L30 Phil 100G Logic and Critical Analysis

Introduction to the elementary tools of logic required for constructing and critically evaluating arguments and the claims they support. Topics include: the nature of an argument; argument structure; how arguments can fail both in structure and in content; formal and informal fallacies; propositional logic and predicate calculus; and critical analysis of rhetorical strategies for presenting arguments. Students will be encouraged to develop critical reasoning skills that can be widely applied.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: NSM, AN Arch: HT, NSM Art: NSM BU: HUM

L30 Phil 102 Introduction to Scientific Reasoning

This course analyzes scientists' reasoning strategies. Case studies from the history of astronomy, epidemiology, molecular biology, and neuroscience, provide a basis for understanding of the character of scientific theories and the means by which they are evaluated. Special attention will be given to the construction and evaluation of statistical and causal hypotheses, including experimental design, and to the use of scientific knowledge in public policy decision-making. Students will acquire basic skills in critical thinking and scientific reasoning and an introductory understanding of issues in the philosophy of science.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: NSM, AN Arch: NSM Art: NSM BU: SCI

L30 Phil 1061 Introduction to Political Theory

This course offers an undergraduate level introduction to the field of political theory. We will focus on three major themes-social justice, power and freedom, and democracy-reading some canonical texts, such as Bentham's Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation and Marx's Capital, but emphasizing contemporary works, such as those of John Rawls, Michael Walzer, Michel Foucault, and Robert Dahl.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 106

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: FAAM, SSC BU: BA EN: S

L30 Phil 120F Problems in Philosophy

Introduction to philosophical methods and concepts through an investigation of major issues in Western philosophy such as: what counts as knowledge; truth and belief; the existence of God; the mind-body problem; materialism and idealism; moral theory and concepts of justice. A range of historical and contemporary views on these issues will be considered. The aim of the course is to prepare students to think and write about philosophical problems on their own.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HT, HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 125C Great Philosophers

In this course we focus on some of the most important texts in the history of Western philosophy in order to discuss a wide range of central philosophical problems. We typically consider, for example, the existence of God, the justification of claims to knowledge, and the requirements of a good human life, including the demands of morality. Among the philosophers most likely to be studied are Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Marx, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein. Our goal is not just to appreciate the genius of some great philosophers but also to grapple with the current philosophical problems they have bequeathed to us.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 131F Present Moral Problems

An investigation of a range of contemporary moral issues and controversies that draws on philosophical ethics and culturewide moral considerations. Topics may include: racism, world hunger, war and terrorism, the distribution of income and wealth, gender discrimination, pornography, lesbian and gay rights, abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment. The aim of the course is to present diverse points of view regarding these topics and to provide conceptual and theoretical tools that enable the student to make headway in thinking carefully and critically about the issues.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM, SEM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 1500 Ampersand: The mind: what makes us and other perspectives on consciousness

This course explores how consciousness is created in the brain and body. This course will integrate biological, psychological, and philosophical perspectives to investigate the nature of the mind. Utilizing an experiential approach, we will study how perception-action links give rise to consciousness and shape our subjective understanding of the world. Concepts will include sensory-motor integration, spatial and temporal awareness, sense of self and sense of agency. Students will gain a broad understanding of both historical milestones in the development of "enactivism" and current experimental techniques enabling research into perception, embodiment, presence, virtual and augmented reality, and the neural correlates of consciousness. This course is for first-year, non-transfer students only.
Same as L64 PNP 1500

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC EN: S

L30 Phil 2201 Disagreement, Extremism, and Polarization

Americans are increasingly skeptical about the future of their democracy and about our ability to pursue equality and social justice within the existing political system, and many people identify irresolvable disagreement, political extremism, and partisan polarization as causes of the current crisis in American democracy. In this course, we will study disagreement, extremism, and polarization using insights and methods from philosophy, political science, and empirical psychology, with the aim of understanding these phenomena and the social and political challenges they pose. Our questions will include whether it is possible for reasonable people to disagree, whether democratic deliberation requires a background of agreement or "shared facts," how our moral psychology shapes our political beliefs, whether prejudice and bias can be eliminated from political thinking, and whether there are some political positions that are so extreme they should not be taken seriously. There are no prerequisites for this course and no background in philosophy, political science, or psychology will be assumed

