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PHI 102 - Reason and Argument Instructor
McKeever
Introduction to reasoning with a focus on the nature and evaluation of arguments, the identification of fallacies, and the rules of rational discourse.
Satisfies the philosophy major requirement of either PHI 102 or PHI 200.
Satisfies the Liberal Studies distribution requirement.
Counts as an elective in the Public Communication/Rhetoric Track of the Communication Studies interdisciplinary minor.
Prerequisites & Notes (Spring)
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PHI 105 - Ancient Greek Philosophy Instructor
Studtmann
Introduction to the origins and development of philosophy in ancient Greece, with special emphasis on Plato and Aristotle.
Counts towards the satisfaction of the Philosophy major requirement to take two courses from amoung PHI 105, PHI 106, and PHI 107.
Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Counts as a Western Europe area course in the International Studies Interdisciplinary Minor.
Counts towards the major in Classics.
Prerequisites & Notes (Fall)
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PHI 106 - Early Modern European Philosophy Instructor
Robb
Introduction to philosophy in the early modern period, i.e., the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Emphasis on metaphysical and epistemological issues in the work of philosophers selected from this list: Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Kant.
Counts towards the Philosophy major and minor requirement to take two courses in the history of philosophy from among PHI 105, PHI 106, and PHI 107.
Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Counts as a Western Europe area course in the International Studies Interdisciplinary Minor.
Prerequisites & Notes (Spring)
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PHI 107 - Medieval Philosophy Instructor
Griffith
Introduction to philosophers of the medieval period. We will study thinkers of the Christian, Islamic, and Jewish traditions, spanning from the fourth century C.E. up to the fourteenth century. Philosophers discussed may include: Augustine, Boethius, Anselm, Peter Abelard, Avicenna, Algazali, Averroes, Saadia, Maimonides, Aquinas, and John Duns Scotus.
Counts towards the satisfaction of the Philosophy major and minor requirement to take two courses in the history of philosophy from among PHI 105, PHI 106, and PHI 107.
Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes (Not offerred in 2016-17)
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PHI 110 - Problems of Philosophy Instructor
Layman, Jankovic
Introduction to philosophy through a survey of selected philosophical problems. Topics vary, and have included questions such as: Does God exist? Do we have free will? Can we know anything? Is truth relative? Is morality objective?
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy major.
Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes (Fall and Spring)
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PHI 140 - Environmental Ethics Instructor
McKeever
Introduction to ethical analysis of environmental values and decision-making. Likely topics include (1) the value of different aspects of the environment including non-human animals, species, non-living natural objects, and ecosystems; (2) ethical analysis of different approaches to risk as this bears on environmental policy-making; (3) the moral merits and liabilities of ethical institutions, such as private property rights, as applied to the natural environment.
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy major and minor.
Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Satisfies depth and breadth course requirement in the Humanities track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor.
Prerequisites & Notes (Not offerred in 2016-17)
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PHI 150 - Eastern and Western Conceptions of the Self Instructor
Robb
In this course we compare and evaluate conceptions of the self in Eastern and Western philosophical traditions. Questions include: Does the self exist? If so, what sort of thing is it? Could I survive the death of my body? Do I extend beyond the boundaries of a particular mind or body? In what sense, if any, is the self a social construct? Readings come from a variety of sources: contemporary and classical, Eastern and Western.
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy major and minor
Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes (Not offerred in 2016-17)
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PHI 160 - Great Philosophers Instructor
Studtmann
Introduction to philosophy through intensive study of the work of one philosopher. The philosopher selected varies. This course: Sartre
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy major and minor.
Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes This course can be repeated for credit given sufficiently distinct topics: check with the department chair. (Spring)
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PHI 170 - God (= REL 246) Instructor
Studtmann/Ottati
This course focuses on what is said about God in Christian tradition and in philosophy. It explores representations, symbols, inklings of the divine in biblical and religious texts, developed conceptions of God put forward by philosophers and theologians, and traditional arguments about God , as well as contemporary statements and debates.
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy major.
Satisfies the Philosophical and religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes (Not offered 2016-17.)
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PHI 200 - Symbolic Logic Instructor
Studtmann
Systematic study of formal reasoning. Focus on the representation and evaluation of arguments in propositional and predicate logic. Additional topics vary, and may include meta-logic, modal logic, and non-classical logics.
