Philosophy Spring 2027 Course Offerings
SO courses are online courses that meet Synchronously Online.
AO courses are online courses that meet Asynchronously Online.
BL is a class with reduced in-seat time due to a strong online component.
If nothing is listed, then this is an in-seat course.
There could be some adjustments in delivery mode options, like an additional SO section associated with an in-seat class. These changes will be found at classes.isu.edu.
PHIL 1101 (Objective 4A): Introduction to Philosophy
Multiple sections offered, see MyISU class schedule.
An introduction to major thinkers and major problems in philosophy. Topics may include the existence of God, the nature of knowledge, and the meaning of life.
For more information about this course, watch this video.
PHIL 1103 (Objective 4A): Introduction to Ethics
Multiple sections offered, see MyISU class schedule.
How should we live? This is the fundamental question of ethics, and it is in this sense that ethics, as a branch of philosophy, is practical rather than theoretical: it is concerned not primarily with what to believe or with what exists but with what to do, how to act. This course will introduce you to some of the most important questions that arise in ethics: What would constitute a good human life? What is the highest good? What is the foundation of morality? Can moral claims be objectively true or false? What could make them true or false? What is the content of morality? What (kinds of) actions are morally right or wrong, and why? Why should I be moral? What is the relationship between morality and self-interest? Is it always in my interest to behave morally? If so, how?
For more information about this course, watch this video.
PHIL 2215 (Objective 9): Introduction to South Asian Philosophies
01: TR 11-12:15 with Evan Rodriguez (CRN: 24575)
02: TR 11-12:15 SO with Evan Rodriguez (CRN: 24577)
A study of Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, and Daoist approaches to topics such as immortality, time, knowledge, reality, mystical experience, and the question of duty.
Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLUgfWh7X1k
PHIL 2230: Medical Ethics
01: AO with Caroline von Klemperer (CRN: 20635)
02: AO with Caroline von Klemperer (CRN: 20636)
03: AO with Ralph Baergen (CRN: 20637)
04: AO with Nobel Ang (CRN: 23079)
The practice of medicine raises ethical issues unlike those encountered in other spheres of life. The purpose of this course is to explore a number of these issues, drawing out the ethical considerations involved and examining how ethical decisions are made. The course will begin with a brief overview of ethical theories and their application. The issues to be examined include refusing life-sustaining treatment, medical futility, making medical decisions for others, assisted suicide, managed care, abortion, etc.
For more information about this course as taught by Professor Ang, watch this video.
PHIL 3315: Early Modern Philosophy
01: TR 1-2:15 with Evan Rodriguez (CRN: 24576)
02: TR 1-2:15 SO with Evan Rodriguez (CRN: 24578)
Descartes walks into a bar. “The usual?” asks the bartender. “Actually,” he replies “I think not” and poof! Descartes ceases to exist. The famous Cartesian phrase ‘I think, therefore I am’ has permeated representations of philosophy in contemporary culture, but in this course we will delve much deeper into the central philosophical and scientific problems that European philosophers of the 17th and 18th century grappled with. In many cases their unique solutions are still driving the philosophical debate today. We’ll take up Descartes’ famous meditations on what we can be absolutely certain of and how to build upon that certainty, we’ll enjoy a healthy dose of skepticism about the nature of everyday objects with Berkeley’s idealism, and we’ll question how we can come to know even the simplest scientific generalizations with Hume’s problem of induction. We’ll then end with Kant’s bold claim that he has brought about a Copernican revolution in philosophy.
We will cover the better-known figures mentioned above, as well as less familiar but equally important philosophers like Baruch Spinoza and Anne Conway. Exploring the impressive range of philosophical thought in this period will familiarize with the general scope and methods of philosophy as a discipline. Course assignments will in turn help us develop the necessary skills for engaging in the conversation ourselves.
PHIL 4490/5590: Ethics of the Mind
01: MW 1-2:15 with Caroline von Klemperer (CRN: 25332/25335)
02: MW 1-2:15 SO with Caroline von Klemperer (CRN: 25333/25334)
We humans are not just doers, we are also believers, inquirers, attenders, and perspectival thinkers – we are cognitive agents. What does it mean to be a good cognitive agent?
In this course we will explore questions like: Does being a good friend, family member, partner, or community member require anything of our cognitive lives? Can rational beliefs be immoral? Are there beliefs that we should hold, and why? Are our patterns of attention and inquiry morally evaluable? Can moral and pragmatic considerations bear on standards of evidence required for justified belief, in both our personal lives and our legal system? What role might literature and art play in shaping our perspectives? Does justice require anything of our cognitive lives - can our mental landscapes alone be misogynistic, racist, or oppressive in other ways?
We will focus on cutting edge work at the intersection of ethics, epistemology, and philosophy of mind that challenges an array of traditional, widely held views in philosophy. In so doing, we will dip into psychology, cognitive science, philosophy of religion, feminist philosophy, philosophy of fiction, and legal theory.
This round-table-discussion-based course welcomes all – students versed-in and new to philosophy alike.
PHIL 4499: Contemporary Political Theory
01: TR 9:30-10:45 with Jim Skidmore (CRN: 24639)
02: TR 9:30-10:45 SO with Jim Skidmore (CRN: 24640)
This course will examine some of the most important work in contemporary political philosophy, focusing especially John Rawls’ theory of justice and critics of Rawls from perspectives such as feminism, conservatism, critical race theory, libertarianism, and communitarianism.