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 233F Biomedical Ethics

A critical examination, in the light of contemporary moral disagreements and traditional ethical theories, of some of the moral issues arising out of medical practice and experimentation in our society. Issues that might be discussed include euthanasia, genetic engineering, organ transplants, medical malpractice, the allocation of medical resources, and the rights of the patient.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 234F Business Ethics

Study of the nature and justification of economic systems, business organizations, and business practices. Focus on contemporary business and the ideology it embodies. Discussion of moral problems arising in business includes both the analysis of structural factors that cause them and the evaluation of courses of action that might resolve them.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 235F Introduction to Environmental Ethics

A general survey of current issues in environmental ethics, focusing on problems such as the obligation to future generations, protection of endangered species, animal rights, problems of energy and pollution, wilderness, global justice, and business obligations. Students will also learn some ethical and political theory.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 237F Introduction to Aesthetics

Study of characteristic problems in aesthetics and the philosophy of art, e.g., the nature of aesthetic entities, of aesthetic experience, and of individual differences in the various arts. Primary emphasis on solutions various theories offer to these problems.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: AH BU: HUM

L30 Phil 239 Topics in Philosophy and Environment

Philosophical questions are central to study of the environment. Such questions span many philosophical fields including metaethics, value theory, applied ethics, aesthetics, political philosophy and philosophy of science. Given such a diversity of important questions, this course will focus on a different intersection of philosophy and environment each time it runs. It aims to develop students' understanding of the complex philosophical claims and problems that lie behind environmental values, practices and policies. Examples of topics to be considered are: wilderness, food and agriculture, and animals.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 2910 Racism and Antiracism

When President Obama was elected, it ignited a debate about whether America had finally become "post-racial." This assertion was belied by an entrenched underclass of Blacks and others from immigrant backgrounds; by the regular killing of innocent, young Black men alongside their mass incarceration, along with a whole series of other social indicators; by the dramatic rise in anti-Semitic incidents and Islamophobia globally; and most evidently by the discourse used during the Trump era that weaponized white Christian nationalism. At the end of four years of the Trump presidency defined by racist discourse and policies, it culminated in an insurgent riot on the Capitol designed to block the peaceful transfer of power, the basis of American democracy. This course provides the long view to understanding this recent period in American and global history. We begin by defining key terms in the discussion around racism today, including what we mean by racism and what unites anti-Semitism, anti-Black racism and Islamophobia, but also notions like privilege, cultural appropriation, and microaggressions. We then move on to the long history of the category of race. We start with a unit on race and religion and then move on to the role of the discovery of the "New World" and the development of the Atlantic slave system, and its impact on the Enlightenment, which was the incubator for the concept of race. From there, we consider how fundamental race was to European and American colonial dominance by the end of the nineteenth-century and the role it played in racial states like Nazi Germany and South Africa. The last portion of the class will focus on struggles to dismantle racism over the the last century, considering the anti-colonial and Civil Rights movement, and the anti-apartheid struggle. Along the way, we will have addressed the overlaps and disconnects between anti-Black, anti-Jewish, and anti-Islamic racism and read a number of key thinkers and activists who can help us in the fight against racism.
Same as L75 JIMES 2910

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, SC

L30 Phil 297 Undergraduate Independent Study

Prerequisite: Permission of the department. Credit variable, max 6 units.

Credit variable, maximum 6 units.

L30 Phil 299 Internship in Philosophy

Students receive credit for a faculty-directed and approved internship. Registration requires completion of the Learning Agreement which the student obtains from the Career Center and which must be filled out and signed by the Career Center, the site supervisor, and the faculty sponsor prior to beginning internship work. Credit should correspond to actual time spent in work activities, e.g., 8-10 hours a week for 13 or 14 weeks to receive 3 units of credit; 1 or 2 credits for fewer hours.