Satisfires the Philosophy major requirement to take one course on reasoning (either PHI 102 or PHI 200).
Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes (Fall)
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PHI 210 - Games and Decisions Instructor
McKeever
Introduction to the formal analysis of games and rational decision-making. Decision under risk, ignorance, and certainty as applied in morals, politics, and religion.
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy major and minor.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
Counts as an elective in the Social Science Track of the Applied Mathematics interdisciplinary minor.
Prerequisites & Notes (Not offerred in 2016-17)
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PHI 211 - Theory of Knowledge Instructor
Jankovic
The central questions of epistemology are: What is knowledge? Do we have any? If so, how did we get it? This course accordingly looks at the nature, scope, and sources of knowledge.
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy major and minor.
Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes (Spring)
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PHI 213 - Philosophy of Science Instructor
Robb
This course is about the nature of science, with a focus on Thomas Kuhn’s pioneering and widely influential text, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Topics include the difference between science and pseudo-science, the rationality of scientific change, the aim of science, the role of values in science, and the objectivity of scientific facts.
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy major and minor.
Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes (Spring)
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PHI 215 - Ethics Instructor
Layman
Introduction to the philosophical evaluation of ethical decision-making and moral life. Discussion of such questions as: What grounds the difference between right and wrong action? How is happiness related to morality? Do moral questions admit of objective answers, and if so how can moral disagreements be resolved? What is the virtue of justice? Does morality require (or benefit from) a religious foundation? A variety of philosophical approaches will be considered with a view to which best helps us understand this vital dimension of human life.
Satisfies the philosophy major requirement for Philosophy 215.
Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes (Spring)
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PHI 217 - Philosophy of Mind Instructor
Jankovic
Introduction to the mind-body problem: What is the relation between the mind and the body, or more generally, between mental and physical phenomena? Answers explored include dualism, behaviorism, the mind-brain identity theory, and functionalism. Other topics vary, and have included consciousness, mental representation, artificial intelligence, and neurophilosophy.
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy major and minor.
Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Counts as an elective in the Neuroscience interdisciplinary minor.
Prerequisites & Notes (Fall)
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PHI 225 - Philosophy of Religion Instructor
Griffith
Introduction to philosophical issues in classical and contemporary religious thought. Topics vary, and have included the justification of religious claims, the relation of faith to knowledge, arguments for the existence of God, divine attributes, life after death, the problem of evil, the status of religious language, the relation of religion to morality, and alternatives to theism.
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy major and minor.
Satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes (Spring)
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PHI 250 - Buddhism as Philosophy Instructor
Robb
Buddhism is one of the world’s major religions, but it is at the same time a philosophical system, one that has something to say about many of philosophy’s central problems. These include questions about the existence and nature of the self, the fundamental structure of reality, the possibility of knowledge, and the moral life. In this course, we examine the Buddhist philosophical system, noting where there is debate within the Buddhist tradition, and at times pausing to compare Buddhist views with Western counterparts. Readings come from a variety of sources: contemporary and classical, Eastern and Western.
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy major and minor.
Satisfies an interdisciplinary minor requirement in South Asian Studies.
Satisfies Philosophical and Religious Perspectives distribution requirement.
Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes (Fall)
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PHI 325 - Philosophy of Law Instructor
McKeever
Analysis of the nature and function of law. Various theories of law, relation of law to morality, economic analysis of law. An assessment of the principles of legal reasoning and jurisprudence, emphasis on discussion of decided cases.
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy major and minor.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes (Not offerred in 2016-17)
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PHI 350 - Seminar in Philosophy Spring 2017
Instructor: Studtmann
Topic: 20th Century Political Structure
The debate between those who advocate for an anarchist political structure and those who advocate for a Statist political structure is one of the most fundamental debates in all political philosophy. In this course, we examine two of the most prominent anarchist thinkers in the 20th century - Murray Rothbard and David Friedman - as well as the greatest political philosopher in the 20th century and a proponent of Statistm - John Rawls. The course concludes with an examination of mathematical models of both types of political structure that provide mathematically precise answers to some of the main questions that both Anarchists and Statists have discussed.
