Take me to the Fall Time Schedule
180. Introductory Logic.
Credit is granted for only one of Phil. 180 or 201.
(3). (HU). (BS).
This course is designed both to improve critical reasoning skills that could be of use in a wide range of disciplines and careers, and to provide an introduction to formal logic. The course examines
some of the problems and fallacies which arise in informal reasoning, some of the elements of formal (symbolic) logic, and logical concepts
used in the analysis and criticism of arguments. The course gives
some attention to issues in branches of philosophy germane to
logic, for example, the theory of knowledge, philosophy of language, and metaphysics. There will be lectures, demonstrations of problem-solving
techniques, and a variety of exercises. The course is limited
to 50 students, which should permit opportunity for discussion.
Texts and methods of evaluation to be determined. WL:4
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181. Philosophical Issues:
An Introduction. No credit granted to those who have
completed or are enrolled in 182, 202, 231, 232, 234, or 297.
(3). (HU).
Sections 001 and 002. This course examines some of the main
problems of philosophy, such as: How do we know that anything
exists, other than ourselves? Are minds immaterial spirits, or
are minds brains and hence nothing but complex physical objects?
If human actions are causally determined by heredity and environment, is there any free will or moral responsibility? Is abortion, or
euthanasia, or suicide, morally permissible? Is the nature and extent of our moral obligations determined by our feelings, self-interest, social convention, Divine commands, or something else? What are the different kinds of social, political, and economic organization, and what reasons are there for preferring one to another? How
should one live one's life? What is the meaning of life, and what
does this question mean? Are there good reasons for believing that God exists? Students will write papers discussing a number
of these topics. WL:4
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196. First Year Seminar.
Only first-year students, including those with sophomore
standing, may pre-register for First-Year Seminars. All others
need permission of instructor. (3). (HU).
Section 001 – Nature and Virtue in Chinese and Western Philosophy.
This course is an introduction to various views, taken from both
traditional Chinese and Western philosophy, about the character
of human nature and its relationship to conceptions of the virtues.
Most thinkers who can be described as "virtue ethicists"
ground their views about the virtues in an understanding of human
nature. The idea is that in one way or another virtues are those
traits of character that facilitate and encourage the flourishing
of human nature and lead to the living of good human lives. And
so there is often an intimate relationship between theories of
human nature and conceptions of virtues. In addition to exploring
and comparing a number of examples of eastern and western philosophers
who espouse different versions of virtue ethics, we will also
examine more recent philosophical writings on virtue ethics. Every
student is expected to participate regularly in class and to lead the discussion for part of one class meeting. All students are
required to write one-page, weekly reflections on the assigned
readings and a final paper, 12-15 double spaced typed pages in
length. WL:1 (Ivanhoe)
Section 005 – Logic and the Study of Meaning. It has
been over a hundred years since systems of logic were developed
in order to provide a theory of mathematical proofs. One of the
most exciting later developments has consisted in working out
how these theories could be used to approach meaning in natural
language and to common sense reasoning. This work has been important
not only in Philosophy, but in Linguistics, Cognitive Psychology, and Computer Science. This course will provide an introduction
to some of the most important and basic ideas of the information
age. We will use instructional software to provide a quick, informal
introduction to logic. We will discuss how the logical ideas can
be used to model the meanings of English sentences, and to account
for several types of everyday reasoning. This course can serve
as the basis for further work in Philosophy and the many other
fields that make use of ideas from logic. The course will meet
Fridays, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. WL:1 (Thomason)
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201. Introduction to
Logic. Credit is granted for only one of Phil. 180
or 201. (3). (HU). (BS).
This course aims to give students a thorough understanding of the fundamental forms of reasoning and rational argument, and to improve critical reasoning skills that could be of use in a
wide range of disciplines and careers. The course examines some
of the problems and fallacies which arise in informal reasoning
and logical concepts used in the analysis and criticism of arguments.
Some elements of formal (symbolic) logic might be introduced.
Though students will be expected to master some technical detail, the course emphasizes informal logical techniques applicable to
problem solving and argument in any area of inquiry. Both deductive
and inductive patterns of argument will be examined. The small
sections size (usually about 25 students) is conducive to informality
and considerable student participation. There will also be lectures, demonstrations of problem-solving techniques, and a variety of
exercises. Normally, there are weekly assignments, and short, periodic quizzes. WL:4
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202. Introduction to
Philosophy. No credit granted to those who have completed
or are enrolled in 181, 182, 231, 232, 234, or 297. (3). (HU).
