This course explores questions about the nature and purposes of human knowledge, such as: Are there different kinds of knowing? What are the sources of knowing? What counts as knowing? What are the relationships between knowledge and truth, knowledge and beliefs, knowledge and skill, knowledge and reality? How can we justify what we know? Students have the opportunity to read and discuss key philosophical texts on these and related topics. Open to first-year students only.

This course explores questions about the nature of beauty, such as: Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Are there different kinds of beauty? What are the sources of beauty? What are the relationships between beauty and art, beauty and nature, beauty and pleasure, beauty and goodness? Students have the opportunity to read and discuss key philosophical texts on these and related topics. Open to first-year students only.

This course explores questions about the nature of morality such as: What is the right thing to do? What makes someone a good person? What are the sources of moral goodness? What are the relationships between morality and pleasure, morality and duty, morality and evil, morality and politics, morality and non-human creatures and natural features? Students have the opportunity to read and discuss key philosophical texts on these and related topics. Open to first-year students only.

This course explores the nature of reality, such as: What is real, what exists, and how do we determine that? What kinds of things are real and unreal? What role do different disciplines play in investigating reality? What are the relationships between reality and fiction, reality and morality, reality and knowledge, reality and existence, reality and perception? Students have the opportunity to read and discuss key philosophical texts on these and related topics. Open to first-year students only.

Selected studies of major philosophers or philosophical concerns. This course can be repeated for additional credits as long as the section topics are different. Recent offerings include Civil Discourse, Poverty Studies, Native American Philosophy, Mark Twain, Persons Over Time, and Scottish Philosophy. Please consult the online course schedule for current offerings of this course.

An investigation into the varieties of reasoning, with concentration on the comprehension, evaluation, and construction of arguments. By analyzing examples of reasoning drawn from everyday life, the media, and different academic disciplines, students develop the skills and vocabulary required to articulate how reasoning works and to make reasoning an effective tool for gaining knowledge and participating in public discourse.

Selected studies of major philosophers or philosophical concerns. This course can be repeated for additional credits as long as the section topics are different. Recent offerings include Civil Discourse, Poverty Studies, Native American Philosophy, Mark Twain, Persons Over Time, and Scottish Philosophy. Please consult the online course schedule for current offerings of this course.

The philosophical analysis and evaluation of selected controversies related to the practice of medicine. The typical sort of issues to be studied are abortion, termination of treatment, physician-assisted suicide, the use of reproductive and genetic technologies, and the just allocation of limited medical resources.

The philosophy of cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field in which arguments, theories and methods from the intersection of philosophy and the cognitive sciences are used to reflect about aspects of the mind, including rationality, perception, actions, thoughts, and language. Students study, analyze, and evaluate six theories of representation—logic, rules, concepts, analogies, images, and connections—and three mental architectures—computational, connectionist, and dynamical. Students explore contemporary philosophical research and philosophical perspectives on interdisciplinary debates about the emotions, consciousness, embodiment, agency, and the social.

An introductory study of existentialism and phenomenology. We reflect on the human condition, the commitments engendered by faith in God, the finitude of existence in the face of death, authenticity in ourselves and in relation to others, grappling with finding significance in a world without meaning, our lived experience, the structures of consciousness and self-consciousness, and aspects of our experience that are subjective and relative to points of view. Thinkers might include Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Arendt, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty, or contemporary philosophers engaging with existentialism and/or phenomenology.

Emphasis upon the development of a symbolic system for sentential logic. Critical analysis and reasoning skills are practiced. Some aspects of traditional and informal logic receive brief treatment.

Is freedom compatible with a world of cause and effect? Does freedom exist or is the conscious will an illusion? Students study, analyze, and evaluate philosophical arguments concerning freedom of the will, its relationship to moral responsibility, the nature of agency and action, philosophical accounts of intentions, and the relationship between rationality, reasons, and causes of action. Students explore contemporary philosophical research on questions concerning moral psychology, debates about the effectiveness of the conscious will, and debates about the awareness of our own agency.

Study of ancient Western philosophers and philosophical systems. Subjects may include the Presocratics, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, and Neo-Platonism. Cross-listed as CLAS 285.

