Current and Upcoming Course Offerings
Summer 2024 Course Offerings
Truth, Reality, and the Good Life: Introduction to Philosophy
Does life have meaning? This deceptively simple question will provide our entry point into philosophy.
Part 1: Discusses why we even ask about the meaning of life and considers a couple of proposals -- life is meaningful if it's playful and life is naturally going to be one of suffering.
Part 2: Looks at the nature of happiness & the examined life with Plato's teacher Socrates; the connection with ethics is explored.
Part 3: Tees off of the infamous quip, "I shop, therefore I am." Why does society tend to align consumption with happiness? How does this affect our relationships with one another?
Part 4: Asks about meaning and religious faith. Is belief in a god(s) integral to a good life? What else might be able to provide that kind of meaning?
Section: | Instructor: | Mode: |
E01 | Dr. David Hildebrand | Online (Asychronous) |
Logic, Language, and Scientific Reasoning
Intro course in argumentation, critical thinking and scientific reasoning. Covers rules of logical inference, informal fallacies, problem solving, and probabilistic reasoning. Enhances analytical and critical thinking skills tested on LSAT and MCAT, central to advancement in sciences, and broadly desired by employers.
Section | Instructor: | Mode: |
001 | Dr. Mark Tanzer | T-Th 10:30am-1pm |
E01, E02 | Professor Brett Hackett | Online |
Philosophies of Happiness and the Good Life
Human Happiness: Illusion, Over-Rated, or Greatest Good?*
Everyone strives to be happy. But what is "Happiness"? Why do so few people seem to be Genuinely Happy? What are some Common, Widespread Misconceptions about "Happiness" that block its Attainment? A key question this course will consider is, "Can someone be genuinely Happy in a time of crisis such as we went through with the COVID Pandemic?"
To answer these questions, we will explore Views on Happiness from Ancient Philosophers (e.g., Socrates and Aristotle) to Contemporary Thinkers such as Viktor Franki (1905-1997) and Contemporary Positive Psychologists. Every Student Will Construct their Personal Philosophy of Happiness.
*This course guaranteed to make you happier or double your misery back!
Section | Instructor: | Mode: |
E01 | Dr. Darryl Mehring | Online |
Fall 2024 Courses
- PHIL 1012 - Truth, Reality, and the Good Life: Introduction to Philosophy
- PHIL 1020 - Right, Wrong, and Seeing the Difference: Introduction to Ethical Reasoning
- PHIL 2441 - Logic, Language and Scientific Reasoning
- PHIL 3002/5002 - Ancient Greek Philosophy
- PHIL 3200/5200 - Justice, Freedom, and Power: Social and Political Philosophy
- PHIL 3340 - Investigating Nature: Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
- PHIL 3410 - Asian Philosophies and Religions
- PHIL 3441/5441 - Philosophical Reasoning Skills
- PHIL 3500 - Ideology and Culture: Racism and Sexism
- PHIL 3760/5830 - Kant: Freedom, Reality, and the Mind
- PHIL 4000/5000 - 19th and 20th Century Continental Philosophy
- PHIL 4220/5220 - Art, Beauty, and Aesthetic Criticism: Philosophy of Art
- PHIL 4242/5242 - Medicine, Health Care, and Justice: Bioethics
- PHIL 4600/5600 - Questioning Religious Belief and Practice: Introduction to Philosophy of Religion
- PHIL 4795 - Marx and Marxism
Are ghosts real? How about God? Is science our only source for truth? What about common sense? How are emotion and reason related? Is a life of duty better than one of pleasure? Is there a “best” kind of life? Typically, differences among people are rooted in deeper concepts -- such as truth, reality, and happiness. Philosophy has developed questions and (some) theories about what these concepts mean and how they might apply to everyday life.
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001-LEC |
T Th 9:30am to 10:45am |
|
002-LEC | Brian Lisle | MW 2:00pm to 3:15pm |
003-LEC |
MW 12:30pm to 1:45pm |
|
E01-LEC |
ONLINE Want to know more? Click here |
Terms offered: fall, spring, summer. Max hours: 3 Credits. GT: Course is approved by the Colorado Dept of Higher Education for statewide guaranteed transfer, GT-AH
We’re commonly told to “do the right thing,” and everybody seems to agree that we should. But what is right? What is wrong? How can we see and know the difference? This course helps students examine and analyze the ethical concepts, situations, and problems raised by these fundamental questions. Specific problems will vary with contemporary concerns, e.g., poverty, war, injustice, famine, abortion, punishment, and environmental sustainability. The course goal is to help students sharpen their ethical reasoning skills so they can better navigate and contribute to the ethical, social, and political arenas in which they will live their lives.
