Upper-Level Courses

BHP 205 Under the Influence: Drugs, Deviance, and Culture 

Professors Dan Garro (Philosophy) and Vanita Neelakanta (English)

W 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Core Substitutions: CAS-Philosophical Perspectives or Aesthetic Perspectives–Literature | EDU-Literature or Philosophy | NBCB-Humanities or Liberal Arts 

Introduces students to Existentialism as a 20th-century movement with roots going back to the 19th century and as a philosophy that has special relevance and importance for understanding today’s world. Reading and discussion are based on topics of special concern to Existentialist philosophers: lying and the nature of reality, faith and reason, revaluation of values, and the meaninglessness of life. Readings will comprise a variety of fiction and non-fiction genres. Authors may include Dostoevsky, Unamuno, Camus, Sartre, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Brecht, Kafka, Pirandello, Weil, and Beckett.

BHP 270 Special Topic: Authoritarianism in Cross-Cultural Context

Professors Barbara Franz (Political Science) and Richard Zdan (Sociology)  

T/TH 2:50-4:20

Core Substitutions: CAS–Social Perspectives and Global Perspectives| EDU–Social Science | NBCB–Social Science or Liberal Arts

This course examines the persistence, transformation, and resurgence of authoritarian leadership and political systems worldwide. Moving beyond Cold War–era understandings of dictatorship and totalitarianism, the course explores how contemporary authoritarian regimes operate within formally democratic institutions, global capitalism, digital media environments, and international organizations. The course emphasizes leadership styles, elite strategies, and mass consent, asking why authoritarian politics appeal to many citizens and how they adapt to modern social, economic, and technological conditions.

BHP 271 Special Topic: Science Under Scrutiny

Professors Dan Garro (Philosophy) and Danielle Jacobs (Chemistry)
M 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Core Substitutions: CAS–Philosophical Perspectives or Scientific Perspectives | EDU–Philosophy or Science | NBCB-Humanities or Natural Sciences

This course highlights the different perspectives held by scientists and philosophers regarding modern scientific and medical issues. You will be introduced to philosophy of science, classical ethical theory, and applied ethics. Moreover, you will learn a good bit of basic biology and chemistry, as it relates to topics from stem cells and cloning to war tactics and GMOs. You will learn how to construct and present rational arguments during class discussions and presentations. At the end of this course, it is hoped you will have gained a strong, informed perspective on both the ethical and scientific foundations behind modern “hot-button” topics in science and medicine.

BHP 327 Latinx in the 21st Century

Professors Cynthia Martinez (Spanish) and Vincent Toro (English)  

T/TH 1:10-2:40 p.m.

Core Substitutions: CAS–Aesthetic Perspectives-Literature and Global Perspectives | EDU-Literature | NBCB-Humanities or Liberal Arts

This course focuses on the literary and cultural production of Latina/e/o/x/s in the United States, with particular attention to some of the many social, political, and economic issues that Latinx communities navigate in this country (e.g. borders, (im)migration, capitalism, economic inequality, gentrification, identity formation). Though we will primarily explore contemporary writings, course texts span a wide range of historical periods, beginning in the 15th century with the colonization of the Americas. These historical writings will invite exploration of the connections between colonialism, imperialism, and white supremacy as both legacies of the past and oppressive systems that continue to operate in the present.