Credit variable, maximum 3 units.

L30 Phil 3001 Philosophy of Medicine

Philosophy of Medicine is an investigation into what doctors know and how they know it. This course will investigate the following questions: What is disease? What is health? How do we classify disease? What counts as good evidence and good evidential reasoning in medicine? Is medicine a science? If so, what makes it distinctive as a science? What kinds of evidential roles do case studies play in medicine? How should we measure and compare outcomes in clinical trials and in systematic reviews? What is the appropriate relationship between medicine and the basic sciences or between medicine and the public health sciences (e.g., epidemiology, biostatistics, economics, behavioral science)? What role, if any, should private industry (e.g., the pharmaceutical industry, the health insurance industry) play in shaping the practice of medicine? How should we define and measure "effectiveness" in medicine? Do values inform decision making about health policy, and, if so, how? The overall goal of the course is to develop a reasoned, reflective approach to research and practice in medicine through the critical analysis of texts and case studies in the history of medicine. Students do not need a background in philosophy to take this course. This course is intended to be of special interest to pre-health professionals and to philosophy and science majors. For graduate students in philosophy, this course satisfies the seminar requirement. Extra assignments will be provided to satisfy graduate course work; students should consult the instructor for details.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 301G Symbolic Logic

In the first half of the course we will be studying some features of truth-functional and first-order classical logics, including studying the model theory and metatheory for first-order logic in much greater depth than in Phil 100. In the second half of the course we will go on to study three different styles of proof-system: tableaux, axiomatic, and natural deduction. This course continues on where Philosophy 100: An introduction to Logic and Critical Analysis leaves off. It is recommended for students who have already taken that introductory course, or for students who already have a strong background in mathematics. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: NSM, AN Arch: NSM Art: NSM BU: HUM

L30 Phil 306G Philosophy of Language

A survey of major philosophical problems concerning meaning, reference, and truth as they have been addressed within the analytic tradition. Readings that represent diverse positions on these focal issues will be selected from the work of leading philosophers in the field, for example: Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Davidson, Quine, Kripke, and Putnam. Students are encouraged to engage critically the ideas and arguments presented, and to develop and defend their own views on the core topics. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 308 Introduction to Semantics

Semantics is the branch of linguistics which studies how speakers assign meaning to words, sentences, and larger units of discourse. We combine perspectives from both linguistics and philosophy to explore a variety of topics including polysemy, compositionality, quantification, anaphora, definite descriptions, attitude reports, presupposition, and implicature. Prerequisite: Ling 170D or Phil 301G or permission of instructor.
Same as L44 Ling 311

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: HUM EN: S

L30 Phil 309 Topics in the Wilderness

Philosophical questions are central to study of the environment. Such questions span many philosophical fields including metaethics, value theory, applied ethics, aesthetics, political philosophy and philosophy of science. Given such a diversity of important questions, this course will focus on a different intersection of philosophy and environment each time it runs. It aims to develop students' understanding of the complex philosophical claims and problems that lie behind environmental values, practices and policies. Examples of topics to be considered are: wilderness, food and agriculture, and animals.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM BU: ETH

L30 Phil 3090 Chinese Thought: What is a Good Life?

