Course Offerings
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Winter 2024▲
See complete information about these courses in the course offerings database. For more information about a specific course, including course type, schedule and location, click on its title.
Introduction to Moral and Political Philosophy
PHIL 104 - Lamb, Matthew
The course provides a broad historical survey of moral and political philosophy. Students read selections from the work of a number of great women and men from the ancient to the contemporary period, dealing with questions of ethics and moral and political philosophy. We consider how philosophy can be way of life and how we can pursue wisdom through careful argumentation and analysis of the foundations of our beliefs about the world, morality, human nature, good and evil, government and society, justice, and equality.
Modern European Philosophy: Descartes to Hume
PHIL 120 - Goldberg, Nathaniel J.
An examination of some of the metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of religion of the European Enlightenment, including views of the rationalists Rene Descartes, Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia, and Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz; and the empiricists Catharine Cockburn, John Locke, and David Hume. Topics include skepticism about the external world, mind-body dualism, the existence and nature of God, theories of substance, personal identity, and causation.
Introduction to Logic
PHIL 170 - Goldberg, Nathaniel J.
The study of argumentation and modern formal logic. This course explores the basic principles of deductive and inductive reasoning. Students learn to symbolize and evaluate natural language arguments. Topics covered include sentential and quantificational logic.
Introduction to Logic
PHIL 170 - Sun, Angela M.
The study of argumentation and modern formal logic. This course explores the basic principles of deductive and inductive reasoning. Students learn to symbolize and evaluate natural language arguments. Topics covered include sentential and quantificational logic.
Buddhist Philosophy
PHIL 223 - Kang, Li
An introduction to Buddhist philosophy. We focus on the philosophical articulation and defense of Buddhism, and reflect on issues in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, and ethics. We cover the development of major schools in both Indian and Chinese Buddhism, including Abhidharma, Madhyamaka, Yogacara, Tiantai, Huayan, and Chan/Zen. We see how different traditions can be mutually informing. We also discuss the relevance of Buddhist philosophy to Western philosophy as well as empirical research.
PHIL242-01/WGSS242-01 Social Inequality and Fair Opportunity
PHIL 242 - Bell, Melina C.
An exploration of the different range of opportunities available to various social groups, including racial, ethnic and sexual minorities, women, and the poor. Topics include how to define fair equality of opportunity; the social mechanisms that play a role in expanding and limiting opportunity; legal and group-initiated strategies aimed at effecting fair equality of opportunity and the theoretical foundations of these strategies; as well as an analysis of the concepts of equality, merit and citizenship, and their value to individuals and society
PHIL246-01/WGSS246-01 Philosophy of Sex
PHIL 246 - Bell, Melina C.
This course explores questions related to contemporary conceptions of sexuality and its proper role in our lives. Questions to be addressed include: What is the purpose of sex? Are sexual practices subject to normative evaluation on grounds of morality, aesthetics, and/or capacity to promote a flourishing human life? We shall consider the relation between sex and both intimacy and pleasure, viewed from the perspectives of people with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. What are our sexual practices and attitudes toward sex? What should they be like?
PHIL247-01/POV247-01 Medicine, Research, and Poverty
PHIL 247 - Taylor, Erin P.
Same as PHIL 247. This seminar introduces students to central ethical issues in the provision of medical care and the conduct of medical research in the context of poverty. Specific topics include medical research on prisoners and the indigent; ancillary care obligations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); meeting the standard of care in LMICs; access to essential medicines; allocation of scarce medical resources; and compensated donation for organs or tissues.
Free Will and Moral Responsibility
PHIL 256 - Lamb, Matthew
This course provides an introduction to the problem of free will and moral responsibility. It is natural to wonder what place there is for freedom in a natural world of cause and effect. Our ordinary practices of holding people responsible (which includes not just blame, but also, e.g., credit, where credit is due) seem threatened equally by either determinism or indeterminism, fate or chance. In this class, we ask: What sort of concepts are freedom and responsibility, and what must a person be for those concepts to be applicable? The course begins with a brief historical overview of the problem of free will and moral responsibility, and then examines a number of contemporary philosophical perspectives on this problem, including the seminal work of P. F. Strawson, Harry Frankfurt, Gary Watson, John Martin Fischer, Susan Wolf, and T. M. Scanlon, among others.
