For current class offerings, times, and additional information, visit the Office of the Registrar.
Spring 2011 Course Offerings
Philosophy
PHIL 105Western Philosophy
.001 TF 12:45-2:00PM Sigrist, M
.002 TF 3:35-4:50PM Sigrist, M
.003 MTh 8:30-9:45AM Koishikawa, K
This course is a historical introduction to the Western philosophical tradition. Students closely examine classic and contemporary texts on the nature of reality, truth, morality, goodness, and justice; the possibility of knowledge; faith, reason, and the existence of God; and the issue of freedom and determinism.
This course is a foundation-level course in the General Education Program, Area 2, Cluster 2: "Traditions that Shape the Western World".
PHIL 200Introduction to Logic
.001 MTH 12:45-2:00PM Stam, J
Basic principles of formal deductive logic, both Aristotelian (syllogistics) and modern (propositional and predicate calculus), with some attention to informal logic also. Text and exercises supplemented by discussions on history, applications, and critical appraisal of different logical systems.
PHIL 220 Moral Philosophy
.001 TF 12:45-2:00PM Weis, L
.002 MTh 9:55-11:10AM Romanovskaya, T
.003H TF 9:55-11:10AM Weis, L
.004 MTh 11:20-12:35PM Romanovskaya, T
The theories concerning the nature of goodness found in Western philosophy. The major discussion issues are traditional principles for evaluating goodness and telling right from wrong; the difference between fact and value; the justification of normative judgments; objectivity in ethics; and the relationship between moral and non-moral goodness.
This course is a second-level course in the General Education Program, Curricular Area 2, Cluster 2: Traditions that Shape the Western World.
Prerequisites for General Education credit: GOVT-105 Individual Freedom vs. Authority, HIST-115 Work and Community, JLS-110 Western Legal Tradition, PHIL-105 Western Philosophy, or RELG-105 Religious Heritage of the West.
PHIL 230 Meaning and Purpose in the Arts
.001 TF 9:55-11:10AM Pathak, S
This course focuses on the interpretation of works of art through increased understanding of the artworks themselves, the lives of those who create them, and the societal influences on these artists. In addition to considering premodern, modern, and postmodern criticism of a variety of forms of literary and visual art, students will interpret the oeuvres of particular artists of interest to them. To prepare for these projects, students will study four ways in which artists create meaning in their works: mythologization, memorialization, mobilization, and universalization.
.002 MTh 12:45-2:00PM Greenberg, G
Leading theories of the nature, purpose, and meaning of artistic activities and objects examined through writings of philosophers, artists, and critics of ancient and modern times. Both Western and non-Western viewpoints are considered. Student projects apply critical ideas to particular works in an art form familiar to them.
This course is a second-level course in the General Education Program, Curricular Area 1, Cluster 2: Understanding Creative Works.
Prerequisites for General Education credit: ARTH-105 Art: The Historical Experience, COMM-105 Visual Literacy, LIT-120 Interpreting Literature, or LIT-135 Critical Approach to the Cinema.
PHIL 235 Theories of Democracy and Human Rights
.001 MTh 9:55-11:10AM Schmidt, M
.002 MTh 8:30-9:45AM Schmidt, M
This course analyzes traditional Western theories of democracy and rights, both separately and in relation to each other, as well as contemporary approaches such as Habermasian, post-modern, feminist, and critical race theory. It also considers the East-West debate on human rights.
This course is a second-level course in the General Education Program, Curricular Area 2, Cluster 2: Western Heritage and Institutions.
Prerequisites for General Education credit: GOVT-105 Individual Freedom vs. Authority, HIST-115 Work and Community, JLS-110 Western Legal Tradition, PHIL-105 Western Philosophy, or RELG-105 Religious Heritage of the West.
PHIL 240 Ethics in the Professions
.001 MTH 2:10-3:25PM Leighton, K
.002 TF 9:55-11:10AM Victor, E
This course provides a framework for thinking generally about ethics, and more specifically about professional ethics. In addition, it addresses ethical dilemmas that arise in the professions of government, law, business, medicine, the media, and the academy.
This course is a second-level course in the General Education Program, Curricular Area 4, Cluster 1: Social Institutions and Behavior.
Prerequisites for General Education credit: COMM-100 Understanding Mass Media, ECON-100 Macroeconomics, GOVT-110 Politics in the United States, or SOCY-150 Global Sociology.
PHIL 311/611 Kant’s Critique of Judgment
.001 M 5:30-8:00PM Reiman, J; Tschemplik, A
In this course we will study Kant's third critique, The Critique of Judgment. In this volume, Kant puts forth his theory of beauty and of teleological explanation of nature. He also attempts to unify the whole project of all three critiques. To appreciate his attempt at unifying his theoretical and practical works we will also read relevant sections from The Critique of Pure Reason and The Critique of Practical Reason. All the readings for this course are densely argued texts. Only students who are prepared to engage in close reading of difficult philosophical texts should consider taking this course.
