Courses

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Course and Description

HUMT1218

Honors Quest for Meaning and Values I (3 credits) Open to those in the Honors Scholars Program only. A rigorous course in the humanities that aims at deepening skills of critical reading and writing and at cultivating a broad cultural literacy. (fall)

HUMT2310

Arts and Ideas I (3 credits) An examination of the arts and ideas of ancient and medieval cultures. (fall, spring, sometimes summer)

HUMT2320

Arts and Ideas II (3 credits) An examination of the arts and ideas of modern cultures. HUMT 2310 is not a prerequisite for this course. (spring)

HUMT4930

Independent Studies in Humanities (3 credits) (fall, spring)

HUMT4950

Senior Seminar (3 credits) 

PHIL1030

Introduction to Philosophy (3 credits) An introduction to some central philosophical problems concerning free will, the self, science, and reality. (fall, spring, sometimes summer)

PHIL2020

Introduction to Ethics (3 credits) An introduction to some central philosophical problems concerning morality, freedom, and political authority. (fall, spring, sometimes summer)

PHIL2030

Practical Reasoning (3 credits) An introductory study of formal and informal reasoning in practical contexts (editorials, speeches, advertising, etc.) Also includes a study of syllogistic reasoning, the scientific method, definition, and clear writing. (fall, spring, sometimes summer)

PHIL2040

Philosophy as Conversation (3 credits) An introduction to philosophy as self-examination. Focus on discussion of the beliefs and values of the students in the class. (fall, spring, sometimes summer)

PHIL2640

Science and the Modern World (3 credits) A philosophical examination of central ideas of modern science and technology. (fall, spring, sometimes summer)

PHIL3010

History of Ancient Philosophy (3 credits) Prerequisites: Two (2) PHIL courses at the 1000 - 2000 level, or permission of the instructor. The development of Western philosophy in the Greek world from the pre-Socratic philosophers to Plotinus. Major emphasis on Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. (fall)

PHIL3030

History of Modern Philosophy (3 credits) Prerequisites: Two (2) PHIL courses at the 1000 - 2000 level or permission of the instructor. An examination of European philosophical thought from approximately 1600 to 1850. Figures to be studied include Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, and Kant. (spring)

PHIL3050

Symbolic Logic (3 credits) Prerequisites: Two (2) PHIL courses at the 1000 - 2000 level or permission of the instructor. Introduction to modern logic. This course explores the formal nature of language and reasoning. Propositional logic, predicate logic, and related topics. 

PHIL3060

Philosophy of Science (3 credit hours) An examination of central issues in philosophy of science. Topics may include logical positivism, Popper, Kuhn, scientific realism, explanation, confirmation. Previous coursework in philosophy strongly recommended. 

PHIL3063

Philosophy Colloquium (1-3 credits) Prerequisites: Two (2) PHIL courses at the 1000 - 2000 level or permission of the instructor. Each semester some important issue, movement, or person of philosophical concern will be studied. May be repeated for up to nine (9) credits. 

PHIL3070

Metaphysics and Epistemology (3 credit hours) An examination of central issues in analytic metaphysics and epistemology. Topics may include philosophy of space and time, free will, identity, causation, justification, skepticism, foundationalism, coherentism, sources of knowledge. Previous coursework in philosophy strongly recommended. 

PHIL3110

Philosophies of Feminism (3 credits) Prerequisites: Two (2) PHIL courses at the 1000 - 2000 level or permission of the instructor. Examination of the major forms of feminist theory and also the role, functions and limitations of theory in addressing gender-related issues. (fall, even years)

PHIL3120

Existentialism (3 credits) Prerequisites: Two (2) PHIL courses at the 1000 - 2000 level or permission of the instructor. Studies in 19th and 20th century existentialism with special emphasis upon its literary expression. Philosophers and writers include Kierkegaard, Ibsen, Dostoevsky, Buber, Marcel, Camus, and Sartre. (fall, odd years)

PHIL3130

Bioethics (3 credits) Prerequisites: One philosophy course at the 1000- or 2000-level, or permission of instructor.  An examination of philosophical issues surrounding medicine and biotechnology, including ethical issues arising in relationships between health care providers and patients, end-of-life issues, reproductive rights, biotechnology, and social justice issues in the delivery of health care.

PHIL3140

Environmental Philosophy (3 credits) Prerequisites: Two (2) PHIL courses at the 1000 - 2000 level or permission of the instructor. Examines the philosophical issuesethical, metaphysical and epistemologicalinvolved in contemporary discussions of environmental issues. Widely differing approaches will be considered in order to better understand the conflicting interests and values involved in environmental decision-making. 

PHIL3150

Philosophy of Law (3 credits) Prerequisites: Completion of one lower division PHIL course. An exploration of major themes in the Philosophy of Law: the nature of law, judicial reasoning, the moral limits of criminal and tort law, liberty, equality, and justice. 

PHIL3170

Philosophy of Mind (3 credits) Prerequisites: Two (2) PHIL courses at the 1000 or 2000 level, or permission of the instructor. A critical survey of the leading theories of mind and their variants, focusing on contemporary issues in the mind-body relation, consciousness, thought and other mental processes, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and free will.

PHIL3180

Philosophy of Language (3 credits) Prerequisites: One course in philosophy at the 2000 level. An examination of the concept of linguistic meaning, including topics such as the semantics of proper names and definite descriptions, the distinction between sense and reference, the relation between meaning and truth, the difference between the sense and force of utterances, speech acts, and performatives.

