Philosophy Major (PHIA)

Philosophy majors, whether pursuing the general course of study in philosophy or concentrating in Law and Philosophy or in Ethics, are required to complete a total of 10 PHL courses, for a total of 10 course units. Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA for retention in the major.

Logic (1 course unit)
PHL 120/Introduction to Logic

PHL 220/Metalogic

History of Philosophy (2 course units)
PHL 201/History of Ancient Philosophy

and

PHL 205/History of Modern Philosophy

Ethics (1 course unit)
PHL 350/Ethical Theory

PHL 375/Equality in Law and Ethics

Epistemology or Metaphysics (1 course unit)
PHL 410/Theory of Knowledge

PHL 420/Metaphysics

Philosophy Electives (4 course units)
Four additional philosophy courses including at least two at the 300 or 400 level.

Senior Capstone (1-2 course units)*
PHL 493/Senior Project Research and PHL 494/Senior Project (0.5 course unit each)

PHL 495/Senior Thesis Research and PHL 496/Senior Thesis (1 course unit each)

*Senior Capstone: The senior capstone requirement permits the student to unify the skills and knowledge acquired through study in the major. The captone will most likely take the form of a substantial piece of written work, with research and a significant written component completed in the fall semester of the student’s senior year, and the final phases of the work completed in the spring semester of the student’s senior year. Senior capstone is independent work is guided by an advisor with whom the student will be working closely in both the research and writing phases of the captone, on a topic to which both agree. Prior to registering for their first semester of their senior year, students must seek permission of a department faculty member to serve as their advisor, and registration is by advisement only. By the end of the first semester of their capstone requirement (PHL 493/Senior Project Research or PHL 495/Senior Thesis Research), students must have submitted a significant portion of written work to the advisor. This work may take the form, for instance, of an outline with an annotated bibliography, or an initial partial draft of the project/thesis.

Philosophy Major Concentrations:

Law and Philosophy
Ethics

Like the traditional majors, the concentrations in Law and Philosophy and in Ethics require students to complete 10 courses in philosophy as described above. However, students who wish to pursue a concentration will be required to select specified courses as options and a senior project or thesis particularly related to the concentration, as follows:

Law and Philosophy
PHL 275/Philosophy of Law
PHL 375/Equality in Law and Ethics
Senior project or thesis on a topic in the area of law and philosophy.

Ethics
PHL 255/Biomedical Ethics
PHL 350/Ethical Theory
PHL 430/Advanced Ethics
Senior project or thesis on a topic in the area of ethics.

Students interested in pursuing a concentration in Law and Philosophy should contact Professor Roberts or the chair of the department. Students interested in pursuing a concentration in Ethics should contact Professor Winston or the chair of the department.

Honors in Philosophy and Thesis Honors

The Department awards honors in philosophy at graduation to students who have completed a distinguished undergraduate record in philosophy. Rising seniors are admitted to the honors program in philosophy provided they have a GPA of 3.6 or better after having completed six courses in philosophy, in those courses. Students who then complete the major with a 3.6 GPA or better in their philosophy courses will be awarded honors in philosophy. The department may also designate still other students as having achieved honors in philosophy in exceptional cases (to be determined by vote of the whole department).

The award of thesis honors will be given to students who have completed PHL 496 (Senior Thesis) with distinction, as follows. All thesis students will have, in addition to their advisor who will serve as first reader, a second reader. If both readers judge the thesis to meet the standard for thesis honors, the student will be invited to defend the thesis orally. The two faculty readers will then determine whether the thesis, in the light of the oral defense, merits thesis honors. The grading of the thesis itself, however, will remain the responsibility of the original advisor.

Course Sequence

Many students who choose to major in philosophy do so late in, or after, their freshman year; and some courses are offered only in alternate years. The program that follows is thus an idealized sequence; the exact semester and particular order in which the courses are taken will probably vary. To ensure that students entering the major in their sophomore or junior year complete the program on a timely basis, specific requirements may be waived for students who have covered pertinent subject matter in other ways. Many courses in the College Honors Program will satisfy one or another philosophy requirement; and, where necessary, students can complete course requirements on an independent study or special arrangement basis. The substitution of another course for a specific requirement does not reduce the total number of credits required for the major.

Freshman Year

FSP/ First Seminar (1 course unit)

WRI 102/Academic Writing—if required* (1 course unit)

Language* (2 course units)

Quantitative Reasoning (1 course unit)

One Elective* (1 course unit)

PHL Electives in Philosophy (at any level) ( 2 course units)

*Students must determine whether or not they can be exempted from language course (by examination or other means); otherwise three courses are required. It is recommended that students exempted from these courses take other liberal learning courses.

