Philosophy

Fall 2026 Classes

PHL 100 – Introduction to Philosophy

Are you looking for answers to life's important questions? This course offers students an introduction to important conversations about philosophical topics such as the nature of reality, personal identity, freedom, knowledge, morality, religion, and social justice with the aim of students developing their own well-considered views.

Daniel Schneider    TuTh 7:45-9:10 am

                                *Combined section class

Sheryl Ross            TuTh 11:00-12:25 pm

                               *Combined section class

Sam Cocks            MWF 8:50-9:45 am

PHL 101 – Introduction to Logic

This course offers students an introduction to several methods of logic: the science of reasoning. In this course, students examine the nature of statements and arguments, identify rules for distinguishing good arguments from bad, learn methods for constructing and testing proofs, and practice good reasoning in general.

Stewart Eskew          TuTh 2:15-3:40 pm 

                                 *Combined section class

Ryan Madison           INTERNET

PHL 201 - Ethical Theory & Practice

This course is an exploration of philosophical ethics with attention paid to the philosophical methods of analysis and argumentation used to drive and evaluate moral theories and judgments. Topics may include the nature of moral truth (e.g., absolute truth, relativism, pluralism), prominent moral theories (e.g., virtue ethics, deontology, utilitarianism), important figures from the history of philosophy (e.g., Aristotle, Kant, J.S. Mill), an examination into the nature of virtues and values, principles of right action, and character. Contemporary moral problems will help elucidate each of the theoretical positions.

Sheryl Ross        TuTh 12:40-2:05 pm

PHL 205 – History of Ancient Philosophy

Almost all the questions and puzzles in the continental and analytic traditions of philosophy today can be sourced to developments in the philosophy of Ancient Greece. In this course, students read ancient texts from pre-Socratic thinkers such as Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Parmenides. Students also read several dialogues of Plato, explore the metaphysics of Aristotle and the stoicism of Epictetus. Students discuss the differences between science and myth, philosophy and religion, opinion and knowledge, and explore questions about the nature of reality, its oneness and plurality, the nature of justice, and the purpose of life.

Daniel Schneider    TuTh 11:00-12:25 pm

PHL 301 - Theory of Knowledge 

This course is an intensive examination of the central philosophical questions surrounding the nature of knowledge, truth, and justification. Topics may include the difference between knowledge, wisdom, and know-how; analyses of knowledge, truth, and justification; the nature of misinformation; disagreement; the structure and sources of justification; the insights and limits of cognitive science; the role of human evolution in our understanding of the world; knowledge of abstract entities (e.g., principles of logic, mathematics, or morality); knowledge of the self and other minds; social cognition; and issues concerning the lived-experience of marginalized groups. (Cross-listed with PHL/PSY; may only earn credit in one department.)

Stewart Eskew           MW 2:15-3:40 pm

PHL 303 - Ethics & Meta-Ethics: Theory, Justification, and Objectivity 

This course is an examination of classic and contemporary issues in the field of meta-ethics. Topics include addressing questions concerning the meaning of moral claims and principles, moral objectivity, moral psychology and motivation, moral disagreement, the nature of moral knowledge and justification, and the nature of moral reasons.

Stewart Eskew        MW 3:55-5:20 pm

PHL 333 - Philosophy of Mind 

A study of the nature of the mind from both philosophical and psychological perspectives. The course will focus on important attempts to solve the mind-body problem, how mind and body are related and also will address the related problems of consciousness, intentionality, free will and personal identity. (Cross-listed with PHL/PSY; may only earn credit in one department.)

Daniel Schneider         TuTh 2:15-3:40 pm       

PHL 339 – Medical Ethics

This course is an examination of the principal moral problems that arise in the clinical and non-clinical medical context. Topics include an introduction to the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice, as well as the ethical complexities surrounding various issues including paternalism and patient autonomy, healthcare decisions regarding children, the role and responsibilities of surrogate decision-makers, truth-telling and confidentiality, clinical trials, abortion, reproductive and genetic technologies, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, public health, and justice in health care.

Dr. Thomas Harter    W 5:30-8:15 pm

Director, Department of Bioethics and Humanities at Emplify Health By Gundersen 

PHL 349 - Asian Philosophy 

This course is an examination of the main questions found in the Asian philosophical traditions. Students read Indian, Chinese, and Japanese philosophers, with a special emphasis on Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. Questions are centered in ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics. Topics include: (right) conduct and virtue; the nature of reality, mind, and self (e.g., what is a self, what is a person?); the Middle Way; individual and social well-being; and the notions of interdependent arising, emptiness, and enlightenment. Conceptual connections are made with Western philosophical traditions.

Samuel Cocks     MWF 9:55-10:50 am

PHL 404 - Philosophy of Probability & AI 

This advanced course explores the philosophical foundations of probability and their significance for contemporary artificial intelligence and machine learning. Students examine major interpretations of probability - including frequentist, Bayesian, propensity, and epistemic approaches - and analyze how these frameworks inform reasoning under uncertainty, inference, explanation, and decision-making. The course focuses on the philosophical foundations of probability and the conceptual complexities of probabilistic AI modeling. Philosophical questions include how AI systems represent uncertainty, what it means for an algorithm to update beliefs, and how probabilistic outputs should be interpreted and evaluated. Students develop the ability to critically assess probabilistic reasoning in AI systems and apply philosophical analysis to contemporary technological challenges. While this course engages with a highly technical subject matter, only a solid foundation in high-school level algebra is assumed.

Stewart Eskew        TuTh 12:40-2:05 pm