Aesthetics
PHIL 264 - Sun, Angela M.
This course offers a wide-ranging, reflective overview of contemporary debates in the philosophy of art. We discuss the following kinds of questions: How are artistic experience and value interrelated? In what does beauty consist? What is the nature of aesthetic experience? Should we value works of art for what we can learn from them? How do pictures represent? What constitutes artistic expression? In what ways is the imagination involved in engaging with artworks? Can emotional responses to fiction be genuine and rational? Is artistic intention relevant to the interpretation of artworks? Are there general principles of aesthetic evaluation? What are the relations between the moral and aesthetic values of art?
Philosophy of Biology
PHIL 282 - Conley, Brandon
An examination of philosophical issues raised by biology, with an emphasis on current evolutionary theory. Topics include the structure of the theory of evolution by natural selection, an examination of the concepts of fitness and adaptation, the role of teleological explanation in biology, reductionism, the nature of biological species, individuality, levels of selection, and sociobiology.
Seminar in Ethics and Value Theory: Virtue Ethics and Liberal Arts Education
PHIL 296A - Dudley, William C. (Will)
The mission of Washington and Lee is to provide a liberal arts education that helps students develop their capacities to think freely, critically, and humanely and to act with honor, integrity, and civility. These capacities are known as virtues, positive traits of intellect and character that are believed to be conducive to living well. Virtue ethics is one of the oldest and most important approaches to moral theory. Plato famously asked whether virtue can be taught. Aristotle’s Ethics attempts to answer Plato by giving an account of how the traits that are necessary to human flourishing can be acquired. In this course, students will read classic and contemporary texts in virtue ethics, with the aim of evaluating W&L’s mission and the university’s efforts to fulfill it. What does it mean to think freely, critically, and humanely? What are the distinguishing characteristics of honor, integrity, and civility? Are these traits beneficial in every circumstance? Are there other virtues that the university should strive to cultivate in its students? How effectively do the culture, curriculum, and extra-curricular programs at Washington and Lee teach the virtues to which our mission commits us? Students will be encouraged to reflect upon their own educational goals, choices, and experiences in light of the philosophical works that they read.
Seminar in Ethics and Value Theory: Ethics and Design
PHIL 296F - Ades, Rachel
How does design use and then shape values? In this class, we’ll think expansively about the systems and structures humans use and create. Through reading, writing, discussion, and creative assignments, we’ll explore what our designs tell us is valuable and what work our designs should do. What is the role of design in creating a more just world? What is the relationship between a designer and a user? How does historical context influence or change design? Is there always an ethical component to design?
Seminar in Ethics and Value Theory: ChatGPT and Philosophy
PHIL 296G - Kang, Li
In our swiftly changing world, large language models such as ChatGPT have become an integral part of our daily lives, whether we embrace them or not. In this course, we will explore how large language models work and understand their current limitations. We will engage in a comparative analysis between artificial intelligence and human intelligence, examining the potential for AI to exhibit consciousness, emotions, creativity, and intentionality. We will also critically reflect on the epistemic, ethical, and societal challenges that arise in the wake of large language models' widespread usage. By the end of this course, we will develop a well-rounded perspective on large language models, enabling us to navigate the evolving landscape of AI technology with awareness and discernment.
Medical Ethics
PHIL 346 - Taylor, Erin P.
An examination of the issues arising out of the human impact of modern biomedical research and practice. Specific issues are selected from among the following: abortion, contraception, death and dying, experimentation/research, genetics, in vitro fertilization, intellectual and developmental disabilities, public health/community medicine, science/technology, transplantation and patients' rights.
Philosophy of Mind
PHIL 375 - Gregory, Paul A.
An investigation and assessment of the relation between the mental and the physical, including such theories as dualism, identity theory, functionalism, eliminativism, neurocomputationalism, and extended/embodied mind. We will investigate the evolution of minds, the relation of language to mind and culture, and the possibility of artificial and non-human minds.
