Catalog Home College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Philosophy

Philosophy

Chair

Diane Jeske

Professors

James Duerlinger, Richard Fumerton, Diane Jeske, Gregory Landini, David Stern

Professors emeriti

Laird Addis, Panayot Butchvarov, Phillip Cummins

Associate professors

David Cunning, Evan Fales

Assistant professors

Carrie Figdor, Ali Hasan, Katarina Perovic

Undergraduate degree: B.A. in Philosophy
Undergraduate nondegree program: Minor in Philosophy
Graduate degrees: M.A., Ph.D. in Philosophy
Web site: http://www.uiowa.edu/~phil

The Department of Philosophy offers programs for undergraduate and graduate students. It also administers the interdisciplinary undergraduate major in ethics and public policy, which it presents jointly with the Departments of Economics and Sociology; see Ethics and Public Policy in the Catalog.

Undergraduate Programs

Major in philosophy (Bachelor of Arts)
Minor in philosophy

Undergraduate courses in philosophy are designed to impart knowledge of fundamental issues and main developments in philosophy while strengthening logical and analytic skills. A major in philosophy develops abilities useful for graduate or professional work in many fields—law, for example—and for any situation requiring clear, systematic thinking. Students who intend to teach philosophy in a college setting must earn a graduate degree.

Bachelor of Arts

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in philosophy requires a minimum of 120 s.h., including at least 27 s.h. of work for the major. Courses numbered 026:061 Introduction to Philosophy through 026:198 Topics in Philosophy count toward the major. The final 12 s.h. in philosophy courses used to complete the major must be earned at The University of Iowa; the department may make exceptions for students who pursue approved study abroad during their senior year.

Students must complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Program.

The major in philosophy requires the following courses.

026:103 Introduction to Symbolic Logic	3 s.h.
026:111 Ancient Philosophy	3 s.h.

026:114 Seventeenth-Century Philosophy	3 s.h.
or
026:115 Modern Philosophy	3 s.h.
or
026:116 Eighteenth-Century Philosophy	3 s.h.

Additional philosophy courses (prefix 026) chosen from those numbered 061 through 198

18 s.h.

In addition to prerequisites listed for individual courses, considerations such as the order in which historical courses are taken are relevant to the effective structuring of the undergraduate major in philosophy. A student's department advisor or the director of undergraduate studies can provide more information.

Four-Year Graduation Plan

The following checkpoints list the minimum requirements students must complete by certain semesters in order to stay on the University's Four-Year Graduation Plan.

Before the third semester begins: at least one-quarter of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the fifth semester begins: at least one course in the major and at least one-half of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the seventh semester begins: at least five courses in the major and at least three-quarters of the semester hours required for graduation

Before the eighth semester begins: at least six courses in the major

During the eighth semester: enrollment in all remaining course work in the major, all remaining General Education courses, and a sufficient number of semester hours to graduate

Honors

The department administers an honors program for undergraduate students of superior ability. In order to be admitted to the honors program in philosophy, a student must have taken and passed three courses required for the philosophy major and must be a member of the University of Iowa Honors Program, which requires that students maintain a cumulative University of Iowa g.p.a. of at least 3.33 (contact the University of Iowa Honors Program for more information). In order to graduate with honors in philosophy, a student must complete the regular requirements for an undergraduate major in philosophy with a g.p.a. of at least 3.40 in philosophy courses and must write an acceptable honors thesis on a significant topic in philosophy that interests him or her. Contact the honors advisor for more information.

Minor

The minor in philosophy requires a minimum of 15 s.h. in philosophy courses, including 12 s.h. in 100-level courses offered by the Department of Philosophy at The University of Iowa. Students must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 in the minor. Course work in the minor may not be taken pass/nonpass. Contact the undergraduate studies director for more information.

Graduate Programs

Master of Arts in philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy in philosophy

The Department of Philosophy grants admission only for the Ph.D. program. The M.A. is not offered as a terminal degree; it is awarded to students as they work successfully toward the Ph.D.

The graduate program is designed to train teachers and scholars in philosophy. The main areas in the graduate curriculum are metaphysics, epistemology, history of philosophy, logic, philosophy of science, and value theory.

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College or the Graduate College section of the Catalog.

Master of Arts

The Master of Arts in philosophy requires a minimum of 30 s.h. of graduate credit and is offered without thesis. The M.A. is not offered as a terminal degree; it is awarded to students as they work successfully toward the Ph.D. Requirements include courses in metaphysics, epistemology, history of philosophy, ethics, logic, philosophy of science, and value theory. There is no foreign language requirement. Students must take an oral final examination. Contact the graduate studies director for more information.

Joint M.A./J.D.

