From Philosophy:
New Summer Philosophy Courses!
PHIL 110: Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy (José Jorge Mendoza)
SLN: 12856
(Asynchronous Online)
This course is a journey through some of the key authors, texts, ideas, concepts, and problems found in the cannon of Western social and political philosophy. It is a journey that begins in ancient Greece, with Plato and Aristotle, and moves through the political theory of the Middle Ages, eventually contrasting that way of doing politics with the modern “social contract” tradition. The course then concludes with the work of contemporary political philosopher John Rawls. The key questions this course will grapple with center around justice and human nature; the individual versus the community; liberty’s relationship to equality; religious as opposed to secular justifications for political authority; and the virtues (and vices) of a secure society as opposed to an open society.
PHIL 114: Philosophical Issues in the Law (Jesus Raya)
SLN: 12857
MTWThF 9:40-11:50 a.m.
Drawing on both legal philosophy and U.S. Supreme Court opinions, this course will introduce students to three questions in the philosophy of law and survey major positions in these debates. The first question we will take up regards the nature of the law and its connection, if any, to morality. The second will examine how judges ought to interpret the law when deciding cases, particularly Constitutional cases. Finally, we will discuss how philosophers and legal theorists have sought to answer the question of when and why discrimination is wrong. Though the answer to this question may seem intuitive, we will quickly realize that it is anything but. Keep in mind that as you pick and choose which classes you wish to take this summer, you are engaging in a kind of preference-based discrimination. The interesting philosophical question that we will take up is: Is this the wrongful kind of discrimination, the kind that we ought to avoid and legally protect from? Come find out in Phil 114!