PHIL 110 Introductory Philosophy (3)
Readings and discussions designed to introduce the student to the major areas and problems of philosophy through a study of the writings of classical and contemporary thinkers. Section 72112 also satisfies an LO2 Critical Thinking Seminar.

PHIL 110W Finding Meaning in the Madness (3.5) FIRST YEAR SEMINAR COURSE 
A unit of the tandem The Art of Living, taken in conjunction with ART 211W Living Through Clay (CRN 72072).  Both ceramics and philosophy are arts. The ceramicist, as artist, reaches for a deeper understanding of her medium. Her aim is to realize the potentials in clay through the creation of artifacts that—perhaps more frequently than those produced in any other of the fine arts—can be integrated and actually used as part of daily life, making that life a richer, more meaningful whole. The philosopher, likewise, reaches for a deeper understanding of her medium, in this case, life itself, exploring what it might mean to live a life that is a rich and meaningful whole.

In this tandem we will read our way in historical order through some highlights of western philosophical attempts to discover, by deploying our capacity for abstract thought, what goes into fashioning a meaningful life in the face of what can sometimes seem to be a mad, mad world. Along the way, we will discuss the nature of beauty and creativity, learning what we can from the very concrete activity of bringing aesthetically satisfying meaning forth in the studio through both hand building and throwing on the wheel. Assignments in one class will in many cases connect directly to those in the other, allowing us plenty of opportunity for exploring the connections between these two challenging and engaging disciplines.  

We live in a world that can dazzle us with beauty but also threaten us with chaos.  Even the most orderly of lives can unexpectedly veer out of control, and the most rational of activities take on aspects of madness.  How are we to make our way in such a world? Is there some underlying pattern in the mad whirl? Can we find meaning in the mayhem? Questions concerning life's meaning and purpose lie at the heart of all serious philosophical inquiry.  In this course we will explore the possibilities for meaning offered by the conceptual frameworks of western philosophy.  Whether we are wrestling with Socrates' response to the collapse of Athenian democracy or Descartes' response to the collapse of the medieval worldview, our concern throughout will be to articulate our own responses to the questions that matter most.  This course also provides students the opportunity to earn the W.

PHIL 234 Hopeful Citizenship for the 21st Century (3) FIRST YEAR SEMINAR COURSE 
Democracy is in trouble. We're getting more polarized, less likely to trust neighbors and co-workers who vote differently from us, and more likely to get our info from social media where disinformation and bias are rampant. Is there hope for democracy with all this bad news? Luckily, philosophy offers us tools to build ourselves into hopeful citizens who can respond in our personal lives and our communities. This course will address the crises that threaten democracy and help students develop skills and practical strategies for becoming hopeful citizens. We'll investigate our usage of social media, learn skills to dialogue with those with whom we disagree, develop critical thinking skills for evaluating arguments, and engage with important contemporary and historical questions about how to live together in a democracy. This course also satisfies an LO2 Critical Thinking Seminar.