The Department of Philosophy and the College of Law offer a joint Juris Doctor/Master of Arts. Students in the joint J.D./M.A. program may count 12 s.h. earned in the joint program toward both degrees. Students must earn 18 of the 30 s.h. required for the M.A. in graduate-level philosophy courses (the usual requirement is 24 s.h.). They also must earn a minimum of 36 s.h. in undergraduate and graduate philosophy courses, combined (the usual requirement is 42 s.h.).

Separate application to each degree program is required. Applicants must be admitted to both programs before they may be admitted to the joint degree program.

See "Juris Doctor" and "Joint J.D./Graduate Degrees" in the College of Law section of the Catalog.

Doctor of Philosophy

The Ph.D. requires a minimum of 72 s.h. of graduate credit. Candidacy for the doctoral program is determined by a formal vote of the entire Department of Philosophy faculty, usually after the student has completed three semesters of graduate study in residence.

Requirements include courses in metaphysics, epistemology, history of philosophy, logic, philosophy of science, and value theory. Students are required to take a comprehensive examination, including both written and oral components, that covers their area of specialization. Upon successfully completing the exam, students begin work on a prospectus for their dissertation. There is no foreign language requirement. Contact the graduate studies director for more information.

Courses

For more detailed descriptions of undergraduate and graduate courses offered during a given semester or summer session, visit the University's ISIS web site before early registration.

For Undergraduates

The following courses are open only to undergraduates.

026:001 Matters of Life and Death	3 s.h.
Important ethical controversies with life and death implications (abortion, capital punishment, torture, terrorism and war) discussed and analyzed using philosophical reasoning.

026:029 First-Year Seminar	1 s.h.
Small discussion class taught by a faculty member; topics chosen by instructor; may include outside activities (e.g., films, lectures, performances, readings, visits to research facilities, field trips). Requirements: first- or second-semester standing.

026:033 The Meaning of Life	3 s.h.
Philosophical investigation of the nature of human life and of what makes human life valuable and/or meaningful. GE: Historical Perspectives.

026:034 Philosophy and the Just Society	3 s.h.
The nature of individuals and governments and the obligations they have to each other; philosophical and historical examination of theories from Plato through the 19th century. GE: Historical Perspectives.

026:036 Principles of Reasoning: Argument and Debate	3 s.h.
Elementary logic and its application to the evaluation of arguments and debates. GE: Quantitative or Formal Reasoning.

026:061 Introduction to Philosophy	3 s.h.
Issues and arguments; topics may include rational belief, evidence, the self, causation, and the presuppositions of religion. GE: Values, Society, and Diversity.

For Undergraduate and Graduate Students

The following courses are closed to first-year students.

026:102 Introduction to Ethics	3 s.h.
Analytical and historical introduction to ethical theories about issues such as the nature of goodness, the nature of right conduct. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing. GE: Values, Society, and Diversity.

026:103 Introduction to Symbolic Logic	3 s.h.
Main ideas and techniques of formal deduction. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:104 Introduction to Philosophy of Science	3 s.h.
Fundamental issues in scientific method, inductive reasoning, explanation, the distinctive nature of science. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:110 Philosophy of Ancient Greece and Rome	3 s.h.
Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy from its inception in Ionia in sixth century B.C.E. through the Neoplatonic philosophy of Plotinus in third century C.E., encompassing philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics and Epicureans, and later Platonists. Same as 20E:138.

026:111 Ancient Philosophy	3 s.h.
Main trends and major figures, such as Plato and Aristotle. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:112 Medieval Philosophy	3 s.h.
Main trends and major figures, such as Augustine and Aquinas. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing. Same as 16E:114.

026:114 Seventeenth-Century Philosophy	3 s.h.
Main trends, central arguments, major positions; Bacon and Descartes to Leibniz and Locke. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:115 Modern Philosophy	3 s.h.
Main trends and major figures from Descartes to Kant. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:116 Eighteenth-Century Philosophy	3 s.h.
Main trends, central arguments, and major positions; Berkeley to Kant.

026:118 Twentieth-Century Philosophy	3 s.h.
Main trends and major figures. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:131 Aesthetics	3 s.h.
Major problems in philosophy of the arts. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:132 Introduction to Political Philosophy	3 s.h.
Major problems. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:133 Philosophy of History	3 s.h.
Major problems: objectivity, historiographic methods and theory of interpretation, nature of historical explanations, reduction. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:134 Philosophy of Religion	3 s.h.
Medieval to contemporary treatments of central issues: the nature of faith; the existence and nature of God; religion and ethics; the interpretation of religious texts. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing. Same as 032:146.

