2017-2018 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Courses
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PHIL 100 - The Good Life
Healthy human beings want to be happy. We want to live good lives. But what can a person do to live a good life? What makes one life good and another not so good? What makes one person happy and another not? Are there significant connections between health, well-being, social involvement, ethical endeavor, worldly achievement, felt satisfaction, and living a good life? In this seminar we will use philosophical, psychological, religious, and literary works to explore some of the ways that human beings organize their lives, set fundamental goals and standards, and try to assess these. Our seminar will examine a range of possible life aims including the search for pleasure, cultivating personal excellence, the pursuit of wealth and power, contributing to the public good, ecological attunement, spiritual fulfillment, and having no aim at all.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PHIL 102 - Introduction to Philosophy
Introductory study of typical problems drawn from philosophy’s main branches. Topics vary and may include God’s existence, the nature of morality, skepticism, the nature of the mind, freedom vs. determinism, immortality and political theory. Readings are taken from both classic and contemporary sources.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VE
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PHIL 103 - Analytic Reasoning
This is a hands-on course, designed to help students improve a very important set of life skills, collectively referred to as “critical thinking.” While this is considered an informal logic course (because it analyzes reasoning within the natural language context), it goes beyond the principles of basic logic, encouraging students to ask thoughtful questions in their ongoing process of establishing a set of beliefs that can serve as a reliable roadmap of experience. Fulfills Formal Analysis (FA) requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: FA
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every Fall
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PHIL 104 - AIDS to Zika: Ethics and Epidemics
The global AIDS pandemic presents a public health challenge of unprecedented dimensions – a challenge which will test not only our scientific and medical establishments, but our commitment to social justice, professional fidelity, interpersonal solidarity and, especially, to the care of the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged populations. This seminar will draw on the rich philosophical, biological, epidemiological, legal, medical, and sociological literatures in order to examine a number of the moral and public policy issues which have been raised by the AIDS pandemic. Particular attention is given to the issues raised by the pandemic in developing countries. Fulfills the Values Perspective (VP) requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PHIL 105 - Personal Values
A philosophical study of some fundamental human value concerns. Students learn some important moral theories and methods used to reason philosophically about moral questions. Fulfills Values Perspective (VP) requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
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PHIL 106 - Science, Religion and Reality
The seminar will address some basic issues in the philosphy of science and the philosophy of religion: What is science? What is reality? How do science and religion differ with regard to the relative roles played by faith and evidence in establishing knowledge claims about reality? Does science provide better explanations than theology or literature? How do religious arguments for the existence of God differ from scientific arguments for the existence of dark matter? Special attention will be given to developing students’ abilitites to read complex texts, write logically, think analytically and argue cogently. Fulfills the Verbal Expression requirement.
Prerequisites: You must be placed at the Verbal Expression level to be admitted into this seminar.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VE
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PHIL 109 - Life and Times of David Hume
Can science give us certainty? Is suicide moral? Do we have a right to political rebellion? Can religion be rational? Can we argue about beauty? The questions we will discuss in PHIL 109 have in common that they were unsettling in the 17th- and 18th centuries. And maybe they still are today? What seemed like obvious answers to these questions prior to the Early Modern period had become unsatisfactory. We will discuss what makes ways of asking questions and finding answers particularly modern. Our focus will be on one particular contemporary of the Early Modern period: David Hume, who was perhaps the least shaken by the unsettling nature of the questions and by the lack of answers. His proposals earned him labels like “rebel,” “sceptic,” “infidel,” and “heretic.” But at the same time his successors showed great interest in his views. The class stresses hands-on historical and philosophical work. This means two things. (1) We will gain a skill set for interacting directly with Hume’s texts and with other historical sources. (2) We will learn effective methods for arguing about difficult and unsettling questions. Hume’s arguments about the role of science, the basis of morality, the rationality of religion, and other topics are still endorsed today and we will work on evaluating them.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VE
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PHIL 110 - Introduction to Symbolic Logic
An introduction to symbolic logic with attention to proofs within the formal system of first-order logic and translations from sentences in this formal language into sentences in ordinary English. (The department recommends that students not take this course as their introductory course to the major. The course material is mathematical in nature and is not representative of the topics and reading material typically found in other philosophy courses.) Fulfills the Formal Analysis (FA) requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: FA
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every Fall semester
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PHIL 111 - Socrates and Nietzsche
The course examines the nature and value of moral conduct. It proceeds by juxtaposing two radically opposed points of view: the defense of the moral life put forward by Socrates (469-399 BCE), especially as he is represented in the dialogues of Plato, and the criticism of Socratic rationalism adopted by Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). Students will read closely and analyze philosophical works representing each point of view.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VE
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
Placement Guidelines
VE Eligible
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PHIL 112 - Art and Morality
Can art be immoral? If so, what makes a work immoral? Can art be morally subversive or positivey influence our actions and character? If a work is immoral, does that diminish its aesthetic value, that isdoes the moral defect make it a lesser work of art? What makes a piece manipulative? What is propaganda art and how is it different from other works of art? Are there circumstances in which at should be censored? We will draw on both historical sources (from Ancient Greece to the Modern Period) and contemporary-texts. In discussing different theories we will continuously apply them to particular examples from thearts, the media, and the political sphere. I encourage you to bring in your own examples. This class fulfills the Value Perpective PLS requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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PHIL 130 - Medical Ethics