Study of early Christian Western philosophers and philosophical systems. Subjects may include Augustine, Boethius, and Neo-Platonism.

Study of philosophers and philosophical systems of the Enlightenment: Rationalism, Empiricism, and Kant.

Study of the intellectual history of the late modern period (late 18th century through the late 19th century) including the study of primary texts written by a selection of the following thinkers: Kant, Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche. Throughout the course we focus on the themes of agency, the self, and the social, tracing the emergence of German Idealism, critiques of idealism, and the origins of post-modernism. Other possible topics include: metaphysics, epistemology, aesthetics, ethics, and social and political thought of the late modern period.

Environmental philosophy is the study of the natural environment and humans' place within the natural world. What do we mean when we talk about nature? How do we understand the ways that humans are a part of and interact with the natural world? What are the worldviews, beliefs, desires, and interests that guide humans as they interact with the non-human natural world? Topics might include: philosophy of nature, philosophy of environmental sciences, philosophy of technology, philosophies of environmental value, the aesthetic appreciation of natural environments, or introductory environmental ethics.

Environmental Ethics is the study of the values of the non-human natural world, our obligations to care for nature, and debates about possible practical solutions to our environmental problems. Is the value of nature intrinsic or instrumental, ecological or anthropocentric, holistic or individual? What obligations do humans have to non-human nature? Who counts in environmental ethics (animals, plants, or ecosystems)? What ethical values are involved in caring for the natural world? What aspects of human practices might be changed to address environmental problems? Topics might include any of the following: animal rights, climate change, conservation, agriculture, wilderness, or environmental activism.

A philosophical exploration of these three post-Platonic traditions in ancient philosophy. Prerequisite: A previous course in philosophy or classics, or consent of instructor

The course focuses upon understanding and comparing theories about what principles should guide human action, what kind of living constitutes the truly good life, and in what sense judgments regarding moral value have "objective" answers. Prerequisite: One previous class in Philosophy or permission from the instructor

Philosophical issues related to science and the scientific method with readings from Hempel, Popper, Kuhn, and others. Prerequisite: One previous class in Philosophy or permission from the instructor

Study and evaluation of the major philosophical theories and controversies shaping our contemporary political debates over such issues as the nature of social and economic justice, the meaning of equality, the limits of individual freedom, the sources of political obligation, and the characteristics of a well-ordered society. Prerequisite: One previous class in Philosophy or permission from the instructor

The study of philosophical issues and questions related to religious belief, language, and worldview, with particular attention to classical and/or contemporary arguments regarding the relationship of faith and reason. Topics may include arguments of existence of God, the problem of evil, the nature and epistemic value of religious experience, and the implications of pluralism for rational religious commitment. Cross-listed as RELI 370. Prerequisite: a previous course in philosophy or religious studies, or consent of instructor

Metaphysics is concerned with the most general questions about the foundations of existence. What is the nature of being? What are the basic objects of reality? Is the nature of properties and relations different from the way we talk and think about them? Are there necessary truths? What are space and time? What makes persons, minds, bodies identical with themselves over time? What is the nature of causation? Are human beings free? Is the task of metaphysics descriptive or is metaphysics a revisionary science, explaining and predicting the grounds of existence? Prerequisite: One previous class in Philosophy or permission from the instructor

Epistemology is the philosophical inquiry into the nature, conditions and extent of knowledge. Are dreams, hallucinations, and illusions threats to our knowledge? Is all knowledge based in our senses or can we have knowledge independent of experience, like propositions in math or logic? Is justified true belief sufficient for knowledge? Does knowledge shift with context? Is knowledge internal or external to a subject’s perspective? Does epistemology involve inquiry into the justification of our beliefs or into the natural origins of our beliefs? Students study knowledge in at least one particular case—perception, action, memory, inference, or testimony. Prerequisite: One previous class in Philosophy or permission from the instructor

An introduction to aesthetics as a theoretical discipline in its own right, a discipline concerned with the nature of representation and thus with beauty and art. The course focuses in particular on issues of aesthetics and visual representation; the relationship between visual arts, literature, and other art forms; the efficacy of aesthetic theory as a mode of reading and interpretation. The class explores these issues in relation to specific works of visual art, film, and literature. Cross-listed as ARTH 389.

