PHIL 102: Reason & Rhetoric
May be used as core credit in J-3-a. Form and style of argumentative discourse;
development of critical thinking and rhetorical skills as students prepare and deliver written and oral presentations; construction,
evaluation, and presentation of arguments; identification of arguments and fallacies to improve abilities to organize thoughts, express them clearly and simply, and judge the suitability of material for the audience.
Instructors: Jay Feldman
PHIL 103: Ethics
May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Introduction to philosophical reasoning through historical study of
Western moral thought.
Instructors: J. Carl Mickelsen, Jason Johnstone-Yellin
PHIL 201: Critical Thinking
May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Acquiring and improving important skills of thinking,
reading, and writing critically; emphasis on avoiding fallacies and mastering forms of valid argument in ordinary language.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 202: Intro to Symbolic Logic
May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Development of systematic techniques for
assessing validity of arguments; includes categorical logic, propositional logic, and elementary quantificational logic.
Instructors: Michael O'Rourke, Matthew Slater
Phil 204 (s): Special Topics (cr arr)
Instructor: Staff
Phil WS220: Aesthetics
WSU Phil 220. Analysis of aesthetic experience; applications to art and nature; criteria of art criticism. Taught at WSU only.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 221: Philosophy in Film
WSU Phil 210. The use of film as "philosophical text", discussing philosophical theories and debates presented in films, both old and new
Instructors: Matthew Slater, Royce Grubic
PHIL 240: Belief and Reality
May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Introduction to epistemology (examination of grounds and
limits of knowledge) and metaphysics (inquiry into the nature of reality) through historical and contemporary readings.
Instructors: Michael O'Rourke, Matthew Slater
PHIL 302: Biblical Judaism
Same as RelS 302. May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Analysis of the
Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and related texts with an emphasis on hermeneutics and thought.
Instructors: Janice Capel Anderson
PHIL 303: Early Christianity
Same as RelS 303. May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Analysis of the
New Testament and other early Christian texts of the first and second centuries C.E. with an emphasis on hermeneutics and
thought.
Instructors: Janice Capel-Anderson
PHIL 305: Philosophy of Religion
May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Philosophical investigation of such issues as the
existence and attributes of God, problems of free will and evil, afterlife, miracles, and creation.
Instructors: Staff
PHIL 306: Hindu Thought
Same as RelS 306. May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Analysis of the Vedas, the Upanishads,
the Bhagavad-gita, Jainism, and later Hindu thought.
Instructor:
Staff
PHIL 307: Buddhism
Same as RelS 307. May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Philosophy and religion of Gautama Buddha
as it developed in India, Tibet, China, and Japan.
Instructor: Jay Feldman
PHIL 308: Confucianism and Taoism
Same as RelS 308. May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Analysis of writings of Lao-tzu, Confucius, Mencius, Chuang-tzu, and medieval Confucianism.
Instructors: Staff
PHIL 315: Existentialism
Analysis of the writings of such figures as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Dostoyevsky, Hesse, Kafka,
Buber, Camus, and Sartre.
Instructors: Staff
PHIL 320: History of Ancient Philosophy
WSU Phil 290. May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Philosophical thought from the early Greeks through the Middle Ages; concentration on metaphysics and theory of knowledge.
Instructors: Staff
PHIL 321: History of Modern Phil
WSU Phil 305. May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Critical evaluation of
the thought of major figures in early modern philosophy, such as Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant;
emphasis on metaphysics and epistemology.
Instructors: Staff
PHIL WS322: 19th Century Philosophy
WSU Phil 322.The Continental, post-Kantian tradition, with emphasis on thinkers such as Hegel, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche. Taught at WSU only.
Instructors: Aaron Bunch
PHIL 325(s): Historical Figures in Philosophy
Study of a major philosophical figure from the history of philosophy. May be repeated for credit. Recommended preparation: one philosophy course.
Instructors: Staff
PHIL 330: Contemporary Moral Problems
Philosophical case analysis in areas of current concern such as racism and
sexism, sexual morality, professional responsibility, abortion, welfare of animals, and right to die.
Instructors:
PHIL 351: Philosophy of Science
WSU Phil 351. Introduction to the critical analysis of the aims and methods of
science, its principles, practices, and achievements. Prerequistes: 3 credits of philosophy or 3 credits of natural science.
Instructor: Matthew Slater
PHIL 361 (s): Professional Ethics (3 cr, max 6)
Study of ethical issues and problems arising in professions. Each section focuses
on a specific area of professional ethics: bioethics; business ethics; engineering ethics; environmental and natural resource ethics;
human service provider ethics; media ethics; ethics in public affairs. Prerequisite: Phil 103.
