The following undergraduate courses are offered by the Department of Philosophy.
Current Course Descriptions
Introduction to the philosophical thinking through examination of such topics as Plato's and Aristotle's contribution to Western civilization; free will and moral responsibility; God, morality, and knowledge.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Course Rules: May not be retaken for add'l cr; may be repeated for higher grade.
Last Taught: Summer 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Summer 2017.
Students learn a broad variety of fundamental logical methods - techniques used to identify, analyze, model, evaluate, and criticize different types of real-world reasoning.
Prerequisites: ACT math subscore of 18 or higher, or Math Placement Level 10, which is earned by any of the following: (a) Level 10 on Math Placement Test; (b) grade of C or better in Math 090; or (c) grade of D in Math 094.
General Education Requirements: HU
Course Rules: Jointly offered w/ Math 111; they count as repeats of one another.
Last Taught: Summer 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Summer 2017.
Specific topics are announced in the Schedule of Classes each time the class is offered.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Course Rules: Open only to freshmen. Students may earn cr in just one L&S First-Year Sem (course numbers 192, 193, 194).
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015.
For further information, consult dept chair.
Prerequisites: 2.5 gpa; writ cons instr, dept chair, & asst dean for SAS.
Course Rules: May be retaken to 6 cr max.
Last Taught: Spring 2006, Fall 2002, Fall 1999, Summer 1999.
Philosophy of Asian religions; emphasis on the Indian experience of Hinduism and Buddhism, and the Chinese experience of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016.
The alleged conflict between science and religion: case histories, analysis of the issues, implications for the concepts of religious beliefs and scientific knowledge.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2015, Fall 2013.
Introduction to traditional and modern logic; the concepts of argument, validity; proof, fallacy, persuasion, and reasoning; the development of certain practical skills.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU, QLB
Last Taught: Summer 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Summer 2017.
A second course in symbolic logic that develops the skills in symbolic translation and proof construction acquired in Philos 211, investigates more abstractly the properties of formal systems of proof.
Prerequisites: grade C or better in Philos 211(P).
General Education Requirements: HU
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015.
Course for beginning students dealing with such problems as induction vs deduction; hypotheses and theories and their relation to observation; explanation and prediction.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Last Taught: Spring 2010, Spring 2009, Summer 2003, Spring 2003.
Grounds of rational belief and knowledge and methods used for obtaining them, with particular emphasis on problems of evidence and truth.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Last Taught: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015, Fall 2014.
Introduction to the major problems of metaphysics, such as the mind-body problem, the free will-determinism issue, and the nature of causality.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Last Taught: Spring 2017, Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2012.
A course for beginning students dealing with such philosophical problems as freedom of will, skepticism, or a historical figure or movement.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 6 cr max.
Last Taught: Spring 2018, UWinteriM 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017.
A course for beginning students dealing with selected philosophical issues underlying feminist ideas and problems.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Spring 2013, Fall 2010, Spring 2008.
Discussion of controversies over whether modern technology is a progressive or regressive force in human life; impact of technology on individual and institutional values.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015.
Development of moral ideas. Criticism of ethical theories and of social institutions such as state, property, and family.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016.
Opposing philosophical views about man and his political and social life.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Last Taught: Fall 2015, Spring 2014, Fall 2011, Spring 2009.
Intensive study of one moral issue of current relevance.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 6 cr max.
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016.
Study of ethical issues facing patients, providers, and public policy planners: e.g., ethical response to terminal illness, equity in health care delivery.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 6 cr max.
Last Taught: Summer 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Summer 2017.
Development of critical and analytical skills using legal reasoning as a model and law texts as sources.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 6 cr max.
Last Taught: Spring 2010, Fall 2009, Spring 2009, Fall 2008.
Major questions: What is God? Can God's existence (or non-existence) be proved? How? What is religious faith? Is faith rational? Is faith ethical or wise?
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Last Taught: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015.
The creation, appreciation, and criticism of works of art. Sources and use of standards.
Prerequisites: none.
General Education Requirements: HU
Last Taught: Summer 2014, Fall 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2010.
Survey of one significant philosophical tradition.
Prerequisites: none.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 6 cr max.
Last Taught: Spring 2009, Spring 2005, Fall 2004, Fall 2003.
