanasia, abortion, prenatal obligations and distribution of health care. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 331.  Ancient Greek Philosophy   (3).

General education humanities course. Examines the development of Greek philosophy in its major phases, including an exploration of the Milesian and Eleatic traditions, Pythagoras, the Atomists, the Pluralists, the Sophists, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

PHIL 335.  Theory of Knowledge   (3).

A critical examination of the nature of knowledge, the scope of our ways and means of knowing, and rationality of belief. Topics may include: the concept of knowledge, a priori and empirical knowledge, self-knowledge and knowledge of other minds, skepticism, the values of knowledge, disagreement, testimony, and lies. Includes selections from both historical and recent writings. Prerequisite(s): one course in philosophy.

PHIL 336.  Metaphysics   (3).

An exploration of some basic topics in the theory of reality. Includes such notions as space, time, substance, causality, particulars, universals, appearance, essence, being, persons and free will.

PHIL 338.  Philosophy of Feminism   (3).

General education humanities course. Cross-listed as WOMS 338. Explores philosophical issues raised by the feminist movement emphasizing conceptual and ethical questions. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 341.  Contemporary Ethics   (3).

General education humanities course. A study of contemporary developments in ethics. Highlights landmark works from the 20th century to the present. May explore contemporary approaches to an important ethical issue or investigate recent defenses of such ethical theories as Kantian deontology, consequentialism, virtue ethics, contractualism, care ethics and feminist ethics. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 100, 125, or 144.

PHIL 342.  History of Ethics   (3).

General education humanities course. Examines the development of ethics from its ancient Greek origins to the present, or focuses on the ethics of an important historical period such as the modern period. Highlights the substantive and methodological shifts, as well as the historical, social and philosophical pressures that make such shifts explicable. Engages such historically influential philosophers as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Hume, Kant, Mill and Nietzsche. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 100, 125, or 144.

PHIL 345.  Philosophy of Sex and Love   (3).

Examines the ethical, metaphysical and conceptual dimensions of sex and love. Includes the nature of sex, sexual perversion, homosexuality, pornography, sadomasochism, the nature and varieties of love, the features of love, and the relationship between love and sex. Uses selections from writings of both historical and recent authors.

PHIL 346.  Philosophy of Religion   (3).

General education humanities course. Examines some basic religious problems such as the nature and grounds of religious belief, religious language, the existence and nature of God, human immortality, and the problem of evil.

PHIL 350.  Ancient Chinese Philosophy   (3).

A survey of Chinese philosophy during the pre-Han period, roughly 500-200 B.C.E. Includes major figures Confucius, Mencius, Mo-Tzu, Hsun-Tzu, Chuang-Tzu, Lao-Tzu and Han-Fei-Tzu. Includes the major positions of Confucianism, Mohism, Legalism, Taoism and Dialecticalism.

PHIL 352.  Contemporary Chinese Philosophy   (3).

General education humanities course. Surveys Chinese philosophy from the late 19th century to the present day. Covers major figures such as Sun Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen) Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao, Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. Also covers major schools of thought such as the New Culture Movement, Nationalism, Communism, Socialism, Maoism and the post-Mao Economic Reform Movement. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 100 or 144.

PHIL 353.  Philosophy of Espionage and Secret Intelligence   (3).

General education humanities course. Considers the philosophical aspects of espionage and secret intelligence; the nature of information gathered through spycraft; the status of agents and organizations involved; how to interpret and evaluate information which cannot be taken at face value or is designed to deceive; the objectivity/relevance trade-off inherent in the roles and relationships between intelligence analysts and policymakers; and the recruitment and training of intelligence officers. Also considers the ethics of various intelligence activities, such as covert action, eavesdropping and the inducement of treason. The course is co-taught by experts in the fields of intelligence gathering, critical reasoning and applied ethics, with applications and real-world scenarios and examples.

PHIL 354.  Ethics and Computers   (3).

General education humanities course. Ethics with application to the ethical issues which may arise from the use of computers, including the moral responsibility of computer professionals for the effect their work has on persons and society; the moral obligations of a computer professional to clients, employer and society; the conceptual and ethical issues surrounding the control and ownership of software; and the justifiability of regulation of the design, use and marketing of computer technology. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): junior standing or departmental consent.

