Furman University

101 Introduction to Philosophy (formerly PHL-20) 

Introduction to some of the classic problems of philosophy, with emphasis on understanding the nature of philosophical reflection and reasoning. Includes epistemology, ethics, metaphysics and other major branches of philosophy. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits. 

105 Logic (formerly PHL-21) 

Formal analysis of arguments with emphasis on symbolic logic. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

201 Ancient Philosophy (formerly PHL-31) 

The growth and development of philosophical thought from Thales to Aquinas. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits. 

202 Modern Philosophy (formerly PHL-32) 

The growth and development of philosophical thought from Descartes through Kant.

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

203 Nineteenth Century Philosophy (formerly PHL-33) 

Important figures and themes of nineteenth century philosophy. Readings chosen from Hegel, Schelling, Schopenhauer, Feuerbach, Marx, Kierkegaard, Darwin, and Nietzsche. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

204 American Philosophy (formerly PHL-41) 

History of American philosophy focusing on the development of Pragmatism and its influence on contemporary thought. Readings include Emerson, Peirce, James, Santayana, and Dewey. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

205 Twentieth Century Philosophy (formerly PHL-42) 

Introduction to the important figures and themes of twentieth century philosophy. Attention given to material from both the analytic and phenomenological traditions. Postmodern responses to these traditions also examined. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

220 Realizing Bodymind: Whole Person Development 

Survey of "Wholeness Concepts" which promote lifetime fitness and healthy lifestyle habits. Topics include: the philosophical and corporeal cultural traditions of South Asia, East Asia, and Northeast Asia. Introduction to the martial art of Aikido as well as additional disciplines (including meditation) that promote the experience mind and body unification. 4 credits. 

230 Indian Philosophy (formerly PHL-A43) 

Survey of six orthodox and three heterodox schools including Advaita Vedanta, Yoga, Samkya, Mimamsa, Nyaya, Vaisesika, Early Buddhism, Jainism, and Ajivika Materialism. Comparative (East/West) analyses are explored. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 asian-african requirement and may satisfy the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits. 

240 Chinese Philosophy (formerly PHL-A44) 

Survey of the development of Classical Chinese Philosophy with emphasis upon Confucian, Daoist, and Neo-Confucian traditions. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 asian-african requirement and may satisfy the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits. 

250 Japanese Philosophy (formerly PHL-A45) 

Prerequisite: PHL-101 

The development of Japanese Philosophy from the classical period to modern times with a focus upon Buddhist philosophy and its intersection with the West. Analysis includes Early Buddhism, Kukai's Shingon Buddhism, and Dogen's Soto Zen Buddhism. The encounter of Japanese Philosophy with the West is studied through modern figures such as Nishida Kitaro, Watsuji Tetsuro, and Yuasa Yasuo. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 asian-african requirement and may satisfy the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

Latin American philosophical reflection from 4 key eras of the region's history: Pre-Conquest; arguments for/against the Conquest; the 19th century struggle for independence; and exciting currents in 20th century thought (liberation and feminist philosophies) 4 credits. 

270 Africana Philosophies (formerly PHL-A49) 

Philosophical themes in sub-Saharan Africa and the African Diaspora in the Caribbean and the United States. Topics include: what counts as Africana philosophy; race; colonialism; gender; and slavery. Ontological, ethical and socio-political questions considered. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 asian-african requirement and may satisfy the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits. 

301 Ethics (formerly PHL-23) 

Prerequisite: PHL-101 

The nature of morality, the grounds of moral obligation, and the principles of moral decision-making according to classicaland contemporary moral philosophers.

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

302 Medical Ethics (formerly PHL-28) 

Major moral issues in health care delivery systems. Issues covered include doctor-patient relationships, truth-telling, refusal of life-saving treatment, euthanasia, and allocation of scarce medical resources. Requires extensive field work at Greenville Memorial Hospital. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

303 Environmental Ethics (formerly PHL-29) 

Examination and evaluation of various approaches to moral problem solving with reference to environmental and ecological issues. Topics include: Animal Liberation, theLand Ethic, Biocentrism or Reverence for Life, Ecofeminism, Deep Ecology, and Environmental Justice. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

304 Ethics of Globalization (formerly PHL-47) 

Consideration of how to make an ethical assessment of globalization's economic, environmental, political aspects. Topics include: the benefits/costs of globalization, who is benefiting and possible alternatives to globalization. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits. 

Central issues in social and political philosophy. Topics vary, but may include: the philosophical foundations of the state, the basis and limits of individual freedom, the place of religion in a democracy, the justification of punishment, the requirements of distributive justice, and the treatment of cultural, racial, and gender diversity. Readings typically include works by both classical and contemporary philosophers. 4 credits. 

311 Philosophy of Law (formerly PHL-38) 

Investigation of philosophical questions relating to law. Topics include the question of what law is, the responsibility of the individual faced with unjust law, and the relation between philosophical understandings of the law and the resolution of legal issues. Readings include philosophical treatments of law and texts of legal opinions from courts. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

312 Philosophy of Gender (formerly PHL-46) 

Examination of competing feminist theories. For example, liberal feminism, socialist or Marxist feminism, radical feminism and others. Analyzing the philosophical assumptions concerning women and women’s situations that underlie each view, and examining the philosophical traditions from which each theory is developed. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

320 Philosophy of Science (formerly PHL-36) 

Understanding the scope, structure, and limits of the scientific method. Special attention is given to biology, psychology, and the implications of evolutionary theory. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

Examination of the conceptions of the self, personhood, and human nature at the root of traditional theories of psychology. Theories discussed will include Freudian psychoanalysis, existential psychology, and contemporary neurobiological approaches to the human mind. 4 credits.

330 Philosophy of Art (formerly PHL-22) 

A study of the nature of art and the possibility of standards of judgment. Readings include Aristotle, Plato, Kant, Dickie, Danto. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

340 Philosophy of Religion (formerly PHL-37) 

Investigation of the central philosophical issues relating to religious belief and practice. Topics include arguments for and against the existence of God, the problem of evil, the nature and significance of religious experience, and the relationship between the different world religions. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.

350 Epistemology

This course introduces students to philosophical reflection about knowledge.  The course addresses issues such as how we should define knowledge, why knowledge is good to have, whether there are good responses to skepticism, how we should understand the relationship between knowledge and rational justification, what is the correct understanding of how beliefs come to be rationally justified, how we should understand such notions as "truth" and "objectivity," and whether knowledge is relative to particular conceptual schemes or cultures.  Students will confront these issues through an examination of classic and contemporary philosophical texts. 4 credits.

355 Fact, Fiction and Fraud
Examination of what our expectations are when we read.  What do we think truth consists of when we read a memoir, or a novel, and how do we reconcile that with our notions of truth outside narrative descriptions.  May Experience ONLY.  2 Credits.

370 Philosophers, Movements and Problems (formerly PHL-30) 

Further investigation into a particular philosopher, movement or problem. 

Satisfies the pre-fall 2008 general education requirement in upper-level humanities. 4 credits.