Students who are completely new to philosophy can take any 100-level philosophy course, which offer introductions to the subject and the methods of argument analysis.
If you’ve done some philosophy and enjoyed it or if you want to challenge yourself, we encourage you to take a 200-level course with a number lower than 280, such as PHIL-201 (The Greek Period), PHIL-202 (The Modern Period), PHIL-205 (Ethics), and many others. Courses at this level require no previous knowledge, but offer more useful background for other philosophy courses, and can be used to satisfy major and minor requirements.
We also offer advanced intermediate classes in ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics. These courses are numbered 280-299 and they require previous coursework in philosophy. These courses offer good training for the work required in 300-level seminars.
Logic is of use to mathematicians and computer scientists, as well as an essential tool for philosophy majors.
Our seminar (300-level) courses offer instruction on challenging and exciting problems in philosophy. We go into considerable depth and encourage stdents to develop their own arguments. We offer a variety of seminars each year on topics such as metaphysics, epistemology, advanced logic, ethics, and the philosophy of art.
PHIL-101 Introduction to Philosophy
What kind of life should a person live? What can we know about the world? What is the nature of the self? What is the value of the arts? The aim of the course is to learn how to do philosophy by engaging with the answers that philosophers from different periods of history and around the globe give to these and similar questions. We will read historical texts from African, Chinese, European, Native American, and South Asian philosophical traditions, as well as contemporary texts by a variety of living philosophers. We will learn how to analyze arguments in texts, how to make and defend our own views, and we will attend to the historical and cultural context of these views.
PHIL-112 Introduction to Philosophy Through Science Fiction
This course introduces students to philosophical writing, analysis, and argument. We will pair classical and contemporary readings in philosophy with science fiction films and short stories in order to explore philosophical issues such as the nature of reality, free will, personal identity, artificial intelligence and the nature of mind. While science fiction will be used to animate and explore these issues, the emphasis of the class is on philosophical analysis and argument.
PHIL-161 Science and Human Values
Modern science has taught us surprising new things and modern technology has given us extraordinary new abilities. We can now prolong life in extraordinary ways, dramatically enhance our physical and cognitive abilities, collect and process remarkable amounts of data, and radically reshape the natural environment on local and global scales. This course is devoted to the critical study of moral problems that have been raised or affected by this newfound information and these newfound abilities. Potential topics include euthanasia, pharmaceutical enhancement, genetic engineering, the moral status of animals, climate change, and artificial intelligence.
PHIL-170 Logical Thought
This course cultivates sound reasoning. Students will learn to see the structure of claims and arguments and to use those structures in developing strong arguments and exposing shoddy ones. We will learn to evaluate arguments on the strength of the reasoning rather than on the force of their associations and buzzwords.
PHIL-181 Medical Ethics
Contemporary medicine gives rise to a variety of moral and philosophical questions. What moral duties do we have to those at the beginning of life? How should we approach to euthanasia? Should we be worried about the growth of technology in medicine? Should public health be prioritized over an individual's autonomy regarding their own body? How should limited health care resources be distributed? The goals of this course are to improve our understanding of the best arguments on different sides of these questions. The course will begin with a theory section, where we survey influential ethical theories that will be helpful towards finding reasonable answers to questions within medical ethics.
PHIL-184 Environmental Ethics
What moral obligations -- if any -- do we have towards non-human entities? Do non-human animals have rights? Do trees and rivers? What about entire ecosystems? What might be the basis for such rights and obligations? We will discuss how traditional ethical theories have approached questions about moral obligations towards non-humans, and see whether these views can be extended to include some or all of the non-human natural entities mentioned above. Students will read and critically analyze philosophical positions and will learn to articulate arguments on several different sides of the issues.