*Either through electives or otherwise, students must, in addition, complete courses, programs, or sustained experiences that cover (1) community engaged learning, (2) gender, (3) global perspectives and (4) race and ethnicity

Sophomore Year

Language (1 course unit)

Laboratory Science; Science ( 2 course units)

Literature (1 course unit)

PHL 120 Introduction to Logic (1 course unit)

PHL 220 Metalogic

PHL 201/ History of Ancient Philosophy (1 course unit)

PHL 205/History of Modern Philosophy (1 course unit)

PHL 350/Ethical Theory (1 course unit)

PHL 375/Law and Ethics

Junior Year

Social Science/History (3 course units)

PHL 410/ Theory of Knowledge (1 course unit)

PHL 420/ Metaphysics

Two additional philosophy courses (300-400 level) (2 course units)

Two electives (2 course units)

Senior Year

Art (1 course unit)

PHL 493/ Senior Project Research and PHL 494/ Senior Project (.5 course unit each)

PHL 495/ Senior Thesis Research and 496 Senior Thesis (1 course unit each)

Two additional philosophy courses (2 course units)

Four electives (4 course units)

COURSES

PHL 100/Introduction to Philosophy (1 course unit)

(every semester)

An introductory-level, problem’s-based course that includes the fundamentals of philosophical argument, analysis and reasoning, applied to a series of issues in logic, epistemology, metaphysics and ethics. Topics covered may include: logical validity, theories of knowledge and belief, the nature of mind, the nature of reality, arguments for the existence of God, and theories of the nature of right and wrong.

PHL 120/Introduction to Logic (1 course unit)

(every semester)

Instruction in the basic principles and techniques of correct reasoning in ordinary life and the sciences. Study of the formal systems of sentence logic and predicate logic. Translation of the natural language and analysis and evaluation of deductive arguments through the construction of proofs. Focus particularly on the power and precision of the natural language with the aim of helping students increase their ability to think and write with creativity, precision, and rigor.

PHL 135/Contemporary Moral Issues (1 course unit)

(every semester)

This course provides an introduction to ethics, one of the main branches of philosophy. It aims to familiarize students with basic concepts and theories in ethics, and with how they may be applied to a range of contemporary moral issues. Topics addressed may include racism, sexism, the treatment of the handicapped, abortion, euthanasia, cloning, capital punishment, our obligations to the disadvantaged, the treatment of non-human animals, just war, and the like. Students will be encouraged to learn from great thinkers of the past and of the present, to examine their own moral values and beliefs, and to take reasoned and informed stands on the issues treated.

PHL 201/History of Ancient Philosophy (1 course unit)

(annually)

Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor

Traces the development of philosophy in the West from its beginnings in 6th century B.C. Greece through the thought of Plato and Aristotle, especially on questions concerning reality, knowledge, human nature, and the good life. Attention is also given to the influence of the Greek philosophers on the Western tradition to the present day.

PHL 205/History of Modern Philosophy (1 course unit)

(annually)

Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor

Traces the development of major philosophical ideas in the West from the beginning of the 17th century to the close of the 18th century. Philosophers whose works are examined typically include some or all of: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. Special emphasis is placed on the development of epistemology and metaphysics during the Enlightenment.

PHL 215/American Philosophy (1 course unit)

(occasionally)

Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor

Introduces students to the history of American philosophy and influence that American philosophers have had on the development of philosophy throughout the world. Much of the course will focus on the creation of pragmatism by Pierce, James, and Dewey (1870–1938) and the reworking of pragmatic ideas since 1950 by American philosophers such as Quine, Putnam, and Rorty. In addition, selections will be made from other traditions, movements, and thinkers. These may include: American Indian worldviews and ways of knowing, colonial thinkers such as Jonathan Edwards, transcendentalists such as Emerson and Thoreau, idealists such as Josiah Royce, and recent work by American philosophers using “lenses” of race and gender.

PHL 220/Metalogic (1 course unit)

(alternate years)

Prerequisite: PHL 120 or permission of the instructor.

Advanced study of predicate logic, including mixed quantification, relations, identity, and definite descriptions. Soundness and completeness theorems for the sentence and predicate logics. Selected additional topics in logical theory and the philosophy of logic.

PHL 240/Political Philosophy (1 course unit)

(annually)

Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor

Provides a systematic historical survey of the main issues in political philosophy. The main topics to be discussed include: the justification of political authority, modern social contract theories of the state, conceptions of distributive justice, and contemporary liberal, communitarian, and cosmopolitan theories of political organizations. Significant attention will be given to contemporary debates in political philosophy such as humanitarian intervention, and duties beyond borders.

