Offered on availability of instructor. STSH-4720 Metaphysics A study of how to talk about what there is. This course is concerned with the philosophical claims that have been made about existence, being, and reality, and the problem of evaluating such claims, especially in the context of the claims made by science about the same issues. Some traditional philosophical and scientific texts are discussed, but recent sources will also be important. Offered on availability of instructor.
Detailed examination is given to the concepts of liberty, justice, responsibility, and punishment.
Offered on availability of instructor. A study, taking advantage of the university's locale, about industrialization as one important component in the development of American culture. Topics such as water for transportation and energy sources, architectural and engineering developments in conjunction with industrial growth, and social and political problems arising out of 19th-century industrialization are considered. Each student must keep a journal and is required to undertake a project and report findings in class. Classes are complemented by frequent, usually short, field trips at times agreed upon by instructor and students to appropriate sites.