PHIL-201 Philosophical Foundations of Western Thought: The Greek Period
An introduction to ancient Greek philosophy, focusing mainly but not exclusively on the works and ideas of three Athenian philosophers who worked and taught in the period between the Persian Wars and the rule of Alexander the Great, more than 2,300 years ago: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Topics to be discussed include: What is the nature of the self? What is truth, and how can it be known? What kind of life should we live? We will work to understand each philosopher's responses to these questions, but we will also learn to develop our own answers. We will take care to place these figures and their works in their historical and cultural context.
PHIL-202 Philosophical Foundations of Western Thought: The Modern Period
Philosophy was transformed during the 17th and 18th centuries, in a period known as the Modern period, or the Enlightenment. This period is important for the background of our current views both in Philosophy and in intellectual endeavor generally. In this course, we'll look at the major figures involved in this transformation, and the positions about knowledge and reality that they defended. We'll have selections from the work of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. We might not cover all of these, but will get to most.
PHIL-205 Ethics
What should we do? How should we live our lives? What do we owe to ourselves and to others? Which actions are right, which are wrong, and how can we tell the difference? What things are good? Can we give principled answers to questions like these, or is it just a matter of opinion? We will think critically about such questions and some key theoretical approaches to answering them. We will also consider vexing contemporary moral issues with an eye to whether these theories can guide our actions.
PHIL-212 Philosophical Foundations of Chinese Thought: The Ancient Period
An introduction to Chinese thought during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (roughly 770-256 BCE), a time of remarkable philosophical growth and controversy. We read the works of this era's most influential philosophers, including: Kongzi (Confucius), Mozi, Laozi, Mengzi (Mencius), Zhuangzi, Xunzi, and Han Feizi. Topics discussed include: What makes for a just ruler? What kind of life should we live? What is our relationship to nature? We work to understand each philosopher's responses to these questions, but we also learn to develop our own answers. We take care to place these figures and their works in their historical and cultural context.
PHIL-222 Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics
Although quantum mechanics is a remarkably successful scientific theory, it also leads scientists to make extraordinary claims like that cats can be both dead and alive and that the state of a fundamental particle depends on whether someone one is observing it. In this class we will consider the various interpretations of quantum mechanics and the way in which those interpretations influence and are influenced by philosophical issues in science more generally.
PHIL-225 Symbolic Logic
This course develops a symbolic system that can be used as the basis for inference in all fields. It will provide syntax and semantics for the language of this system and investigate its adequacy. It provides the basis for all further work in logic or in the philosophical foundations of mathematics. Much of the course has a mathematical flavor, but no knowledge of mathematics is necessary.
PHIL-244 Philosophy and Literature
This course examines philosophical questions about and in literature. What is a work of literature? Can a work of literature also be a work of philosophy? Can literature yield knowledge about the world? Do works of literature have determinate meanings, and if so, how can we know them? Is the author's intentions or identity relevant to how a work is to be interpreted? Can works of literature be immoral? We will study some proposed answers to these questions, critique those proposals, and develop our own arguments. Readings will include both philosophical texts and works of literature. This course teaches philosophical writing.
PHIL-250 Topics in Philosophy
PHIL-250CN Topics in Philosophy: 'Consciousness'
Nagel states, "Without consciousness the mind-body problem would be much less interesting. With consciousness it seems hopeless." Chalmers calls consciousness "the hard problem." Explaining consciousness raises significant challenges for philosophers and scientists alike, and understanding the nature of the problem is half the battle. This class will focus on contemporary philosophical approaches to consciousness, and draw in psychology and neuroscience perspectives. Topics will include qualia, bats, and philosophical zombies.
PHIL-250HG Topics in Philosophy: 'Happiness and The Good Life'
Philosophers through the ages have asked about the nature of happiness and its contribution to the 'good life.' Happiness is something we all want, but what is it? And why do we all want it so much? What makes us happy and why? Is a 'good life' also a happy one? This course will examine happiness from several different perspectives. We will look at what both ancient and contemporary philosophers have said about the nature and importance of happiness in our lives. We will also look at some recent work in positive psychology and think about how that empirical work augments, challenges or contrasts with the philosophical accounts. This is a writing-intensive course that focuses on developing skills in philosophical reading, analysis, and writing.