Investigates contemporary issues in medical ethics: informed consent, definitions of death, treatment termination and euthanasia, abortion, confidentiality and truth telling, genetic screening and counseling, research on human subjects, resource allocation, reproductive technologies, conflicts of interest and national health policy. Not open to first-year students. Fulfills Values Perspective (VP) requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PHIL 131 - Environmental Ethics
What principles should guide human interaction with the environment? This course considers a range of moral perspectives, including anthropocentrism, animal-rights theory, biocentrism, social ecology, ecocentrism, deep ecology, ecofeminism and the land ethic. It also considers a range of environmental issues, such as global warming, species preservation, population policy, pollution, nuclear power, animal experimentation and sustainable development. Fulfills Values Perspective (VP) requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PHIL 132 - Social and Political Ethics
Topics in social and political theory, such as equality, liberty and justifications for political authority, as well as issues such as: What is affirmative action and can it be morally justified? Should governments censor pornography? Is capital punishment acceptable? Can war be justified? Should morality be legislated? Fulfills Values Perspective (VP) requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PHIL 133 - Reason and Political Disagreement
In this course, we will investigate the role that reason and rational argument play in the fractious and diverse debates typical of so much of contemporary politics, and we will do so by examining one particular debate in detail. This is a Problems of Practice course and, as such, we will not only study the relevant, highly regarded arguments, but we will also engage with real world participants and stakeholders in the debate, seeing first hand the real-world impact of abstract arguments and theorizing. We pay particular attention to how rational argument functions and whether or not such argument provides promise for healing these divides.
Anticipated Terms Offered: periodicaaly
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PHIL 134 - Business Ethics
This is business ethics for all of us who deal with businesses as well as those in the business sector. We consider business in relation to social justice, labor issues, problems of discrimination in the workplace, tax policy, affirmative action, the moral limits of deception and manipulation in marketing, ethical consumerism, and the environment. Using readings from ethicians, business leaders, economists, and activists, we shall talk about conducting business ethically and engaging with business ethically. Useful to current and future entrepreneurs, managers, marketers, accountants, and bankers, this course focuses issues of importance to consumers and workers and ordinary citizens.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
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PHIL 135 - Existentialism in Philosophy and Literature
Explores central existential themes-such as the meaning of life, freedom and responsibility; the role of the irrational in human thought, action and expression; and the death of God in their historical, cultural and thematic context. Existentialism is treated both as a postwar cultural event and as a view of life’s meaning and possibilities. Fulfills Values Perspective (VP) requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
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PHIL 141 - History of Ancient Philosophy
A survey of the early history of Western thought. Some possible readings and topics include the Presocratic philosophers, the dialogues of Plato, selections from Aristotle, and the Hellenistic philosophers. Fulfills Historical Perspective (HP) requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: HP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year, typically Fall
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PHIL 143 - History of Early Modern Philosophy
Surveys principal movements of European philosophy in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Readings include works from authors such as the following: Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Leibniz, Hume, and Kant. Fulfills Historical Perspective (HP) requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: HP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year, typically Spring
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PHIL 145 - History of Contemporary Philosophy
Surveys major trends in recent Anglo-American and Continental philosophy: pragmatism, logical positivism, ordinary language philosophy, hermeneutics and phenomenology. Each alternative is considered as a coherent perspective on experience, with special attention given to its style and methodology. Fulfills Historical Perspective (HP) requirement.
Prerequisites: One course in Philosophy.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: HP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PHIL 150 - Philosophy of Religion
Studies religion as a form of world view and a perennial dimension of human experience. Fulfills Global Perspective (GP) requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: GP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PHIL 165 - Asian Philosophy
In Asian Philosophy, we shall explore the wisdom traditions of Asia from a philosophical point of view, focusing Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Vedanta, and the Satyagraha movement. What can we learn from such traditions? How are they best understood? What are their fundamental ideas, claims, assumptions, and implications? What truths do they offer? We shall look particularly to their conceptions of nature and community, the ideal person and the final reality, and the consequences of these conceptions for our common moral life.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: GP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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PHIL 169 - Aesthetics
Explores questions concerning the value and nature of the arts, including the visual arts, music, performance, and literature. Course topics may include: Can art in general be neatly defined? fine art? particular arts? What distinguishes “good” art from “bad” art? Are there objective standards for aesthetic judgment? What is the point of artwork? What is creativity? Are appreciation and criticism creative acts? Are there ‘aesthetic experiences’ special to the arts? What is the role of taste and sensibility? What is the relationship between the artist and the work of art? between artworks and audiences? between art and history? between art and nature?
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically.
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PHIL 213 - The Ideal of the Educated Person
This course explores the suggestion that in ideal circumstances there is a close relationship between being educated and living a happy or “good” life. Looking to Socrates and Plato for inspiration, we explore questions concerning the impact of acquiring knowledge on ethical behavior and moral character, as well as the impact of morality on happiness. Topics include: (1) the nature of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom; and the way in which formal education contributes to these states, (2) the nature of virtue and moral value, and (3) what it means to flourish in our culture. Fulfills Values Perspective (VP) requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically.
