Requirements for the Major
Honors in the Major
Senior Thesis
Courses
5185 Helen C. White Hall, 600 North Park Street, Madison, WI 53706; 608/263-3700; philosophy.wisc.edu
Professors Brighouse, Card, Gottlieb, Hausman, Hunt, Nadler, Shafer-Landau, Shapiro, Sidelle, Sober, Soll, Stampe, Yandell; Assistant Professors Comesaña, Rauti, Sartorio; Lecturer Gibson; Faculty Associate Anderson
Undergraduate advisor in the major: Martha Gibson, 5117 Helen C. White Hall
Faculty diversity liaison: Claudia Card, cfcard@wisc.edu
Philosophy involves reflection upon and understanding of all phases of human activity. Philosophy especially directs itself to the nature of knowledge and the most basic concepts of human understanding and value: morality, society, art and aesthetic experience, as well as science, politics, and religion. Philosophy is thus closely involved with other disciplines because, as human activities and quests for knowledge, they and their findings provide the material for philosophical inquiry. The courses offered by the department are designed to help students develop their own capacities to reflect intelligently on questions of fundamental and lasting significance. The philosophy major is intended to meet the needs of four types of students:
The minimum requirement for the major is eight conventionally graded philosophy courses amounting to at least 27 credits. These credits must include:
All students must fulfill the L&S requirement of at least 15 credits of upper-level work in the major taken in residence. Philosophy courses of at least 3 credits at the 400 level or above, with the exception of 442, 545, 547, 558, 571, 598, 599, 670, 681, 682, 691, 692, and 699, count toward this requirement.
Students should inform the philosophy office of their intention to major and be assigned an advisor within the department.
Course projections: Before each semester the philosophy department compiles a course projection booklet in which instructors give detailed descriptions of the content and format of their courses. These booklets are available at philosophy.wisc.edu.
Students wishing to earn Honors in the Major in Philosophy will be expected to have earned a minimum grade point average of 3.5 in philosophy at the completion of their thesis (Philosophy 681-682) and an overall GPA of at least 3.3 in all courses taken at UW-Madison at the time of graduation. Students will not be permitted to write an honors thesis unless they have taken at least one advanced course on the topic on which they will be writing. Credits earned by writing an honors thesis will not count towards the minimal number of credits required for an honors major. In consultation with the professor with whom the student is working, the student will enroll for 1-3 credits of 681 in the first semester of thesis writing and 3 credits of 682 in the second semester. The thesis credits must earn a minimum grade of AB. In addition to a standard major in philosophy, the student must take an additional three credits in philosophy. These additional credits must come from Category A or Category B or from a capstone course.
Students who wish to enroll for such work (691-692) should consult their advisors.
All classes listed in the course descriptions section will be offered regularly unless otherwise noted. Please check with the department office for information on specific courses.
For details on graduate courses and programs, see the Graduate School Catalog.
101 Introduction to Philosophy. I, II, SS; 3-4 cr (Z-E). P: Open to Fr & So who have had no previous philos course other than 210, 211, 253 or 254. Not open to Jrs & Srs.
102 Introduction to Social Philosophy. I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (Z-E). Opposing philosophical views about people and their political and social life. P: So st or Philos 101. Open to Fr.
104 Special Topics in Philosophy for Freshmen. I or II; 3 cr (Z-E). Examination of selected topics. P: Open to Fr with no prev college level coursework in philosophy.
181 First Course for Honors. I or II; 3 cr (Z-E). P: Honors candidacy or cons inst. Open to Fr.
201 Introduction to Philosophy for Juniors and Seniors. I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (Z-I). P: Open only to Jrs & Srs who have had no previous philos courses other than 210, 211, 253 or 254.
210 Reason in Communication. I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (q-Z-I). Argument in familiar contexts; emphasis upon developing critical skills in comprehending, evaluating, and engaging in contemporary forms of reasoning, with special attention to the uses of argument in mass communication media. P: Open to Fr.
211 Elementary Logic. I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (r-Z-I). The formal characteristics of logical truth and inference. P: So st.
220 Philosophy and the Sciences. Irr.; 3-4 cr (Z-I). Is science value-free? What distinguishes it from pseudo-science, religion, and technology? Philosophical problems of explanation, rationality, knowledge, paradigms, moral issues of research and philosophical consequences of scientific theories. P: So st.