This course offers an introduction to Chinese thought through a study of thinkers from arguably one of the most vibrant periods of religious-philosophical discourse in China. We will examine early classical texts from the Daoist, Confucian, Mohist, and Legalist traditions, and we will follow arguments in which the thinkers expand upon, dispute, and respond to each other in regard to questions that are still important to us today. We will explore issues such as notions of the self, conceptions of the greater cosmos, the role of rituals, ideas about human nature, and the subjects of freedom and duty. Motivating the course will be the underlying question, "What is the good life?"
Same as L23 Re St 3090

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD BU: IS EN: H

L30 Phil 3113 Theory of Knowledge

An introduction to epistemology, which is concerned with questions about knowledge, belief, evidence, and intellectual conduct and character. This course focuses on selected issues in epistemology with the aim of providing a survey of contemporary work. Possible topics include the nature of knowledge and justification, probability, epistemic norms of assertion and action, philosophical skepticism, the value of knowledge, disagreement, intellectual virtue, and epistemic injustice. Prerequisite: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200 level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 315 Philosophy of Mind

An introduction to philosophical' analyses of the nature of mind, especially those developed by contemporary philosophers. The focus will be on questions such as the following: What is a mind? How does it relate to a person's brain? How does it relate to a person's body and the external world? Can a mind exist in a very different kind of body (e.g., a computer or a robot)? Does thinking require a language-like code? If so, can non-linguistic species think? What is it to have a mental image or to experience pain? Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 316 Mind and Morals

This course explores a number of issues at the intersection of ethics and cognitive science. Possible topics include: Are we rational? Do we know our own thoughts and motivations? Can one believe that one ought to do something without being motivated to do it? Do emotions impair or enhance our ability to reason? How do moral beliefs develop through childhood? Are traits such as intelligence and character unchangeable, and what implications follow if they are (or are not)? Does retaining my identity over time require having the same mind, and, if so, am I the same person now as I was as a child? Are non-human animals worthy of moral consideration? If brain activity is determined by causal laws, can we have free will? Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 321G Philosophy of Science

Pivotal concepts common to empirical sciences are examined and clarified. These include: explanation, confirmation, prediction, systematization, empirical significance, and the relationship of all these concepts to the structure of scientific theory. Examples may be drawn from both contemporary and historical science, including the social, biological, and physical sciences. Students with a background in science are particularly encouraged to consider this course. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 322 Philosophy of Biology

Philosophy of biology is concerned with how biologists come to know about the world, and what it is that they come to know. Such questions are more or less continuous with questions biologists themselves face in practice. So, philosophical debates about such questions often overlap with, and engage, the scientific literature. For example, one such debate is over how to measure and define biodiversity - whether in terms of genes, species, or ecological communities.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 327 Philosophy of Religion

This course focuses on debates concerning the existence of God as well as on special issues that arise within religion generally and also on some that arise within specific religious traditions. Topics include: the rationality of religious belief, the problem of evil, the coherence of theism, and the freedom-foreknowledge problem.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 3313 Theories of Social Justice

This course overviews the leading contemporary conceptions of social justice, including utilitarian, liberal, libertarian, communitarian, and deliberative-democratic theories, and their implications for the design of political, economic, and social institutions. In addition, this course will examine special topics such as justice between generations, global justice, and the rights of resistance or disobedience.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 3313

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC EN: S

L30 Phil 331F Classical Ethical Theories

Intensive readings of great works in the history of ethics, especially by Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, and Mill. Topics may include: the sources of moral knowledge, the nature of practical moral judgment, the moral role of emotion and desire, weakness of will, moral autonomy, and the universality of moral norms. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH, HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 339F Philosophy of the Arts

An examination both of general issues that apply to all types of art and of issues specific to particular art forms. For example, what is art? What are the central artistic values: beauty, truth, emotional expressiveness, representational power, or something else? Does art have a moral or political function? How can we account for the history of art and for different artistic styles? In regard to selected forms, there are important questions concerning how pictures represent, whether music and dance are forms of 'language', and the nature of literary interpretation. Some consideration is given to the relation of psychology and theories of the mind to art. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HT Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 340F Social and Political Philosophy

Study of certain fundamental issues concerning government, society, and culture. For example: what are the nature and limits of legitimate political authority? Are ordinary human beings capable of governing themselves justly? Do citizens have a duty to obey the state? If so, to what extent, if at all, is that duty grounded in consent or contract? Should the state limit or regulate the personal relationships of citizens, such as marriage, family, and sexuality? How should social institutions rectify a history of political or social injustice against oppressed groups? Readings from historical and contemporary sources. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH, HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 345F Issues in Applied Ethics

