Human Studies Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind
John Visvader
Class limit: 15 Despite the efforts in thousands of years of study and speculation we still do not have a clear and coherent conception of the nature of the mind and its relation to the body. This class serves as a basic introduction to critical thinking by examining in detail several contemporary theories of the mind and the kinds of puzzles and paradoxes they produce. It also serves as a basic introduction to philosophy as the problem of the mental involves issues in ethics, metaphysics, logic, religion as well as the allied sciences of psychology, neurophysiology, and cognitive science. This is discussion oriented. Evaulations are based on two take home exams and class participation.
The Philosophy of Mind
John Visvader
Class limit: 15 One of the most difficult problems faced by many current disciplines is how to give a scientific account of human behavior and human experience. There are some who even think that such an account is either impossible or in need of radical reformulation. The area traditionally called the philosophy of mind has become the central meeting place for many issues in neurophysiology, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and language and linguistics. The purpose of this course is to examine the central issues in various debates about mind and behavior in an attempt to give a clear overview of and to take a critical approach, to the usual categories of the “mental” and “the physical” which run through many of the discussions. Students are graded on seminar presentation and papers. Prerequisites: Two philosophy courses.
Philosophy of Nature
John Visvader
Class limit: 25 Because of the number of serious environmental problems that face the modern world, the theories and images that guide our interaction with nature have become problematic. This course examines various attempts to arrive at a new understanding of our role in the natural world and compares them with the philosophies of nature that have guided other peoples in other times and other places. Topics range from taoism and native american philosophies to deep ecology and scientific ecological models. Readings include such books as Uncommon Ground, Walden, and Practice of the Wild.
Philosophy of Religion
John Visvader
This course examines the nature and justification of religious beliefs concerning the Class limit: 20 existence of god, the soul, and the afterlife. A wide range of views from both eastern and western traditions are explored and the writings of several philosophers such as William James and Martin Buber are examined in detail. Particular attention is paid to the nature of mysticism and problems concerning the use and limits of reason.
Philosophy of Science
John Visvader
This course examines both the nature of science and its role in molding the modern Class limit: 20 world. The historic origins of science are explored from the late middle ages through the 18th century, in order to clearly present the development of key concepts and to contrast science with other views of the world it displaced. Particular attention is paid to the work of Galileo and Newton. General issues covered include theory formation, laws, confirmation and evidence, reductionism, determinism and teleology. Philosophical problems raised by such areas as evolution theory, quantum mechanics, feminist theory, and modern cosmology provide additional topics as interest dictates and time permits.
Poetry and the American Environment
Bill Carpenter
Since Anne Bradstreet in the seventeenth century, American poets have responded to the natural environment and its human transformation. Poets have learned to see by their exposure to nature, then in turn have used their techniques of vision, music, and metaphor to teach us how to see who and where we are. This class considers poets of the Romantic
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