PHIL-250PE Topics in Philosophy: 'Personal Identity'
What am I? When did I begin? What will happen to me when I die? Am I the same person I was in the past, or will I be? What is the source of my identity, and is it something I can control? How do I know who I am, or can I even know? Should I know myself, and if so, why? We will examine these questions and explore key theoretical approaches to them. Our discussion will delve into various metaphysical and epistemological issues concerning personal identity and personhood, as well as their practical implications.
PHIL-254 Philosophy in the Ancient World
This course is a study of texts and ideas from four of the oldest written philosophical traditions: the Egyptian Middle Kingdom, classical China, ancient Greece, and early India. The course focuses primarily on texts in moral philosophy and epistemology, including such classics as "The Eloquent Peasant," the Zhuangzi, Plato's Apology, and the Upanishads. Students will develop their skills of reading ancient philosophical texts in translation, analyzing arguments, and understanding ideas in historical and cultural context. The principal aim, however, is to take these views and arguments seriously and ask how they might be defended, adopted, or critiqued today.
PHIL-260 Topics in Applied Philosophy
These courses ask questions about the ethical and/or conceptual problems pertaining to a practice, such as law, medicine, or caring for the natural environment. Such courses are suitable for philosophy majors as well as for students who are new to philosophy but who are interested in the relevant practice.
PHIL-260AR Topics in Applied Philosophy: 'Ethics and Artificial Intelligence'
Artificially intelligent technologies are prominent features of modern life -- as are ethical concerns about their programming and use. In this class we will use the tools of philosophy to explore and critically evaluate ethical issues raised by current and future AI technologies. Topics may include issues of privacy and transparency in online data collection, concerns about social justice in the use of algorithms in areas like hiring and criminal justice, and the goals of developing general versus special purpose AI. We will also look at ethics for AI: the nature of AI 'minds,' the possibility of creating more ethical AI systems, and when and if AIs themselves might deserve moral rights.
PHIL-260EB Topics in Applied Philosophy: 'Ethics in Entrepreneurship and Business'
This course uses the traditional approaches of moral philosophy to explore ethical challenges and obligations faced by individuals, businesses, and organizations in an increasingly complex global environment. Through consideration of philosophical theories and particular cases we explore issues such as the social roles and ethical obligations of businesses or organizations; rights and responsibilities of workers, managers, and owners; ethics in sales and marketing; and ethics in a global business environment.
PHIL-260LW Topics in Applied Philosophy: 'Philosophy of Law'
This course surveys important philosophical issues arising in the practice and study of law. We examine fundamental questions in philosophy of law, such as: Is there a duty to obey, and sometimes disobey, the law? What does equality under the law mean? How do we reconcile moral luck with punishment? The course examines broad schools of legal thought in the context of contemporary legal issues like police profiling, affirmative action, and censorship. Readings include selections from legal theory and a variety of court decisions. This course teaches philosophical writing.
PHIL-272 Metaphysics
Metaphysics is the study of what world is like. This course will survey of some major topics in metaphysics, with a particular focus on radical metaphysical arguments -- arguments that call into question our most basic beliefs about the world. Examples of questions that we will consider include: Do ordinary objects exist? Is there anything that makes persons distinct from other sorts of objects? Could things have been different than the way they in fact are? In answering these questions we will investigate the nature of composite objects, the criteria for personal identity, and the metaphysics of causation, laws of nature, and modality. This course teaches philosophical writing.
PHIL-273 Philosophy of the Arts
The purpose of this course is to explore philosophical problems concerning the arts and aesthetic experience. Some questions to be explored include: What is the difference between beauty and moral goodness? Can artistic taste be objective? What does it mean for a work of music to be 'sad'? Are the intentions of artists relevant to appreciation? What is the purpose of art criticism? How do pictures represent their objects? Readings will be drawn from both historical and contemporary philosophical writings. This course teaches philosophical writing.