Intensive study of one short work of special importance in the philosophic literature.
Prerequisites: none.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 6 cr max.
Last Taught: Fall 2007, Fall 2006, Spring 2004, Spring 2003.
Application of basic principles of philosophy in a business, organizational, educational, political, or other appropriate setting.
Prerequisites: intro course in philos; 2.25 gpa; cons supervising faculty member.
Course Rules: One cr earned for academic work based on 40 hours in internship. May be retaken to 6 cr max.
Designed to enroll students in UWM sponsored program before course work level, content, and credits are determined, and/or in specially prepared program course work.
Prerequisites: acceptance for Study Abroad Prog.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic.
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Spring 2015.
Course created expressly for offering in a specified enrollment period. Requires only dept & assoc dean approval. In exceptional circumstances, can be offered in one add'l sem.
Prerequisites: none; add'l prereqs may be assigned to specific topic.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic.
Studies the natures of action, belief and knowledge and the constraint that knowledge imposes on responsible action and belief, both in individuals and across society.
Prerequisites: jr st; Philos 101(P) or 215(P).
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015.
Study of perennial philosophical issues about the nature of the world and our relation to it; realism, idealism, causality, the mind-body problem, time, truth.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Spring 2015.
Study of traditional and recent views about the nature, aim and ways of evaluating scientific theories, with reference to both the natural and social sciences.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2012.
Specific philosophical topic or issue, such as contemporary aesthetics, personal identity, the mind-body problem, the nature of beauty, equality, the just-war doctrine.
Prerequisites: jr st; 3 cr in philos.
Course Rules: Not open for cr to students w/cr in Philos 381 w/similar subtitle. May be retaken w/chg in topic to 9 cr max.
Last Taught: Spring 2017, Fall 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2012.
Philosophical study of topics in the biological sciences, such as evolutionary explanations, genetic determinism, the definition of life, what constitutes a biological individual.
Prerequisites: jr st; 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Fall 2010, Spring 2005, Spring 2002.
Theories of environmental ethics, practical application. Responsibilities to nature/future generations; moral value/status of environment and organisms; philosophical issues concerning environmental studies and ecology.
Prerequisites: jr st.
Last Taught: Fall 2017, Fall 2016.
Theories of environmental ethics, practical application. Responsibilities to nature/future generations; moral value/status of environment and organisms; philosophical issues concerning environmental studies and ecology.
Prerequisites: jr st.
Last Taught: Fall 2017, Fall 2016.
Ethical theories and problems as discussed in the late nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty first-centuries.
Prerequisites: jr st; 3 cr in philos; satisfaction of OWC-A.
General Education Requirements: OWCB
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Fall 2015, Spring 2015.
Major themes of moral philosophy from Plato and Aristotle to Bentham and Mill, with critical study of the outstanding works.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Fall 2012, Fall 2010, Fall 2009, Fall 2008.
Analysis of the nature of religion, of various comparative typological classifications and methodological approaches; basic problems in understanding the varieties of religious experience and expression.
Prerequisites: jr st; Philos 204(P), Philos/Hist/Hebr St 275(P) or Anthro 203(P).
Last Taught: Spring 2006, Spring 2004, Spring 2002, Spring 2000.
Critical study of the nature of mind and its relation to body and matter, with emphasis on recent advances in philosophy and psychology.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Fall 2015, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Spring 2011.
Philosophical doctrines involved in justification of political decisions; analysis of fundamental concepts such as the common good, authority, justice, natural law, and natural rights.
Prerequisites: jr st; Philos 242(P) or a course in ethics.
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2014.
The nature of the will, agency, intentional action, and the problem of free will and determinism.
Prerequisites: jr st, 3 cr philos; or grad st.
Last Taught: Spring 2012, Spring 2010, Spring 2006, Spring 2004.
Major issues in the philosophy of perception: the nature of sensation, perception and inference, the relationship of perception and belief.
Prerequisites: jr st; 3 cr in Philos.
Last Taught: Fall 2011, Spring 2010, Spring 2009.
Intensive study of selected philosophers, movements, or philosophical problems.
Prerequisites: soph st; Honors 200(P);cons Honors College dir.