This course introduces students to philosophy through an examination
of some central philosophical problems. Topics might include:
Are minds immaterial spirits, or are minds brains and hence nothing
but complex physical objects? If human actions are causally determined
by heredity and environment, is there any moral responsibility?
Is abortion, or euthanasia, or suicide, morally permissible? Is the nature and extent of our moral obligations determined by our
feelings, self-interest, social convention, Divine commands, or
something else? What are the reasons for preferring one kind of
social, political, and economic organization to another? Are there
good reasons for believing that God exists? How do we know that
anything exists, other than ourselves? In addressing these questions, some sections focus on major historical figures, e.g.,
Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, and Kant; others focus on writings
of twentieth century philosophers. Requirements usually include
a number of short, critical papers. WL:4
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Times, Location, and Availability
232. Problems of Philosophy.
No credit granted to those who have completed or
are enrolled in 181, 182, 202, 231, 234, or 297. (4). (HU).
This course is open to students from all areas of the University.
No previous work in philosophy is assumed. First semester undergraduates
are welcome. The course will provide an introduction to some fundamental
philosophical problems drawn from a variety of branches of philosophy.
Four of the following topics will be discussed: (1) determinism, free will, and moral responsibility; (2) arguments for and against the existence of God; (3) skepticism about the existence of the
material world; (4) the nature of personal identity; (5) the relationship
between mind and body; and (6) egoism, altruism, and the nature
of moral obligation. The course also seeks to develop, through
papers and intensive discussion, philosophical, and more generally
critical and argumentative, skills. There will be two required
papers. Course readings will be drawn from an anthology, Joel
Feinberg, editor, Reason and Responsibility, and possibly
a course pack. WL:4
(Loeb)
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297. Honors Introduction
to Philosophy. Honors students or permission of instructor.
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled
in 181, 182, 202, 231, 232, or 234. (3). (HU).
Section 001. This course will provide an introduction to the problems and methods of contemporary philosophy through an
examination of three central issues: (1) The existence of God:
Are there plausible arguments for the existence of God? How can the existence of an omnipotent and loving Creator be reconciled
with the existence of worldly evil? (2) Personal identity: What
is a person? Are you the same person you were five years ago?
If so, why? If not, then how canyou be held morally responsible
for your earlier actions? (3) Free will: Are our decisions about
how to act just part of the chain of causes and effects? If so, does that mean we can never act freely? WL:4
(Proops)
Section 004. The course will provide a survey and discussion of some of the major problems with which philosophy
is traditionally concerned. While much of the reading will be
from contemporary philosophers, some historical texts will be
read as well. Among the general topics to be discussed are the
following: skepticism and the possibility of knowledge; the connection
between mind and matter; free will, determinism, and responsibility; the nature of morality; the meaning of life. The nature of philosophy
itself will also be discussed, and hopefully made clearer in the
process of tackling philosophical questions. WL:4
(Arpaly)
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303. Introduction to
Symbolic Logic. No credit granted to those who have
completed or are enrolled in Phil. 203, 296 or 414. (3). (MSA).
(BS).
Symbolic logic is the application of formal, mathematical methods
to human reasoning. Its goal is to determine which forms of reasoning
must produce true conclusions when applied to true premises. This
course will introduce students to the two simplest, but most important
systems of formal logic: the propositional calculus, which classifies
forms of reasoning that involve the truth-functional operations
of negation, disjunction, and conjunction ("not," "or"
and "and"); and the monadic predicate calculus, which
characterizes inferences involving the quantifiers "all"
and "some." The first half of the course will focus
on the propositional calculus. A system of inference rules will
be developed, and students will be shown how it can be applied
both to the evaluation of ordinary arguments and to problems as
"practical" as the design of computer chips and the
simplification of electric circuitry in houses. A series of "metatheorems"
will then be proved to show that the system developed indeed captures
all and only the valid truth-functional inferences. During this
portion of the course, students will also be asked to master proofs
by mathematical induction. The second half of the course will
be dedicated to the study of first-order logic. Basic concepts
of the proof theory and model theory for first-order monadic languages
will be discussed, and the important metatheorems theorems will
be stated, among them the completeness, compactness, and Lowenheim
Skolem theorems. There will be regular homework assignments, assigned
weekly, as well as a midterm examination and a final. WL:1
(Tappenden)
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319. Philosophy of the
Arts. Phil. 202. No credit granted to those who have
completed or are enrolled in Phil. 419. (3). (HU).