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PHIL 215 - Kant and the 19th Century
We study the philosophical legacy of Kant in the evolutionary philosophies of the nineteenth century. We ask what it is to philosophize in the context of cosmic and cultural evolution, in which thought and its concepts evolve. We consider rival versions of the claim that the development of consciousness, freedom, and rationality is the final purpose of the world. Readings will be selected from Kant, Fichte, Schelling, Hegel, Marx, and Peirce.
Prerequisites: PHIL 143 .
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PHIL 220 - Theories of Ethics
Examines the principal ethical theories from the history of Western philosophy, including such philosophers as Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Hume, Kant, Mill, Ross and Rawls. Topics include: What is “the Good”? Are there fundamental standards of right conduct? Are moral judgments objective? Why should we be moral? Fulfills Values Perspective (VP) requirement.
Prerequisites: One courses in philosophy.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PHIL 222 - Political Philosophy
In Political Philosophy, we consider political power, authority, legitimacy, community, and political agency, in relation to purposes such as prosperity, community, harmony with nature, and the securing of human rights to freedom, well-being, and justice. We probe standard and nonstandard concepts and projects, their presuppositions and possibilities. Focusing 20th and 21st century thinkers, we examine the range of justifiable political forms, the nature and limits of democracy, the state and other political structures, political reason and public dialogue, problems of nationalism and fundamentalism, domination and oppression, the challenges of militarism and imperialism. We read conservatives, liberals, libertarians, anarchists, Marxists, and others - including the likes of Strauss, Oakeshott, Simon, Hayek, Scruton, Schmitt, Arendt, MacIntyre, Rawls, Dewey, Gewirth, Habermas, Walzer, Gramsci, Magdoff, Kristeva, Young, Jagger, Foucault, and Deleuze.
Prerequisites: One (1) course in Philosophy
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Annually
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PHIL 224 - The Ethics and the Aesthetics of the Sublime in Art and Society
Why do some artworks and experiences overwhelm us, yet also move us so deeply? In the18th century philosophers, critics, and artists gave such experiences a name: “the sublime.”When we experience the sublime we experience something as great, as physically massive, as cognitively difficult to grasp, or even as posing a danger. The sublime draws us in as it pushes us away, and is both uplifting and terrifying. From the 18th century onward fascination with the sublime has been translated through the arts, often with distinctly political resonances. In the twentieth century, under the impact of historical events, technological developments and the later post-modernism, the sublime found new realms of expression. This class builds on a critical study of theories of the sublime to explore how artworks, especially those involving music, from different eras have engaged this extraordinary aesthetic.
Prerequisites: One PHIL course or one MUSC course
Anticipated Terms Offered: bi-annually
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PHIL 234 - Metaphysics
An advanced study of the fundamental problems and issues concerning the nature of reality. The course may focus on historical or contemporary issues. A historical approach may involve an in-depth study of the metaphysical views of an historical figure or school of thought, including (but not limited to) Plato, Aristotle, and the Early Modern Philosophers. A contemporary approach may include one or more of the following topics: properties, substance, identity and persistence, free will, space and time, and mathematical objects.
Prerequisites: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PHIL 235 - Self and Nature
How the self, other persons, and the natural world stand in relation to one another is a continuing theme within philosophy. Are these terms ontologically opposed or blended? Is one or another of them fundamental for the others? How can we account both for their apparent distinctness and their close relation? Self and nature reviews several classical accounts of these relationships and considers their relevance within the present moment.Considers various conceptions of the self in relation to nature developed by classical and contemporary thinkers, with emphasis on the interconnectedness of these terms.
Prerequisites: Two courses in Philosophy
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: every other year
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PHIL 239 - Theories of Knowledge
An historical and ‘systems’ approach to epistemology examining four paradigms: Platonic-Idealistic, Empiricist, Kant’s Critical Idealism, and Linguistic Analysis, and also the PostModern thesis that all such are outdated exercises founded on fundamental confusions concerning what philosophy can do. In all cases, attention given to the nature, concept and sources of knowledge, with special attention to the interrelationships among belief, knowledge, evidence, proof, truth, and the problems of relativism, skepticism and foundationalism.
Prerequisites: Two courses in philosophy.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PHIL 240 - Epistemology
An examination of the nature of rationality and knowledge. Possible topics include (1) the problem of skepticism, (2) analyses of knowledge, (3) theories of justification, and (4) the central works in epistemology by significant figures – for example, Plato, Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Russell.
Prerequisites: Two courses in philosophy.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PHIL 241 - Philosophy of Science
Examines such questions as: What is a scientific explanation? Can induction be justified? What could justify the claim that one theory is better than another? Are there such things as objective facts? Do scientific theories disclose the ultimate constituents of the universe? What is the difference between science and pseudoscience?
Prerequisites: One course in Philosophy or permission of instructor.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PHIL 242 - Philosophy of Language
A philosophical examination of topics concerning the character and meaning of referring expressions and propositions. We focus on the nature of reference and meaning in the case of names, indexicals, and natural kind terms. Representative readings include works by Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Strawson, Quine, Putnam, Kaplan, and Kripke (namely, Naming and Necessity). Some background in logic is very helpful though not strictly necessary.