Fall 2016
Instructor: Griffith
Topic: Free Will
The problem of free will is often cited as one of philosophy’s most difficult problems to resolve. As human beings, it seems that we are subject to laws of nature and to chains of cause and effect. But as personal agents, we feel strongly that we are autonomous beings whose choices and actions are not dictated by external factors. Can we reconcile these two notions? Why do we care?
In this course, we will study the nature of free will and the problems associated with it. We will focus mostly on the debate as it has been developed in the 20th and 21st centuries. We will look at the following questions (among others): is free will compatible with determinism? What about indeterminism? If our actions aren’t determined, are they random or arbitrary? How does free will relate to moral responsibility? Do moral responsibility and/or free will require that we are able do otherwise? If so, what does it mean to be able to do otherwise? Can contemporary science tell us anything about whether we have free will? Do we need free will/moral responsibility in order to have meaningful lives? Do we at least need to believe that we have free will?
Satisfies the Philosophy major seminar requirement.
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy minor.
Prerequisites & Notes This course can be repeated for credit given sufficiently distinct topics: check with the department chair. (Fall, Spring)
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PHI 451 - Senior Colloquium in Philosophy Instructor
Layman
Capstone course required of all senior Philosophy majors. The seminar is organized around the work of four or five philosophers who visit the campus during the semester to discuss their work with students. Topics vary.
Prerequisites & Notes (Spring)
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PHY 106 - Introductory Astronomy with Lab Instructor
Thompson
A survey of the current scientific view of the Universe. Emphasis on the physical and mathematical principles necessary to understand how astronomers observe and interpret phenomena. Topics include the historical development of major astronomical theories, the interaction of light and matter, the life cycle of stars, and the structure and evolution of the Universe. One laboratory period per week which will include daytime laboratories and evening observing and astrophotography sessions.
Satisfies the Natural Science distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes Not open to students with credit in PHY 105. (Fall)
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PHY 110 - The Physics Around You Instructor
Cain
A descriptive course, intended primarily for non-science majors, concerning the laws of mechanics, heat, electricity, light, magnetism, the atom, and the nucleus as applied to the devices and technology used and the natural occurrences observed in everyday experience. No laboratory.
Satisfies the Liberal Studies distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes Designed for non-science majors. Not open to students with credit for Physics 120, 220, 130 or 230. (Not offered 2016-2017.)
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PHY 116 - Sights and Sounds Instructor
Boye
Scientific principles applied to the production, propagation, storage, detection and perception of sound and light. Applications will focus on current practices in live performance as well as high definition audio and image recording and production. This course is designed for students with an interest in music and the visual arts. One laboratory period per week.
Satisfies the Natural Science distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes Designed for non-science majors.
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PHY 120 - General Physics Instructors
Belloni, Boye, Yukich
Mechanics, rotational motion, fluids, waves, sound, and thermodynamics. One laboratory each week.
Satisfies the Natural Science distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes (Fall)
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PHY 200 - Computational Physics (= CSC 200) Instructor
Kuchera
(Cross-listed as CSC 200) PHY/CSC 200 is an introduction to computer programming and computational physics using Python. No prior programming experience is necessary. This course will provide students with the skills required to write code to solve physics problems in areas including quantum physics, electromagnetism, and mechanics. Structured programming methods will be covered as well as algorithms for numerical integration, solving differential equations, and more.
Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought distribution requirement.
Co-requisite: Physics 120 or 130 at Davidson or permission of the instructor. (Spring)
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PHY 330 - Intermediate Mechanics Instructor
Belloni, Kharel
Newtonian principles are used with differential, integral, and vector calculus to analyze classical dynamics. Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of mechanics are also developed and applied. Topics may include: linear and non-linear oscillations, gravitational systems, the calculus of variations, many-particle systems, non-inertial reference frames, rigid-body dynamics, normal modes, and wave theory.
Prerequisites & Notes Corequisite: Mathematics 113 or 140. Prerequisite: Physics 220 or 230 or permission of the instructor. (Fall)
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PHY 350 - Electricity and Magnetism Instructor
Belloni, Cain
Electrostatics, magnetostatics, and electromagnetic waves, with emphasis on the application of Maxwell’s equations.
Prerequisites & Notes Corequisite: Mathematics 160 or Physics 201. Prerequisite: Physics 330 or permission of the instructor. (Spring)
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PHY 360 - Quantum Mechanics I Instructor
Belloni
Quantum mechanics with applications to exactly-solvable systems.