This course will examine the arts from a philosophical perspective.
It will investigate what art is, the nature of creation, criticism, interpretation, evaluation, and appreciation, and the ways in
which the various arts are important, concentrating on several
specific art forms such as the novel, photography and film, representational
painting, and music. It will treat questions such as: What, if
anything, is distinctive about art and aesthetic experience, and how are they related to other aspects of life and culture? In
what ways are works of art expressive of feelings? Do they have
cognitive content? In what ways do we learn from them, and how
do they work to change people's perspectives or attitudes? What
is fiction and why are people interested in it? Why and in what
ways is photography more (or less) powerful than painting and drawing? What is it for a painting or a novel to be realistic?
What is interesting or important about indeterminate art, conceptual
art, found art, and performance art, and how do they compare with
more traditional forms of art? Written work for the course will
consist of a short paper, three quizzes, and a longer paper. This
course is designed especially for students who have not had extensive
work in philosophy, although background in philosophy and the
arts would be helpful. Cost:3
WL:4 (Walton)
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355. Contemporary Moral
Problems. No credit granted to those who have completed
or are enrolled in 455. (4). (HU).
Contemporary life faces us with many questions that have moral
dimensions, some obvious, some less so. In this course, we will
explore the moral dimensions of a range of contemporary issues, including abortion, equality, affirmative action, freedom of expression, justice across national boundaries and across generations, and the treatment of animals. In the process, we will also be examining
competing conceptions of morality and justice, and the presuppositions
about human nature, society, and value that underlie them. In
one unit of the course we will focus on questions about race and gender, looking first at conceptual and empirical issues concerning these two categories – including the various real or alleged differences
and inequalities associated with them – and then at the moral
issues they raise for contemporary society. Three papers and a
final examination. Cost:3
(est.) WL:4
(Railton)
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Times, Location, and Availability
361. Ethics. One
philosophy introduction. (4). (HU).
This is a course in philosophical ethics. We will be concerned
to see whether there is anything to be said in a principled way
about what is valuable and what is right and wrong. But we shall
also ask philosophical questions about ethics – metaethical questions, as they are called. Here we will ask, not what is valuable, but
what is value. Are where do fundamental standards of right and wrong "come from"? The core of the course will be an
examination of four central traditions in ethical philosophy in the west, typified by Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, and Friedrich Nietzsche. We will also consider contemporary sources, including some feminist ethics. Lecture and discussion, with an
emphasis on student participation. Three papers of 5-7 pages in
length, and a final exam. Cost:2
WL:1 (Anderson)
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365/Rel. 365. Problems
of Religion. (4). (HU).
This course asks hard, but important questions: Is there a God?
What reasons are there for and against belief in God? What do
we commit ourselves to if we believe in God? What does accepting
or rejecting belief in God imply about the way we ought to conduct
our lives, and what we might expect to happen after death? If
a theistic religion is true, what are the implications for non-believers?
The concept of God we'll explore will generally be a broadly monotheistic
one, emphasizing doctrines common to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We'll pay some attention to specifically Christian doctrines, but won't attempt to deal with Eastern religions. Treating these
controversial issues philosophically requires examining them very
critically. The professor has views on the issues, which he will
not attempt to conceal. You are not required to agree with him.
You will be expected to understand clearly the arguments on both
sides and know how you would respond to objections to your view, whatever that view might ultimately be. For more information, please consult the professor's Web site. WL:4
(Curley)
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371. Existentialism.
One philosophy introduction. (3). (HU).
