~  Course Descriptions  ~
M.A. in Philosophy at IUPUI

PHIL P503 The Semiotics of C. S. Peirce (3 cr.) A general introduction into the semiotics of C. S. Peirce.

PHIL P507 American Philosophy and the Analytic Tradition (3 cr.) An overview of the development of American philosophy with a special focus on its contribution to and influence on the American analytic tradition. This course discusses the views of such philosophers as C.I. Lewis, Rudolf Carnap, W.V.O. Quine, Donald Davidson, Hillary Putnam, and Susan Haack.

PHIL P514 Pragmatism (3 cr.) This course examines what pragmatism stood for in its formative years and what it has become; then, after studying some conflicting views of well-known pragmatists, it considers what pragmatism might become. Part of the course is devoted to the contributions of pragmatism to different areas within philosophy.

PHIL P520 Philosophy of Language (3 cr.) Advanced study of selected topics.

PHIL P525 Topics in the History of Philosophy (3 cr.) An advanced study of important themes or major figures in the history of philosophy. May be repeated for credit if topics vary.

PHIL P540 Contemporary Ethical Theories (3 cr.) Fundamental problems of ethics in contemporary analytic philosophy from G. E. Moore’s Principia Ethica to the present.

PHIL P542 The Ethics and Values of Philanthropy (3 cr.) An inquiry into the ethics and values of philanthropy rooted in a general understanding of philanthropy, as voluntary action for the public good, as an ethical ideal. A consideration of philanthropic activity in light of this ideal.

PHIL P543 Contemporary Social and Political Philosophy (3 cr.).

PHIL P547 Foundations of Bioethics (3 cr.) A rigorous examination of bioethical theory and practice. Stress is placed on moral and conceptual issues embedded in biomedical research, clinical practice, and social policy relating to the organization and delivery of health care.

PHIL P548 Clinical Ethics Practicum (3 cr.) Application of the methods of philosophical analysis to current ethical issues arising in IU-affiliated hospitals and clinics. The practicum gives students first hand experience of clinical ethics problems in “real time,” showing them both the need for conceptual frameworks and the difficulties associated with them.

PHIL P549 Bioethics and Pragmatism (3 cr.) A survey of recent contributions of American philosophy to bioethics. The course strongly focuses on a growing group of philosophers and ethicists who seek their inspiration in Dewey, James, Peirce, Royce, and Mead, while dealing with contemporary issues in medical ethics.

PHIL P553 Philosophy of Science (3 cr.) A study of theories with regard to the nature, purpose, and limitations of science. Attention is given to the cognitive significance of theories, the scientific method (hypothesis formation, theory construction, and testing), research paradigms, reductionism, and social epistemology.

PHIL P555 Ethical and Policy Issues in International Research (3 cr.) Examines ethical and policy issues in the design and conduct of  transnational research involving human participants.   Topics discussed include: economic and political factors; study design; the role of ethics review committees; individual and group recruitment/informed consent; end of study responsibilities; national and international guidelines.

PHIL P558 American Philosophy (3 cr.) General introduction to American philosophy.

PHIL P560 Metaphysics (3 cr.) In-depth discussion of representative contemporary theories.

PHIL P562 Theory of Knowledge (3 cr.) Advanced study of selected topics.

PHIL P590 Intensive Reading (1-4 cr.) A tutorial course involving in-depth consideration of a specific philosophical area or problem or author. May be repeated for credit.

PHIL P600 Topics in Philosophy (3 cr.) This course addresses some particular topic within philosophy. May be repeated for credit.

PHIL P650 Topics in Semiotic Philosophy (3 cr.) An examination of various historical and theoretical issues arising from the philosophical study of semiosis—the general phenomenon of representation, objectification, signification, and interpretation—through the work of mostly American philosophers from the late nineteenth century to the present, with an emphasis on the impact of Peirce’s semiotic philosophy.

PHIL P696  Topics In Biomedical Ethics (3 cr.) Selected topics in bioethics, such as international research ethics; ethical issues in pediatrics; ethical issues in genetics.

PHIL P701 Peirce Seminar (3 cr.) This course is designed to give students a firm and broad understanding of the philosophy of Charles S. Peirce.

PHIL P730 Seminar in Contemporary Philosophy (4 cr.) Selected topics on the works of twentieth-century philosophers. May be repeated for credit.

PHIL P748 Seminar in American Philosophy (3 cr.) Different topics course which students can take repeatedly for credit. Sample topics include American Phenomenology (De Tienne), American Realism (De Waal), Emerson (Hanson), James (Nagy), Royce (De Tienne), Dewey (Nagy), and Mead (De Waal).

PHIL P803 Master’s Thesis in Philosophy (cr. arr.)

~  Courses Offered in Other Departments  ~

ANTH E445 Medical Anthropology (3 cr.): A cross-cultural examination of a biocultural systems model of human adaptation in health and disease, including: the interaction of biology, ecology, and culture in health; ethnomedical systems in the cross-cultural conception, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of disease; and sociocultural change and health. This course has been approved for graduate credit.

COMM C510 Health Provider-Consumer Communication (3 cr.)  This course is designed to teach communication skills and practices related to health care talk, by examining transactional communication within health care contexts. Topics covered in this course focus directly upon interpersonal dialogue between health care providers and patients.

HIST H546 History of Medicine (3 cr.)  History of medicine and public health in Europe and America, including ancient and medieval background, with focus on the development of modern health sciences since 1800.

LAW DN761 Law and Public Health (2cr.) Covers the law governing the practice of public health by state, local, and federal agencies, as well as health care professionals and institutions.  Topics addressed include legal mandates on public health agencies, physician, and other health  practitioners regarding testing, reporting, and contact tracing with respect to specific diseases, as well as laws for the imposition of quarantine, civil commitment, and mandatory treatment.  Also covered are public health aspects of the regulation of health care institutions, legal issues associated with risk assessment and cost benefit analysis, along with the environment.

LAW DN838 Bioethics and Law (3 cr.) Biological, ethical, and legal aspects of medical genetics, euthanasia, procreational technologies, abortion, organ transplants, “Baby Doe” cases, or other topics of current interest.

LAW DN845 Financing and Regulating Health Care (2 or 3 cr.) Covers selected legal issues in financing and regulation of the American health care system.  The course emphasizes chief policy issues facing the American health care system today - cost, access, and quality of health care services for all Americans. 

MHHS M504 Introduction to Research Ethics (3 cr.)  Ethical issues in designing, conducting, analyzing and presenting research; includes historical and theoretical background as well as case studies of such issues as scientific misconduct, data management and reporting, publication practices, intellectual property, funding of research and conflict of interest, human subject research and institutional review boards, and public perceptions of science.

NURS N534 Ethical and Legal Perspectives in Advanced Nursing Practice (2cr) This course discusses and analyzes major ethical and legal terms and the principles underlying legal and ethical health care practices. Students analyze selected theories/concepts/ principles of ethics and law within a framework of ethical decision making in advanced nursing practice.

SOC R515 Sociology of Health and Illness (3 cr.) Surveys important areas of medical sociology, focussing on social factors influencing the distribution of disease, help-seeking and health care. Topics covered include social epidemiology, the health care professions, socialization of providers and issues of cost and cost containment.

SOC S560 Topics: Death and Dying (3 cr.)  This course explores the human confrontation with mortality from a social, historical, and moral perspective. Topics to be discussed include Western attitudes towards death, medicalization of dying, human implications of high-tech dying, the right-to-die movement, funeral rituals, the death of children, and the violent death of suicide and genocide.