Advanced study of a selected topic in applied ethics. Abstract ethical theories and methods are brought to bear on the moral problems that arise in an area of social and professional practice such as medicine, business, law, journalism, engineering, or scientific and humanistic research. Possible topics include: reproductive healthcare and policy, the just distribution of medical resources, the social responsibilities of corporations, accountability in the media and public office, and the ethics of research on or affecting human subjects. Prerequisites: one course at the 100 or 200-level in applied ethics; or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 346 Philosophy of Law

This course will first focus on the philosophical foundations of law, examining both the relationship between law and rules, as well as the types of legal reasoning. Second, the course will focus on philosophical issues that arise in the key substantive areas of law: contracts, torts, property, criminal law, and constitutional law, as well in specialized areas such as family and employment law. The course will end with a brief discussion of several problems in legal ethics. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 347C Ancient Philosophy

An examination of the high-water marks of philosophy in ancient Greece and Rome, focusing primarily on Plato and Aristotle. A wide range of philosophical problems will be discussed, including the nature of the good life, the justification of knowledge, and the ultimate nature of mind and world. Attention will be paid to how these problems unfolded in their historical context and to how the ancient treatments of them compare to contemporary efforts. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 3481 Introduction to Metaphysics

This course is an introduction to central debates of contemporary analytic metaphysics. Metaphysics is concerned with the nature of the most general kinds of things and the relationship between these things. We will discuss the nature of and relationship between properties, material objects, persons, time, space, and modality. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 349C Descartes to Hume

An examination of major philosophical systems and problems in Modern Philosophy as presented in the original writings of the 17th and 18th centuries. Topics may include rationalism and empiricism, idealism, materialism, and skepticism, with readings selected from the continental rationalists, Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz, and from the British empiricists, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. Central problems include the mind-body problem, representationalism, and transcendentalism. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 351 History of Western Philosophy: Modern

This course offers a survey of the history of 17th and 18th century Western (European) Philosophy, with a focus on the nature and limits of knowledge. Topics include skepticism, the mind-body relationship, the existence of God, the problem of induction, the distinction between primary and secondary qualities, personal identity, causation, and a priori versus a posteriori knowledge. We examine the canonical texts of Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant.

Credit 3 units. BU: ETH

L30 Phil 357C Kant and 19th-Century Philosophy

Examination of Kant and nineteenth-century philosophy. We will discuss Kant's "Copernican Turn" in metaphysics and epistemology, as well as his moral philosophy, and we will study works of selected nineteenth-century philosophers such as those of Hegel, Marx, Mill, and Nietzsche. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H

L30 Phil 358 Conceptual Foundations of Modern Science

Where does modern science come from? This course examines the winding paths by which the dominant scientific world-views of the 20th century became established. We will discuss a variety of broad themes: scientific method or methods, revolutionary science, the relationship between science and society, and the aims of science. This course is not intended to be a comprehensive survey of the history of science. Instead, we will focus upon a few key figures - Galileo, Newton, Darwin, - and we will read both primary and secondary literature on their significance to these broad themes. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 361 Philosophy of Emotions

Emotions like fear, joy, disgust, sadness, and love are central to how we engage with each other and understand the world around us. But what can we say about what emotions are, how they function, and when they are valuable? This course will draw on research in philosophy as well as the social and cognitive sciences. The aim will be to develop a rich combination of conceptual, empirical, and phenomenological resources and bring them to bear on central questions about the nature and significance of emotions.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: BA EN: H

L30 Phil 366 Art and the Mind-Brain

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the bearing of cognitive science on the perception and understanding of art. This interest has roots in tradition: historically, art, aesthetics, and vision science have often been linked. But the growth of knowledge in cognitive science has opened up new opportunities for understanding art and addressing philosophical questions. The converse is also true. The production, perception, and understanding of art are human capacities that can shed light on the workings of the mind and brain. This course considers questions such as: What is art? How do pictures represent? Does art express emotion? Why does art have a history? Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 375 Existentialism

