PH203 - Topics in Philosophy:

Experimental and occasional courses taught by either visiting professors or permanent staff. Courses offered under this rubric will vary from year to year.

1 unit — Dobson, Minervini, Rosensweig, Sriram, Wright

Previously Featured Offering

Climate change raises difficult questions of justice and equity: How might the burdens of reducing emissions be fairly shared among nations? Who should pay for adaptation in climate-vulnerable regions? Who has a say in climate decisions? PH203 examines fairness, equity, and justice in relation to climate change.
People's Climate March image
People's Climate March 2014 NYC by South Bend Voice is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Examining ecological restoration from an interdisciplinary perspective, providing an introduction to key concepts in restoration ecology, philosophy, and social science.
Ecological Restoration
Ecological restoration aims to assist the recovery of damaged and degraded ecosystems, returning them to ecological health. Restoration depends heavily on the science of ecology -- however, restoration involves social, political, economic, and ethical considerations as well. This course examines ecological restoration from an interdisciplinary perspective, providing an introduction to key concepts in restoration ecology, philosophy, and social science. We will also explore the practice of ecological restoration in Colorado, visiting restoration sites such as Shooks Run Creek, the Waldo Canyon burn area, and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Denver, where we will participate in restoration work as a class. A key goal of the course is to connect conceptual frameworks for restoration to issues and questions involved in ecological restoration on the ground. Finally, we will discuss a number of emerging topics and controversies in restoration, including debates over native and exotic species, climate change and ecological restoration, and the role of art in the interpretation of restored sites.
In this course, students will learn some of the basic principles of classical and molecular genetics and discuss the impact of genetics from philosophical, social, medical, legal and biological perspectives. Our aim is to help students develop the scientific background needed to understand new developments in genetics and their applications in medicine, reproductive technologies, and agriculture, and to develop the philosophical skills needed to critically reflect on the social and ethical implications of genetics and associated technologies.
illustration of dna
In the Science and Ethics of Genetics, students will study genetics from two distinct disciplinary perspectives – biology and philosophy – while also gaining an understanding of how these disciplines mutually inform one another. In particular, the course will show that ethical questions associated with stem cell research, genetic testing, gene therapy, and assisted reproduction cannot be answered effectively in the absence of basic biological understanding. Conversely, decisions about how to conduct research in biology and how to apply biotechnologies are impoverished in the absence of thoughtful, ethical reflection. This course will assist students in developing the scientific and philosophical literacy necessary to make thoughtful and informed assessments – from both personal and political perspectives – about biotechnology and its role in our lives.

Offerings

Term Block Title Instructor Location Student Limit/Available Updated
Fall 2023 Block 1 Topics in Philosophy: Philosophies of the Body: Bodies and Power Topic Details Pallavi Sriram Cornerstone Art Center 302 25 / 0 03/28/2024
Fall 2023 Block 3 Topics in Philosophy: German Cultural History 2 Topic Details Alberto Hernandez-Lemus Taught Abroad 001 25 / 12 03/28/2024
Fall 2023 Block 4 Topics in Philosophy: Psychoanalysis, Self, and Creativity Topic Details J.P. Rosensweig Armstrong Hall 231 25 / -1 03/28/2024
Fall 2023 Block 4 Topics in Philosophy: Voice and the Non-Human. Animals in the Visual Arts, Literature & Theory Topic Details Amanda Minervini Armstrong Hall 326 25 / 0 03/28/2024
Summer 2024 Block A Topics in Philosophy: Kenya's Maasiland Topic Details Alberto Hernandez-Lemus TBA 25 / 10 03/28/2024
Summer 2024 Block B Topics in Philosophy: Topics in Italian Culture: Voice and the Nonhuman Topic Details Amanda Minervini TBA 25 / 21 03/28/2024
Fall 2024 Block 1 Topics in Philosophy: Mysticism Peter Wright TBA 25 / 25 03/28/2024
Fall 2024 Block 2 Topics in Philosophy: Philosophies of the Body: Bodies and Power Topic Details Pallavi Sriram TBA 25 / 25 03/28/2024
Fall 2024 Block 3 Topics in Philosophy: Psychoanalysis, Self, and Creativity J.P. Rosensweig TBA 25 / 25 03/28/2024
Fall 2024 Block 4 Topics in Philosophy: TBA 25 / 25 03/28/2024
Spring 2025 Block 7 Topics In Philosophy: Voice and the Non-Human Topic Details Amanda Minervini TBA 25 / 25 03/28/2024
Spring 2025 Block 7 Topics in Philosophy: TBA 25 / 25 03/28/2024
Spring 2025 Block 8 Topics in Philosophy: Psyche, Symbol, Dream: C.G. Jung and Archetypal Psychology Topic Details Marcia Dobson TBA 25 / 25 03/28/2024
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