Prerequisites & Notes Mathematics 150 or Physics 201, Physics 330, and 350, or permission of the instructor. (Fall)
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PHY 391 - Special Topics in Physics Instructor
Staff
Open to qualified students with permission of instructor. Topics announced in advance of registration.
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PHY 392 - Special Topics in Physics Instructor
Staff
Open to qualified students with permission of instructor. Topics announced in advance of registration.
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PHY 395 - Independent Study Instructor
Staff
Open to students with substantial backgrounds in physics with written permission from a supervising professor who reviews and approves the study topic. The independent study typically culminates in a paper and/or an oral presentation.
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PHY 397 - Independent Study in Advanced Software Development in Science (= CSC 397) Instructor
Kuchera
(Cross-listed as Computer Science 397) Independent study using computers to model dynamical systems in the natural sciences under the direction and supervision of the instructor who approves the specific topic of study. Emphasis is on the use of object-oriented programming and web-based protocols to investigate both dynamical systems and the representation of those systems as data structures and algorithms.
Prerequisites & Notes CSC/PHY 200 or CSC 121 and one of PHY 310, CSC 231 or CSC 325, or permission of the instructor. (Fall/Spring)
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PHY 400 - Statistical and Thermal Physics Instructor
Gfroerer
An introduction to thermal physics using a statistical approach to describe systems composed of very many particles. The conclusions of classical thermodynamics are derived from statistical results.
Prerequisites & Notes Physics 330 or permission of the instructor. (Fall)
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PHY 410 - Intermediate Astrophysics Instructor
Thompson
Astrophysical concepts are considered using the techniques of classical mechanics, electromagnetic theory, statistical mechanics, and quantum mechanics. Topics include: star formation, the structure and evolution of degenerate stars, supernova explosions, special and general relativity, and cosmology.
Prerequisites & Notes Two or more of Physics 330, 350, 360, and 400, or permission of the instructor. (Spring)
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PHY 415 - Optics and Lasers Instructor
Yukich
Applications of electromagnetic theory to modern optics and lasers. Topics include electromagnetic wave propagation and superposition, optical elements and devices, Fourier transforms, diffraction, polarization, interference, and coherence theory. Specific applications are made to lasers, spectrometers, interferometers, and optical systems.
Prerequisites & Notes Physics 350 or permission of the instructor. (Spring)
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PHY 420 - Solid State Physics Instructor
Cain
An examination of the properties of solids and their device applications. Topics will include: crystal structure and diffraction; phonons and lattice vibrations; free electron theory and band structure; semiconductors; magnetic properties; electrical properties; and superconductivity.
Satisfies a major requirement in Physics.
Prerequisites & Notes Physics 330 or permission of the instructor. Physics 350, 360, and 400 are recommended. (Not offered 2016-2017.)
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PHY 430 - Advanced Mechanics Instructors
Belloni, Boye
Continuation of Physics 330 including computer modeling. Topics include motion in non-inertial reference frames, rigid-body motion, Hamiltonian formalism, coupled oscillations and other selected topics such as special and general relativity.
Prerequisites & Notes Physics 330. (Not offered 2016-2017.)
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PHY 495 - Independent Research Instructor
Staff
Open to students with substantial backgrounds in physics with written permission of the supervising professor who reviews and approves the research topic. Satisfactory completion of a research project includes a presentation at a departmental seminar.
Prerequisites & Notes (Physics 495, Fall; Physics 496, Spring.)
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PHY 496 - Independent Research Instructor
Staff
Open to students with substantial backgrounds in physics with written permission of the supervising professor who reviews and approves the research topic. Satisfactory completion of a research project includes a presentation at a departmental seminar.
Prerequisites & Notes
(Physics 495, Fall; Physics 496, Spring.)
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POL 101 - Contemporary Political Ideologies Instructor
Ahrensdorf
This course investigates the theories at the foundation of liberal democracy, capitalism, communism, fascism, Nazism, and political Islam.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes Not open to juniors until drop-add; not open to seniors except with permission of the instructor and only once the semester begins.
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POL 121 - American Politics Instructors
Bullock, O’Geen, Roberts
Analysis of American political processes, institutions, and problems.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes Not open to juniors until drop-add; not open to seniors except with permission of the instructor and only once the semester begins.