PHIL3230

Asian Religious and Philosophical Traditions (3 credits) A study of religious and associated philosophical and textual traditions originating in south and east Asia: Hinduisms, Buddhisms, Confucianism, and Taoism, among others. 

PHIL4017

Ethical Theory (3 credits) Prerequisites: At least one (1) PHIL course at the 3000 level or permission of the instructor. History of ethics from ancient Greece to the present Special emphasis on the theories of Aristotle, Kant, and Mill. (fall)

PHIL4018

Honors Thesis (3 credits) Open only to students accepted in ETSU honors programs. A capstone experience serving as the culmination of an honors curriculum. (fall, spring)

PHIL4047

Philosophy of Religion (3 credits) Prerequisites: At least one (1) PHIL or RELI course at the 3000 level or permission of the instructor. An examination of classical and contemporary discussions of philosophical issues about religion, including the nature of God, of human beings, and of religious truth, and contemporary discussions of religion and atheism.

PHIL4067

Philosophy in Literature (3 credits) Prerequisites: At least one (1) PHIL course at the 3000 level; or permission of the instructor. An examination of philosophical issues as they appear in the world's literature, including poetry, fiction, and essays. 

PHIL4077

Contemporary Continental Philosophy (3 credits) Prerequisites: At least one (1) of the following: PHIL 3010 or PHIL 3030, or permission of the instructor. A survey of the developments in European philosophy from the late 19th century to the present. Topics may include phenomenology, hermeneutics, deconstruction, post-structuralism, critical theory, and philosophies of difference. (spring, even years)

PHIL4087

Topics in Analytic Philosophy (3 credits) Prerequisites: At least one (1) PHIL course at the 3000 level or permission of the instructor. A survey of the developments in analytic philosophy from the late 19th century to the present. Topics may include logical atomism, logical positivism, ordinary language philosophy, naturalism, conceptual analysis, analytic epistemology, analytic metaphysics, and meta-ethics. (spring, odd years)

PHIL4107

Classical Political Philosophy (3 credits) Prerequisites: At least one (1) PHIL course at the 3000 level; or permission of the instructor. An examination of the classical tradition in political thought with emphasis on reading the works of Plato and Aristotle, as well as those of later representatives of this tradition. 

PHIL4127

Modern Political Philosophy (3 credits) Prerequisites: At least one (1) PHIL course at the 3000 level; or permission of the instructor. An examination of modern political thought with emphasis on the Social Contact theories of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau and the Utilitarianism of Bentham, Mill, and others. (spring)

PHIL4137

Marxism (3 credits) Prerequisites: At least one (1) PHIL course at the 3000 level; or permission of the instructor. A study of the basic ideas of Marx and his contemporary interpreters in Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Third World. 

PHIL4157

Philosophy of Art (3 credits) Prerequisites: Either two courses in either philosophy or art history, or permission of the instructor. A discussion of philosophical issues that arise in our attempts to understand the creation, appreciation, and criticism of the various literary, plastic, and performing arts. Cross-listed with ARTH 4157 Philosophy of Art.

PHIL4167

Aesthetic Theory and Criticism (3 credits) A discussion of contemporary aesthetic theories as they relate to the practices of art criticism and art history, with an emphasis on contemporary continental and analytic developments in art theory and historiography.

PHIL4900

Independent Studies in Philosophy (1-3 credits) Prerequisites: At least one (1) PHIL course at the 3000 level or permission of the instructor. (fall, spring)

PHIL4950

Senior Seminar (1-3 credits) Prerequisites: Senior status or permission of the instructor. This course focuses on philosophical research and methods and is intended as a capstone course for majors. Students will learn to develop and apply research skills through pursuit of a supervised research project. (fall)

PHIL4957

Special Topics in Philosophy (1-6 credits) Prerequisites: At least one (1) PHIL course at the 3000 level or permission of the instructor.

RELI2210

Introduction to the Study of World Religions (3 credits) A comparative and historical introduction to the world's ways of being religious. (fall, spring, sometimes summer)

RELI3220

Western Religions (3 credits) Prerequisites: RELI 2210, or permission of the instructor. A study of the religious life of the West, from preliterate societies and classical civilizations of the past through contemporary Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. (spring, odd years)

RELI3230

Asian Religious and Philosophical Traditions (3 credits) A study of religious and associated philosophical and textual traditions originating in south and east Asia: Hinduisms, Buddhisms, Confucianism, and Taoism, among others. 

RELI3240

Hebrew Scriptures (3 credits) Prerequisites: RELI 2210, or permission of the instructor. A historical and literary survey of the Hebrew Bible. (fall, odd years)

RELI3250

Greek Scriptures (3 credits) Prerequisites: RELI 2210, or permission of the instructor. A historical and literary survey of the Greek/ Christian Scriptures. (spring, even years)

RELI3263

Religion Colloquium (1-3 credits) Prerequisites: RELI 2210 or permission of the instructor. Some issue, movement, or person of importance to the study of religion will be selected for the topic. Course may be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) credit hours.

RELI4220

Contemporary Religious Thought (3 credits) Prerequisites: At least one (1) RELI course at the 3000 level; or permission of the instructor. A survey of developments in religious thought from the mid 19th century to the present.

RELI4920

Independent Studies in Religion (1-3 credits) Prerequisites: At least one (1) RELI course at the 3000 level or permission of the instructor. (fall, spring)