PH 300 - Special Topics in Philosophy

Course Description

"Topics in political theory and philosophy vary by semester and may include: Aesthetics of Everyday Life; Art and Politics; Community, Communication, and Public Policy; Liberalism and Communitarianism; Logic; Censorship, Privacy, and the Public Good. May be repeated for credit if topics differ."

Summer 2023 Topics:

Section 006: Brains, Bodies, Minds/Machines

How does the mind relate to the body? Are minds and brains the same thing? Can computers or robots have minds? How do popular culture’s portrayals of the relationship between minds, bodies, brains, and machines match findings in the natural sciences and in philosophy? How do factors like race and gender affect our conceptions of mind? Finally, how do exogenous factors like technology and art affect our ideas of the mind and brain and their relationship to bodies and machines? This course will examine these questions by engaging with Philosophy, Science, Literature, and Film.

Section 007: Moral Issues in Sports

Sports have come to play a central role within our culture and society. Athletes have come to be deeply revered and have the salaries to prove it. For many people sports represent something very similar to a sort of religious devotion. But should sports play such a significant role in our lives? In this class we will consider the important role that sports play in shaping our culture and our values. In doing so we will also consider other important questions that come up in the world of sports: What is the point of sport? What happens when sports become more about money than competition? Beginning with and answering these broader questions will help in evaluating more specific moral issues in the world of sports such as the use of performance-enhancing drugs, the remuneration of college athletes, as well as racial and gender issues prevalent in sports today. By the end of the course, we should hope to become more cognizant of and sensitive to these issues and to the role that sports play in our society and in our lives.