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POL 140 - Comparative Global Politics Instructors
Menkhaus, Rigger
Introduction to the comparative study of political institutions, selected public policy challenges, and political trends in selected countries and regions around the world. Students are introduced to aspects of critical analysis and comparative methods as part of exploration of topics such as comparative electoral systems, executive-legislative relations, health care policies, gun control, immigration, taxation, and democratization.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
Credit towards International Studies Interdisciplinary Minor.
Prerequisites & Notes Not open to juniors until drop-add; not open to seniors except with permission of the instructor and only once the semester begins.
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POL 161 - International Relations Instructors
Alexander, R. Crandall, Ceka
Global issues, foreign policy, and the structures and processes of conflict and cooperation in a dynamically changing world environment.
Satisfied the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
Credit towards International Studies Interdisciplinary Minor.
Prerequisites & Notes Not open to juniors until drop-add; not open to seniors except with permission of the instructor and only once the semester begins.
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POL 220 - The US Congress Instructors
Roberts
Legislative behavior and policy-making in the United States, with particular emphasis on the Congress.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
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POL 224 - Political Institutions Instructor
O’Geen
This course will examine the origins and maintenance of political institutions, as well as the role of institutions in shaping outcomes and behavior. Theories drawing on insights from Political Science, Economics, History, and Sociology will be explored with a focus on applications in American politics.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
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POL 226 - Racial and Ethnic Politics Instructor
Staff
An exploration of the role of ethnic and racial identities in American political life, with special attention to debates about how best to incorporate various American minority groups into the political process.
Fulfills cultural diversity requirement.
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POL 227 - Law, Politics and Society Instructor
O’Geen
This course is a survey of issues and themes connecting law, politics, and society. Reading and discussion will focus on American politics and explore topics as wide-ranging as racial inequality in sentencing and imprisonment, historical changes in the interpretation of rights and liberties, and civil procedure.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
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POL 228 - US Environmental Politics and Policy Instructor
Bullock
This course will explore the political challenges and opportunities associated with environmental problems in the United States. Through in-depth cases and role-playing simulations at the local, state, and national levels, students study the competing interests, values, narratives, and knowledge claims in the politics of energy, pollution, natural resources, biodiversity, and climate change.
Satisfies depth and breadth course requirement in Social Science track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes Offered every other year, in rotation with POL 398.
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POL 229 - Business and Politics Instructor
Bullock
This course introduces students to a variety of analytical perspectives on the relationship between the public and private sectors in the United States. It has a particular focus on the characteristics of US political institutions and corporate actors that influence this relationship, the role of corporate activities in the political arena, and the effects of public policies on American businesses.
Satisfies a major requirement in Political Science
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement
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POL 239 - Special Topics in American Politics The content of this course changes from year to year.
Section A: Women and Politics
MWF 2:30pm - 3:20pm
Phan
The objective of this course is to examine the role that gender has on elected officials, the electorate, and public policy. This class will examine three central questions: Where are all the women and how do gender roles in society shape women’s pathways to power? What are the policy consequences of women’s representation? What interventions have policy makers (worldwide) taken to increase women’s representation?
Satisfies a Social Scientific Thought distribution requirement (this topic only).
Counts as a Society and Politics course in the Gender and Sexuality Studies major and minor (this topic only).
Section B: Constitutional Police Procedure
MWF 2:30pm - 3:20pm
Boddery
This course introduces students to police procedure through the study of U.S constitutional law. Relying on Supreme Court and lower federal court decisions that interpret clauses contained in the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments, this course examines law enforcement liability, responsibility, and authority, as well as the constraints and requirements to surveillance, traffic stops, arrests, and searches and seizures.
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POL 269 - Special Topics in International Politics Instructor
Staff
An upper division course dealing with a topic in International Politics. Past courses have included Causes of War, Globalization, and International Relations Theory.
The content of this course changes from year to year. Please see the departmental website for a detailed description of this year’s offerings.
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POL 280 - Contemporary Political History Instructor
Menkhaus
A survey and critical analysis of global events, trends, and controversies in the past five decades-with special focus on the post-Cold War era-that have had an enduring impact on contemporary politics.
Satisfies minor credit in International Studies.