Instructor: Jason Johnstone-Yellin, Janice Capel Anderson
PHIL 365: Biomedical Ethics
May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Ethical questions in the health professions and medical
research, with emphasis on current dilemmas faced by physicians, nurses, medical technologists, and dentists; case analysis in
context of modern ethical theory.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 381: American Indian Environmental Philosophy
Exploration of traditional and contemporary American Indian thought
about people in relationship to the more than human world. Recommended preparation: Any courses in philosophy, religious
studies, American Indian studies, or environmental studies.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 382: Philosophy of Ecology
Exploration of conceptual issues in ecology with special consideration of the connection
between ecology and environmental philosophy. Recommended preparation: Any courses in philosophy, natural resources, or
environmental studies.
Instructor: Staff
Phil WS402: Seminar in Symbolic Logic
WSU Phil 401. (Alt/yrs)
Instructor: Michael O'Rourke, Matthew Slater
Phil 404 (s): Special Topics (cr arr)
Instructor: Staff
Phil 415: Phenomenology
Survey of philosophy of Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Sartre, and others in the
phenomenological tradition.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 417/517: Philosophy of Biology
WSU Phil 418. A study of selected conceptual and methodological issues biology, such as the nature of species, units of selection, and function. Prerequisites: 3 credits of philosophy and 3 credits of biology (or permission of the instructor).
Instructor: Matthew Slater
PHIL WS420: Contemporary Continental Philosophy
WSU PHIL 420. Selected movements, figures, and issues in recent continental philosophy. Taught at WSU only.
Instructor: Aaron Bunch
PHIL 421: Philosophy of the Arts
Chief conceptions of the nature of the arts and their interpretation.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 425/525: Feminism and Philosophy
May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Analysis of schools of feminist theory and impact
of feminism on philosophy and other disciplines.
Instructors: Janice Capel-Anderson
PHIL 436: Philosophy of War & Peace
May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Philosophical analysis of violent and nonviolent methods of political conflict resolution; may include just war theory, limited war theory, terrorism, institutionalized procedures for resolving political conflict, and pacifism.
Instructors: Douglas Lind
PHIL 442/542: Philosophy of Mind
WSU Phill 442. May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Survey of current philosophical theories of the nature of minds and mental states, including forms of dualism, reductive physicalism, functionalism, and eliminative materialism. Additional assignments required for graduate credit. Recommended Preparation: Phil 202 and 240.
Instructors: Michael O'Rourke
PHIL 443: Philosophy of Language
WSU Phil 443. May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Philosophical thinking about
meaning, reference, and truth. Recommended Preparation: Phil 202 and 240.
Instructor: Michael O'Rourke
PHIL 446: Metaphysics
WSU Phil 446. Classical and contemporary readings on such items as realism versus
nominalism, free will and determinism, the nature of causality, the existence of God, personal identity, modality. Recommended
Preparation: Phil 202 and 240.
Instructors: Michael O'Rourke, Matthew Slater, Joe Keim Campbell
PHIL 447: Theory of Knowledge
WSU Phil 447. Analysis of the nature of knowledge; survey of various philosophical positions on the sources and extent of what we know. Recommended Preparation: Phil 202 and 240.
Instructors: Michael O'Rourke, Matthew Slater
PHIL 450: Ethics in Science
An investigation of social and ethical issues in scientific research and the place of ethics in a scientific worldview.
Instructor: Matthew Slater
PHIL J452 / ENVS J552: Environmental Philosophy
Phil 552 same as EnvS 552. May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Philosophical examination of various ethical, metaphysical, and legal issues concerning humans, nature, and the environment;
issues covered may include biodiversity and species protection, animal rights, radical ecology, environmental racism, wilderness
theory, population control, and property rights. Additional projects/assignments reqd for grad credit.
Instructors: Staff
PHIL 457: Natural Resource Ethics
Examination of key ethical concepts and arguments underlying all fields of natural
resources. Recommended preparation: Any course in philosophy, environmental studies, or natural resources. (Spring, alt/yrs)
Instructor: Staff
PHIL ID&WS460: Ethical Theory
WSU Phil 460. Critical analysis of classical consequentialist and deontic views
as well as one or more recent theories such as emotivism and prescriptivism, feminist ethics, communitarianism, or virtue ethics.
Prerequisite: Phil 103.
Instructors: Janice Capel-Anderson, Douglas Lind, Matt Stichter
PHIL WS462: Women and Ethics
WSU Phil 462. Study of gender and feminism and their effect on contemporary ethical theories and issues. Taught at WSU only.
