Fall 2006
Summer 2006 (University of Maryland, currently happening)- PHIL347 Philosophy of Law “The law by its nature limits people’s liberty. But how far may it go? We can all agree that the law should prohibit rape, murder and robbery. But is the government justified in prohibiting sodomy? Hate speech? Would such laws be moral? Would they be constitutional? How is the constitutionality of a statute determined? The first part of this course will explore what kinds of law there ought to be, and the second part will look at philosophical issues related to law enforcement…”
- PS22 City Politics “Bosses, reformers, states, bureaucrats, politicians, the poor, the homeless, and the citizen. An introduction to the major themes of urban politics.” One of the best classes I have ever taken, even though my section could not keep a proper discussion going for the life of us. Could I have a future in Urban Studies? Maybe.
- PL36 Early Modern Philosophy “An introduction to central themes in Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. Major topics include: reason, experience, and knowledge; substance and the nature of the world as it really is; induction, causation, and the origin of our ideas; skepticism, realism, and idealism. Connections are made with the scientific revolution of the 17th century.” There was a heavy focus on metaphysics that I did not like, but I was mostly ignorant of philosophy in that period and I’m glad my concentration required this course.
- PL181 Philosophy & Psychoanalysis: There is no official description for this in the course announcement, but it was bascially an overview of theories of psychoanalysis from Freud onward. I signed up for the class on a whim because I knew I liked the professor teaching it, but I regret the impulse decision now because if I had thought about it for longer than a minute I would have remember I have no interest in psychoanalysis.
- PS105: Ethics & Public Policy: “Examines moral foundations of important policy issues in the American national context as well as at Brown. Considers the following questions: Is there a right to health care? When may politicians lie? What role should university students have in governing themselves? Through these issues, we hope to track the role ethical thinking plays in the conduct of public policy.” Highly enjoyable. Since this was a higher level poli sci class than PS22, the level of discourse was much more satisfying. Sections were full of shouting matches and discussions that often continued as we filed out of the classroom. Our TA barely had to talk at all. The professor was also generally likable and a good lecturer, a visiting professor from Princeton. It was worth waiting for a two weeks to find out whether I had got into the (initially overenrolled) class.
- PS11 Introduction to Political Thought: “Why do laws made by other people have authority for me? Can it be fair for one person to be wealthier than another? How free should society be? Is sexism like racism? Such questions are explored through a careful reading of some classic texts in political philosophy, from the fourth century B.C.E. to the present.” With quirky John Tomasi. Very fun, section was spirited. My favorite part was our week spent on Ayn Rand’s The Virtue of Selfishness with guest lectures by president of the Ayn Rand Institute, Yaron Brook.
- PL12 Freedom and Responsibility: “An introduction to philosophy by way of consideration of such issues as: whether we are, can be, or ought to be free to think and act as we choose; whether we are or can be responsible (morally or legally) for our thoughts or actions or their consequences; and whether we ought to be punished for any of our thoughts or actions or their consequences. Readings from classical and contemporary sources.” I got tired of the free will debate by the end, but for an intro philosophy class the discussion was surprisingly good.
- PL8 Existentialism: “An introduction to philosophical thinking through the study of existentialist themes, including being oneself, loving others, the limits of morality, and the meaning of life in the face of suffering and death. Readings are drawn primarily from Schopenhauer, Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Sartre, de Beauvoir, and Camus.” The philosophy department’s answer to PS22 and PS11, taught by Bernard Reginster. Section was absolutely awful so the only thing I got out of the course was lecture, but it was totally worth it.
- PHIL121 Symbolic Logic: “Analysis and assessment of deductive arguments, using propositional, predicate, and other logics; philosophical basis and implications of logical analysis; metatheory of logic; modal and non-standard logics.” With the legendary Fleishman. Check out his page on RateMyProfessor.
- PHIL801 Justifying Punishment: “It is usually immoral to use physical force against another human being. So what, if anything, gives governments the moral right to punish via incarceration, physical pain, or death? Is it wrong to punish individuals for the good of society? How important is it to avoid punishing innocent people? If punishment is supposed to be unpleasant, why prohibit “cruel” punishments, as our Constitution does? Philosophers have debated such questions for centuries. This seminar examines the historical origins of the debates and the current state of this flourishing field, through classic and contemporary texts in the philosophy of punishment.” Best class I took at GWU, hands down. Convinced me to be a philosophy concentrator. First “normal” philosophy class — I had only taken logic before it. With Jeffrey Brand-Ballard is comparable to Morone in sheer energy and enthusiasm.
- AH32 Survey of Western Art: “An introduction to the history of art through the study of major monuments, movements, and concepts. From the early Renaissance through the Baroque and modern eras.” I’d love to be cultured and say that this class really broadened my horizons and made me appreciate art…but no, really it was a waste of a class and the only thinking I had to do for it was memorization of dates and names.
- ASTR 1 Introduction to Astronomy: “Primarily for non-science majors. Classical through modern astronomy, with introduction to basic principles underlying astronomical systems and observations. Lectures cover electromagnetic radiation, optical instruments, and the solar system.” Another waste of a class, taken to fulfill a general curriculum requirement (much like Art History). I took away nothing from the class and the labs were a joke.
- JAPN 162 Japanese Culture Through Film: “Survey of the Japanese cultural heritage presented through films. Topics include literature, philosophy, art, religion, and social history from prehistorical times to the modern era. Lectures and discussion in English.” A very popular class that I managed to get into by aggressively refreshing the registration page. I signed up for it at the time because of my interest in Japanese culture, the meeting time — only once a week and because it fulfilled the “foreign culture” requirement. I didn’t do any work that I was proud of but I enjoyed the movies. I also had trouble staying awake from 7:10-9:40pm in the dark basement of the library.