Prerequisites: Two courses in philosophy.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PHIL 243 - Philosophy of Psychology
A philosophical treatment of the possibility that the mind is a machine that can be studied scientifically. We examine questions concerning (1) the relationship between the mind and the brain, (2) the twin ideas that the human mind is a computer and that an artificial machine is capable of genuine cognition, (3) the nature of mental representation, and (4) various proposals for how the mind is structured, including connectionist architectures.
Prerequisites: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PHIL 244 - Hume
This class is dedicated to central questions and texts in the philosophy of David Hume. His philosophical proposals earned him labels like “rebel,” “sceptic,” “infidel,” and “heretic.” But at the same time his successors showed great interest in his views. Questions discussed might include the following: Can science give us certainty? Is suicide moral? Do we have a right to political rebellion? Can religion be rational? Can we argue about beauty? For the exact texts and questions on the schedule for a given semester please see the philosophy department website and/or the instructor’s website and feel free to get in touch with questions.
Prerequisites: P= two (2) in Philosophy including PHIL143 (early modern european philosophy) or perm
Anticipated Terms Offered: bi-annually
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PHIL 250 - Plato
An advanced study of the philosophical thought of Plato. The seminar involves careful reading and discussion of one or more of the major dialogues, such as the Gorgias, Protagoras, Republic, Parmenides, Sophist or Theaetetus.
Prerequisites: PHIL 141 .
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PHIL 252 - Topics in Ancient Western Philosophy
Fall 2016 Topic: TBD. The course examines issues arising in the thought of various figures or movements in the Greek or Roman worlds. Topics will vary from year to year. Examples of the movements that might be discussed are the pre-Socratic traditions, Plato’s Academy, Aristotle’s Lyceum, Epicureanism, Stoicism, Skepticism, and Neoplatonism. Examples of relevant figures are thinkers such as Parmenides, Lucretius, Marcus Aurelius, Plotinus, and St. Augustine.
Prerequisites: Two courses in Philosophy.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PHIL 256 - Kant
A study of Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, regarded by many as the most important philosophical text of the last several hundred years.
Prerequisites: Two courses in philosophy, including PHIL 143
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PHIL 263 - Philosophy of Mind
A critical examination of the nature and concept of mind. We consider the following questions: What is the relationship between the mind and the brain? What is the nature of consciousness and does the existence of conscious experience argue against a physicalist conception of the mind? Possible readings include works by Smart, Fodor, Jackson, Lewis, and Loar.
Prerequisites: Two courses in philosophy. Sophomore, Juniors, and Seniors only. (First year students must receive permission.)
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PHIL 270 - Philosophy of Law
Examines fundamental questions in philosophy of law, such as: What is the source and purpose of law? What is the nature of judicial reasoning, and is it subjective or governed by some set of principles? How do alternative theories of law explain rights, duties, liability, responsibility and so forth? What is the relationship between liberty, privacy and justice? Readings include selections from legal theory and a variety of contemporary court decisions. Fulfills Values Perspective (VP) requirement.
Prerequisites: One course in philosophy or permission of instructor.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PHIL 295 - Senior Thesis
Students may opt to write a senior thesis. Completing a senior thesis does, by itself, meet the requirements for Honors in philosophy. For more information, please see the ‘Honors Program’ entry in the online academic catalog for the philosophy department.
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PHIL 297 - Honors
For information about Honors in philosophy, please see the ‘Honors Program’ entry in the online academic catalog for the philosophy department.
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PHIL 299 - Directed Study
For significant independent academic work, the department offers individual Directed Study. Students interested in these possibilities should consult with individual members of the philosophy faculty.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester.
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PHIL 1000 - Introduction to Philosophy
Utilizing primary sources and commentary, the course introduces the student to the major schools of philosophy –idealism, realism, naturalism–through examining problems and theories in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, social philosophy and anesthetics. Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Nietzsche, Mill and Rawls are reviewed.
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PHIL 1100 - Introduction to Logic
Introduces students to logic as a branch of philosophy, as well as a practical skill. Students learn to recognize and symbolize different patterns of reasoning. This is a hands-on course, with much class time spent doing exercises and solving problems.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: FA (summer only)
Anticipated Terms Offered: -
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PHIL 1310 - Professional Ethics
Investigates moral problems that arise in-and-about-the world of business. The class discusses ethical issues in advertising, the moral status of affirmative action programs and the responsibilities of business toward the environment. Each student is expected to articulate the different sides of the issues and to defend his/her own views in discussion and in writing.
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PHIL 1320 - Social and Political Philosophy
Why do we live in a society and what kind of reasons can justify the existence of states? What is the most ideal form of government? What obligations, fundamental rights and liberties do we have? Is statehood necessarily immoral? What moral constraints should any form of government satisfy? Should wealth be distributed over the members of the society or should property right be sacred and unquestionable? These are some of the most fundamental questions of social and political philosophy. We will consider a wide range of historical and contemporary political theories that attempt to answer these questions. This course is designed to help you form your own political views and understand their historical roots and the arguments for and against them.
