LARTS 317 — Metaphysics
We will ask about the nature of reality and whether we are able to know what is real. Is the material world as it appears to us all that there is? If we say there is something else beyond what science can measure, how can we prove it? Ire there unchanging truths that we should strive to discover, or is the world always in flux? If reason contradicts our senses, which do we trust? (2 credits) Breese
LARTS 335 — History of Philosophy I
This course will look at how some of the major thinkers of the Western tradition have dealt with fundamental philosophical questions: both those they inherited and those they created. This course will take us from the early Greek's conceptions of reality through early modernity's concerns with what we can know about reality. We will also examine the ways in which each thinker's ethics, theory of knowledge, etc., are related to one another. (2 credits) Breese
LARTS 336 — History of Western Philosophy II: Descartes to Heidegger
This course examines the theories of modern-era philosophers in the current Western canon. We will look at how they addressed ideas inherited from earlier philosophers and consider the primary conceptual shifts that distinguish these thinkers from "pre-modern" philosophers. We will also study ways in which each thinker's ideas form a system. (2 credits) Breese
LARTS 339 — Philosophy of Religion
This course examines the philosophical problems that arise when we consider the world’s religions. Can we know whether there is a divine or transcendent reality? How is religious music thought to function within different religions—can it actually convey the listener to the divine, or is it merely expressing human feelings? How do we reconcile multiple religions all claiming divinely given truths? Are reason and faith mutually exclusive? Why does religious language seem so odd? Does evil really exist? Are mystics divinely inspired or insane? (2 credits) Breese
LARTS 340 — Philosophy of Mind
Course will look at the development of the philosophy of mind in the modern era beginning with mind/body dualism, then moving to current issues within the field, such as the implications of recent brain research and claims that computers actually think. We will also consider the ways in which accepted models of the mind help to shape our sense of our own actions and experiences. (2 credits) Gatlin
LARTS 371 — Philosophy of Art
Why is a paint-spattered, stuffed goat with a tire around its middle considered a great American masterpiece and valued at millions of dollars? If a painting that thousands of people have gazed upon in awe is suddenly discovered to be a forgery, is it suddenly worthless? Why does beauty seem so important to us, and what do we even mean by term? Who determines what is or is not art? Do the arts have an ethical function? How do abstract works convey meaning? In this course we will analyze various thinkers' responses to these and other primary questions in the philosophy of art. We will also attempt to apply their theories to particular pieces, which should help students think more carefully about their work as musicians. (2 credits) Breese
LARTS 376 — Buddhist Philosophy
This course begins with an overview of Buddhist history that includes the Buddha’s life and teachings as well as the development of the three primary “vehicles” since his death. We will spend the rest of the semester on close readings of the three significant Mahayana Texts dealing with the idea of emptiness. During the semester students will also look at recent neurological research on meditation and the brain, as well as at traditional teachings on developing mental quiescence. (2 credits) Breese
LARTS 453 — The Buddha
This course explores the life and teachings of the Buddha through readings of Buddhist scriptures ranging from the earliest written traditions (the Buddhacarita and the Dhammapada) to those of more recent times, including late 20th century writings on Zen. (2 credits) Row
LARTS 454 — Hindu Myths
Hindu Myths is a course designed to introduce students to the rich mythology of India, a domain populated by extraordinary deities, powerful demons and supernatural humans all engaged in a complex narrative from creation through the evolution of the significant Hindu concepts of dharma, karma, samsara, and moksha (roughly 1500 BC to 200 AD). Since understanding Hindu Myths requires a knowledge of the philosophies and religious practices of Hinduism, the course will use appropriate background reading to supplement inquiry into the myths, such as Wendy Doniger’s Hindu Myths and Gavin Flood’s An Introduction to Hinduism. (2 credits) Row
LARTS 469 — Human Nature
This course examines traditional concepts of human nature as expressed in religions, philosophy, literature, and science and contrasts those with the impact of the genome and the claims of sociobiology on modern views. (2 credits) Breese
LARTS 490B — Brains Causing Minds
Recent brain research is not only challenging long held cultural and philosophical beliefs about the nature of mind and self, it is even showing which parts of the brain construct those beliefs. It is forcing us to ask whether free will is an illusion and whether we are fully responsible for our actions. The class will begin with a survey of brain areas and functions, then turn to questions of how our brains cause thoughts and actions and how those thoughts and actions then change our brains. (2 credits) Breese
2013-04-16
VIRGIL THOMSON