Liberal Arts Gateway
Courses
Philosophy, Religion, & Humanities
Courses in Philosophy
Ethics – Philosophy 2306
Ethics with Global Studies Focus, Linda Cox
In this Global Ethics course, students will delve into challenging and complex moral questions and explore possible solutions from a variety of global perspectives. They’ll build an ethical toolbox to look at global approaches to social issues such as criminal justice, animal rights and interests, healthcare, and hunger. And then they’ll collaborate in a game where groups use their creative and critical thinking skills to build an ethical society–and then encounter unforeseen crises that challenge their ethical thinking along the way!
Justice and Equality: Theory and Practice, J. Wade Allen
Students will be introduced to the principles of morality through a critical examination of various ethical theories. In this particular course, we will be looking to apply those theories to issues of justice and equality, with a particular focus on racial justice. We will (1) be addressing the philosophical tools to solve ethical problems, while also reviewing the topic of moral skepticism and an analysis of justice from Plato’s Republic, (2) we’ll address a number of traditional and non-traditional ethical theories and think about their impact on issues related to justice, (3) we will address philosophical concepts of justice and how they apply to issues concerning race, and, finally, (4) students will make use of what they have learned to create their own group or individual arguments about particular issues related to racial injustice, which they will present to the rest of the class.
Racial Justice: Theory and Practice, Sherry Blum
What is Human Nature?, Aran Gharibpour
This course is centered around the theme “What is Human Nature?” Through a philosophically informed, interdisciplinary inquiry, we discuss questions such as: Is there such a thing as human nature? Does evolutionary biology debunk the concept? Does the concept of human nature leave any room for cultural diversity? How does our understanding of the concept shape our criminal justice system, economic structure, and political institutions? Does having a coherent concept of human nature help us live a more fulfilling life? Does believing in human nature mean we don’t have free will?
Courses in Humanities
Humanities: Renaissance to the Present – HUMA 1302
Exploring Global Influence in the Western World, Kerri Pope
This course explores the global influences on Western culture, innovation, and art. Students in this course make connections between European innovations and artworks and explore the role Colonialism plays in the dissemination and discussion of global culture.
Give Peace a Chance, Sarah Bowman
This course focuses on social issues throughout history from a global perspective. In addition to learning about historical and cultural shifts since the Renaissance, students closely read and analyze works of art from creators who have advocated for peace, social justice, and nonviolent solutions to conflict. Many approaches to history focus on conflict, war, and oppression and many cultural artifacts have been created that glorify war and conquest. While the study of violence is never far from the study of peace, this course aims to emphasize individuals within social movements since the Renaissance who have focused their creative output and social interventions on ways to develop a more peaceful, equitable world.
Of Monsters and Madness, Madeline Kinkel
This Humanities survey course examines historical and cultural depictions of monsters in literature, art, film, and other mediums. We take as our starting point the idea that monsters are embodiments of cultural anxieties, asking what we can learn from the things we fear. The course attends to the ways that marginalized people have been caricatured and depicted through monstrosity, paying special attention to the connection between monsters and madness. From Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to the Twilight films, among others, this course asks what we learn about our cultures and ourselves through the monsters we create.
What is Freedom? Kathleen Reeves
“What is Freedom?” surveys cultural works from the Renaissance to the present that are concerned with the nature of freedom, broadly defined. How is freedom achieved? Is it a quality or an action? How is it related to individuals and communities? Is freedom ever undesirable (do people ever desire to be free of freedom)? Possible texts range from Renaissance sonnets which ask how romantic love (or divine love) is related to freedom, to utopias, to paintings depicting national revolutionary struggles, to essays, visual art, and literature related to the many freedom struggles of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The Arts in Contemporary Society – HUMA 1315
Science Fiction in Literature and Media Arts, Jean Lauer
In this course, students will have the opportunity to delve into the genre of science fiction in a variety of media, from “classic” texts like Shelley’s Frankenstein to contemporary media including graphic novels, films, television, and other visual arts. Together the class will explore and discuss genre conventions, adaptations, diverse and global voices, and more.
Strategies for Diversifying Exhibition, Jean Lauer
An introductory course designed to enhance a student’s understanding and appreciation of the modes of communicating ideas and emotions through the visual and performing arts. This section focuses on how contemporary museums, festivals, and archives engage the public in arts and culture.