241 Introductory Ethics. I, II, SS; 3-4 cr (Z-I). Nature of moral problems and of ethical theory, varieties of moral skepticism, practical ethics and the evaluation of social institutions. P: So st.
243 Ethics in Business. Irr.; 3-4 cr (Z-I). Case studies of moral issues in business; types or reasons appealed to for settlement. P: So st.
253 Philosophy of the Arts. I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (H-I). Introduction to the problems of aesthetics, such as the nature of art; aesthetic experience; the description, interpretation, and evaluation of works of art. P: So st.
261 Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion. (Crosslisted with Relig St) I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (Z-I). Doctrines and arguments of Western and Eastern religious and philosophical traditions: deity, human nature, immortality, resurrection, religious experience, faith, reason, good, evil, etc. P: So st or cons inst.
264 Classic Texts in Philosophy. Irr.; 3 cr (b-H-I). Examination of seminal philosophical texts. The emphasis will be on close, critical reading of one or two texts. Extensive writing and tutorials will be required. P: Philos 101. Open to Fr.
282 Logic for Honors. Irr.; 3 cr (Z-I). P: So st and honors candidacy.
341 Contemporary Moral Issues. I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (Z-I). A philosophical study of some of the major moral issue in contemporary society, such as those concerning abortion, euthanasia, punishment, property, politics, sex, nuclear disarmament, and world hunger. P: So st or cons inst.
430 History of Ancient Philosophy. I, II; 3-4 cr (Z-A). Various philosophers from the presocratics to the Stoics and Epicureans; particular emphasis on Plato and Aristotle. P: So st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
432 History of Modern Philosophy. I, II; 3-4 cr (Z-A). From Descartes through Kant. P: So st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
433 19th Century Philosophers. Irr.; 3-4 cr (Z-A). P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
435 Jewish Philosophy from Antiquity to the Seventeenth Century. (Crosslisted with Jewish, Relig St) Alt yrs.; II; 3 cr (H-D). A survey of major philosophers and philosophical currents within Judaism from antiquity through the seventeenth century. P: 3 credits in philosophy.
440 French Philosophy—Existentialism. I or II; 3-4 cr (Z-A). P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
441 Environmental Ethics. (Crosslisted with Envir St) I or II or SS; 3-4 cr (Z-A). Adequacy of ethical theories in handling such wrongs as harm to the land, to posterity, to endangered species, and to the ecosystem itself. Exploration of the view that not all moral wrongs involve harm to humans. Inquiry into the notion of the quality of life and the ethics of the "lifeboat" situation. P: 3 cr philos or envir studies, or Grad st in IES.
442 Moral Philosophy and the Holocaust. (Crosslisted with Jewish) Alt yrs.; I; 3 cr (H-D). Selected moral and philosophical issues raised by the Holocaust such as when and whom to rescue; includes issues arising after the annihilation such as forgiveness and reconciliation. P: Jr st & cons inst.
453 Aesthetics of the Natural Environment. (Crosslisted with Envir St) Irr.; 3 cr (H-D). Philosophical theories of beauty, the sublime, and the picturesque, and their relevance to our appreciation of the natural environment. P: Jr st and 3 cr in philos, or cons inst.
454 Classical Philosophers. I or II; 3 cr (Z-A). One or more classical philosophers, movements, or problems selected for intensive study. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
463 Introduction to Indian Philosophy. (Crosslisted with LCA, Relig St) Irr.; 3 cr (H-I). Philosophical ideas in India. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
464 Classical Philosophers. I or II; 3 cr (H-A). One or more classical philosophers, movements, or problems selected for intensive study. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
481 Junior Honors Seminar. I, II; 3 cr (Z-A). One or more philosophers, movements, or problems selected for intensive study. P: Jr st & certif as hon cand, 6 cr in philos, 3.0 GPA in philos and cons inst.
482 Junior Honors Seminar. I, II; 3 cr (Z-A). Same as 481. P: Jr st & 6 cr in philos & 3.0 GPA in Philos-4.0 basis.
501 Philosophy of Religion. (Crosslisted with Relig St) I or II; 3-4 cr (Z-A). Analysis of religious experience and activity, and examination of principal religious ideas in light of modern psychology, philosophy, science, and anthropology. P: Jr st or cons inst.
502 Special Topics in Philosophy of Religion. (Crosslisted with Relig St) Irr.; 3 cr (Z-A). One or more topics selected from among the following: religious discourse, God, evil, survival, great philosophers of religion, etc. Variable content. P: Jr st or cons inst.