026:135 Philosophy of Law	3 s.h.
Introduction; the nature of law, legal authority, legal reasoning; issues in criminal law, such as punishment, responsibility; issues in property law; constitutional law. Prerequisites: 026:034 or 026:102 or 026:132. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:136 The Nature of Evil	3 s.h.
The nature of evil explored through philosophical works, case studies of individuals, videos, and films. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:138 Philosophical Problems of Artificial Intelligence	3 s.h.
Major issues and controversies. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:141 Existentialist Philosophy	3 s.h.
Main ideas of existentialism; emphasis on Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:145 Buddhist Philosophy	3 s.h.
Introduction to main ideas. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing. Same as 032:175.

026:147 Philosophical Issues	3 s.h.
A philosophical topic or controversy. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:148 Readings in Philosophy	arr.
Requirements: honors standing and sophomore or higher standing.

026:149 Undergraduate Seminar in Philosophy	3 s.h.
Selected problems. Requirements: sophomore or higher standing.

026:152 Plato	3 s.h.
Main ideas, major texts.

026:153 Aristotle	3 s.h.
Main ideas, major texts.

026:158 Descartes	3 s.h.
Major works, such as the Discourse on Method, as well as lesser known works, such as The World.

026:160 Spinoza and Leibniz	3 s.h.
Main ideas, major texts.

026:163 Berkeley and Hume	3 s.h.
Comparative and critical examination of metaphysical and epistemological views of 18th-century empiricists George Berkeley and David Hume; theory of ideas, perception, skepticism, limits of knowledge, scientific and philosophical method, role of God in Berkeley's and Hume's philosophical systems.

026:166 Kant	3 s.h.
Main ideas, major texts of Kant's metaphysics and epistemology.

026:173 Heidegger	3 s.h.
Main ideas and major texts of Heidegger; early and later periods, particular attention to Being and Time; focus on Heidegger's analyses of being and being-in-the-world.

026:174 Sartre	3 s.h.
Phenomenological and existentialist works.

026:176 Frege and Russell	3 s.h.
Main ideas, major texts.

026:177 Wittgenstein	3 s.h.
Main ideas, major texts.

026:179 Quine	3 s.h.
Major ideas, major texts.

026:180 Analytic Ethics	3 s.h.
Topics in contemporary ethics.

026:182 History of Ethics	3 s.h.
Selected topics in the history of philosophical ethics.

026:184 Russian Thinkers	3 s.h.
Same as 041:189, 048:189.

026:185 Political Philosophy	3 s.h.
Selected topics.

026:186 Topics in Metaphysics	3 s.h.
Fundamental topics; major works, both classical and contemporary.

026:187 Epistemology	3 s.h.
Contemporary topics.

026:188 Philosophy of Mind	3 s.h.
Contemporary topics.

026:189 Philosophy of Language	3 s.h.
Contemporary topics. Same as 103:163.

026:190 Philosophical Foundations of Cognitive Science	3 s.h.
Processes leading from stimulus to behavioral response in cognitive or mentalistic terms; motivations for cognitive explanations, nature of cognitive architecture, problem of mental representation; additional topics may include individuation of inputs and outputs, role of consciousness in cognition, relation between language and thought, nature of concepts.

026:191 Mathematical Logic	3 s.h.
Presentation of central metatheorems relating to decidability, completeness, model theory; second-order logic.

026:192 Modal Logic	3 s.h.
Formal techniques developed and applied to problems in analysis and modal semantics; related philosophical issues.

026:194 Philosophy of Science	3 s.h.
Central topics--for example, scientific explanation, confirmation, the meaning of scientific theories; survey of major 20th-century developments in these areas.

026:196 Philosophy of the Human Sciences	3 s.h.
Explanation and understanding, theories and reduction, values and ideology, freedom and causality.

026:198 Topics in Philosophy	3 s.h.
A single philosopher or philosophical problem.

Primarily for Graduate Students

All of the following courses are repeatable.

026:220 Seminar: Philosophy of Language	3 s.h.


026:221 Seminar: Metaphysics	3 s.h.


026:222 Seminar: Epistemology	3 s.h.


026:223 Seminar: Philosophical Analysis	3 s.h.


026:224 Seminar: Philosophy of Science	3 s.h.


026:225 Seminar: Philosophy of Religion	3 s.h.


026:226 Seminar: Ethics	3 s.h.


026:227 Seminar: Ancient Philosophy	3 s.h.


026:229 Seminar: Modern Philosophy	3 s.h.


026:245 Research: Value Theory	arr.


026:247 Research: Metaphysics and Epistemology	arr.


026:249 Research: Logic and Philosophy of Science	arr.


026:251 Research: History of Philosophy	arr.


026:253 Thesis	arr.