This course will focus on a number of major themes in the nineteenth
and twentieth century existentialist movement, e.g., self-deception;
dread; anxiety, and despair; death; integrity, authenticity, and individuality; freedom and responsibility; the absurd and the
tragic. We will pay special attention to Dostoevsky (The Notes
from Underground and The Brothers Karamazov), Nietzsche (Thus Spake Zarathustra, On the Genealogy of Morals,
and Beyond Good and Evil), Sartre (Nausea and
Being and Nothingness ) and Camus (The Stranger and The Plague). Representative works are listed in parentheses;
readings will be drawn from a selection of these writings, and possibly works by other figures. WL:4
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383. Knowledge and Reality.
One course in philosophy. (3). (HU).
This is an in-depth introduction to philosophical attempts
to find a method for reaching justified beliefs, and philosophical
attempts to use it to answer questions, that science seems to
leave unanswered, about the way the world is. The former task
is part of "epistemology," or the most general study
of knowledge and good reasoning; the latter is part of "metaphysics,"
or the most general study of what exists. We'll ask: What could
make a view reasonable? What could make it knowledge? What could
make it certain? And: Is there anything other than minds (e.g., an external world)? Is there anything other than matter and energy around us (e.g., souls, numbers, physical laws, abstract objects, alternative worlds)? (Lormand)
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388/Class. Civil. 388.
History of Philosophy: Ancient. One philosophy introduction.
A knowledge of Greek or Latin is not required. (4). (HU).
This course is a survey of philosophical thought through the Hellenistic
period. Though the course focuses on the philosophical systems
of Plato and Aristotle, some attention might be paid to pre-Socratic thinkers, Epicurus, the Stoics, and the Sceptics. Stress is laid
not only on the doctrines of these philosophers, but also on their
arguments for holding them. Requirements will include a number
of critical papers. WL:1
(Everson)
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401. Undergraduate Honors
Seminar. Open to Honors concentrators in Philosophy
and others by permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
A seminar which is conceived for the purpose of assisting students
in writing an Honors thesis in Philosophy. The seminar begins
with several weeks discussing fundamental methodological issues
in philosophy, and then enters a sequence of stages, each lasting
several weeks, in which students successively: (1) propose a general
area for a thesis; (2) develop and explore a list of basic reading
in that area; (3) write and present a brief prospectus of the thesis; and (4) write a term paper dealing with some central ideas
for the thesis. The aim of the seminar is to provide advice, discussion, and support for thesis writers, so that they will be able (1)
to identify and begin a thesis project that genuinely engages them and (2) to enter the Winter Term in an excellent position
to write a successful thesis. Cost:1
WL:1 (Railton)
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414. Mathematical Logic.
(3). (Excl). (BS). (QR/1).
A mathematical study of formal languages. The course is designed
to provide the student with a basic working knowledge of first-order
logic and semantics, and familiarize him or her with some basic
metalogical results. We will cover basic topics in elementary
logic from an advanced standpoint, including: propositional, quantificational, identity, free, and modal logics, formal semantics, completeness.
These topics will be developed from a rigorous metatheoretical
perspective. We will also formulate the philosophical underpinnings
of our subject with special care. Materials for the course: (1) Elementary Logic by Benson Mates, and 2) lecture notes.
Cost:1 WL:1
(Ray)
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419. Philosophy of the
Arts. Not open to philosophy graduate students. No
credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled in
Phil. 319. (3). (Excl). Will not satisfy 400-level course requirement
for concentration in philosophy.
See Philosophy 319. (Walton)
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423. Problems of Space
and Time. One logic introduction and either one other
philosophy course or 12 credits of science. (3). (Excl). (BS).
Traditional philosophical questions about the nature of time and space have been strikingly influenced in the twentieth century
by the results of contemporary physical science. At the same time, the important current physical theories of space and time rest
explicitly or implicitly on deep-rooted philosophical assumptions.
The purpose of this course is to study the mutual interaction
between science and philosophy as illustrated in problems about
space and time. Typical topics to be considered include the status
of knowledge about the structure of space and time, substantial
versus relational theories of space-time, spatio-temporal order
and causal order, and the so-called problem of the direction of
time. This course can be appreciated by students who have either
a background in philosophy – especially logic and philosophy of
science, metaphysics, epistemology – or background in physical
science or mathematics. An attempt is made in this course to introduce the fundamental ideas of both philosophy and science at a level
which can be understood by those without extensive background
so students need not be proficient in both science and philosophy
to benefit from the course. The primary text is L. Sklar Space, Time, and Spacetime. There are additional readings from such
authors as Reichenbach, Poincaré, Grunbaum, Smart, Wheeler, and others. Cost:2
WL:1 (Sklar)
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429. Ethical Analysis.