PHIL 355.  Minds and Machines   (3).

General education humanities course. Cross-listed as HNRS 305J. People have constructed machines designed to imitate living creatures in some way long before there were electronic computers. When is a machine’s behavior appropriately called "intelligent?" Must it be capable of using a language? Must a machine be capable of learning in order to be regarded as intelligent? Must it be able to communicate with humans? What criteria are appropriate for judging that an animal's behavior is intelligent; should the same criteria be used for machine intelligence? What lessons about machine intelligence should be taken from debates over recent studies of intelligence in animals with nervous systems very different from humans (e.g., corvids, cephalopods)? Students consider these and other, related questions. Course takes a historical and interdisciplinary approach, drawing on works in philosophy, literature, science and history of science. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 360.  Ethical Theory   (3).

General education humanities course. Studies selected topics in ethics. Investigates issues such as the meaning and justification of moral judgments, the nature of morality, the relations between normative categories and the concept of justice, and the problem of revolution in moral schemes. Prerequisite(s): one course in philosophy.

PHIL 361.  Metaethics   (3).

General education humanities course. Studies selected topics in metaethics. Investigates, for example, ethical realism, moral relativism, expressivism, moral knowledge, moral motivation and moral value. Readings may include work from figures such as G.E. Moore, A.J. Ayer, R.M. Hare, J.L. Mackie, Gilbert Harman, Philippa Foot, Bernard Williams and Christine Korsgaard. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 100, 125, or 144.

PHIL 365.  Survey of Asian Philosophy   (3).

General education humanities course. Surveys philosophical systems of Asia, including Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Hinduism. Key points of similarity and contrast among these systems and between these systems and those dominant in Western societies, regarding the nature of the self and reality, and the sources of moral, political and social value are considered.

PHIL 385.  Engineering Ethics   (3).

General education humanities course. Examines representative ethical issues that arise in engineering. Topics include: professional responsibility and integrity, whistle-blowing, conflict of interest, ethical issues in engineering consulting and research, engineering and environmental issues, and engineering in a global context. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing.

PHIL 385H.  Engineering Ethics Honors   (3).

General education humanities course. Examines representative ethical issues that arise in engineering. Topics include: professional responsibility and integrity, whistle-blowing, conflict of interest, ethical issues in engineering consulting and research, engineering and environmental issues, and engineering in a global context. Course includes diversity content. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing.

PHIL 386.  Biomedical Engineering Ethics   (3).

Biomedical engineering is changing extremely rapidly, with the incorporation of new technologies from material science, computer software, nano engineering and robotics, among others. Each of these emerging areas presents new questions in ethics, raising new questions concerning human subjects protections, autonomy, acceptable risks and more. The regulatory framework for evaluation and approval of these technologies is largely grounded in our current understanding of these ethical issues, thus it too is evolving. This course examines these areas and the questions they pose, and develops an ethical framework for evaluation of these issues. Cases illustrating the ethical issues are integrated into the course material. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 398.  Philosophy at Work   (3).

Students reflect on how the skills they've gained through their philosophy major can be applied in their current prospective workplaces, service learning activities, student governance and other applied learning opportunities. The course examines common business practices and techniques and critiques their philosophical underpinnings. Practices examined are topical and current; speakers are invited from business (recruiters, hiring managers, business leaders) to talk about needs, success and the value in philosophy proficiencies. Students apply philosophical reflection, rigor and examination to hiring and work-related activities, such as resume writing, online profiles, interviewing, presentation and communication, and collaboration.

PHIL 410.  Philosophy of Medicine   (3).

Focuses on the metaphysics and epistemology of medicine. What medicine is and how people understand it have broad implications well beyond the practice of medicine by licensed professionals. In this course, students delve into these issues by investigating concepts of disease and disability, theories of medicine, the evidence based medicine pyramid vs expert consensus and clinical judgment, medical paradigms like P4 (predictive, personalized, preventive, participatory), current practice and prospects for AI in medicine, and more. Course includes historical, multicultural and social justice considerations. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 421.  Philosophy of Mind   (3).

