Courses & Requirements

PHI-103: Logic (4.00)

An introduction to the rudiments of critical thinking, with emphasis on analysis of ordinary discourse into formal symbolism, and to the properties of formal systems.

PHI-210: Epistemology (4.00)

Study of major issues in contemporary theories of knowledge.

PHI-217: Philosophy of Mind (4.00)

The mind-body problem and basic metaphysical issues related to whether human persons can survive bodily death.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

PHI-225: Metaphysics (4.00)

Study of philosophical theories about the fundamental nature of reality.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

PHI-230: Philosophy of Science (4.00)

PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE--An introduction to basic issues in the philosophy of science: induction, law likeness, realism and instrumentalism, confirmation and explanation.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

PHI-303: Intermediate Logic (4.00)

This course introduces students to logical meta-theory. After reviewing the semantics and proof theory for First-Order Logic (FOL) and Classical Propositional Logic (CPL) as well as some basic set-theoretic concepts, we proceed to investigate the various meta-logical properties of FOL and CPL, such as soundness, completeness, and decidability. We will also explore the concept of computability via Finite State Automata and Turing Machines. From there, we turn to the meta-theory of nonclassical logics such as Modal Logic, Intuitionistic Logic, Relevant Logic(s), Fuzzy Logic, Deontic Logic(s) and Nonmonotonic Logic(s). Students will also be trained to use the typesetting markup language LaTex.

Course requisites: PHI-103 or MAT-204

PHI-212: Moral Philosophy (4.00)

An introduction to some of the West's most significant and influential ethical theories through original texts. Works of Aristotle, Aquinas, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, and Mill will be discussed.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI or POL course except PHI-103.

PHI-318: Ethics (4.00)

A contemporary philosophical exploration of major issues in and approached to ethics - including metaethics (which concerns the nature of morality and moral discourse) and normative ethical theory (which concerns how we ought to live).

Course requisites: One 200-level PHI course or permission of instructor.

PHI-396: Topics in Ethics (4.00)

TOPICS IN ETHICS--A semester-long exploration of the work of a particular philosopher (such as Kant) a particular approach to ethics (such as contemporary virtue theory), or a theoretical problem or debate (such as criticism of morality or moral theory).Prerequisite: one 200-level course in philosophy.

Description for "ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE CREATION AND TERMINATION OF LIFE"--This course will address a constellation of theoretical and practical questions related to human interventions in life and death. Among the topics we will address are: When, if ever, is killing humans morally justified? For example, is capital punishment defensible? What moral obligations do we have to prevent humans from dying? Are we obligated, for example, to save people around the globe from starvation? How do we define the beginning and end of human life? For example, is someone who is in a persistent vegetative state a human life? Is a fetus a human life? What sorts of moral constraints apply to reproductive technologies? Is it moral, for example, to use in vitro fertilization to select the sex of one's child?

Description for "HUMAN RIGHTS"--This course is a philosophical exploration of human rights, with a focus on their nature and basis. Among the questions we will ask are: What are human rights? More specifically, are human rights identical with, or grounded in, what moral philosophers have long called 'natural rights'; or are they a relatively recent political invention, with only loose connections to that older idea? Is there some special capacity or dignity in virtue of which human beings have these rights? What are the criteria for determining whether a purported human right really is a human right?

Description for "MORAL PSYCHOLOGY, THE VIRTUES, AND THE HUMAN GOOD"-- Students will develop an understanding of debates in contemporary moral philosophy and moral psychology, learn about the relationship between ethics and psychology, and read famous thinkers from the history of moral philosophy, with a particular focus on "virtue ethics." Most importantly, students will be asked to consider the ethical implications of our emotional lives and to reconsider what it means to do moral philosophy.

Course requisites: One 200-level PHI course or permission of instructor.

PHI-206: Ancient Philosophy (4.00)

History of Ancient Philosophy. The thought of the major figures in Western philosophy from the pre-Socratic era to the Hellenistic Age.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

PHI-208: Medieval Philosophy (4.00)

The major philosophical issues and figures of the medieval period. Particular attention to St. Augustine, St. Anselm, St. Thomas Aquinas and William of Occam.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

PHI-209: Modern Philosophy (4.00)

Metaphysics and epistemology of the central philosophers of the modern period: Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

PHI-321: Plato and Aristotle (4.00)

Advanced study of selected topics in Plato and Aristotle. Cross-listed with CLA-321.

Course requisites: Any 200-level PHI course or permission of instructor.

PHI-333: Existentialism (4.00)

Advanced study of various existential challenges and alternatives to traditional philosophical views in metaphysics, epistemology and ethics. Readings from Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, and other existential philosophers and novelists. Cross-listed with REL-333.

Course requisites: Any Philosophy course or permission of instructor.