PHL 245/Existentialism (1 course unit)

(same as HON 245)

(alternate years)

Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor

A critical examination of existentialism and the work of philosophers and writers associated with existentialism. Since the name ‘existentialism’ is a covering term for a diverse group of post-Hegelian, European philosophers, this course emphasizes the distinctive views of individual figures. Among the figures considered are Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre, Beauvoir, and Camus.

PHL 246/Aesthetics (1 course unit)

(occasionally)

Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor

A critical examination of principal issues and theories in the philosophy of art and beauty. Readings include works by philosophers of historical importance such as Plato and Aristotle as well as the writings of contemporary aestheticians. Consideration is also given to selected issues associated with particular arts such as meaning in music and the interpretation of poetry, and the cinematic in film.

PHL 250/Philosophy of Religion (1 course unit)

(same as HON 272)

(annually)

Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor

This course critically examines major issues, views, and positions in the philosophy of religion. Topics treated include the nature of religion and divinity, religious diversity, the problem of evil, philosophical arguments for the existence of God, religious experience, ethics and religion, and science and religion. Students will be encouraged to learn from great thinkers of the past and of the present, to examine their own religious values and beliefs, and to take reasoned and informed stands on the issues treated.

PHL 255/Biomedical Ethics (1 course unit)

(same as HON 355)

(annually)

Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor

This course deals with questions concerning the ethical and social policy dimensions of medicine, nursing and other health care professionals. Topics examined include: the professional-patient relationship, abortion, euthanasia, research involving human subjects, justice in health care, and the ethical implications of futuristic possibilities such as eugenics, cloning, and genetic engineering. Examination of ethical issues arising in connection with medical and nursing practice and research. Topics typically discussed include: abortion, euthanasia, research using human subjects, impact of new technologies, and aspects of the professional-patient relationship.

PHL 265/Environmental Ethics (1 course unit)

(same as HON 265)

(occasionally)

Prerequisite: One course in philosopy or permission of instructor

Provides a comprehensive overview of the key issues and arguments within the field of environmental ethics. The course will begin with an examination of some basic issues in metaethics and normative ethical theory and then go on to analyze several kinds of ethical arguments for animal rights and environmental protection. We will also study major environmental movements, such as deep ecology, social ecology, ecofeminism and the environmental justice movement. Finally we will consider selected public policy issues such as habitat preservation, land-use management, or pollution abatement specifically as they arise in New Jersey.

PHL 275/Philosophy of Law (1 course unit)

(annually)

Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or sophomore standing

Aims (i) to provide an understanding of the core debate in philosophy of law regarding the relationship between law and ethics, (ii) to present and make distinctions among the leading theories regarding the nature of law, including classical natural law theory, positivism, formalism, legal realism, the “new naturalism” and legal skepticism, (iii) to identify and understand the problem of indeterminacy in the law and (iv) to give each student the opportunity to articulate his or her own creative solution to that problem.

PHL 306/20th-Century Philosophy (1 course unit)

(alternate years)

Prerequisite: PHL 120 or 320, or one 200 level course in philosophy

Upper-level course that focuses primarily on issues and problems characteristic of 20th-century analytic philosophy. The course traces a line from idealist roots of analytic philosophy through the work of Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Quine, Davidson, Putnam, and Kripke.

PHL 347/Philosophy and Literature (1 course unit)

(same as HON 346)

(occasionally)

Prerequisites: One course in philosophy and one course in literature or literary theory, or permission of instructor

A study of literary works and the nature of literature from the vantage point of philosophy. Using a variety of literary, critical, and philosophical texts, this course examines similarities and differences between literary works (belletristic literature) and other forms of verbal expression.

PHL 350/Ethical Theory (1 course unit)

(annually)

Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor

Examines major theories in ethics and metaethics such as: utilitarianism, deontology, virtue-oriented ethics, relativism, intuitionism, emotivism, natural law, and theories of justice, rights and duties. Concentrated study of works of major historical and contemporary thinkers.

PHL 370/Special Topics in Philosophy (1 course unit)

(occasionally)

Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor

300-level seminar on a problem, text, philosopher, historical period, or other philosophical topic not covered in depth in regular courses. Topics will vary. May be repeated for credit with permission of the department.

PHL 375/Law and Ethics (1 course unit)

(annually)

Prerequisites: One course in philosophy

Concentrated investigation of ethical principles that pertain to the judicial system with a special focus on how contemporary moral theories balance issues of efficiency and equality. Important questions will include the circumstances under which it is acceptable for a judge to rely on sources outside the written law in deciding cases and whether the law itself is best understood to incorporate or presume particular fundamental moral values. Various “hard cases” that arise under the Fourteeth Amendment’s due process and equal protection clauses will be scrutinized. Topics may include rights of abortion and procreation, parental rights and children’s rights as well as equal protection issues raised by college and university admissions policies and capital punishment.