General Education Requirements: HU
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 9 cr max.
Last Taught: Fall 2006, Fall 2005, Spring 2005, Fall 2004.
The idea of law and its relationship to morality. Issues of legal obligation, rights, responsibility, and punishment.
Prerequisites: jr st; 3 cr philos or previous course in political theory or law studies recom.
Course Rules: Philos 384 & Pol Sci 384 are jointly offered; they count as repeats of one another.
Last Taught: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Spring 2014.
An examination of, and engagement with, the thought of some of the major philosophers of the ancient period, including the Pre-Socratics, Plato, and Aristotle.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Fall 2017, Fall 2016.
An examination of, and engagement with, the thought of some of the major philosophers of the ancient period, including the Pre-Socratics, Plato, and Aristotle.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Fall 2017, Fall 2016.
Critical and historical examination of writings of medieval philosophers such as Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Duns Scotus, Ockham, Al Farabi, Maimonides.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Fall 2009, Spring 2008, Spring 2006, Spring 2004.
An examination of the thought of representative philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015.
Hegel, Schopenhauer, Marx, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and others. The conflict of idealistic, materialistic, and irrationalist philosophies of the nineteenth century and their influence on its social, literary, and religious movements.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Fall 2012, Fall 2010, Spring 2009, Fall 1995.
Comparison of problems and solutions dealt with by currently active movements and philosophers, including Carnap, Croce, Dewey, Heidegger, Husserl, Moore, Russell, Sartre, and Wittgenstein.
Prerequisites: jr st; 3 cr in philos.
Analysis of existentialist thinkers such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, and Merleau-Ponty.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Spring 2011, Fall 2009, Spring 2006.
Husserl's phenomenological method and its impact on recent continental philosophy, e.g. Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Spring 2012, Fall 2003, Spring 1999, Spring 1993.
Problems central to Islamic theology, philosophy, and mysticism, and their relations to the teachings of Islam.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Fall 2005, Spring 2002, Fall 1997, Spring 1996.
Analysis of two or more contemporary religious thinkers (e.g., Buber, Heschel, Tillich, Barth, Bultmann, death-of-God theologians, Moltmann, Pannenberg, Rahner, Chardin). Difficulties and objections are discussed.
Prerequisites: jr st, 3 cr in philos.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 9 cr max.
Intensive study of selected Hindu and Indian Buddhist thinkers and schools of thought, e.g. the Vedanta of Sankara and Ramanuja, Mahayana thought, modern Vedanta, Gandhi.
Prerequisites: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 9 cr max. Pereq: jr st; 3 cr in philos.
Last Taught: Fall 2005, Fall 2003, Fall 2002, Fall 2001.
Application of advanced principles of philosophy in a business, organizational, educational, political, or other appropriate setting.
Prerequisites: jr st; 300-level or above course in philos; 2.25 gpa; cons supervising faculty member.
Course Rules: One cr earned for academic work based on 40 hours in internship. May be retaken to 6 cr max.
Last Taught: Spring 2010, Fall 1998.
Designed to enroll students in UWM sponsored program before course work level, content and credits are determined and/or in specially prepared program course work.
Prerequisites: jr st; acceptance for Study Abroad Prog.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic.
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Spring 2014.
Course created expressly for offering in a specified enrollment period. Requires only dept & assoc dean approval. In exceptional circumstances, can be offered in one add'l sem.
Prerequisites: jr st; add'l prereqs may be assigned to specific topic.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic.
Last Taught: Summer 1988.
First-order predicate calculus; formal properties of theoretical systems; chief results of modern mathematical logic; advanced topics such as completeness and computability.
Prerequisites: jr st, either Philos 212(P) or 6 cr math at the 300-level or above; or grad st.
Course Rules: Jointly-offered w/& counts as repeat of CompSci/Math 511.
Last Taught: Fall 2015, Fall 2013, Fall 2011, Fall 2009.
Philosophical issues of the semantics, syntax and pragmatics of language; relations between philosophy of language and metaphysics, epistemology and philosophy of science.
Prerequisites: jr st & Philos 101(P) or 432(P).
Last Taught: Fall 2015, Fall 2012.
Philosophical issues of the semantics, syntax and pragmatics of language; relations between philosophy of language and metaphysics, epistemology and philosophy of science.