What is the nature of the mental and how does it relate to the physical body and physical bodies in general? Is the mark of the mental intentionality, or “aboutness”? What is the nature of representational content of our mental states? Are the contents of our mental states determined by facts internal to the individual or facts external to the individual in the physical world? What is the nature of consciousness and self-consciousness? Students discuss a special topic from the following: perception, action, emotion, memory, thought, language, consciousness, or self-consciousness.

A topics course in philosophy. This course can be repeated for additional credits as long as the section topics are different. Check the online course schedule for information about the topics currently scheduled to be taught. Prerequisite: One previous class in Philosophy or permission from the instructor

Neurophilosophy is the study of foundational assumptions of neuroscientific theory and practice through the lens of arguments about mechanism, causation, and intervention with particular emphasis on the philosophy of science. Students study, analyze, and evaluate philosophical arguments concerning reductive accounts of perception, action and consciousness, accounts of representation and processes in neuroscience, foundational assumptions of brain-imaging technologies, and debates about functions and structures in the brain. Students also reflect upon how findings in neuroscience appertain to traditional philosophical questions concerning mental causation, morality, language, consciousness, selfhood, freedom, moral responsibility, and the existence of souls and God. Prerequisite: One previous class in Philosophy or permission from the instructor

An advanced seminar in philosophy for senior majors in philosophy. Topics are chosen by the faculty members teaching the seminar. This course may be taken by senior philosophy majors in lieu of the senior thesis.

A topics course in philosophy studying selected major philosophers or philosophical concerns. This course can be repeated for additional credits as long as the section topics are different. Recent topics include Poverty Studies, New Philosophy of Science, Spinoza, Ethics and Commerce, Philosophy of Psychology and Early Medieval Philosophy. Please consult the online course schedule for current offerings of this course. Prerequisite: One previous class in Philosophy or permission from the instructor

Students in consultation with a professor research, write, and defend a substantial paper on a topic of their choosing. Open only to philosophy majors in the senior year.

What is the relationship between religion and contemporary culture? How are religious identities, faiths, and traditions, along with alternative forms of spirituality, community, or moral vision, shaped by and expressed within contemporary social institutions, the arts, politics, and public discourse? This course introduces students to different ways religion intersects with culture and society, introducing students in the process to various ways religion impacts the world, and the variety of ways people relate to the possibility of being religious.

This course introduces students to the teachings, practices, spiritualities, and histories of many world religions. The religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Sikhism, Jainism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and indigenous traditions. Since this course introduces Asian religions in an abbreviated way, students who take this course may also take RELI 111 Introduction to Asian Religions.

This course introduces a variety of religious traditions rooted in South, Central and East Asia. The course explores narrative and philosophical texts, ritual practices, religious experiences, social relationships, historical developments, and other aspects of religious life in Asia past and present.

An introduction to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, surveying the historical development, belief systems, practices, and sacred texts of each tradition, both independently and in relation to one another.

An introduction to the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), employing the methodologies of academic biblical scholarship. Attention is given to the major texts, characters, and themes of the Hebrew Bible, with consideration of both the literary character of the text and its relationship to the historical context of ancient Israel.

This course is an introduction to the New Testament, employing the methodologies of academic biblical scholarship. Attention is given to the major texts, characters, and themes of the New Testament, with consideration of both the literary character of the text and its relationship to the historical context of early Christianity. Some attention is also given to the noncanonical texts of early Christianity, including the Gnostic Gospels.

What is religion, and what makes something “religious”? This course examines the possible ways in which this category may be understood and applied, as well as what may be at stake when we classify phenomena in this way. Students will explore various approaches to the study of religious phenomena and ideas as expressed in forms ranging from historical scriptures, narratives, and practice traditions to contemporary examples of believing, behaving, and belonging found in popular culture.

This interdisciplinary course explores the human condition of suffering and illness through the lens of religious life. The course focuses on religion and health as social forces that not only shape one another, but also shape our experiences of human difference (such as gender, race, and class). Using scholarship from religious studies, anthropology, sociology, and theology, we examine illness and suffering as phenomena that reveal social and systemic divisions in our life together. We use these foci to explore particular case studies of suffering, such as HIV/AIDS, Covid-19, and reproductive justice.

