Miami Plan Courses offered in the Philosophy Department

PHL 101 Knowledge of World, God, and Morality (3) Can you know for certain, or know at all, whether there really is a world, or whether God exists? Can you know the difference between good and evil, right and wrong? These and related questions are explored, while taking up the skeptical challenges to knowing anything at all. Introduces fundamental questions of philosophy and basic reasoning skills, methodologies, and concepts used by philosophers. Students are prepared for further work in philosophy, and develop skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing for any area of learning.

PHL 103 Society and the Individual (3) A study of the relationship between human beings and the societies in which they live, and of the implications different perspectives on this relationship have for a view of social justice. We investigate this relation in terms of its political, economic, social, ethical, and epistemological dimensions. Introduces fundamental questions of philosophy and basic reasoning skills, methodologies, and concepts used by philosophers. Students are prepared for further work in philosophy and develop skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing for any area of learning.

PHL 104 Purpose or Chance in the Universe (3) Is the present universe the result of purpose or chance? Positions and arguments on this question by scientists and philosophers at different points in Western history are studied. In this inquiry, special attention is paid to recent developments in scientific cosmology that throw important new light on the question. Whether the results of the inquiry support purpose or chance more strongly is considered. Introduces fundamental questions of philosophy and basic reasoning skills, methodologies, and concepts used by philosophers. Students are prepared for further work in philosophy and develop skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing.

PHL 105 Theories of Human Nature (3) There have been various ways in which human beings have understood themselves and their place in nature. Every conception of the self embodies a conception of what can be known, of how we ought to live, of what values we ought to hold, and to what extent we are free. We consider various conceptions of the person in light of these questions. Introduces fundamental questions of philosophy and basic reasoning skills, methodologies, and concepts used by philosophers. Students are prepared for further work in philosophy and develop skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing for any area of learning.

PHL 106 Thought and Culture of India (4) Examines India's history and civilization, philosophies and religions, arts and literature, science and technology as a culture's self-understanding and self-expression of its ideas, values, and ways of thinking. Comparisons made between Indian and other ways of thought and modes of living.

PHL 273 Formal Logic (4) Survey of elementary logical systems: Aristotelian, Boolean, sentential, quantified. Sceintific method and issues in the philosophy of logic may be included.