The philosophical systems of selected philosophers such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Sartre are examined to determine their historical origins, their ontological and epistemological ramifications, and their relationships to contemporary philosophy. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 3801 Ancient Greek and Roman Medicine

This course introduces students to the practice and theory of medicine in the ancient Mediterranean, beginning in Egypt and continuing through Greece and Rome. It ends in the Middle Ages. Greco-Roman medicine will be our focus. How was disease understood by practitioners and, as far as can be reconstructed, by laypeople? What form did surgical, pharmacological, and dietitic treatment take? What were the intellectual origins of Greek medicine? The social status of medical practitioners? How was medicine written and in what terms did its practitioners conceive it?"
Same as L08 Classics 3801

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD, SD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: IS EN: H

L30 Phil 390 Philosophical Writing

This seminar will have a different topic of central philosophical importance each semester. Significant attention will also be devoted to conceiving, researching, writing, revising, critiquing, and presenting philosophical essays. Limited to 15 students. Priority will be given to philosophy majors and minors who have not yet completed their Writing Intensive requirement.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, WI Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 3904 Existentialist Thought

Existentialism "begins with a disoriented individual facing a confused world that s/he cannot accept" (Robert Solomon). Existentialists seek to make meaning of the brokenness (Marcel), dislocation (Merleau-Ponty), and ambiguity (de Beauvoir) of modern life. While its origins go back to the nineteenth-century (Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche), with even older antecedents, as a specific moment in the history of ideas existentialism was created in response to the "age of anxiety" from the end of World War I through the 1960s. It continues to ripple through to the present. We will explore the richness and depth of the canonic figures of existentialism. But we will also consider how that canon was itself shaped and what this entailed for how these thinkers have been understood. We will consider existentialist giants such as Sartre and Heidegger. But we will also spend time with less totemic thinkers. One key thematic strand will focus on is race and existentialism. In short, we will explore why existentialism continues to speak to the Millennial generation's concerns about the meaning and purpose of human existence.
Same as L22 History 3904

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, SC EN: H

L30 Phil 397 Undergraduate Independent Study

Credit variable, maximum 6 units.

L30 Phil 3991 Philosophy Capstone Course

This course will focus either on classic writings from the past century or on contemporary writings that address a major philosophical concern, such as "The Meaning of Life" or "The Concept of Self". In either case, the course will draw together a variety of philosophical specializations. Must be taken by all philosophy majors who are not writing an honors project. Work for the course will typically consist of one written project, one oral presentation, and one commentary on another student's oral presentation. Prerequisite: Senior standing, major in philosophy, preference given to those majors not pursuing Honors.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 403 Mathematical Logic 1

A first course in mathematical logic, an introduction to both proof theory and model theory. The structure and properties of first-order logic are studied in detail, with attention to such notions as axiomatic theory, proof, model, completeness, compactness, and decidability. Prerequisite: Phil 301G or equivalent, or a background in mathematics.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM

L30 Phil 4030 Topics in East Asian Religion & Thought: Tools & Methods in East Asian Religions & Philosophies

Topics in East Asian Religions is a course for advanced undergraduate and graduate students on specific themes and methodological issues in East Asian religions.
Same as L23 Re St 403

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD EN: H

L30 Phil 404 Mathematical Logic II

Godel's Incompleteness Theorem: its proof, its consequences, its reverberations. Prerequisite: Philosophy 403 or a strong background in mathematics.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: HUM

L30 Phil 405 Philosophical Logic

What the philosophy student needs to know of logic, its techniques, and its use as a tool in philosophical analysis. Some attention to the history of the subject and to its metatheory. Prerequisite: previous exposure to formal logic, or permission of instructor.

Credit 3 units.