PHI-101: Introduction to Ethics (4.00)

How ought we to live? What makes an act right, or a person virtuous? Is morality relative to culture? These are some of the questions we will confront in our critical examination of some major moral theories. Introductory level.

PHI-106: Bioethics (4.00)

Recent moral issues in medicine, such as euthanasia, abortion, experimentation on human and other animal subjects, justice in providing health care and in the allocation of scarce resources.

PHI-109: Environmental Ethics (4.00)

An exploration of moral issues arising from relations among human beings, non-human animals, and the environment. Specific topics may include the value and moral standing of individuals, species, and ecosystems; biodiversity, development, and sustainability; and environmental justice and environmental racism.

PHI-110: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (4.00)

INTRODUCTION TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE--This course introduces students to the central concepts of computer science and artificial intelligence. We will examine questions such as "What is a computer?", "What makes a function or number computable?", "What are algorithms and how do they differ from programs and heuristics?", "What does it mean to implement a program?". Students will learn, e.g., the difference between formal systems, finite state automata, and Turing machines. We will consider fundamental issues in AI such as how programs relate to the world, what makes a system intelligent, and whether computers can have minds. Students will also become acquainted with narrower topics in AI such as knowledge representation, machine learning, artificial neural networks, natural language processing, and robotic perception. Finally, we will explore some of the ethical challenges that face AI such as whether intelligent artificial systems deserve rights, whether they should be relied upon to make life-or-death decisions, and whether we should create such systems in the first place. While the course will not require students to learn any particular programming language, it will introduce them to basics of such languages and will train them in a notation resembling a simplified programming language---what is known as pseudocode. Assignments will include program-design projects using pseudocode, position papers, and a final exam.

PHI-111: Problems of Philosophy (4.00)

An examination of a selection of central philosophical problems, such as the existence of God, free will, personal identity, morality, mind and body, and the possibility of knowledge.

PHI-112: Contemporary Moral Problems (4.00)

An introduction to applied ethics through a variety of issues. Topics may include ethical treatment of animals, abortion, poverty, euthanasia, or the death penalty. Ethical theories will also be introduced.

PHI-120: Conspiracy Theories (4.00)

The US Government faked the 1969 Moon landing. The white trail in the sky that is left behind by high-flying jets is a cocktail of chemicals used to control human population growth. Select members of the US government orchestrated the attacks on 9/11. The AIDS virus was created by the CIA to wipe out members of the LGBT and African American communities. The JFK assassination was the result of plot hatched by members of the US mafia. These are examples of explanations that are often referred to as `conspiracy theories.' But what makes an explanation of worldly events a conspiracy theory? Moreover, since we know that conspiracies have been responsible for some events (e.g. Watergate) when are we warranted in accepting such theories? When should we not accept them? In this course, we will try to answer these questions using the tools of contemporary epistemology. Epistemology is the study of knowledge and justification. There are several topics addressed by epistemologists that are relevant to questions about conspiracy theories: How do we get knowledge from others' testimony? When should we defer to the opinion of experts? How can we control what we believe, if at all? Can practical (even political ) considerations give us genuine reasons to believe something? The course assignments consist of contributions to a collaborative research project in which students use their understanding of these epistemological issues to identify and evaluate various conspiracy theories.

PHI-140: Philosophy and Science Fiction (4.00)

Is time travel possible? What would it be like to teleport? Are there parallel universes? How do you know you're not dreaming right now? Are we living in a computer simulation? These are some of the questions raised by both philosophers and science fiction writers. Philosophers typically make interesting claims about issues that appear, at least at first glance, to be far removed from commonplace experience. Science fiction often deals with similar issues with more immediacy but less precision. Studying philosophy through science fiction allows us to retain the precision of philosophy and the immediacy of science fiction. In this course we will examine the work of prominent science fiction authors and the philosophical debates that their work gives rise to. Students will become familiar with philosophical issues in epistemology and metaphysics, such as: time travel, teleportation, virtual reality, super-intelligent robots, futuristic utopias, and parallel universes.

PHI-145: Philosophy of Race (4.00)

What is race? An examination of the evolution of the concept of race in the United States (focusing particularly on science and law) and contemporary philosophical treatments of race as a social construction with moral and political implications. Topics include: ethnicity vs. race; the intersection of race with gender, class, sexuality, disability and nationality; white privilege; and a current policy issue such as affirmative action. Cross-listed with AS-145.

PHI-155: Philosophy of Religion (4.00)

This course is an introduction to some of the philosophical problems of religion, including the apparent universality and the origins of religion, religious pluralism and relativism, religious experience, arguments for the existence of God, the problem of evil, religion and ethics, faith and reason. Cross-listed with REL-199.

PHI-195: Topics in Philosophy (4.00)

TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY--Philosophy invites us to grapple with some of the deepest and biggest questions of human life--does life have meaning? What's the nature of reality? What can we know? Does God exist? What's the nature of good and evil? Each time this course is offered, it focuses on one such "big question" or a small set of related questions.