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PHIL 1330 - Business Ethics
In this course we will see how the qualities that make a company ethical are also those which can lead to the company’s success: the virtues of integrity, good management, and well established procedures of internal and external regulation. We will learn how successful enterprise balances its profit-making and risk-taking with regard to its employees,its share holders, its consumers and the environment. We will consider the issues of social justice inherent in business ethics: rights and responsibilities on personal, corporate, and international levels, and the issues of equity, fairness, discrimination and harassment.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP (summer only)
Anticipated Terms Offered: -
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PHIL 1340 - Philosophy and Politics
Politicians like to reference political theories (Locke’s or Mill’s, or the Australian economists’, e.g.) to frame their vision and they label their opponents (as socialists, liberals, etc.). We will look beyond the labels and discuss these theories themselves. We will consider a wide range of historical and contemporary political theories that attempt to answer these and similar questions: What is the most ideal form of government? What obligations, fundamental rights and liberties do we have? Should wealth be distributed over the members of the society or should property right be sacred and unquestionable? This course is designed to help you form your own political views and understand their historical roots and the arguments for and against them.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: VP (summer only)
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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PHIL 2010 - The Meaning of Life
Questions about the meaning of life arise in literature, films and other art forms as well as in our own personal experience. In this course we will consider philosophical approaches to these questions. And consider what sort of question is being asked about life’s meaning and why. Are we asking questions about an individual’s own life or about human life generally? Why should we care whether human life has meaning or not? What facts about human existence raise the question in the first place? We will consider what type of answers can be given to questions about the meaning of life and will also consider whether we have a reason to regret our death, and the role of atheism, religion and morality in raising and responding to questions about the purpose of life.
Anticipated Terms Offered: various
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PHYS 020 - Discovering Physics
This course emphasizes hands-on experience and the learning of science using approaches paralleling the ways scientists gain new knowledge. Open to all undergraduates. No background in mathematics and science is assumed. Topics include wave and particle phenomena, with an emphasis on the properties of light. Two laboratories and group discussions per week. Discovering Physics uses teaching approaches that may be of interest to students with a concentration in Education. Graduate students in education who enroll in Discovering Physics must complete a science-education research project. Fulfills the Scientific Perspective.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: SP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every year
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PHYS 110 - Introductory Physics - Part I
Introductory level course stressing both conceptual understanding and problem solving. This is a survey course for both science majors and others. Stresses the simplicity and self-consistency of physical models in explaining a variety of physical phenomena, with special attention to applications in the life sciences. Topics include Newtonian mechanics and an introduction to the thermal properties of matter. Calculus is not required, but elements of algebra and trigonometry are reviewed and utilized. PHYS 110, with PHYS 111 , fulfills the usual entrance requirements for medical and dental schools. Three lectures and one discussion section per week, as well as one laboratory every other week. Fulfills the Scientific Perspective or Formal Analysis requirement.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: SP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every fall
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PHYS 111 - Introductory Physics - Part II
A continuation of PHYS 110 . Topics include wave motion, electricity, magnetism, optics, and a survey of modern physics. Three lectures and one discussion session per week, as well as one laboratory every other week. The PHYS 110 -111 sequence is designed to fulfill the usual entrance requirements for medical and dental schools. Fulfills the Scientific Perspective.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: SP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every spring
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PHYS 120 - Introductory Physics - Part I
Problem-oriented course intended for science majors; coverage is more in-depth than PHYS110. Topics include Newtonian mechanics and laboratory methods. Course should be taken with MATH124 so the elements of calculus and its applications to physics can be treated at the same time. This course comprises of lectures, associated laboratories, and discussion sections.
Corequisites: or .
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: SP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every fall.
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PHYS 121 - Introductory Physics - Part II
A laboratory based course on electricity and magnetism for science majors. This is a newly redesigned course to include hands-on activities, computer-rich laboratories, group problem-solving and an interactive environment. Two two-hour integrated lecture/discussion/laboratory session per week. Coverage is more in-depth than PHYS 111 .
Corequisites: MATH 121 or MATH 125 .
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: SP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every fall
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PHYS 123 - Methods of Physics
This course covers the mathematical techniques needed for the study of physics at the intermediate and advanced level. Ordinary differential equations, vector calculus, partial differential equations, matrices, Fourier series, and complex variables.
Prerequisites: (MATH 120 or MATH 124 ) AND (MATH 121 or MATH 125 ). Physics majors are required to take this course during their sophomore year.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every fall
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PHYS 127 - Computer Simulation Laboratory
Introduces object oriented programming and methods of computer simulation and its diverse applications. The course is project oriented, with students proceeding at their own pace depending on their background and interests. Projects include planetary motion, chaotic systems, fractal phenomena, random systems, complex systems, and thermal systems. Methods include the numerical solution of differential equations, molecular dynamics, and Monte Carlo techniques. Two laboratory sections and two discussion periods per week.
Prerequisites: PHYS120, MATH120 or 124, or instructor permission.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: SP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PHYS 130 - Oscillations, Waves and Optics
The third of a four-semester introductory survey of physics. The seminar meets for three hours per week plus an afternoon laboratory. Oscillations and harmonic motion, wave phenomena such as interference, diffraction and standing waves, plus ray and wave optics are some of the topics covered. Key experiments include studies of mechanical, acoustic and optical waves, wave resonance in oscillating systems, construction of optical instruments, and measurement of the speed of light. Prepares the student for the study of quantum systems in PHYS 131 . Fulfills the Scientific Perspective.