503 Theory of Knowledge. I or II; 3 cr (Z-A). A survey of problems concerning the nature, sources, and limits of human knowledge, including such topics as scepticism, the concept of knowledge, sensory perception, evidence, justified belief, induction. P: Philos 101, 103, 201, or cons inst; & Jr st.
511 Symbolic Logic. I or II; 3 cr (Z-A). Propositional and predicate logic, with emphasis on metatheory; independence of rules and completeness theorems; discussion of technical and philosophical limitations of classical logic. P: Jr st, Philos 211 is recommended or cons inst.
512 Methods of Logic. I or II; 3 cr (Z-A). Selected topics in philosophical logic and in the various applications of logic to philosophical problems. Variable content. P: Philos 211 or cons inst.
516 Language and Meaning. I or II; 3 cr (Z-A). The nature and function of language, theories of meaning, semantic and syntactic paradoxes, proper names, private languages, rules, and linguistic relativity. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
517 Special Topics in the Philosophy of Language. Irr.; 3 cr (Z-A). One or more topics selected from: meaning, understanding, nonsense, ambiguity, speech acts, reference and predication, analyticity, etc. Variable content. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
519 Philosophy of Mathematics. I or II; 3 cr (Z-A). The nature of mathematical knowledge and the existence of mathematical entities; with some emphasis on the Logicist, Intuitionist, and Formalist positions. P: Cons inst or Jr st and 3 cr in philos.
520 Philosophy of the Natural Sciences. I or II; 3 cr (Z-A). Nature and functions of science; the logic of scientific method; clarification of such concepts as cause, law, theory, probability, determinism, teleology. P: Jr st & 3 crs in philos or cons inst.
521 Philosophy of the Social Sciences. I or II; 3 cr (S-A). Problems in applying methods and concepts of science to the study of social behavior. P: 3 cr in philos & Jr st or cons inst.
522 Special Topic. Irr.; 3 cr (Z-A). Selected from logic of theory construction, theoretical entities, models, applied mathematics, nature of laws, conventionalism, probability, etc. Variable content. P: Prereqs vary according to topic.
523 Philosophical Problems of the Biological Sciences. (Crosslisted with Envir St) I or II; 3 cr (Z-A). Problems raised by genetics, evolutionary theory, and taxonomy: patterns of explanatory force and dispensability of teleology; objectivity of taxonomy. P: 3 cr of philos or 3 cr in a biological science.
524 Philosophy and Economics. (Crosslisted with Econ) I or II; 3 cr (S-A). Economics examined from the viewpoint of the philosophy of science. Normative and positive aspects of economic theory. Deterministic and statistical explanation. Arrow impossibility theorem. Radical economics. Team taught by a philosopher and an economist. P: Jr st and at least 3 cr in econ or 3 cr in philos.
526 Philosophy and Literature. I or II; 3 cr (H-A). Analysis of philosophic ideas as embodied in literary works and the relation of these ideas to other aspects of the works such as plot, structure, characterization and language. Discussion of related questions about literature, literary themes, and thematic criticism. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos.
530 Freedom Fate and Choice. I or II; 3 cr (Z-A). Readings in Mill, James, Russell, Sartre and others to study the origin of the problem, clarify the issues, and attain a reasonable solution. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
540 Modern Philosophies of Education. (Crosslisted with Ed Pol) I or II or SS; 3 cr (Z-A). Critical comparison of present-day schools of thought on the nature, objectives, and functions of American education. P: Jr st.
541 Modern Ethical Theories. Irr.; 3 cr (Z-A). Ethical theories and problems as discussed in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
543 Special Topics in Ethics. I or II or SS; 3 cr (Z-A). Intensive study of ethical theory, or of one or more ethical theories or moral philosophers of the present or modern period. Variable content. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
545 Philosophical Conceptions of Teaching and Learning. (Crosslisted with Ed Pol) I or II or SS; 3 cr (Z-A). Examination and analysis of conceptions of teaching and learning in classical philosophical works and in contemporary literature in the philosophy of education. P: Jr st or cons inst.
549 Great Moral Philosophers. I, II; 3 cr (Z-A). Major themes of moral philosophy, from Plato and Aristotle to Bentham and Mill, with critical study of outstanding works. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos.
550 Philosophy of Moral Education. (Crosslisted with Ed Pol) I or II or SS; 3 cr (I). Critical examination of classical and contemporary conceptions of moral education. P: Jr st.