Description for "LIFE, DEATH AND IMMORTALITY"--What makes a human life meaningful? Why, if at all, is death bad for the one who dies? Would immortality be desirable? This course explores these (and related) questions, critically considering a range of philosophical answers to them.

Description for "PHILOSOPHY AND FILM"--Exploration of ways in which films can do philosophy and illustrate (or more generally, give expression to) philosophical theories. Some discussion of the nature of cinema as a form of art and of what makes an individual work of art important may take place, but most of the time in the classroom will be devoted to examining ways in which ideas are expressed in a corresponding manner in movies and philosophical texts.

PHI-218: Ethics (4.00)

A contemporary philosophical exploration of major issues in and approached to ethics - including metaethics (which concerns the nature of morality and moral discourse) and normative ethical theory (which concerns how we ought to live).

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

POL-207: Modern Political Thought (4.00)

An examination of major thinkers, such as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft, Burke, Mill, and Marx, whose ideas have shaped the politics and ideologies of the modern world. We will also consider several contemporary political issues and commentators to illustrate the continuing influences of these modern theorists.

PHI-295: Topics in Philosophy (4.00)

TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY--This course will offer a rotating selection of topics in philosophy at the intermediate-level. Topics may include happiness, justice, aesthetics, social and political philosophy, or something else. Description for "ANCIENT SKEPTICISM"--In this course we will study and compare the philosophical practices of ancient Pyrrhonian and Academic skeptics, contrasting them with more Modern varieties, inspired by Descartes. The central topics will include: how the skeptics argue against their dogmatic opponents; why the skeptics argue against their dogmatic opponents; whether one can actually live, and even live well, as a skeptic; whether and how one may remain active while suspending judgment; what view the ancient skeptics take of "ordinary life"; how the skeptics understand the distinction between reality and appearance; whether and to what extent skepticism successfully undermines the project of Western philosophy, especially epistemology. Description for "THEORIES OF EQUALITY"--While equality plays a central role in constitutions and legal systems across the world and is something almost everyone would claim to be committed to, the term itself is ambiguous. How can we strive for or ensure equality when we don't know what counts as equal? This course will serve as an introduction to egalitarian political theory, focusing on answering the question of which aspects of a person are relevant for measuring the ideal of equality. We will examine several responses to this question, including arguments for equality of resources, welfare, opportunity, and capabilities; and the relevance of preference formation for egalitarianism.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

PHI-395: Topics in Philosophy (4.00)

TOPICS IN PHILOSOPHY--This course will offer a rotating selection of topics in philosophy at the advanced-level. Seminar format. Topics may include philosophy of language, Ancient Scepticism, Kant, freedom and determinism, or something else. Description for "ANCIENT SKEPTICISM"--In this course we will study and compare the philosophical practices of ancient Pyrrhonian and Academic skeptics, contrasting them with more Modern varieties, inspired by Descartes. The central topics will include: how the skeptics argue against their dogmatic opponents; why the skeptics argue against their dogmatic opponents; whether one can actually live, and even live well, as a skeptic; whether and how one may remain active while suspending judgment; what view the ancient skeptics take of "ordinary life"; how the skeptics understand the distinction between reality and appearance; whether and to what extent skepticism successfully undermines the project of Western philosophy, especially epistemology. Description for "THEORIES OF EQUALITY"--While equality plays a central role in constitutions and legal systems across the world and is something almost everyone would claim to be committed to, the term itself is ambiguous. How can we strive for or ensure equality when we don't know what counts as equal? This course will serve as an introduction to egalitarian political theory, focusing on answering the question of which aspects of a person are relevant for measuring the ideal of equality. We will examine several responses to this question, including arguments for equality of resources, welfare, opportunity, and capabilities; and the relevance of preference formation for egalitarianism.

Course requisites: One 200-level PHI course or permission of instructor.

PHI-306: Ancient Philosophy (4.00)

History of Ancient Philosophy. The thought of the major figures in Western philosophy from the pre-Socratic era to the Hellenistic Age.

Course requisites: Any 200-level PHI course or permission of instructor.

PHI-308: Medieval Philosophy (4.00)

Advanced study of the major philosophical issues and figures of the medieval period. Particular attention to St. Augustine, St. Anselm, St. Thomas Aquinas and William of Occam.

Course requisites: Any 200-level PHI course or permission of instructor.

PHI-310: Epistemology (4.00)

Advanced study of major issues in contemporary theories of knowledge.

Course requisites: Any 200-level PHI course or permission of instructor.

PHI-325: Metaphysics (4.00)

Advanced study of philosophical theories about the fundamental nature of reality. Cross-listed with CLA-321.

Course requisites: Any 200-level PHI course or permission of instructor.