Prerequisites: jr st & Philos 101(P) or 432(P).
Last Taught: Fall 2015, Fall 2012.
In depth study of one or more topics concerning the nature of language; its acquisition, use and formal structures.
Prerequisites: jr st; 3 cr in philos.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic & cons advisor & instr to 6 cr max.
The nature of historical knowledge and belief in terms of the justification of historical narration, explanation and prediction.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Intensive study in such topics as perception, skepticism, induction, mathematical knowledge, universals, causality, substance, determinism, possibility.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 9 cr max.
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Spring 2014.
Intensive study in such topics as perception, skepticism, induction, mathematical knowledge, universals, causality, substance, determinism, possibility.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 9 cr max.
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Spring 2014.
The nature and function of science; the logic of scientific method; clarification of such concepts as cause, law, theory, probability, determinism, and teleology.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
The nature and scope of the social sciences; explanatory, interpretive, and normative concerns in theory construction, their interconnection, and their methodological implications.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Consideration of one or more of the following: logic of theory construction, theoretical entities, measurement, nature of laws, conventionalism, operationalism, and induction.
Prerequisites: jr st.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 9 cr max.
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Fall 2014, Fall 2012, Fall 2010.
Study of selected feminist theorists with an emphasis on past or contemporary thinkers. Attention will be paid to the philosophical importance of the problems raised.
Prerequisites: jr st; a course in philos or women's stds.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 6 cr max. Philos 535 & Wmns 535 are jointly offered; with same topic, they count as repeats of one another.
Last Taught: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2014, Spring 2010.
Views on the moral permissibility of punishment and other forms of penalization; the foundations of a general theory of moral responsibility.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos. Philos 241(R) or social science background recom.
Intensive study of one or more of Aristotle's major works or of themes and problems in Aristotle's thought. Particular attention to careful analysis of the texts.
Prerequisites: jr st; 3 cr philos; Philos 430(R).
Last Taught: Fall 2016, Spring 1995, Spring 1990, Spring 1985.
Intensive study of a philosopher, movement, or historical problem in modern philosophy, e.g., Spinoza, British empiricists, Locke's influence upon the Enlightenment, overthrow of Hegelian idealism.
Prerequisites: jr st; 3 cr philos; Philos 432(R); or cons instr.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 9 cr max.
Last Taught: Fall 2017, Fall 2016.
Intensive study of a philosopher, movement, or historical problem in modern philosophy, e.g., Spinoza, British empiricists, Locke's influence upon the Enlightenment, overthrow of Hegelian idealism.
Prerequisites: jr st; 3 cr philos; Philos 432(R); or cons instr.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 9 cr max.
Last Taught: Fall 2017, Fall 2016.
Intensive study of one or more philosophers or philosophical movements of the recent past.
Prerequisites: jr st; 3 cr philos.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 9 cr max.
Last Taught: Spring 2005, Fall 2004, Spring 2004, Spring 2001.
Intensive study of issues such as the concept of law, punishment, liberty, civil disobedience, the public good, and the applicability of scientific method to social issues.
Prerequisites: jr st & 3 cr in philos.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 9 cr max.
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015.
Seminar on a philosopher, philosophical movement, issue, or problem for majors and graduate students. Research papers required. Additional prereqs announced in Schedule of Classes each time course is offered.
Prerequisites: sr st & 12 cr in philos at 300-level or above; or grad st.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 9 cr max.
Last Taught: Spring 2018, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015.
Seminar study of a philosopher, philosophical movement, text, or topic for senior philosophy majors. Research paper and presentation required.
Prerequisites: sr st; declared Philos major; or cons instr.
Course Rules: Satisfies L&S research req. May be retaken w/chg in topic to 6 cr max.
Last Taught: Fall 2017, Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012.
See Advanced Independent Work, undergrad bulletin.
Prerequisites: jr st; 3.0 in major or 3.0 overall gpa, & writ cons instr, dept chair, & asst dean for SAS.
Course Rules: May be retaken w/chg in topic to 9 cr max. Only 6 cr count toward Philos major. No more than 3 cr with any one instr except with writ cons dept.
Last Taught: Spring 2014, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2008.