PHILOSOPHY

Minné Hall, Room 329 (507-457-5475)
www.winona.edu/philosophy
Email: philosophy@winona.edu
Kevin Possin (chairperson)

FACULTY

Kevin Possin, Professor; B.A., Southwest State University; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison; 1990 –
Don E. Scheid, Professor; B.A., Colorado College; M.A., J.D., University of Utah; Ph.D., New York University; 1986 –
Edward Slowik, Professor; B.A., University of Illinois at Chicago; M.A., Ph.D., Ohio State University; 1998 –

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” - Socrates
“He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that.” - J. S. Mill

Philosophy is the examination of ideas and the evaluation of first principles. In addition to studying its own traditional areas such as ethics, logic, metaphysics and epistemology, philosophy investigates other disciplines by critically reviewing their foundations and methods. Philosophy helps us free ourselves from dogmatic or unreflective habits of mind. It instills habits of intellectual integrity, impartiality, and rationality. Philosophy enlarges our conception of what is possible and enriches our intellectual imagination. Accordingly, philosophy is an essential ingredient of any sound education.
Besides providing individual courses, the Philosophy Department offers a well-rounded minor in philosophy. The minor provides an introduction to ethics, logic, and the history of philosophy. It also helps students develop crucial intellectual skills such as critical thinking, logical reasoning, and conceptual analysis; in short, it helps students learn to think for themselves. Emphasis is balanced between philosophical content and the cultivation of philosophical thinking.
Most of the philosophy courses are also University Studies courses. Therefore, students can complete most of the requirements for a philosophy minor while satisfying their University Studies requirements. The electives in the minor enable students to tailor the program to their own interests and major.

PASS/NO CREDIT (P/NC) COURSES
Students must take all courses for the minor on a grade-only basis. The P/NC option is available to non-minors unless otherwise noted. Courses offered on a pass/no credit-only or grade-only basis are so designated in the course descriptions.
B.A. MINOR - PHILOSOPHY (PHIL)
18 S.H.

REQUIRED COURSES - PHIL (12 S.H.)
One of the following courses in logic:
110 Critical Thinking (3)
210 Inductive Reasoning (3)
250 Symbolic Logic (3)
One of the following courses in moral philosophy:
220 Philosophy of Democracy (3)
230 Moral Theory (3)
330 Biomedical Ethics (3)
332 Philosophy of Law (3)
335 Constitutional Philosophy (3)
401 Independent Readings in Philosophy, for appropriate readings (3)
430 Topics in Social and Political Philosophy (3)
One of the following courses in the early history of philosophy:
201 Classical Philosophy (3)
401 Independent Readings in Philosophy, for appropriate readings (3)
460 Great Philosophers (3)
One of the following courses in the later history of philosophy:
301 Early Modern Philosophy (3)
302 Contemporary Philosophy (3)
401 Independent Readings in Philosophy, for appropriate readings (3)
460 Great Philosophers (3)