Prerequisites: PHYS 121
Corequisites: MATH 130
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: SP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every fall
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PHYS 131 - Quantum Physics and Relativity
The last in a four-semester survey of physics; intended to follow PHYS 130. After an introduction to relativity theory, the course emphasizes the experimental basis of atomic and nuclear structure leading to the development of wave mechanics. The laboratory uses modern research instrumentation to investigate contributions by Einstein, Rutherford, Compton, Moseley, Chadwick and others. Fulfills the Scientific Perspective.
Prerequisites: PHYS 130
Corequisites: MATH 131
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: SP
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every spring
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PHYS 150 - Statistical and Thermal Physics
Introduces the concepts of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics with the goal of understanding the behavior of macroscopic systems on the basis of microscopic theory. Topics include probability, entropy and the second law of thermodynamics, the Boltzmann probability distribution, heat and work, and the first and second law efficiencies of simple engines.
Prerequisites: PHYS 130 .
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered in alternate years.
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PHYS 160 - Classical Mechanics
PHYS 160 and PHYS 161 constitute an introduction to the concepts of classical physics at the intermediate level. Topics include particle and rigid body dynamics in inertial and noninertial reference frames. The necessary mathematical methods are introduced and applied.
Prerequisites: MATH 131 and PHYS 111 or PHYS 121 .
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered in alternate years.
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PHYS 161 - Electricity and Magnetism
Continuation of PHYS 160 . Topics include electro- and magnetostatics and electrodynamics through Maxwell’s quations and relativity. Develops useful mathematical methods.
Prerequisites: PHYS 160 .
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered in alternate years.
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PHYS 167 - Fluid Mechanics and Applications
Fluids refer to liquid and gas state of matter which covers more than 70% of the surface of the Earth and all of atmosphere. This course will explore the physics of fluids, and doing calculations using analytical and numerical techniques in weekly instructor led discussion sessions, and a semester long group based project. The project will include building a table top demonstration, and making a video presentation. Examples of project topics include water, oil and gas processing in industry, designing robots that swim, water purification, and more.
Prerequisites: Introductory calculus, Phys 160
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered Bi-annually
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PHYS 169 - Information Theory, Inference, and Networks
This course will explore the basic concepts of Information theory – a topic that lies at the heart of many exciting areas of contemporary science and engineering – and its applications to statistical inference and network theory. Topics covered in the course include entropy as a measure of information, mutual information, information transmission and communication through noiseless or noisy channels, maximum likelihood methods for data analysis, and neural network models. The basic concepts developed will be applied to examples from a wide range of academic fields such as data compression and storage, biophysics, signal processing, neuroscience, machine learning, and finance, where information theory can be related to the theory of optimal investment in the stock market. Finally we will discuss how methods from information theory can be used to study and quantify interaction networks, a subject that lies at the heart of the modern science of complex systems.
Prerequisites: Math 120 or Math 124, and Math 121 or Math 125
Anticipated Terms Offered: varied
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PHYS 171 - Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
Intermediate-level course providing an introduction to quantum mechanics and its applications to atoms, nuclei, molecules, and solids.
Prerequisites: PHYS 131 and MATH 131 .
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered in alternate years.
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PHYS 201 - Classical Dynamics
Designed to prepare students for graduate work in physics. Topics include Hamilton’s principle, classical scattering theory, rigid body motion, canonical transformations, Hamilton-Jacobi theory, and mathematical methods of physics. Lectures are the same as PHYS 301 , but the assignments and evaluation are separate.
Prerequisites: PHYS 160 and PHYS 161 .
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every fall
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PHYS 202 - Electrodynamics
Designed to prepare students for graduate work in physics. Topics include boundary value problems in electrostatics and magnetostatics, electromagnetic-field equations and special relativity, electromagnetic waves, radiation theory, multipole fields, and mathematical methods of physics. Lectures are the same as PHYS 302 , but the assignments and evaluation are separate.
Prerequisites: PHYS 161 .
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every spring
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PHYS 205 - Quantum Mechanics – Part I
PHYS 205 and PHYS 206 constitute a comprehensive introduction to the concepts of quantum mechanics and their application in physics and chemistry. Sequence prepares students for graduate work. Lectures are the same as in PHYS 305 , but the assignments and evaluation are separate.
Prerequisites: PHYS 171 and MATH 131 .
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every fall.
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PHYS 206 - Quantum Mechanics – Part II
PHYS 206 is a continuation of PHYS 205.
Prerequisites: PHYS 205.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every spring.
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PHYS 209 - Statistical Mechanics
Designed to prepare students for graduate work in physics. The lectures are the same as in PHYS 309 , but the assignments and evaluation are separate.
Prerequisites: PHYS 150 and PHYS 171 .
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every fall.