This course explores the intricacies and interactions of indigenous, Islamic, and Christian traditions in sub-Saharan Africa. We explore assumptions about personhood and power, religion and magic, tradition and progress that have long stood in the way of understanding African societies on their own terms. We examine how Euro-American attempts to colonize, “civilize,” convert, “develop” and even to know Africans have failed to account for the perspectives of Africans themselves, thereby exacerbating global inequality even when the aim is to reduce it. Because African religiosity is holistic, multiple disciplines (history, anthropology, philosophy, theology and literature) inform our study.

Central to the Buddha's teachings was a presentation of meditation practices designed to calm the mind and evoke insight into the nature of reality. Over time, Buddhist contemplative culture has come to encompass a variety of techniques, such as breathing meditation, cultivation of mindfulness, altruism, compassion, visualization, and recovering innate intelligence. This course introduces how Buddhist meditative states have been linked to doctrine and practice in different historical and cultural contexts. It invites students to participate experientially in an investigation of methods associated with different Buddhist contemplative traditions, many of which have been researched and adapted for a variety of uses in contemporary secular society.

This course examines the relationship between religion and violence through an analysis of some of the world’s major religious traditions. Beginning with the contested meanings of both “religion” and “violence,” the course concludes by considering socio-political topics related to religion and violence today.

This course is designed as an introduction to the myriad forms of South Asian religious expression designated as “Hinduism.” The course surveys Hinduism’s historical roots and developments, philosophical and ritual innovations, social and ethical ideals, and influential works of literature, relying on both primary and secondary sources. The latter part of the course centers on issues of ongoing relevance to modern-day tradition, analyzing, for example, Hindu understandings of religious art and worship, influential works of modern Indian fiction, and current scholarship on contemporary issues and communities.

The biblical book of Genesis contains some of the foundational stories of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions, all of which trace their lineage back to the figure of Abraham / Ibrahim. This course engages in an in-depth study of the book of Genesis in relation to its original context in the ancient Near East, to its later reception in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and to its adaption in contemporary popular culture.

Even within the Bible itself, we find people struggling with the apparent meaninglessness of life, the injustice of the world, and the triumph of evil over good. This course examines two of the most profoundly skeptical voices in the Hebrew Bible—the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. Students consider the relationship of each text to the issues of its own day, as well as examining how they have been received, reflected, and reinterpreted in contemporary art, film, literature, and music.

Students engage in close readings of the four New Testament Gospels. While some attention is given to historical context, the focus is on the Gospels as literature and the role of the reader in the production of meaning.

This course equips students to work effectively in religiously diverse environments. It is intended not only for future religious leaders, but for anyone interested in business, politics, nonprofit work, or any type of public involvement in a religiously pluralistic society. Drawing on academic resources as well as the expertise of local interfaith leaders, the course provides students with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to build understanding, appreciation, and collaboration among people with diverse religious, spiritual, and nonreligious ways of life. Recommended: RELI 110 is recommended but not required

This course is a survey of religious life in the “Land of Snow,” with particular attention paid to Tibetan Buddhism and its role in shaping religion and culture throughout the Himalayas. In addition to surveying the foundations of Buddhist thought, this course will examine the history of Tibetan Buddhism and its role in shaping Tibetan religious and political institutions. It will also explore sources on contemporary religious culture among ethnic Tibetan communities.

In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries an important form of religious thinking is emerging called ecotheology. It involves exploring how spirituality is connected with an appreciation of the earth and its many forms of life and how the earth needs to be protected from excessive exploitation. There are Christian versions of ecotheology, Jewish versions, Buddhist versions, and many others, including feminist versions called ecofeminism. This course looks at a wide variety of forms of ecotheology. A component of the course focuses on human relations to animals, with attention to the animal rights movement and constructive religious responses to it.

This course engages students in understanding the complexity of religion through a topic chosen from among the areas of world religions, biblical studies, Christianity, religion and culture, and philosophy of religion and theology. This course can be repeated for additional credits as long as the section topics are different. Check the online course schedule for information about the topics currently scheduled to be taught.