PHI-340: Contemporary Feminist Theory (4.00)

A cross-disciplinary study of feminist theorists representing a variety of approaches. Cross-listed with WS-340.

Course requisites: WS-100

PHI-210: Epistemology (4.00)

Study of major issues in contemporary theories of knowledge.

PHI-217: Philosophy of Mind (4.00)

The mind-body problem and basic metaphysical issues related to whether human persons can survive bodily death.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

PHI-225: Metaphysics (4.00)

Study of philosophical theories about the fundamental nature of reality.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

PHI-230: Philosophy of Science (4.00)

PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE--An introduction to basic issues in the philosophy of science: induction, law likeness, realism and instrumentalism, confirmation and explanation.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

PHI-303: Intermediate Logic (4.00)

This course introduces students to logical meta-theory. After reviewing the semantics and proof theory for First-Order Logic (FOL) and Classical Propositional Logic (CPL) as well as some basic set-theoretic concepts, we proceed to investigate the various meta-logical properties of FOL and CPL, such as soundness, completeness, and decidability. We will also explore the concept of computability via Finite State Automata and Turing Machines. From there, we turn to the meta-theory of nonclassical logics such as Modal Logic, Intuitionistic Logic, Relevant Logic(s), Fuzzy Logic, Deontic Logic(s) and Nonmonotonic Logic(s). Students will also be trained to use the typesetting markup language LaTex.

Course requisites: PHI-103 or MAT-204

PHI-212: Moral Philosophy (4.00)

An introduction to some of the West's most significant and influential ethical theories through original texts. Works of Aristotle, Aquinas, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, and Mill will be discussed.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI or POL course except PHI-103.

PHI-318: Ethics (4.00)

A contemporary philosophical exploration of major issues in and approached to ethics - including metaethics (which concerns the nature of morality and moral discourse) and normative ethical theory (which concerns how we ought to live).

Course requisites: One 200-level PHI course or permission of instructor.

PHI-396: Topics in Ethics (4.00)

TOPICS IN ETHICS--A semester-long exploration of the work of a particular philosopher (such as Kant) a particular approach to ethics (such as contemporary virtue theory), or a theoretical problem or debate (such as criticism of morality or moral theory).Prerequisite: one 200-level course in philosophy.

Description for "ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE CREATION AND TERMINATION OF LIFE"--This course will address a constellation of theoretical and practical questions related to human interventions in life and death. Among the topics we will address are: When, if ever, is killing humans morally justified? For example, is capital punishment defensible? What moral obligations do we have to prevent humans from dying? Are we obligated, for example, to save people around the globe from starvation? How do we define the beginning and end of human life? For example, is someone who is in a persistent vegetative state a human life? Is a fetus a human life? What sorts of moral constraints apply to reproductive technologies? Is it moral, for example, to use in vitro fertilization to select the sex of one's child?

Description for "HUMAN RIGHTS"--This course is a philosophical exploration of human rights, with a focus on their nature and basis. Among the questions we will ask are: What are human rights? More specifically, are human rights identical with, or grounded in, what moral philosophers have long called 'natural rights'; or are they a relatively recent political invention, with only loose connections to that older idea? Is there some special capacity or dignity in virtue of which human beings have these rights? What are the criteria for determining whether a purported human right really is a human right?

Description for "MORAL PSYCHOLOGY, THE VIRTUES, AND THE HUMAN GOOD"-- Students will develop an understanding of debates in contemporary moral philosophy and moral psychology, learn about the relationship between ethics and psychology, and read famous thinkers from the history of moral philosophy, with a particular focus on "virtue ethics." Most importantly, students will be asked to consider the ethical implications of our emotional lives and to reconsider what it means to do moral philosophy.

Course requisites: One 200-level PHI course or permission of instructor.

PHI-206: Ancient Philosophy (4.00)

History of Ancient Philosophy. The thought of the major figures in Western philosophy from the pre-Socratic era to the Hellenistic Age.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

PHI-208: Medieval Philosophy (4.00)

The major philosophical issues and figures of the medieval period. Particular attention to St. Augustine, St. Anselm, St. Thomas Aquinas and William of Occam.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

PHI-209: Modern Philosophy (4.00)

Metaphysics and epistemology of the central philosophers of the modern period: Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant.

Course requisites: Any 100-level PHI course except PHI-103.

PHI-321: Plato and Aristotle (4.00)

Advanced study of selected topics in Plato and Aristotle. Cross-listed with CLA-321.

Course requisites: Any 200-level PHI course or permission of instructor.

PHI-333: Existentialism (4.00)

Advanced study of various existential challenges and alternatives to traditional philosophical views in metaphysics, epistemology and ethics. Readings from Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, and other existential philosophers and novelists. Cross-listed with REL-333.

Course requisites: Any Philosophy course or permission of instructor.