Honors Thesis
PHIL 493 - Sun, Angela M.
Honors Thesis. The department honors program is outlined at https://www.wlu.edu/philosophy-department/about-the -department/about-the-major-and-the-minor/honors-pr ogram .
Fall 2023▲
See complete information about these courses in the course offerings database. For more information about a specific course, including course type, schedule and location, click on its title.
Introduction to Moral and Political Philosophy
PHIL 104 - Lamb, Matthew
The course provides a broad historical survey of moral and political philosophy. Students read selections from the work of a number of great women and men from the ancient to the contemporary period, dealing with questions of ethics and moral and political philosophy. We consider how philosophy can be way of life and how we can pursue wisdom through careful argumentation and analysis of the foundations of our beliefs about the world, morality, human nature, good and evil, government and society, justice, and equality.
Introduction to Theories of Knowledge and Reality
PHIL 105 - Kang, Li
An introduction to philosophy, covering the following puzzles and questions: Do we really know anything? What is time like? Is time travel possible? What are selves? Does God exist? Do we have free will? Students see how these big questions are pursued in both Western and Eastern traditions and how they impact everyday life. The main goal of this course is to develop rigorous and disciplined methods of thinking and writing. Emphasis is especially placed on developing the abilities to extract, present, explain, and evaluate positions and arguments.
Ancient Greek Philosophy
PHIL 110 - Taylor, Erin P.
An examination of the metaphysics of the pre-Socratic philosophers, especially the Milesians, Pythagoras, Xenophanes, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Zeno of Elea, and the Atomists, and the ethics and political philosophy of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Topics include the origin and nature of the kosmos , the nature and existence of the god(s), the trial and execution of Socrates, theories of virtue, the nature of knowledge and truth, justice and the ideal state, the nature of eudaimonia (happiness, flourishing), and the possibility of akrasia (weakness of the will).
Ethics and the Environment
PHIL 150 - Conley, Brandon
This course is a philosophical exploration of one's responsibilities to the natural world. It has three main objectives: first, to provide an understanding of different dominant ethical theories and their application to animals, plants, and ecosystems; second, to provide an understanding of major environmental issues in current political debates, such as climate change, species preservation, and sustainable development; and third, to facilitate the development of a student's own ethic towards the environment.
Introduction to Logic
PHIL 170 - Gregory, Paul A.
The study of argumentation and modern formal logic. This course explores the basic principles of deductive and inductive reasoning. Students learn to symbolize and evaluate natural language arguments. Topics covered include sentential and quantificational logic.
Seminar in Ethics and Value Theory: Ethics and Design
PHIL 196B - Ades, Rachel
How does design use and then shape values? In this class, we’ll think expansively about the systems and structures humans use and create. Through reading, writing, discussion, and creative assignments, we’ll explore what our designs tell us is valuable and what work our designs should do. What is the role of design in creating a more just world? What is the relationship between a designer and a user? How does historical context influence or change design? Is there always an ethical component to design?
PHIL244-01/WGSS244-01 Feminist Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL 244 - Bell, Melina C.
Same as WGSS 244. This course critically examines the gender norms that pervade our identities, govern our everyday behavior, and organize our social life. Questions addressed may include: What is gender? In what ways does it affect the quality of people's lives? Is gender difference natural? Is it valuable? Can it contribute to, or interfere with, human flourishing? Can a gendered society be just? What can any of us do to promote good relations among people of different genders?
Philosophy of Law
PHIL 252 - Bell, Melina C.
An examination of topics in the philosophy of law, such as the concepts of a law and of a legal system; Natural Law theory; legal positivist and legal realist theories of law; the nature of the relationship between law, morality, and religion; civil disobedience; rights in the U.S. Constitution; freedom of speech and pornography; abortion and the right to privacy; punishment and the death penalty; and different forms of legal liability. Readings include United States Supreme Court opinions.
Philosophy of Race
PHIL 253 - Sun, Angela M.
In this course, students will explore philosophical questions about race and ethnicity. Possible topics include the experiences of racism targeting members of different racial groups, colonialism, the concept of "whiteness," the value of diversity, epistemic issues surrounding stereotypes and profiling, metaphysical questions about the nature of race, hate speech, and resistance to racial oppression.