Study of early Christian Western philosophers and philosophical systems. Subjects may include Augustine, Boethius, and Neo-Platonism.

What is yoga, and what, if anything, does the practice that some 16 million Americans perform in studios and gyms, spas and ashrams have to do with the religions of India? This course surveys a variety of recent scholarship on the cultural history of yoga in the context of ancient Indian traditions, and also looks at colonial era and contemporary innovations that have contributed to the mass cultural phenomenon that might arguably be called India's greatest cultural export. Readings include early and medieval texts typically associated with yoga, such as the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and later tantric material, and we also consider the work of early cultural ambassadors, major modern interpreters and contemporary advocates.

Though religious institutions often emphasize the importance of “doing justice,” religion’s relationship to social justice movements is hardly straightforward. This course examines complex religious responses to a number of social issues (reparations, climate change, gun violence, poverty, reproductive rights, etc.). Drawing on theology, ethics, anthropology, literature, and film, we will navigate the resources from various religious traditions to discern what constitutes justice and what is required to bring it about. It is recommended (though not required) that students have had another course in religion before taking this course,

The course explores contemporary methods in biblical interpretation such as feminist criticism, postcolonial criticism, critical race theory, and queer theory. While some attention is given to scholarly works employing these theories and methods, the focus of the course is on students developing their own interpretive abilities. The specific biblical texts considered varies by semester. Prerequisite: RELI 123 or RELI 124 recommended

This course examines the New Testament book of Revelation as a call to for resistance to Empire in both its historical context and today. Attention is given to both the literary and historical contexts of Revelation within the early Christianity of the Roman Empire. More contemporary interpretations of Revelation are considered, including popular “End Times” prophecies, among others. The course requires engaged learning outside of the classroom, exploring what “resistance to Empire” may mean in Conway, Little Rock, and beyond.

What makes for an extraordinary life from a Buddhist perspective? How do literary works portray the lives of highly accomplished Buddhists? Beginning with the Buddha, this course explores the life-narratives of ideal monks, masters and meditators, examining the religious values, literary practices and cultural dynamics evident in religious biographies over the centuries. We also consider the veneration of living Buddhist “saints” past and present, with a view to how such exemplary people function in the lives of those who revere them.

What does the idea of the shaman tell us about indigenous peoples, their religious identities, and their cultural practices? Who or what are spirits, and how do they function amidst ordinary life and in times of crisis, illness, and healing? And how do people who "shamanize" understand and represent themselves in the present context? In addressing these questions, this course examines various ways in which anthropologists, historians of religion and others - including native people themselves - have attempted to articulate and interpret the dimensions of global indigenous culture deemed "shamanic." In the process, the course considers contemporary perspectives on the value and problems associated with comparative studies, ethnographic representation, and intercultural communication; examines ethical and philosophical issues in light of cross-cultural (mis)understandings of healing modalities; and discusses contemporary shamanism as an aspect of popular culture.

The study of philosophical issues and questions related to religious belief, language, and worldview, with particular attention to classical and/or contemporary arguments regarding the relationship of faith and reason. Topics may include arguments of existence of God, the problem of evil, the nature and epistemic value of religious experience, and the implications of pluralism for rational religious commitment. Cross-listed as PHIL 370. Prerequisite: a previous course in philosophy or religious studies, or consent of instructor

This course engages students in the study of religion at an advanced level through a topic chosen from among the areas of world religions biblical studies, Christianity, religion and culture, and philosophy of religion and theology. This course can be repeated for additional credits as long as the section topics are different. Check the online schedule for information about the topics currently scheduled to be taught. Previous RELI courses recommended but not required.

The course covers three areas. (1) Intellectual Autobiography: Students reflect on what they have learned from coursework, Odysseys, internships, and co-curricular activities. (2) Career Readiness/ Professional Development: via class assignments and working with Career Services students identify competencies and understand how they are ready for employment or further education. (3) Research Project: Students design and carry out an independent engaged learning project. Prerequisite: Senior standing and a declared major in Religious Studies.