PHIL-PHILOSOPHY (PHIL)
PHIL 1115G. Introduction to Philosophy
3 Credits (3)
In this course, students will be introduced to some of the key questions of philosophy through the study of classical and contemporary thinkers. Some of the questions students might consider are: Do we have free will? What is knowledge? What is the mind? What are our moral obligations to others? Students will engage with and learn to critically assess various philosophical approaches to such questions.
Learning Outcomes
- Comprehend and differentiate between various philosophical approaches to questions within fields such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics.
- Critically evaluate various philosophical arguments and positions.
PHIL 1120G. Logic, Reasoning, & Critical Thinking
3 Credits (3)
The purpose of this course is to teach students how to analyze, critique, and construct arguments.The course includes an introductory survey of important logical concepts and tools needed for argument analysis. These concepts and tools will be use to examine select philosophical and scholarly texts.
Learning Outcomes
- Comprehend components of arguments.
- Acquire a general understanding of the essential logical concepts needed for argument analysis, such as validity, soundness, deduction, and induction.
- Critically assess arguments with an aim toward identifying what constitutes effective and reasonable argument strategies.
- Learn to identify common logical fallacies.
- Apply knowledge of argumentation principles to philosophical and scholarly texts
PHIL 1140G. Philosophy and World Religions
3 Credits (3)
A philosophical enquiry into the religious life; an introduction to philosophical questions about religions focused on consideration of some of the traditional approaches to God and what it means to be religious. May be repeated up to 3 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify and describe philosophical theories regarding religion.
- Develop and enhance your critical thinking skills, particularly in the evaluation of arguments about the truth or applicability of particular religious or secular viewpoints.
- Analyze the teachings of world religions by describing their similarities and differences.
- Explain the philosophical beliefs, practices, and ethical standards of the major world religions as well as emerging religious movements.
- Explain how each religion evolved historically, philosophically, and spiritually as well as the contemporary ideas and practices each religion.
PHIL 1145G. Philosophy, Law, and Ethics
3 Credits (3)
An introduction to practical problems in moral, social, political, and legal philosophy. Topics to be discussed may include ecology, animal rights, pornography, hate speech on campus, same-sex marriage, justice, abortion, terrorism, treatment of illegal immigrants, and New Mexican Aboriginal Peoples' land claims.
Learning Outcomes
- The aim of this course is to familiarize students with some of the ethical and philosophical issues that arise in connection with laws/legality in general and criminal and constitutional law in the U.S. in particular.
- It examines issues in moral philosophy, political philosophy, and philosophy of law.
- A question to which we repeatedly return is whether the law does and/or ought to have some necessary relation to the demands of justice and morality. Among the topics we’ll cover are: What is a law? Natural law vs. positive law and legal positivism vs. natural law theory; Utilitarian, divine command, Kantian, and natural law theories of moral rightness/wrongness; The distinction between the normative and the non-normative; Is there a moral duty to obey the law? Plato’s Crito and R.P. Wolff’s “philosophical anarchism."; J.S. Mill and classical liberalism; Mill’s “harm principle” (“the state should restrict the liberty of competent adults via the criminal law only to prevent them from wrongfully harming other persons”); Legal paternalism. Should the state make it harder for citizens to smoke tobacco and/or marijuana, for their own good?; Should voluntary euthanasia be legal? Is there a constitutional “right to die”?; How should judges determine the meaning of vaguely worded constitutional requirements (e.g. “free exercise of religion,” no “unreasonable search and seizure,” no “cruel and unusual punishment,” etc.)? Originalist vs. nonoriginalist approaches; The First Amendment, free speech, and freedom of religion; The death penalty and “cruel and unusual punishment”; The insanity defense in criminal law; Does the 14th Amendment’s requirement of “equal protection” under the law compel states to recognize same sex marriage?; The Fourth Amendment and its prohibition of “unreasonable search and seizure.”
PHIL 2110G. Introduction to Ethics
3 Credits (3)
This course introduces students to the philosophical study of morality and will explore questions concerning our human obligations to others and related issues. Students may be asked to relate various approaches to ethics to present-day ethical debates and their own lives.
Learning Outcomes
- Differential between various ethical theories, which may include virtue ethics, deontology, and consequentialism.
- Critically evaluate various ethical theories and positions.
PHIL 2230G. Philosophical Thought
3 Credits (3)
In this course, students will grapple with some of the key questions of philosophy through the study of classical and contemporary thinkers. Students will become familiar with the perennial problems in subfields of philosophy such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics. They will learn to approach these problems both critically and sympathetically.
Learning Outcomes
- Comprehend and differentiate between various philosophical approaches to questions within fields such as metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics.
- Critically evaluate various philosophical arguments and positions.
- Identify the differences that characterize the major subfields of philosophy.