Political Philosophy: The Social Contract
PHIL 260 - Taylor, Erin P.
Is the government's power over its citizens morally legitimate? Do citizens have any political obligations to their government? What is individual liberty and how should it be respected? How should a commitment to liberty be balanced against a concern for equality and the common good? Social Contract doctrine--to which the Declaration of Independence adverts--provides answers to these questions. This course surveys the Social Contract theories of three of the most influential political philosophers of the modern age, whose writings shaped our conception of the republic and its principles: Thomas Hobbes. John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau.
Metaphysics: Existence and Reality
PHIL 274 - Kang, Li
Metaphysics concerns the most general questions about existence and reality. Discussions include spacetime, material objects, persons, abstract objects, and fictional objects. The course covers the general debate between realism and idealism, and also examines how metaphysics is developed in different traditions, especially contemporary analytic philosophy and Buddhist philosophy.
Seminar in Ethics and Value Theory: Love and Commitment
PHIL 396B - Sun, Angela M.
In this seminar, we will consider a series of questions about love and commitment. What does being committed to someone or something involve? What is the source of the normativity of our commitments? Is our partiality toward our loved ones morally permissible? Is the expectation of sexual fidelity in romantic relationships morally defensible? Why is heartbreak one of the worst pains a person can feel? Is our capacity to move on after loss and heartbreak a strength? Or does it reveal that our capacity for commitment is more fickle than we’d like? To answer these questions, we will draw from various philosophical traditions as well as literature, memoir, and film.
Honors Thesis
PHIL 493 - Sun, Angela M.
Honors Thesis. The department honors program is outlined at https://www.wlu.edu/philosophy-department/about-the -department/about-the-major-and-the-minor/honors-pr ogram .
Spring 2023▲
See complete information about these courses in the course offerings database. For more information about a specific course, including course type, schedule and location, click on its title.
Aesthetics
PHIL 264 - Quinonez, Omar
This course offers a wide-ranging, reflective overview of contemporary debates in the philosophy of art. We discuss the following kinds of questions: How are artistic experience and value interrelated? In what does beauty consist? What is the nature of aesthetic experience? Should we value works of art for what we can learn from them? How do pictures represent? What constitutes artistic expression? In what ways is the imagination involved in engaging with artworks? Can emotional responses to fiction be genuine and rational? Is artistic intention relevant to the interpretation of artworks? Are there general principles of aesthetic evaluation? What are the relations between the moral and aesthetic values of art?
Philosophy and Science Fiction
PHIL 272 - Goldberg, Nathaniel J.
Discussion of one or more major works in science fiction and in philosophy that explore related themes.
Seminar in Ethics and Value Theory: Philosophy of Capitalism
PHIL 296D - Zapata, Fernando R.
In this seminar, we will consider the philosophical foundations of capitalism. Classical liberal philosophers such as Adam Smith believed that capitalism, as an economic and social system, reduces material poverty, promotes education, democracy, and labor relations without domination and exploitation, overcoming societies ruled by a wealthy political elite in which a person's class position and social status are hereditary. Ideally, economic freedoms of property and contract, and free markets, should support the common good. We will discuss political economy, moral questions of economic justice, and social problems of market society, including wage inequality, poverty, alienated labor, commodification, money in politics, and competitive consumption.
Seminar in Ethics and Value Theory: Philosophy of Immigration
PHIL 296E - Lamb, Matthew
Students will examine important philosophical questions about human rights and ethics relating to immigration and refuge. What is the moral significance of citizenship and how might it inform answers to questions about obligations of states towards immigrants and refugees? When, if ever, does another nation acquire a moral obligation to provide citizenship to those outside of its own nation? What obligation does the original nation that a refugee is fleeing have towards its endangered citizens? Should there be a distinction between persecuted individuals as refugees and those fleeing for economic reasons? And if so, why? How should we prioritize offers of citizenship as new crises arise? Moreover, how should the moral importance of human dignity shape our answers to these questions?