Critically examines recent developments in the philosophy of the mind. Possible topics include the nature of consciousness, mental representation, the mind-body problem, mental causation, psychological explanation, and the computational theory of mind.

PHIL 450.  Truth & Reality   (3).

A survey of philosophical theories of truth, including the correspondence, pragmatic and deflationary theories. Topics to be covered include skepticism, realism and anti-realism, and social constructionism. Reading may include selections from figures such as James, Peirce, Deway, Wittgenstein, Russell, Tarski, Quine, Davidson, Austin, Strawson, Field, Hacking and Horwich.

PHIL 501.  Philosophy of Language   (3).

Examines the relationships between philosophy and language. Focuses on questions such as: What is the relation between language and thought? Language and the world? What can the study of language contribute to the resolution of philosophical problems? Prerequisite(s): one 300-level or higher course in philosophy.

PHIL 525.  Evidential Reasoning   (3).

Explores philosophical issues related to reasoning about evidence. Topics may include: induction, confirmation, falsification, the under-determination of theories by evidence, theories of probability, and scientific method. Examines some case studies of reasoning about evidence in, for example, poker, medicine, risk analysis, forensic sciences and the law.

PHIL 530.  Ethics of Space Exploration   (3).

General education humanities course. Surveys various philosophical and ethical questions raised by the exploration of the space environment and in space policy discussions. Topics may include rationales for space exploration, space resource exploitation, and space settlement; planetary protection and preservation of the space environment; duties to extraterrestrial microbial life; and regulation and policy for space exploration. Prerequisite(s): at least one course in philosophy.

PHIL 535.  Data Ethics for Professionals   (3).

Introduces students to the dimensions of ethical analysis that are necessary for responsible, professional practice of data science and analytics, from inception through the life cycle of their work products. Students analyze real and hypothetical cases and practice strategically advocating for changes, both to particular product specs and to broader corporate policy and professional practice. Course includes diversity content.

PHIL 555.  Philosophy of the Social Sciences   (3).

Studies such topics as the relation of social sciences with natural sciences and philosophy, methodological problems peculiar to social sciences, the nature of sound explanation concepts and constructs, and the roles of mathematics and formal theories in social sciences.

PHIL 585.  Studies in a Major Philosopher   (3).

An umbrella course created to explore a variety of subtopics differentiated by letter (e.g., 585A, 585B). Not all subtopics are offered each semester – see the course schedule for availability. Students enroll in the lettered courses with specific topics in the titles rather than in this root course. Prerequisite(s): instructor's consent.

PHIL 590.  Special Studies   (1-3).

An umbrella course created to explore a variety of subtopics differentiated by letter (e.g., 590A, 590B). Not all subtopics are offered each semester – see the course schedule for availability. Students enroll in the lettered courses with specific topics in the titles rather than in this root course. Prerequisite(s): instructor's consent.

PHIL 590AD.  Environmental Ethics   (3).

Surveys various philosophical and ethical questions raised by human interaction with, and impact on, the natural environment. Focuses on historical and contemporary, theoretical and applied, issues in environmental ethics. Topics include: anthropocentrism versus nonanthropocentrism; environmental justice and rights; progress and innovation versus stewardship and restoration; the science of climate change.

PHIL 590O.  Models and Analogies   (3).

In this small seminar-style course, students look at the history and philosophy of the use of models and analogies in various sciences, up to and including the present day. Includes mathematical models as well as physical models, and includes not only physics, chemistry and biology, but social sciences, such as political science, economics and psychology. In the first part of the course, students read and discuss philosophical works about how models and analogies are involved in science, sometimes implicitly, and consider how it is that they can often extend knowledge and understanding, yet also how they can sometimes mislead. In the second part of the course, students take an in-depth look at examples of the use of models in various fields; the choice of topics are based on student interest.

PHIL 699.  Directed Readings   (1-3).

For the student interested in doing independent study and research in a special area of interest. Repeatable for credit. Prerequisite(s): departmental consent.