141 The Meaning of Life
May 20– June 16 MTWR 1:10 – 3:50 pm ONLINE
Instructor: Paul Kelly
Online: Synchronous: Requires participation in online learning at the day/time listed.
Introduces the subject of philosophy through a question that is familiar to nearly every person: What is the meaning of life? This question will be approached through reading both classical philosophical works and the works of contemporary philosophers.
210 Reason in Communication
May 28 – June 23 ONLINE
Instructor: Dylan Beschoner
Online: Asynchronous.
Argument in familiar contexts; emphasis upon developing critical skills in comprehending, evaluating, and engaging in contemporary forms of reasoning, with special attention to the uses of argument in mass communication media.
211 Elementary Logic
June 17 – July 11 MTWR 8:55 – 11:35 am
Instructor: Michael Titelbaum
Suppose I say, “If no one moved the cheese since last night, it’s in the fridge. If I didn’t move the cheese, then no one did. I didn’t move the cheese. So it’s still in the fridge.” This argument concerning the whereabouts of the cheese contains some premises followed by a conclusion. The argument is structured so that if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true as well. In this course we will represent arguments in symbols to reveal their structure, then study argumentative structures that guarantee a true conclusion from true premises. We will also learn how to prove that an argument with a particular structure is valid. The techniques we will learn are necessary for every area of contemporary philosophy, and are relevant to areas of economics, mathematics, computer science, rhetoric, and the law.
241 Introduction to Ethics
June 3 – June 30 ONLINE
Instructor: Max Maxwell
Online: Asynchronous.
Nature of moral problems and ethical theory, varieties of moral skepticism, practical ethics and the evaluation of social institutions.
243 Ethics in Business
May 30 – July 21 ONLINE
Instructor: Jesse Steinberg
Online: Asynchronous.
This course is a study of ethical problems in business and the foundations for decisions involving ethical issues. Topics include the following: foundational theories in moral philosophy, sweatshops and other labor practices, corporate social responsibility, sexual harassment, affirmative action, deception, insider trading, environmental justice, and corporate culture.
341 Contemporary Moral Issues
May 20 – June 16 ONLINE
Instructor: Peter Vranas
Online: Asynchronous.
Under what circumstances, if any, is abortion morally permissible? Should the death penalty be abolished? What causes terrorism, and is it ever morally permissible to torture terrorists? This course teaches students how to think systematically about these fascinating questions. The emphasis is not on defending particular answers but is instead on providing students with the tools they need to reach their own answers.
441 Environmental Ethics
June 3 – June 23 MWR 8:00 – 10:00am ONLINE
Instructor: Frederic Neyrat
Online: Synchronous: Requires participation in online learning at the day/time listed.
Adequacy of ethical theories in handling such wrongs as harm to the land, to posterity, to endangered species, and to the ecosystem itself. Exploration of the view that not all moral wrongs involve harm to humans. Inquiry into the notion of the quality of life and the ethics of the “lifeboat” situation.