Phil. 361, 363, or 366. (3). (Excl).
Broadly, moral philosophy has been divided into two main
areas. In "normative ethics," one addresses such questions
as "How should one act?", "What makes an action
right?", and "What is the nature of happiness?".
In "meta-ethics," in contrast, the theorist is concerned
to investigate the nature of moral judgments relative to different
societies or to individuals, and whether indeed we really do make
moral judgments rather than merely express certain kinds of attitudes.
This course is concerned with questions of this second kind. We
shall aim to determine whether our moral claims are capable of
being true and what other explanations there might be for our
moral utterances if we do not understand them to be attempts to
describe an independent moral reality. Whereas normative ethics
is reasonably self-contained in its subject matter, meta-ethics
is not. To address its characteristic questions, one needs to
look at wider issues in semantics, metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind to see how these apply in the particular
case of moral beliefs and judgments. This has the advantage that
one can see how claims in these different areas of philosophy
might cohere with each other but, although I shall not be assuming
very much existing knowledge of these areas, the course certainly
requires a serious interest in them and may be difficult for someone
who is not already acquainted with at least one or two of them.
WL:1 (Everson)
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455. Contemporary Moral
Problems. Not open to graduate students in philosophy.
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled
in Phil. 355. (4). (Excl). Does not meet the Philosophy Department's
400-level course requirement for Philosophy concentrators.
Intended primarily for graduate students outside the Philosophy
Department. Course content and requirements are the same as Philosophy
355 (see above), except that the papers of those enrolled in Philosophy
455 are expected to be more substantial. Cost:3
(est.) WL:4
(Railton)
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462. British Empiricism.
One philosophy introduction. (3). (Excl).
A close critical examination of some central philosophical
works by Locke, Berkeley, and Hume, three of the most important thinkers writing in English during the early modern period. The
course will focus on metaphysical and epistemological questions, but we'll strive to develop an appreciation of various broader
contexts – scientific, ethical, political, and religious – that
gave shape and urgency to these questions at the time. Texts receiving
especially close attention will be Locke's Essay, Book
I of Hume's Treatise, and Hume's Dialogues Concerning
Natural Religion. Written work will be three short papers
due at intervals during the term. Previous work in either epistemology
or the history of philosophy would be extremely helpful. WL:1
(Hills)
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468/Chinese 468/Asian
Studies 468. Classical Chinese Thought (To A.D. 220). Upperclass
standing; no knowledge of Chinese required. (3). (HU).
See Chinese 468. (Ivanhoe)
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485. Philosophy of Action.
Two philosophy courses. (3). (Excl).
The topic of this course is moral psychology. Moral psychology
is the study of the broad area in which our intuitions regarding
normative ethics are intertwined, sometimes inseparably, with
our understanding of human beings and the actual ways in which they act, think, feel, or develop. Of this broad area, we will
take a look at the following issues: Virtues, vices, and the role
of character: friendship and duty, justice and care; moral responsibility
and the self: the role of the intellect and that of the emotions
in moral life; rationality and moral motivation. Touched upon
will be weakness of will, moral perfection, and moral luck. WL:1 (Arpaly)
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492. Frege, Russell, and Wittgenstein. Phil. 414. (3). (Excl).
An examination of the work of three major figures in the
development of analytic philosophy, paying special attention to their views on the nature of language and logic. Topics include:
Russell's critique of idealism, logical atomism, Russell's theory
of descriptions, the project of analysis, Frege's distinction
between sense and reference, logicism in the philosophy of mathematics, the set-theoretic and semantic paradoxes, Russell's constructivist
epistemology, Wittgenstein's critiques of Russell and Frege, Wittgenstein's
views on the inexpressibility of semantics and the nature of nonsense.
WL:1 (Proops)
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498. Senior Honors in
Philosophy. By departmental permission only. (3).
(Excl). (INDEPENDENT).
This course number is to be used for those students who are
in the process of writing a philosophy Honors thesis. Anyone wishing
to write an Honors thesis in philosophy should consult the Philosophy
Honors Advisor.
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