551 Philosophy of Mind. I or II; 3 cr (Z-A). Nature of mind (mental states such as thinking and feeling) and its relation to physical states, with emphasis on recent advances in philosophy and psychology. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
552 Aesthetic Theories. Irr.; 3 cr (H-A). Examination of one or more aesthetic theories; consideration of works by such authors as Aristotle, Longinus, Hume, Kant, Schopenhauer, Croce, Santayana, Dewey. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
553 Aesthetics. I or II; 3 cr (H-A). Analysis of current philosophies of art and of criticism. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
554 Philosophy of the Artificial Sciences. Alt yrs.; 3 cr (Z-A). Examination of issues surrounding artificial intelligence and artificial life; discussion of the natures of mind and life; evaluation of competing computational paradigms for modeling mind; analysis of contributions artificial sciences can make to psychology and biology. P: Jr st, 3 cr of philos or cons inst.
555 Political Philosophy. I or II; 3 cr (S-A). Philosophical doctrines involved in justification of political decisions; analysis of some fundamental concepts, e.g. the common good, authority, justice, natural law, natural rights. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
557 Issues in Social Philosophy. Irr.; 3 cr (S-A). Specific topics in social and political philosophy such as war and peace, property and industry, individualism and collectivism, freedom and justice. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
558 Ethical Problems Raised by Biomedical Technology. (Crosslisted with Med Hist) II; 3 cr (H-I). Ethical issues apparently created by new biomedical technologies, such as genetic screening, prenatal diagnosis, prolongation of life, treatment of severe birth defects, in vitro fertilization, behavior modification, psychosurgery, and transplantation. P: Jr st or cons inst.
559 Philosophy of Law. Irr.; 3 cr (S-A). Nature and function of law, relations between law and morality, logic of legal reasoning, analysis of fundamental concepts and institutions. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos.
560 Metaphysics. I or II; 3 cr (Z-A). Major problems in metaphysics, such as: existence, universals and particulars, space and time, individuals, categories, substance and attribute, necessity. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
562 Special Topics in Metaphysics. Irr.; 3 cr (H-A). An intensive study of one or more topics such as: existence, universals and particulars, space and time, individuals, individuation, categories, substance and attribute, necessity, events and processes. P: Jr st & 3 cr in philos or cons inst.
565 The Ethics of Modern Biotechnology. (Crosslisted with Med Hist, Agronomy, Rur Soc) I or II; 3-4 cr (H-I). Study of ethical issues arising from the application of modern biotechnology to microorganisms, crops, and non-human animals. Readings cover moral theory, technology studies, political philosophy, the science used in biotechnology, and current regulations governing its use. P: Jr st & cons inst.
571 Mathematical Logic. (Crosslisted with Math) I; 3 cr (X-A). Basics of logic and mathematical proofs; propositional logic; first order logic; undecidability. P: Math 223 or 234 or equiv.
581 Senior Honors Seminar. I, II; 3 cr (Z-A). P: Certif as honors cand, Sr st 12 cr in philos, & 3.2 GPA in philos.
582 Senior Honors Seminar. I, II; 3 cr (Z-A). P: Sr st, 12 cr in philos, & 3.2 GPA in philos.
598 Directed Study. I, II; 1-3 cr (A). P: Jr or Sr st. Graded on a Cr/N basis; requires written cons inst and approval of dept chairman.
599 Directed Study. I, II; 1-3 cr (A). P: Jr or Sr st. Graded on a lettered basis; requires written cons inst & approval of department chairman.
681 Senior Honors Thesis. 1-3 cr (A). P: Honors cand, consult dept honors adviser.
682 Senior Honors Thesis. 3 cr (A). P: Honors cand, consult dept honors adviser.
690 Senior Seminar in Philosophy. I, II; 3 cr (A). Writing intensive course for senior philosophy majors. The course will require substantial reading and participation in seminar discussions. P: Sr st, philosophy major, cons inst.
691 Senior Thesis. 3 cr (A). P: Consult adviser.
692 Senior Thesis. 3 cr (A). Continuation of 691. P: Philos 691, consult adviser.
698 Directed Study. 2-3 cr (A). P: Sr st. Graded on a Cr/N basis; requires written cons inst, approval of dept chairman needed.
699 Directed Study. 2-3 cr (A). P: Sr st. Graded on a lettered basis; requires written cons inst, approval of dept chairman needed.