Instructor: WSU Staff.
PHIL ID&WS470: Philosophy of Law
WSU Phil 470: May be used as core credit in J-3-d. Analysis of fundamental
philosophical issues in law and legal systems, including the nature of law, relation of law to morality, judicial method, and nature and
ascription of rights. Recommended Preparation: Phil 103.
Instructor: Douglas Lind
PHIL ID&WS472: Social and Political Philosophy
WSU Phil 472: Examination of basic issues of social justice and political
organization, including theory of the state, liberty, equality, justification of rights, justice theory, and distributive justice.
Instructor: Douglas Lind, Harry Silverstein
PHIL ID&WS480: INPC Seminar
WSU Phil 490. Focused study of the topic of the annual Inland Northwest Philosophy
Conference with guest instruction by scholars from the conference.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 490: Senior Seminar
Required of all philosophy majors; capstone course devoted to mastery of the philosophical essay;
topics will vary. Prerequisite: Senior standing or completion of 24 credits in philosophy.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 491: Seminar in Professional Ethics and Diversity
Same as Soc 491. Capstone course for students pursuing certificates in professional ethics or diversity. Interdisciplinary seminar culminating in research projects and presentations under the direction of faculty mentors.
Prerequisite: Phil 361 or Soc 301 or Permission
Instructor: Douglas Lind, John Mihelich
PHIL 496: Teaching Methods in Philosophy (2 cr, max 4)
Learn methods of teaching while assisting in an introductory-level philosophy course. Prerequisite: four upper-division courses in philosophy, the introductory course in which the student will participate,
and perm of dept. Graded P/F.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 499 (s): Directed Study (cr arr)
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 500: Master's Research and Thesis (cr arr)
PHIL 501 (s): Seminar (cr arr)
Graded P/F. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 502 (s): Directed Study (cr arr)
PHIL 504 (s): Special Topics
Graded P/F. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 508 (s): Critical Theory and Continental Aesthetics
Introduction and examination of principal texts on art and aesthetics from the major figures in Critical Theory and Continental philosophy. Students will be encouraged to address the possible relevancy and application of the various theoretical frameworks within the purview of their own aesthetic and critical disciplines.
Instructor: Ivan Castaneda
PHIL ID&WS510: Seminar in the History of Philosophy (3 cr, max 6)
WSU Phil 510. Systematic exploration of the central works
of an individual philosopher or philosophical movement.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 517: Philosophy of Biology
See Phil J417/J517.
Instructor: Matthew Slater
PHIL WS520: Seminar in Ethical Theory
WSU Phil 520. The major issues, views, and figures of ethical theory from ancient Greece to the present. Taught at WSU only.
Instructor: Harry Silverstein
PHIL ID&WS522: Seminar in Metaphysics
WSU Phil 522. The nature of reality, through study of key concepts such as God, personhood, free will, causation, space, time, and identity.
Instructors: Joe Keim Campbell, Michael O'Rourke, David Shier, Matthew Slater
PHIL ID&WS524: Seminar in Epistemology
WSU Phil 524. Classical problems, questions, and theories involving the
concept of knowledge.
Instructor: Joe Keim Campbell, Michael O'Rourke, David Shier, Matthew Slater
PHIL 525: Philosophy and Feminism
See Phil J425/J525.
Instructor: Janice Capel Anderson
PHIL WS532: Seminar in Business Ethics
WSU Phil 532. Taught at WSU only.
Instructor: Matt Stichter
PHIL WS535: Advanced Biomedical Ethics
WSU Phil 530. Taught at WSU only.
Instructor: Bill Kabasenche
PHIL 542: Philosophy of Mind
See Phil J442/J542.
Instructor: Michael O'Rourke
PHIL 543: Philosophy of Language
See Phil J443/J543.
Instructor: Michael O'Rourke
PHIL 552: Environmental Philosophy
See Phil J452/J552.
Instructor: Staff
PHIL 556: Religion and the Environment
Explores concepts of the sacred, the human, nature, their inter-relationships from several religious traditions; relates these to ecology, environmental ethics. Specific religious traditions covered may vary. Recommended Preparation: At least one 300-400 level philosophy or religious studies course.
Instructor: Janice Capel-Anderson
PHIL 571: Ecological Jurisprudence
Inquiry into the nature of law as a product of culture, emphasizing property, land tenure,
and environmental rights and responsibilities. Recommended Preparation: Phil 103, 452, or 470.
Instructor: Douglas Lind