Spring Courses
January 9, 2018
How can writing be a mode of healing for veterans? What can fantasy tell us about what it means to be human? Explore these questions and more with these new courses for the spring quarter.
Who lives, who dies, who tells your story? Publishing Veterans’ Memoirs (ENGL 360.003)
This seminar-style community-based learning course connects Drexel students with local Veterans to create texts for the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project. By publishing experiences that are not often heard, students will broaden social understanding of the relationship of gender, race, and socioeconomics to war and peace. Students will explore writing as a healing modality, read selected texts, and learn interview techniques while meeting with local veterans. As students learn the veterans’ stories, they will work with the vets to craft narratives that fit the Library of Congress guidelines. Male and female veterans will be included and will represent a wide range of military experiences. The veterans will approve the final product before it is uploaded to the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project archive. Students will practice writing, analysis and editing, and create a Library of Congress product to list on their resumes.
This 3.0 credit CBL course, taught by Karen Nulton, PhD, is open to undergraduate students. Drexel students will meet once a week for 80 minutes and will meet with their veteran partners outside of class at mutually agreed upon times.
Introduction to Islamic Philosophy (PHIL T180.001)
Medieval Islamic philosophy forms a bridge between ancient Greek thought and later medieval Jewish and Christian thought. This course will look at major thinkers in medieval Islamic philosophy including Al-Farabi, Avicenna, Al-Ghazali, Ibn Tufayl and Averroes. Topics covered include the perfect city and the relation of religion and reason.
This 3.0 credit course, taught by David Seltzer, PhD, is open to undergraduate students above the freshman level. It will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 – 3:20 p.m. Location TBD.
Modern Social Contract Theory (PHIL 214.001)
This course looks at the development of social contract theory from its origins in early modern European thought during the 17th and 18th centuries.
This 3.0 credit course, taught by Carol Mele, PhD, is open to all undergraduate students. It will meet Wednesdays and Fridays from 12:30 – 13:50 p.m. Location TBD.
Philosophy and the Fantastic (PHIL T280.001)
This course concerns otherworldly literature and film whose otherworldliness relies on its foundation in this world. Fantasy is both grounded and ungrounded, real and unreal. We will be performing Philosophy of the Fantastic by utilizing theories and thinkers from the history of philosophy to closely analyze what fantastic literature and film says about thought, knowledge, love, sex, soul, consciousness and, most basically, what it is to be human.
This 3.0 credit course, taught by Patricia Grosse, PhD, is open to all undergraduate students above the freshman level. It will meet Mondays from 6 – 8:50 p.m. Location TBD.
Philosophy and Civil Disobedience (PHIL T280.002)
In remembrance of the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we will be looking at Civil Disobedience historically and philosophically, beginning with Socrates through Henry David Thoreau (who coined the term), Gandhi and Dr. King. We will examine questions such as: What justifies protesting government actions? How does one choose which policies to resist? Why is it best to proceed in a non-violent way?
This 3.0 credit course, taught by Stacey Ake, PhD, is open to all undergraduate students above the freshman level. It will meet Wednesdays from 6 – 8:50 p.m. Location TBD.
Objectivity in Science, Technology, and Feminist Studies (PHIL 481.001/SCTS 580)
This course presents an examination of the concept of objectivity as it is used in science and technology with special emphasis on Feminist criticism. It may be taken to fulfill requirements for PHIL461 Contemporary Philosophy Seminar.
This 3.0 credit course, taught by Flavia Padovani, PhD, is open to all graduate students and undergraduate students with at least two 200-level Philosophy classes. It will meet Thursdays from 6:30 – 9:20 p.m. Location TBD.
Heidegger and Contemporary Philosophy (PHIL 485.001)
This course presents a study of the works of one of the 20th century’s most important and influential continental philosophers. It may be taken to fulfill requirements for PHIL461 Contemporary Philosophy Seminar.
This 3.0 credit course, taught by Adam Knowles, PhD, is open to undergraduate students with at least two 200-level Philosophy classes. It will meet Mondays from 2 – 4:50 p.m. Location TBD.