Philosophy Curriculum
Earlham College

Last revised October, 2009

This page of our web site presents the same information that is available in the Curriculum Guide, although in a more accessible and up-to-date form. We can change this page more easily and more often than the Guide can be reprinted. So assume that any differences between this page and the published Guide represent deliberate changes. But if you are unsure, please ask us. 

Codes used in the descriptions below:

A = Course is offered only in alternating years

F = Course includes a Foreign Languages in the Curriculum (FLIC) component

G = Course includes significant out-of-class group work

P = Course has prerequisites

R = Required course for majors and/or minors

 

We've marked our entry-level courses with the open-door icon.  None of these courses has a philosophy prerequisite. Some, however, require the consent of the instructor.

Caveat: When we say that a course is offered “every Fall semester,” we mean that such is our hope and expectation. Most years we live up to our hopes and expectations, but now and then we must accomodate a sabbatical or other staff shortage. Sometimes we even reform our curriculum! 

120, 121. Philosophical Inquiry. A section of this course is offered each semester. Although the specific focus of the course is different each semester, the general aim is to help students to think and argue sensitively about questions of fact and value. Discussion and careful reading of primary sources are stressed. Recent topics include philosophy and film, ethics and political life, and postmodernism. 4 credit hours No prerequisites Philosophy 120 is offered Fall semester, Philosophy 121 is offered Spring semester. Philosophy 120 and 121 are separate and independent courses. They do not form a series. You may take 121 without having had 120.  Syllabus from Ferit Güven’s course, Fall 2002-03

130. Symbolic Logic. The study of formal, deductive logic emphasizing the methods for demonstrating the validity of arguments. It includes truth-functional propositional logic and quantification theory through the logic of relations.  3 credit hours No prerequisites Earns general education credit in Analytical Reasoning Syllabus from Peter Suber’s course, Spring 1996-97 Syllabus from Marya Bower’s course, Fall 2004-2005

150. Earlham Seminar. Offered for first-year students. Topics vary.  4 credit hours No prerequisites Earns Earlham seminar credit

155. Ancient Greek Philosophy. An examination of Greek philosophy beginning with the pre-Socratic period and including an emphasis upon the works of Plato and Aristotle. Reading is mainly in the primary sources. (R)  4 credit hours No prerequisites Earns general education credit in Comparative Practices Offered every Spring semester Required for the Classical Studies major and minor

160. Dialectic and Dialogue in Philosophy. This entry-level course in philosophy will explore a topic or set of related topics that is under discussion in philosophical communities. Primary texts, with commentary as appropriate, will be read and analyzed. The course will emphasize developing the student’s ability to read a text critically and to enter into careful dialogue with divergent points of view and opinions 4 credit hours Offered as faculty availability permts

180. Existentialism. This course explores the question of the meaning of human existence as it has been discussed primarily from the late 19th century into the present day. Drawing on a variety of resources, including plays, short stories, films, and traditional philosophical texts in the existentialist tradition, topics such as the notion of individuality, the nature of freedom and its limits, one’s relationship to God, and one’s responsibility to the community often form the focus of the class. (A) 3 credit hours Offered biennally  Earns general education credit in Comparative Practices Syllabus from Ferit Güven’s course, Fall 2001-02

230. Topics in Aesthetics. This introductory course in aesthetics will examine a topic or issue that is of importance to historical or contemporary philosophical aesthetics. Possible topics include: the experience of art and the philosophical implications of its creation and reception; the relationship between politics and art; and the relationship and impact of various art media, including but not limited to, literature, film, and classical representational pieces. Depending upon the topic, readings will be chosen from works by classical and contemporary philosophers, art critics, and artists themselves. 3 credit hours  Earns general eduction credit in fine arts

243. Race, Philosophy, and Politics. Investigates, interprets and criticizes how philosophers have understood the meaning of race as well as its impact on accounts of identity, knowledge and social justice. Studies the political ideologies of liberalism, integration and Black nationalism striving to answer the question: How and to what extent are the varied or competing interests of Black folk reflected in such theories? 4 credit hours  Offered as faculty availability permits

250. Rationalism and Empiricism. Focuses on European philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries. Readings from primary sources introduce students to traditional epistemological and metaphysical questions in the western philosophical tradition. Prerequisite: An Interpretive Practices course or consent of the instructor. (R) 4 credit hours Offered every Fall semester Syllabus from Peter Suber’s course, Fall 2000-01 Syllabus from Marya Bower’s course, Fall 2004-2005

270. Philosophy of Law. The course asks, "What is law?" in light of the many species of legal structure, power, rule and obligation. Of primary importance are the relations between legal rules and the rules of ethics and custom, the case for civil disobedience, the difference between law and mere coercion, the social and ethical foundation of law and legitimacy, the limits of law and the state, citizens’ rights against the state and one another, and the norms of our legal system, their beneficiaries and alternatives. 3 credit hours Offered as faculty availabiltiy permits Syllabus from Peter Suber’s course, Fall 1999-2000

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