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POL 281 - Capitalism and the History of Economic Thought Instructor
R. Crandall
Traces the historical evolution, philosophical underpinnings, and current debates related to one of the most consequential ideologies of all time: capitalism. Outlines key historical episodes that influenced capitalism’s ascent to its present unrivaled status.
Prerequisites & Notes ECO 101
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POL 288 - Davidson in Washington Independent Study Instructor
Staff
Project involving student research conducted in Washington, D.C., as part of the summer program of Davidson in Washington. Must have a significant political component.
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POL 289 - Independent Study Instructor
Staff
Research leading to the submission of a major paper under the direction and supervision of a faculty member who reviews and approves the topic of the independent study and evaluates the student’s work.
Prerequisites & Notes Permission of the instructor.
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POL 290 - Politics of Africa Instructor
Menkhaus
Survey of contemporary political conflicts, development and international relations of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Sub-field = International and Comparative
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
Fulfills cultural diversity requirement.
Satisfies a requirement of the Africana Studies major.
Satisfies a requirement of the International Studies interdisciplinary minor.
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POL 302 - Special Topics in Classical Political Theory Instructor
Rathnam
This course explores such central themes of classical political thought as “education and politics,” “idealism and realism,” and “politics and literature.”
The content of this course changes from year to year.
Fall 2016 Difference and Disagreement
It is often suggested that contemporary liberal democracies are becoming more and more diverse, and even that such diversity is an inevitable result of free institutions. This diversity takes various forms: ethnic, racial, and religious diversity, most prominently, but also all kinds of theoretical disagreements about how we should live and how our communities should to be organized. All of this makes the practical question of how we ought to respond, politically speaking, to these forms of difference and disagreement an urgent one. While this is often understood as a distinctively modern question, it in fact goes back to the roots of political theory in ancient Greece.
This course examines the treatments of diversity and disagreement in the works of some of the greatest philosophers (Plato), historians (Herodotus), and playwrights (Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Sophocles) of ancient Greece. Through our study of these writers, we will think through questions such as the following: what is the relationship between the world’s cultures and the good life? Is the latter as varied as the former? How should we think about our responsibilities? Are they given universally by reason or human nature, or instead by our cultural and social roles? We will also consider the ways in which selected early modern writers, such as Michel de Montaigne and Bartolomé de las Casas, and contemporary writers, such as Kwame Anthony Appiah, Amartya Sen, and Iris Marion Young, have addressed these and related questions.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
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POL 304 - Foundations of Liberalism Instructor
Shaw
Major political philosophers within the liberal tradition, including Locke, Kant, de Tocqueville, Mill, Hayek, and Rawls.
Satisifies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
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POL 305 - Education and Politics Instructor
Ahrensdorf
This course examines the proper political and moral education of aspiring leaders in works by Plato, Machiavelli, and Shakespeare.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
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POL 307 - Lincoln and the Crisis of American Democracy Instructor
Ahrensdorf
This course examines the political thought of Lincoln, his predecessors, and his contemporaries concerning such themes as slavery, democracy, the Founding, and the Constitution.
Satisfies a Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
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POL 325 - Constitutional Law Instructor
O’Geen
Development and interpretation of the Constitution of the United States through analysis of the decisions of the Supreme Court.
Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric distribution requirement.
Prerequisites & Notes Not open to first-year students.
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POL 326 - Legal Research and Writing Instructor
Boddery
Introduces students to fundamental legal research, analysis, and writing. Not open to first-year students.
Satisfies a major requirement in Political Science
Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric distribution requirement
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POL 328 - Politics of Information Instructor
Bullock
Ratings, rankings and certifications have become a ubiquitous form of power in American society. Through in-depth case studies, this course explores the validity, credibility and effectiveness of these hotly-contested “information-based governance” strategies (such as food sustainability certifications, corporate “green” rankings, or doctor quality ratings), particularly in the health and environmental fields.
Satisfies the Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
Satisfies depth and breadth course requirement in the Social Science track of the Environmental Studies major or interdisciplinary minor.
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POL 330 - Campaign Strategy Instructors
Roberts
Analysis of the strategic and ethical dilemmas that political candidates face in election campaigns.
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POL 336 - Politics and the Media Instructors
Roberts
An assessment of the role mass media plays in American politics with emphasis on systematic as well as individual effects.
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