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PHYS 219 - Electronics Laboratory
Examines principles of modern electrical measurement and control. Introduces DC- and AC-circuit theory and use of test instruments such as multimeters and the oscilloscope. Emphasizes electronic circuit design, operational amplifiers and digital circuits. Two lectures and one laboratory each week. Suitable for intermediate-level undergraduates and graduate students in the sciences.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PHYS 230 - Advanced Topics in Condensed Matter Physics
The second half of the twentieth century has seen important new paradigms in physics. In this course, we will explore some of the central paradigms in the context of condensed matter physics. I will apply the concepts of broken symmetry and order parameters, which have emerged as unifying concepts in physics, to provide the framework of this course. We will begin by characterizing the structure and symmetries of condensed matter systems, then develop Landau-Ginzburg theories to model such systems and to provide a framework to explore the relation between order parameter, broken symmetry, and thermal fluctuations. We will use these ideas to study a wide range of condensed matter systems that include liquids, crystalline solids, exotic states of matter such as liquid crystals, superconductors, and quantum magnets. We will also introduce concepts that are important in other areas of physics, such as the Higgs mechanism and the generation of mass, that play a central role in particle physics. The prerequisites for this course are statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics (or instructor’s permission). A previous course in solid state physics is not needed.
Prerequisites: P = PHYS 150. Undergraduate (or graduate) statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics or instructor’s permission.
Corequisites: None.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Spring 2014
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PHYS 243 - Technology of Renewable Energy
This course is designed to give an overview of the technical issues confronting the conversion of the world’s fossil fuel economy to one where the major sources of energy are sustainable. The pros and cons of major renewable energy sources (such as solar and wind) will be discussed, along with some of the less universal sources such as tides and geothermal, including, of course, efficiency, the hidden energy resource. No discussion of renewables is complete without a good understanding of the electrical grid, which is central to the implementation of renewable energy. The present grid is designed for a smaller number of large generating stations and relatively constant power generation and loads. The renewable grid will have many smaller energy sources, as small as single solar panels on the top of telephone poles, and also rapidly fluctuating sources, as when winds gust through wind turbines, and clouds cover and uncover solar panels. Through lecture and demonstration we will learn how a nationwide energy network might work in the future. This course is designed for science and non-science majors alike, however math skills including algebra and trigonometry will be expected.
Over the past two years a small microgrid consisting of solar panels, a wind turbine, batteries, and LED lights has been built at Clark. A main focus of this course will be on the design and building of the microgrid, and related projects and issues. This will require significant time, outside class, to work on building the microgrid system. We will be building physical systems, such as mounting solar panels and working to connect electrical systems, in order to control and measure the energy flows in our microgrid. We will need computer programs for controlling the system and to analyze data, and we also will need web pages for our own monitoring and in order to display the system to others.
There will be a significant hands on component to this class, in addition to regular homework assignments. Each student will be expected to spend about three hours a week during an afternoon, preferably Tuesday or Friday, working on the project. Please consider this time commitment carefully when you sign up for this course.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall
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PHYS 290 - Senior Seminar
This capstone covers a selection of topics of current interest in physics.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PHYS 297 - Honors
Readings and research for students in the honors program. May be repeatable for credit.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every Semester
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PHYS 299 - Directed Studies in Physics
Independent student work in physics with the guidance of a faculty adviser. With permission of the instructor, students may enroll for senior capstone or honors projects, directed readings in areas not covered in regular courses, or independent research in theoretical, experimental or applied physics. Offered for variable credit. PHYS 299 may be taken more than once.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester.
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PHYS 301 - Classical Dynamics
Graduate-level course in classical mechanics. Topics are similar to PHYS 201 , but are treated in greater depth.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every fall
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PHYS 302 - Classical Electrodynamics
Graduate-level course in classical electromagnetism. Topics are similar to PHYS 202 , but are treated in greater depth.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every spring
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PHYS 303 - Research Apprenticeship
Students participate actively in an experimental or theoretical research group. Ph.D. students enroll in the course for three semesters with a minimum of one semester in a theoretical group and one semester in an experimental group. M.A. students take a minimum of one semester.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
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PHYS 305 - Quantum Mechanics – Part I
PHYS 305 and PHYS 306 offer a comprehensive introduction to quantum mechanics and its application in physics and chemistry. Topics include the foundations of quantum mechanics, symmetries and angular momentum, particle in a central potential, electron spin, and perturbation theory.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every fall
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PHYS 306 - Quantum Mechanics – Part II
PHYS 306 is a continuation of PHYS 305 . Topics include scattering theory, interaction of radiation with matter, second quantization, applications to simple atoms and molecules, and an introduction to many-body theory.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every spring
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PHYS 309 - Statistical Mechanics
Examines statistical mechanics with applications to physical systems. Topics include ensemble theory, the statistical basis of thermodynamics, quantum statistics, the virial expansion of a classical gas, ideal Bose and Fermi systems, the renormalization group, and fluctuations.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every fall
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PHYS 310 - Condensed Matter Physics
Examines experimental properties and the quantum theory of solids. Topics include crystal and reciprocal lattice structures, the free-electron theory of metals, electronic band structure and the Fermi surface, lattice vibrations and the elementary excitations of solids.
Prerequisites: PHYS 305 or permission of instructor.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every spring
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PHYS 317 - Research
This is a variable unit, graduate course for students engaged in research at the PhD level.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every semester, including summers
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PHYS 319 - Advanced Electronics Laboratory
Similar to PHYS 219 , but more advanced. Topics are treated in greater depth. Suitable for graduate students in the sciences.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PHYS 320 - Advanced Seminar in Physics
Provides for special coverage of topics in physics of current research interest.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered periodically
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PHYS 327 - Advanced Computer Simulation Laboratory
Similar to PHYS127 but more advanced. Suitable for graduate students in the sciences or undergraduates who have completed PHYS127.