Prerequisite for PHIL-311: PHIL-105 Western Philosophy or permission of instructor.
PHIL 312/612 Derrida and Buddhism
.001 Th 5:30-8:00PM Park, J
Derridean deconstruction is arguably one of the most influential continental philosophies of the late 20th century. The class will examine major works by Jacques Derrida, compare Derridean deconstruction with Buddhist philosophy, and consider the influence of the deconstructive mode of thinking in our understanding of identity, ethics and politics.
Prerequisite for PHIL-312: PHIL-105 Western Philosophy or permission of instructor.
PHIL 386/686 Selected Topics in Philosophy
.001 Latin American Thought
W 2:10-4:50PM Oliver, A
This course presents a range of Latin American thinkers chosen to demonstrate the power, vitality, and usefulness of Latin American intellectual life for North American social and cultural issues. Topics include the quest for identity, marginality, mexicanidad, mestizaje, critiques of power, feminist philosophy, social justice, liberation, phenomenology, and indigenous peoples.
.002 Critical Bioethics
T 8:10-10:40PM Leighton, K
Bioethics is philosophical discipline concerned with the scope and permissibility of science, technology, and practices of the body. Through readings on the history of bioethics and its subjects—human subject research, death, reproduction, and euthanasia—the course asks: how does bioethics contribute to what we recognize as rational decision-making about our selves, our lives, and our bodies?
.003 South Africa: Analyzing and Addressing Oppression
TF 2:10-3:25PM Carr, R
In this course, we look at Alain Locke and the Harlem Renaissance, Pixley Ka Isaka Seme and the African National Congress, and Ghandi and the India National Congress. There are fascinating intersections here of power, values, and politics and these intersections will be the subject of the course.
Prerequisite for PHIL-386: PHIL-105 Western Philosophy or permission of instructor.
PHIL 391/691 Internship in Philosophy
Feder, E
An internship provides the opportunity to test the claim that philosophy and religious studies are the kinds of disciplines that teach transferable skills such as critical reading, analytical problem-solving and clear and careful writing. These skills are desirable, since many research institutes, non-profit organizations, think tanks and legal and business organizations—all of which Washington supports in abundance—are in search of individuals with such skills. All students enrolled in internships in philosophy and religion will meet as a group and individually with the instructor throughout the semester.
Prerequisite: permission of instructor and department chair.
PHIL 392/692 Cooperative Education Field Experience
Feder, E
Prerequisite: permission of department chair and Cooperative Education office.
PHIL 480 Senior Seminar: Knowledge and Self-Knowledge
.001 W 5:30-8:00PM Tschemplik, A
In this seminar we will examine Socrates' claim that before he can know anything about nature, he must come to know himself. Once we come to an understanding of what Socrates means by self-knowledge we will turn to his formulation of knowledge and explore how the two are connected. We will then turn to subsequent thinkers, including contemporary ones, to determine the fate of knowledge and self-knowledge.
PHIL 486 Colloquium of Philosophy: Disturbing Bodies
.001 W 11:20-2:00PM Feder, E
January 26 – February 23
The birth of a child with an “intersex” condition, that is, a condition in which “development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex is atypical” has been regarded as a social emergency. Over the last 60 years, “standard” practices, including normalizing genital surgeries, have involved open violation of accepted bioethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, and justice. The project of this colloquium is to make use of the distinctive tools of philosophy to investigate why: Why did these practices (and in the main still do) pass muster within medicine and society at large despite this violation? And why does normalizing atypical anatomies seem so urgent?
PHIL 498 Honors Project in Philosophy
Oliver, A
Prerequisite: permission of department and University Honors Director.
PHIL 525 Modern Moral Problems: Food and Agriculture
.001 T 5:30-8:00PM Berry, E
Investigation of moral philosophers’ attempts to analyze specific moral problems and to formulate general principles for ethical analysis of social policies and professional ethics. The spring 2011 seminar will be structured around the ethics of food and agriculture in modern, global society.
Prerequisite: PHIL-220 or permission of instructor.
PHIL 702 The Subject of Human Rights
.001 W 5:30-8:00PM Bergoffen, D
We will use the resources of continental philosophy to question the possibilities of pursuing justice in the name of human rights in a post modern world skeptical of the epistemological, metaphysical and moral justifications of such basic human rights ideas as inalienable individual rights and a shared human condition.
PHIL 797 Master's Thesis Seminar
Prerequisite: permission of department chair.
Religion
RELG 105 Religious Heritage of the West
.001 TF 3:35-4:50PM Schaefer, M
The contribution of religion to Western civilization. An exploration of the religions that have formed the foundations of Western civilization, including: Greco-Roman and other Ancient Pagan Traditions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Unitarianism, Mormonism, and American Civil Religion. Where possible, primary source texts, including the scriptures of the religions, will be used.
This course is a foundation-level course in the General Education Program, Curricular Area 2, Cluster 2: Traditions that Shape the Western World.