PHIL-289 Advanced Studies in Philosophy
PHIL-289EP Advanced Studies in Philosophy: 'Epistemology'
As the study of knowledge and related concepts like justification, rationality, and evidence, epistemology is of central importance, and not just to philosophy. This course provides an introduction to epistemology through a number of epistemological problems or puzzles about skepticism, dogmatism, and humility.
PHIL-289PM Advanced Studies in Philosophy: 'Philosophy of Mind'
This course focuses on the relationship between minds and bodies (the 'mind-body problem'), and the nature of mental phenomena. We will discuss the nature of mental features such as thoughts, sensations, emotions and consciousness, and consider their relationship to the seemingly unthinking, unfeeling, grey matter of the brain. We will read some historical responses to these issues but will focus on insights provided by contemporary philosophy and sciences of the mind. This course teaches philosophical writing.
PHIL-295 Independent Study
PHIL-327 Advanced Logic
This course uses the predicate calculus to present a careful development of formal elementary number theory, and elementary recursion theory, culminating in a proof of Gödel's incompleteness results. It includes some discussion of the philosophical significance of these results for the foundations of mathematics.
PHIL-328 Non-Classical Logic
This course looks at the recent flowering of non-classical logics. The most prominent are modal logics concerning necessity and possibility, which have come to dominate work in metaphysics and epistemology. Conditional logics, intuitionist logics, and relevance logics have also become important. These logics are particularly useful in graduate-level classes in philosophy but also are interesting in their own right.
PHIL-334 Topics in Ethics
PHIL-334KR Topics in Ethics: 'Knowing Right from Wrong'
We know it's wrong to kick puppies for fun -- morally wrong. But how do we know this? Wait -- do we know it? This class is about moral knowledge: what it is, if we have it, and how we get it (when we do have it). We'll consider questions in moral epistemology such as: Can we gain moral knowledge from testimony? What are the implications of the prevalence of moral disagreement? Do our evolutionary origins pose a challenge to our moral beliefs? And, more generally, should we be moral skeptics?
PHIL-334MR Topics in Ethics: 'Moral Relativism'
Moral relativism describes a family of views that deny the universality of moral claims. So, for example, some philosophers have claimed that statements like 'Torture is morally wrong' can only be assessed as 'true' or 'false' relative to some social agreement about moral norms. In this course, we will survey some contemporary attempts to develop and defend moral relativism, as well as some criticisms of these relativist approaches. Our goal will be to assess arguments for and against moral relativism. Prior coursework in ethics and logic is recommended.
PHIL-334NE Topics in Ethics: 'Neuroethics'
Neuroethics draws on the tools of philosophical analysis to investigate the role of neuroscience in our personal, social, and ethical lives. This class will look at the ethics of neuroscientific interventions such as cognitive enhancement, mind reading, and lie detection. We will examine how the neurosciences might inform philosophical discussions about human nature, personality, and ethics. In addition, we will look at the evidential role of neuroscientific evidence and how neuroscience technologies such as fMRI have influenced our thinking about the mind/ brain and person.
PHIL-350 Topics in Philosophy
PHIL-350FR Topics in Philosophy: 'Freedom and Responsibility'
Is free will possible if all our actions are causally determined? Might we be justified in blaming, praising, rewarding, or punishing people even if their actions are not free? Abstract metaphysical questions about freedom intersect in important ways with everyday problems in our relationships with others and our attitudes about moral ignorance, addiction, and madness. This course will examine these issues side by side in the hope of improving our understanding of freedom and responsibility.