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001-LEC |
MW 2:00pm to 3:15pm |
|
002-LEC | Jeffrey Golub | T Th 11:00 am to 12:15pm |
E01-LEC |
ONLINE |
Terms offered: fall, spring, summer. Max hours: 3 Credits. GT: Course is approved by the Colorado Dept of Higher Education for statewide guaranteed transfer, GT-AH3
Introductory course developing skills in argumentation, critical thinking, and scientific reasoning. We will cover a wide array of topics including rules of logical inference, informal fallacies, problem-solving, and probabilistic reasoning. These are crucial analytical and critical thinking skills tested on LSAT and MCAT. In this course, we discuss issues central to advancement in the sciences, and towards knowledge in general which is a skill broadly desired by employers.
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001-LEC |
MW 12:30pm to 1:45pm |
|
002-LEC |
MW 9:30am to 10:45am |
|
003-LEC | Candice Shelby | MW 11:00am to 12:15pm |
004-LEC | Mark Tanzer | T Th 9:30am to 10:45am |
E01-LEC |
ONLINE |
|
E02-LEC |
ONLINE More info can be found here |
Max Hours: 3 Credits. Terms offered: spring, summer, fall. GT: Course is approved by the Colorado Dept of Higher Education for statewide guaranteed transfer, GT-AH3.
What is philosophy? What is the nature of reality? What is the difference between knowledge and opinion? What is the best kind of life for a human being to lead? Ancient Greece was the birthplace of Western philosophy, and this course traces the history of ancient Greek thought, from Homer and Hesiod through the pre-Socratic thinkers (e.g. such figures as Thales, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Zeno of Elea, Empedocles, Anaxagoras and Democritus) to Plato, Aristotle and later Hellenistic thought. Cross-listed with PHIL 5002.
Section |
Instructor |
Days & Time |
T TH 2:00pm to 3:15pm Click here to learn more. |
Max hours: 3 Credits. Grading Basis: Letter Grade. Typically Offered: Fall, Spring.
What is justice? What justifies a government as moral? Why should individuals obey the state’s laws? Can anarchism work? Is private property necessary to a free society? Is social justice? What is freedom — and what is oppression? Is gender, ethnic, and religious diversity necessary for a just society? Why? This course will raise these kinds of questions as it examines basic issues in social and political philosophy (e.g. justice, freedom, individuality, power and community). Cross-listed with PHIL 5200.
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001-LEC |
T Th 11:00pm to 12:15pm |
Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits. Grading Basis: Letter Grade. Typically Offered: Spring.
This course is designed to introduce students to the Philosophy of Science. (No background in philosophy is required.) Philosophy of Science is concerned with how best to use observation and experiment to learn about the world, whether we are investigating fundamental physical structures, the complex operations of biological organisms, or the social dynamics of human groups. Drawing on both historical and contemporary works, we will seek to understand, among other topics, what makes scientific inquiry distinct from other forms of human learning, what accounts for the credibility and objectivity of scientific claims, the influence of psycho-social biases on observation and theory formation, as well as whether accepting a scientific theory, explanation or hypothesis means that we think it is true.
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001 |
MW 2:00pm to 3:15pm |
Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits. Grading Basis: Letter Grade. Typically Offered: Fall.
We in the Western world encounter a vastly different world, a radically different "universe of meaning," when we examine the traditions of the East. Even what we tacitly assume to be "real" is claimed by the Hindus and Buddhists of India to be a grand illusion. The world of China is, again, very different from India. An examination of Tibetan and Japanese religious forms will conclude our study of Asian thought. Cross-listed with RLST 3410.
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001-LEC |
Steven Vose |
T Th 9:30am to 10:45pm |
Max hours: 3 Credits. Grading Basis: Letter Grade. Additional Information: Denver Core Requirement, International Perspectives.
This course provides Philosophy majors and other philosophically interested students with the skills and tools necessary for effectively navigating philosophical discussions. In this course we will cover issues such as validity and soundness, as well as several systems useful for demonstrating validity. The course will in addition address important issues in the philosophy of language, including the very important question of definitions, as well as the use of thought experiments and avoidance of informal fallacies. Finally, since philosophical reasoning increasingly involves knowledge of the methods of scientific reasoning, those skills will also be included in the course. Cross-listed with PHIL 5441.
Section |
Instructor |
Days & Time |
E01 |
ONLINE |
Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits. Grading Basis: Letter Grade. Typically Offered: Spring.
