This is the second course in the department's two semester sequence in logic. In the second course, a fair amount of attention is also devoted to logical metatheory. The main text for both courses is Benson Mates's Elementary Logic, 2nd ed.
Course work consists of regular homework, occasional unannounced quizzes, two midterms, and a final.
This course focuses on the thought, particularly with regard to metaphysics and epistemology, of some of the key figures in the history of Western philosophy from Descartes through Kant. In particular, we will study representative works by Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. Student performance will be evaluated on the basis of class participation and presentations, two examinations, and a term paper. Philosophy in Film is an experimental course whose aim is to show students that some mainstream films have a serious core of ideas that can lead to rewarding philosophical discussions. The course is intended to help students think about how they evaluate films in terms of the world views the films present.