PHIL-350MU Topics in Philosophy: 'From Computation to Comprehension: Understanding Large Language Models'
The release of ChatGPT and other Large Language Models (LLMs) has sparked conversations about what, if anything, LLMs `understand' and whether they `mean what they say'. These discussions recapitulate debates in philosophy and linguistics that go back centuries, about the nature and source of ideas in the mind, the development of language and how linguistic items represent things in the world, and whether true meaning and understanding are possible in non-human entities such as artificial intelligences. We will examine these debates and use them to better understand the linguistic capacities of LLMs and our shifting conceptions of them as tools or sources of meaning and understanding.
PHIL-350PB Topics in Philosophy: 'Public Philosophy'
In this course we will take up the question of what it means to investigate a philosophical question in a way that is accessible to a broad audience. Students will develop their own philosophical project in an academically rigorous way and then find a way to present that project outside the classroom. Along the way we investigate the question of what counts as philosophy and why. Students should have extensive experience writing philosophy papers and be ready and willing to work independently on a philosophical topic of their choosing.
PHIL-350PR Topics in Philosophy: 'Philosophy of Race'
This course investigates the concepts of race and racism. Race has played an immense role in shaping our world historically and currently. But what exactly is a race? What does it mean to be racist? And what is discrimination on the basis of race? We interrogate competing conceptions of race, including biological, constructivist, and political approaches, as well as skeptical views that say race isn't real. We also consider theories of racism, ranging from those that identify racism with a prejudicial attitude to those that focus on social structures. Alongside these discussions, students will learn to engage in debates about sensitive topics in critical, constructive, and inclusive ways.
PHIL-350SE Topics in Philosophy: 'Philosophy and Science of Emotion'
This course is an interdisciplinary investigation of the nature of emotions and their influences on our thoughts and actions. While we will draw from a variety of disciplines, the nature and motivations of the inquiry are philosophical. We will consider: what are emotions? Are they bodily responses? Thoughts? Feelings? What roles do cultures play in shaping our emotions? What functions do emotions serve? We will examine evidence and arguments offered by philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, anthropology and evolutionary theory, and consider how these perspectives do or don't inform each other, as well as how they can help us understand the nature of emotions.
PHIL-350SK Topics in Philosophy: 'Self-Knowledge'
You know which courses you want to take this semester-or do you? We are often uncertain, and sometimes completely clueless, about what we believe, want, or feel. When do we know our own minds with certainty? Is such knowledge even possible? If it is possible, how do we get it? Do we learn about ourselves just as we learn about other people and the world? Or is self-knowledge fundamentally different? This course will explore these questions by engaging with key historical and contemporary philosophical texts.
PHIL-350TE Topics in Philosophy: 'Technology, Ethics, and Public Policy'
In this course, we study the most pressing ethical concerns relating to emerging technology and envision novel policy solutions to address them. Existing regulatory and policy instruments are often unable to provide sufficient oversight for emerging technology. Can legal anti-discrimination doctrine address biased algorithmic decision-making systems? How does generative artificial intelligence challenge traditional ways of thinking about intellectual property? Do we have rights over the personal data that private firms collect about us? We examine these gaps in the context of contemporary regulatory proposals on national, multinational, and international scales.
PHIL-350TM Topics in Philosophy: 'Philosophy of Time'
Does time flow? What is the difference between the future and the past? Is time travel possible? This course will survey the major topics in the philosophy of time from Augustine's Confessions and the Leibniz-Clarke correspondence to relativity theory. Along the way we will take up philosophical issues regarding the relevance of intuition, the nature of causation, determinism, and freedom, and the relationship between science and philosophy.
PHIL-351 Systematic Study of One Philosopher
PHIL-351EA Special Topics in Philosophy: 'Intention and Action'
What is the difference between dropping a bomb knowing that there will be civilian casualties and doing so in order to kill civilians? This course will examine the psychological concepts underlying our actions. We will ask: When is an action intentional, and when is it not? How do we know what we are doing, if we know it at all? What is practical reasoning, if such reasoning exists? We will explore these questions by reading foundational texts in philosophy of action, including Elizabeth Anscombe's Intention, among others.
PHIL-395 Independent Study