PHL 391/Independent Study in Philosophy (1 course unit)

(every semester)

Prerequisite: Two courses in philosophy and permission of instructor

Independent study of a particular philosophical topic, in close consultation with a member of the department.

PHL 410/Theory of Knowledge (1 course unit)

(alternate years)

Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor

Provides an in-depth examination of the central topics of epistemology including truth, belief, epistemic justification, knowledge, perception, skepticism and the responses thereto. Students will be encouraged to learn from great thinkers of the past and of the present, to reflect on their own epistemic values and beliefs, and to take reasoned and informed stands on the issues treated.

PHL 411/Philosophy of Science (1 course unit)

(alternate years)

Prerequisites: One course each in philosophy and a science, or permission of instructor

Provides an in-depth examination of epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical issues raised by science. Issues addressed may include: scientific realism vs. anti-realism, scientific explanation, the historical development of science, induction, scientific observation, confirmation theory, and the ethical responsibility of scientists. Students will be encouraged to learn from great thinkers of the past and of the present, to reflect on their own values and beliefs concerning science, and to take reasoned and informed stands on the issues treated.

PHL 420/Metaphysics (1 course unit)

(alternate years)

Prerequisite: PHL 120 or 320 and one 200 or 300 level philosophy course

Advanced-level course promoting deeper understanding of core issues in metaphysics. Issues and problems are placed in their historical context and include: the nature of thought, existence, identity, possible worlds, personal identity, universals and particulars, realism/anti-realism, causation and causal explanation.

PHL 421/Philosophy of Language (1 course unit)

(alternate years)

Prerequisite: PHL 120 or 320 and one 200 or 300 level philosophy course

Advanced-level course promoting deeper understanding of core issues in contemporary theories of meaning, truth, logical form, reference, and content. Issues and problems are placed in their historical context and include critical examination of, among others, Fregean theories of sense and reference; Russell’s theory of descriptions; Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and Philosophical Investigations; and Kripke’s Naming and Necessity.

PHL 422/Philosophy of Mind (1 course unit)

(alternate years) PHL 120 or 320 and one 200 or 300 level philosophy course

Advanced level course promoting deeper understanding of core issues in contemporary theories of mind and the nature of consciousness. Issues and problems are placed in their historical context, and include: dualism, idealism, materialist theories (including functionalism, eliminativism, and computationalism), content and semantics, and the role of content in psychological explanation.

PHL 430/Advanced Ethics (1 course unit)

(occasionally)

Prerequisites: PHL 350, PHL 375 or permission of the instructor

Advanced study of issues in contemporary ethics, bioethics, or philosophy of law. Topics treated will vary, but will involve concentrated study of specific topics in applied ethics or ethical theory or philosophy of law.

PHL 470/Advanced Topics in Philosophy ( 1 course unit)

(occasionally)

Prerequisites: Two courses in philosophy or permission of instructor

A 400-level seminar on a problem, text, philosopher, historical period, or other philosophical topic not covered in depth in regular courses. Topics will vary. May be repeated for credit with permission of the department.

PHL 493/ Senior Project Research ( .5 course unit)

(annually)

Prerequisite: Senior standing as a philosophy major and permission of instructor.

Independent research under the guidance of a full-time faculty member on a mutually agreed-on topic. Students will be expected to define a topic suitable for a capstone project, conduct a series of appropriate literature reviews, develop a writing plan, and submit a written portion of the work in progress.

PHL 494/Senior Project ( .5 course unit)

(annually)

Prerequisite: PHL 493 and permission of instructor.

A writing project prepared under the advisement of a member of the philosophy faculty. Students must complete a carefully researched and written, in-depth work in philosophy on a topic of significance in philosophy, selected by the student in consultation with faculty and written under the close supervision of a faculty member who serves as advisor.

PHL 495/Senior Thesis Research (1 course unit)

(annually)

Prerequisite: Senior standing as a philosophy major; and permission of instructor.

Independent research under the guidance of a full-time faculty member on a mutually agreed-on topic. Students will be expected to define a topic suitable for a captone thesis, conduct a series of appropriate literature reviews, develop a writing plan, and submit a written portion of the work in progress.

PHL 496/ Senior Thesis (1 course unit)

(annually)

Prerequisite: PHL 495 and permission of instructor

A substantial writing project prepared under the advisement of a member of the philosophy faculty. Students must complete a carefully researched and written, in-depth work in philosophy on a topic of significance in philosophy, selected by the student in consultation with faculty and written under the close supervision of a faculty member who serves as advisor.