What is “racism” or “sexism”? What is oppression? How do these ideas become invisible so that they structure ways people think, act? How do they inform policies, laws, and institutions? And what modifies or overturns such ideas? By answering such questions, this course helps students reflect on the formation of their own lives, practices, beliefs, and values. Topics may include ideology theory, naturalism, the equal protection clause, recent scientific discussions, socio-legal history, and social constructionism.
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001-LEC |
MW 11:00am to 12:15pm |
|
002-LEC |
T Th 2:00pm to 3:15pm |
|
E01-LEC |
ONLINE |
Terms offered: fall, spring, summer. Max hours: 3 Credits. Grading Basis: Letter Grade. Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer.
Additional Information: Denver Core Requirement, Cultural Diversity.
Why do motives matter in ethics? What is an ethical duty? How do sensations and ideas combine to make reality unified and coherent? Kant's philosophy answers these questions by providing a profound synthesis of the philosophers before him. Kant's work still influences ethics, politics, metaphysics, epistemology, and science today. This course involves students in close study of Kant’s revolutionary thought as it appears in several of his major works. Strongly Recommended: PHIL 3002 or 3022, a minimum grade of “C” in each previous philosophy course. If the student does not have this coursework, consulting with the instructor prior to registration is strongly recommended. Cross-listed with PHIL 5830.
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001-LEC |
T Th 12:30pm to 1:45pm |
Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits. Grading Basis: Letter Grade. Typically Offered: Fall.
A seminar on key problems and thinkers in the nineteenth & twentieth century continental philosophical traditions and their contemporary significance. Cross-listed with PHIL 5000, HUMN 5000 and SSCI 5000.
Section |
Instructor |
Days & Time |
H01 | Boram Jeong | W 3:30pm to 6:15pm |
Max hours: 3 Credits. Grading Basis: Letter Grade.
What makes something a work of “art”? How should art be interpreted or evaluated? Can we really debate about “taste” or beauty? Why do we call some people "artists" or some experiences “aesthetic"? Where does creativity come from? This course investigates such questions, offering a range of historical and contemporary answers, and examines the social, political, and philosophical roles of art in contemporary society. Methods of engaging these questions may include multimedia technologies as well as individual and group field trips to local art venues. Cross-listed with PHIL 5220 and HUMN 5220.
Section |
Instructor |
Days & Time |
001 | David Hildebrand | T 5:00pm to 7:45pm |
Max hours: 3 Credits. Grading Basis: Letter Grade
Anyone entering a medical profession must confront tough ethical issues and dilemmas. These often arise suddenly, so practitioners best preparation is to think ahead about what will likely occur. This course introduces students to a variety cases and philosophical theories useful to healthcare careers. For example, What is “health” and who determines it? Is there a right to health care? How should medical scarcity (vital organs, vaccines, supplies, etc.) be addressed? What duties are owed to patients by healthcare providers, and why? On what grounds may medical treatment be demanded — or refused? The goal of the class is to train students to be nimble and imaginative in how they reason about the difficult cases they will face in their career. Suggested prerequisite one or two previous courses in philosophy, and a minimum grade of C in each course are strongly recommended; if the student lacks this coursework, consult with the professor prior to registration. Cross-listed with PHIL 5242, SSCI 5242, HUMN 5242.
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001-LEC |
T Th 12:30pm to 1:45pm |
Term offered: fall. Max hours: 3 Credits. Grading Basis: Letter Grade. Typically Offered: Fall.
Does God exist? Can the existence of God be proved? When is believing on faith acceptable? How or why is there a “problem of evil”? What are the attributes of a "god" and how can they be known, if at all? What is the relation of God to the world we experience? How does morality relate to religious belief and practice? The goal of the course is to broaden and deepen our understanding of key philosophical debates within religious traditions as we study prominent thinkers in the history of philosophy. Cross-listed with HUMN 5600, PHIL 5600, RLST 4060, RLST 5060, and SSCI 5600.
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
H01-LEC |
T Th 3:30pm to 4:45pm |
Term offered: summer. Max Hours: 3 Credits. Grading Basis: Letter Grade. Typically Offered: Summer.
A close study of the most influential works of Karl Marx and subsequent theorists who provide either an influential interpretation of the works of Marx or contribute to an innovative application or elaboration of the basic tenets of Marxism. Cross-listed with PHIL 5795.
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001-LEC |
M 3:30pm to 6:15pm |
Max Hours: 3 Credits. Grading Basis: Letter Grade