ELECTIVES (6 S.H.)
Any two philosophy courses not used to satisfy the preceding requirements.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS (PHIL)
110 - Critical Thinking (3 S.H.)
This computer-assisted, self-mastery course teaches you how to employ good reasoning skills and how to avoid being fooled by bad reasoning and rhetorical tricks. Competencies acquired in the course include the following: Identifying, evaluating, and constructing arguments; identifying informal fallacies; testing syllogisms and propositional arguments for validity and overall cogency; and assessing and constructing position papers. Practice exercises and exams are done on computer. Offered each semester.
120 - Introductory Philosophy (3 S.H.)
An introduction to major areas in philosophy, considering some fundamental problems and concepts. Typical issues include some of the following: the existence of God, what we can know, what reality is, how mind and body are related, whether or not we have free will. Traditional and intellectually chic theories on these or other topics are critically reviewed. Offered each semester.
130 - Moral Problems (3 S.H.)
A practical course in ethics, involving concrete issues and their impact on the individual, society, and social policy. Topics may include abortion, euthanasia, sexuality and sexual morality, feminism, welfare, capital punishment, pornography and censorship, animal rights, world hunger, war, and terrorism. Offered yearly.
201 - Classical Philosophy (3 S.H.)
A study of the philosophical ideas, values, and world views of ancient Greece, especially its views on the nature of the universe, humanity, knowledge, religion, ethics, and politics. Theories from the Presocratics, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle will be critically examined and contrasted with contemporary beliefs and values. Offered each semester.
210 - Inductive Reasoning (3 S.H.)
Introduction to inductive reasoning and how to avoid being tricked by faulty or pseudo scientific claims and arguments, and how to critically assess public policy in light of good scientific reasoning. Students study how to use experimentation and the scientific method to test theoretical, statistical, and causal hypotheses. Famous discoveries in the history of science are used as illustrations. Other topics include fundamental concepts of probability, sampling, causation, and correlation. Offered yearly.
220 - Philosophy of Democracy (3 S.H.)
An introductory course in political philosophy, investigating the nature and implications of liberal democracy. Topics may include social-contract theory, notions of natural rights, the moral virtues of democracy, voting paradoxes, limitations of and various critiques of democracy. Offered yearly.
230 - Moral Theory (3 S.H.)
A study of major ethical theories, concepts, and issues; for instance, Kantianism, utilitarianism, ethical relativism, concepts of justice, human rights, moral responsibility, and free will. Offered yearly.
240 - Philosophy of Science (3 S.H.)
Examines basic issues in the philosophy and foundations of science, such as the testing of hypotheses, the construction and confirmation of theories, the nature of scientific explanation, and the concept of laws of nature. The course also investigates the distinction between science and pseudoscience and studies to what extent each has influenced recent public policy, social debates, and school curricula. Offered yearly.
250 - Symbolic Logic (3 S.H.)
An examination of methods for putting ordinary deductive reasoning into symbols in order to test its validity. Topics include ways to translate English into symbols, uses of truth tables, rules for deduction in propositional and predicate logic, models for showing invalidity, and strategies for constructing proofs. Offered as appropriate.
260 - Problems in Philosophy (3 S.H.)
A variable-content course considering salient problems in philosophy. May be repeated as University Studies credit as issues change. Offered as appropriate.
270 - Philosophy of Religion (3 S.H.)
Topics will include arguments for and against the existence of God; the nature of religious belief, miracles, religious language, faith, and reason; as well as Freudian, Existentialist, and Postmodern approaches to religion. This course also briefly reviews the historical and theological background of the main Western religions. Offered as appropriate.
280 - Philosophy of Art (3 S.H.)
An introduction to the fundamental concepts and issues in the philosophy of art. Topics include: The definition of art, art’s role and function, taste and judgment, interpretation and intention, representation and expression. The course covers a wide range of views and spans the length of Western philosophy, within the larger realm of social, political, moral, gender, and scientific issues. Offered as appropriate.
301 - Early Modern Philosophy (3 S.H.)
This course examines the main themes of early modern philosophy by investigating the views of some of the principal European philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries: the rationalism of such philosophers as Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz; the empiricism of Locke, Berkeley, and Hume; and the constructivism of Kant. Offered yearly.
302 - Contemporary Philosophy (3 S.H.)
A study of major figures and issues from the 19th and 20th centuries. Philosophers may include Mill, Marx, and Wittgenstein. Issues may include the nature of knowledge, the nature of mind, and the nature of the state. Offered yearly.
330 - Biomedical Ethics (3 S.H.)
Ethical issues in health care; for example, abortion, termination of treatment, euthanasia, truth-telling and confidentiality, medical experimentation and informed consent, transplant surgery, artificial insemination, surrogate pregnancy, the allocation of medical resources. Offered yearly.
332 - Philosophy of Law (3 S.H.)
Consideration of the philosophical foundations of law. Topics may include the nature of law, concepts of responsibility and liability, theories of punishment, causation in the law, discrimination and equality, the relation of law and morality, the obligation to obey the law, civil disobedience, liberty and privacy, theories in private law (tort, contract, property). Offered yearly.
335 - Constitutional Philosophy (3 S.H.)
At the crossroads of political philosophy and philosophy of law, this course investigates the philosophical foundations of the American constitution and contemporary philosophical issues arising from its enforcement in a liberal democracy. Topics may include natural law theory, the separations of powers, theories of constitutional interpretation, theories of free speech, privacy doctrine, equal protection, affirmative action, criminal due process, and the Constitution’s relation to American society. Offered as appropriate.
401 - Independent Readings in Philosophy (1-3 S.H.)
An individually planned program of readings. May be repeated to a maximum of 9 semester hours. Prerequisites: One philosophy course and instructor’s permission. Offered by arrangement.
430 - Topics in Social and Political Philosophy (1-3 S.H.)
A variable-content course considering issues in social and political philosophy. May be repeated as topics change. Offered as appropriate.
460 - Great Philosophers (1-3 S.H.)
An intensive study of a single philosopher. May be repeated for different philosophers. Prerequisites: One philosophy course and instructor’s permission. Offered as appropriate.