RELG 185 Forms of the Sacred
.001 MTH 3:35-4:50PM Greenberg, G
Since we live in both the global village and in our own national, but multicultural, universe, some knowledge of Eastern religions can be a real asset. The course covers three major religious traditions: the traditions developed in South Asia which form Hinduism, Buddhism as it developed in India and is transformed in East Asia, and the indigenous religious traditions of China and Japan. Throughout the course, the manifestations of religion in both high and popular culture and religion’s influence on issues of gender, social structure and personal behaviors will be addressed.
.002 MTH 11:20-12:35PM Berry, E
.003 TF 9:55-11:10AM Oliver, M
What is religion? How should religion be studied and understood? How do religious traditions emerge and how do they evolve? In what ways do religious traditions shape social and political structures? Forms of the Sacred poses these questions with respect to the major religious traditions of Asia. The course provides an introduction to the history and influence of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Daoism and Confucianism.
This course is a foundation-level course in the General Education Program, Curricular Area 3, Cluster 2: Global and Multicultural Perspectives.
RELG 210 Non-Western Religious Traditions
.001 TF 8:30-9:45AM Oliver, M
What does Christianity look like in the Philippines? What happens to Buddhism when it comes to Los Angeles? Concepts of East and West, when applied to religion, can be confusing in our increasingly global world. This course examines expressions of religious tradition in the non-Western world, while also examining how these religions are transformed when, for example, they are introduced in American society.
This course is a second-level course in the General Education Program, Curricular Area 3, Cluster 2: Global and Multicultural Perspectives.
Prerequisites for General Education credit: ANTH-110 Culture: The Human Mirror, LIT-150 Third-World Literature, RELG-185 Forms of the Sacred, SIS-140 Cross-Cultural Communication, and SOCY-110 Views from the Third World.
RELG 220 Religious Thought
.001 MW 8:10-9:25PM Greenberg, G
This course examines the history of Christian thought, according to representative thinkers and essential issues. Thinkers include the Church Fathers (Tertullian and Origen), Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, John Wesley, and in the modern period, Schleiermacher and Bultmann. Issues include the nature of man's relationship to God, reason and revelation, history and the kingdom of God, holy scripture and myth, and martyrdom.
This course is a second-level course in the General Education Program, Curricular Area 2, Cluster 2: Traditions that Shape the Western World.
Prerequisites for General Education credit: Individual Freedom vs. Authority, Work and Community, Western Legal Tradition, Western Philosophy, or Religious Heritage of the West.
RELG 230 Methods of Studying Religion
.001 TF 2:10-3:25 Pathak, S
This introductory methodology course covers classical and contemporary approaches to the study of religion that are grounded in the disciplines of anthropology, psychology, sociology, history, and literary criticism.
Prerequisite: RELG-105, RELG-185, and either RELG-210 or RELG-220, or permission of instructor.
RELG-386/686.001 Topics in Religious Discussion
.001 Feminist Theology
W 11:20-2:00PM Weis, L
This course is an upper-division, reading-intensive seminar on feminist theology. The overall goal of the course is to acquaint students with the motivations behind and variety of perspectives in feminist theology. Specific objectives of the course include familiarizing students with many of the themes and issues treated by feminist theologians, as well as introducing them to the works of leading figures in the field. In particular, we will examine the development of feminist theology within the Christian tradition, focusing of the notion of feminist modes of resistance to oppression within theological discourse and practice. We will also engage in comparison to other religious traditions.
.002 Values and Action in World Religions
M 5:30-8:00 Green, L
How do followers of an ethical or spiritual system use their values to take action in the world? What inner calling might result in outer commitment to a stand against injustice? This course will look at selected biographies, sacred texts, and past and present stories, all in four religious traditions: Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. Students will be asked to assess their own social justice values, find current stories of action, and reflect upon interfaith action taking place in the D.C./Virginia/Maryland region.
RELG 391 Internship in Philosophy
Feder, E
An internship provides the opportunity to test the claim that philosophy and religious studies are the kinds of disciplines that teach transferable skills such as critical reading, analytical problem-solving and clear and careful writing. These skills are desirable, since many research institutes, non-profit organizations, think tanks and legal and business organizations—all of which Washington supports in abundance—are in search of individuals with such skills. All students enrolled in internships in philosophy and religion will meet as a group and individually with the instructor throughout the semester.
Prerequisite: permission of instructor and department chair.
Honors
HNRS 300 Asian Philosophy and Postmodernism
.003H M 2:10-4:50PM Park, J
This course explores postmodernism in connection with Asian philosophy. Special attention is paid to social and political implications of postmodern thought and consideration of a new form of ethics for the globalized world drawn from Asian and Postmodern modes of thinking. Among the issues to be explored in the course are different conceptions of identity, their relation to gender and ethnic politics, citizenship, cosmopolitanism, and the meaning of globalization. Readings include texts from Daoist and Buddhist traditions in Asian philosophy and works by continental postmodern thinkers including Merleau-Ponty, Lyotard, Kristeva and Derrida.
Open only to students in the University Honors Program.