Prerequisites: PHYS127 or instructor permission.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every other year
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PHYS 330 - Advanced Topics in Condensed Matter Physics
The second half of the twentieth century has seen important new paradigms in physics. In this course, we will explore some of the central paradigms in the context of condensed matter physics. I will apply the concepts of broken symmetry and order parameters, which have emerged as unifying concepts in physics, to provide the framework of this course. We will begin by characterizing the structure and symmetries of condensed matter systems, then develop Landau-Ginzburg theories to model such systems and to provide a framework to explore the relation between order parameter, broken symmetry, and thermal fluctuations. We will use these ideas to study a wide range of condensed matter systems that include liquids, crystalline solids, exotic states of matter such as liquid crystals, superconductors, and quantum magnets. We will also introduce concepts that are important in other areas of physics, such as the Higgs mechanism and the generation of mass, that play a central role in particle physics. The prerequisites for this course are statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics (or instructor’s permission). A previous course in solid state physics is not needed.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Spring 2014
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PHYS 343 - Technology of Renewable Energy
This course is designed to give an overview of the technical issues confronting the conversion of the world’s fossil fuel economy to one where the major sources of energy are sustainable. The pros and cons of major renewable energy sources (such as solar and wind) will be discussed, along with some of the less universal sources such as tides and geothermal, including, of course, efficiency, the hidden energy resource. No discussion of renewables is complete without a good understanding of the electrical grid, which is central to the implementation of renewable energy. The present grid is designed for a smaller number of large generating stations and relatively constant power generation and loads. The renewable grid will have many smaller energy sources, as small as single solar panels on the top of telephone poles, and also rapidly fluctuating sources, as when winds gust through wind turbines, and clouds cover and uncover solar panels. Through lecture and demonstration we will learn how a nationwide energy network might work in the future. This course is designed for science and non-science majors alike, however math skills including algebra and trigonometry will be expected.
Over the past two years a small microgrid consisting of solar panels, a wind turbine, batteries, and LED lights has been built at Clark. A main focus of this course will be on the design and building of the microgrid, and related projects and issues. This will require significant time, outside class, to work on building the microgrid system. We will be building physical systems, such as mounting solar panels and working to connect electrical systems, in order to control and measure the energy flows in our microgrid. We will need computer programs for controlling the system and to analyze data, and we also will need web pages for our own monitoring and in order to display the system to others.
There will be a significant hands on component to this class, in addition to regular homework assignments. Each student will be expected to spend about three hours a week during an afternoon, preferably Tuesday or Friday, working on the project. Please consider this time commitment carefully when you sign up for this course.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Fall
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PHYS 367 - Fluid Mechanics and Applications
Fluids refer to liquid and gas state of matter which covers more than 70% of the surface of the Earth and all of atmosphere. This course will explore the physics of fluids, and doing calculations using analytical and numerical techniques in weekly instructor led discussion sessions, and a semester long group based project. The project will include building a table top demonstration, and making a video presentation. Examples of project topics include water, oil and gas processing in industry, designing robots that swim, water purification, and more.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually
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PHYS 369 - Information Theory, Inference, and Networks
This course will explore the basic concepts of Information theory – a topic that lies at the heart of many exciting areas of contemporary science and engineering – and its applications to statistical inference and network theory. Topics covered in the course include entropy as a measure of information, mutual information, information transmission and communication through noiseless or noisy channels, maximum likelihood methods for data analysis, and neural network models. The basic concepts developed will be applied to examples from a wide range of academic fields such as data compression and storage, biophysics, signal processing, neuroscience, machine learning, and finance, where information theory can be related to the theory of optimal investment in the stock market. Finally we will discuss how methods from information theory can be used to study and quantify interaction networks, a subject that lies at the heart of the modern science of complex systems.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every other year
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PHYS 390 - Colloquium
Weekly invited lecturers speak on current research topics. Required for all graduate students and recommended for undergraduates involved in research. Not offered for credit.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Offered every semester
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PHYS 394 - Ph.D. Dissertation Writing
This is a variable unit, graduate course for students engaged in writing a Ph.D. Dissertation.
Anticipated Terms Offered: Every semester, including summers.
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PHYS 399 - Directed Study
Directed research in physics under the supervision of a faculty adviser. Graduate students may enroll for research in theoretical, experimental, or computational physics. Offered for variable credit. PHYS 399 may be taken more than once.
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PHYS 1010 - Introductory Physics I
This is an introductory level course stressing both conceptual understanding and problem solving skills. This is a survey course for undergraduate students irrespective of their major. The course stresses the simplicity and self-consistency of physical models in explaining a variety of physical phenomena. Topics include Newtonian mechanics, Mechanical Waves and a brief introduction to the thermal properties of matter. Calculus is not required, but elements of algebra and trigonometry are reviewed and utilized. PHYS 1010, with PHYS 1020, fulfills the usual entrance equiremnets for medical and dental schools. Labs are integrated within the course frame work, and will be conducted at the same classroom where lectures are held. Computer simulations will be utilized to enhance students’ understanding of course topics. Students will be charged a $100 Lab Fee.
Program of Liberal Studies (PLS) Designation: SP (summer only)
Anticipated Terms Offered: varies
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