Daniel M. Mittag
Instructor of Philosophy

Email: dmittag@albion.edu
Office: Vulgamore Hall, Room 208
Phone: 517/629-0239  

Curriculum Vitae
Mr. Daniel Mittag has teaching and research interests primarily in epistemology and  philosophy of mind and also in philosophy of language.  He is a member of the American Philosophical Association (APA).

Publications and Presentations
He has published articles on evidentialism, and causal and doxastic theories in journals such as the Canadian Journal of Philosophy.

He has also presented his research findings at several national conferences such as the American Philosophical Association Eastern Division Meeting and the Eastern Pennsylvania Philosophical Association Meeting.     


Courses Taught

PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy
(1 unit)
Humanities Core Credit
Textual Analysis

Description:  In this course we will survey several fundamental philosophical questions.  We will begin with a brief introduction to basic philosophical concepts and the structure of arguments.  We will then examine important questions and survey historical and contemporary responses by philosophers to these questions.  Some questions to be discussed are:  What can I know?  Does God exist?  Are my actions free?  What makes an action morally right or wrong?  This course will develop your analytic skills and improve your ability to think and write clearly.  It will also allow you to appreciate important historical and contemporary philosophical texts and form your own responses to the fundamental questions mentioned above.
 

PHIL 107 Logic and Critical Reasoning
(1 unit)
Humanities Core Credit
Modeling Mode of Analysis

Description:  This course is an introduction to argumentation and the principles of good reasoning.  The focus throughout will be on identifying, interpreting, and evaluating arguments from both academic and nonacademic sources. Students who complete the course will be able to distinguish rhetoric and emotional speech from rational argumentation, will be able to distinguish successful from unsuccessful arguments, and will be able to successfully diagnose mistakes in reasoning.
 

PHIL 315 Epistemology
(1 unit)
Humanities Core Credit
Historical & Cultural Analysis

Description:  A critical examination of recent work in the theory of knowledge, i.e., of classical and contemporary papers on skepticism, knowledge and the justification of belief.