L30 Phil 4051 Philosophy of Logic

This course surveys some important issues in the philosophy of logic. We begin with basic foundational issues in classical logic, including the relation of logic to psychological reasoning and Tarski's definition of logical consequence, and gradually go on to consider the motivations and status of well-known extensions (sometimes regarded as 'neo-classical' logics) such as modal logics and second-order logic. In the last weeks of the course, we'll examine some outright challengers, including intuitionistic and paraconsistent logics. After evaluating the arguments for and against these challenges, we'll examine one recent, controversial view-logical pluralism-which suggests that we might not need to choose among the rival systems. Many of the readings for this course are classics of contemporary philosophy, and the subject is likely to be of especial interest to students who have interests in logic, and in the philosophy and foundations of mathematics and language. Some of the important ideas in the course presuppose at least a basic acquaintance with formal logic, and hence either Phil 100 or Phil 301 (or permission of the instructor) are prerequisites.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 4061 Topics in the Philosophy of Language

Focus on the work of a single philosopher of language such as Carnap, Chomsky, Foucault, or Kripke, or on a central topic such as the theory of reference, the theory of meaning, or the problem of cross-cultural translation. Prerequisite: one course in epistemology, philosophy of language, or analytic philosophy, or permission of instructor.

Credit 3 units. BU: HUM

L30 Phil 4065 Advanced Philosophy of Language

An advanced-level treatment of basic topics in the philosophy of language as this discipline is understood in the analytic tradition. The main positions and the problems they pose will be surveyed; focal themes include meaning, reference, and truth. The aim of the course is to help students develop effective expository techniques and to provide them with the necessary conceptual resources to analyze and criticize different theoretical views. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 4070 Global Justice

This course examines contemporary debates and controversies regarding global justice. Seminar discussions will be arranged around significant issues in the current literature. for example: What (if anything) do we owe to the distantly needy? Do we have special obligations to our compatriots? Do political borders have normative significance? And so on. This course will be of interest not only to political theorists, but also students in other fields interested in social justice or international relations generally.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 4070

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

L30 Phil 409 Formal Methods for Philosophy

This course is an advanced course exploring formal methods in both logic and confirmation theory. It begins with an introduction to metatheory, which is explored in more depth in the 403-404 sequence on Mathematical Logic, addressing the basic metatheory for logic in addition to alternatives to standard first-order logic. The second part of the course focuses on modal and other intensional logics. The final part of the course focuses on non-monotonic logics, focusing especially on Bayesian confirmation theory and decision theory. Prerequisite: 6 units of philosophy or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: NSM, AN Arch: NSM Art: NSM

L30 Phil 410 Theories of Perception

A consideration of recent work in philosophy and cognitive science on the nature of perception and its contribution to thought, knowledge, and behavior. Special attention will be paid to two questions: To what extent can perceptual experience be changed through learning? In what sense do perceptual states have content? The relation of these issues to more general theories of mental content, to the possibility of objective and theory-neutral observation in science, and to the directness or indirectness of perception will be discussed. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of instructor.

Credit 3 units.

L30 Phil 4141 Advanced Epistemology

Competing theories of knowledge and belief justification will be considered. Careful attention will be given to selected problems such as skepticism, certainty, foundations, coherence, perception, induction. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 4142 Advanced Metaphysics

Through readings from both classical and contemporary sources, a single traditional metaphysical concern will be made the subject of careful and detailed analytic attention. Possible topics include such concepts as substance, category, cause, identity, reality, and possibility, and such positions as metaphysical realism, idealism, materialism, relativism, and irrealism. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 418 Current Controversies in Cognitive Science

An advanced survey of current debates in cognitive science with an emphasis on the philosophical issues raised by these debates. Topics may include: evolutionary psychology; innateness and neural plasticity; perception and action; consciousness; connectionism; robotics; embodied cognition; moral reason; emergence and artificial life; concepts and content; animal cognition. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.
Same as L64 PNP 418

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 419 Philosophy of Psychology

An investigation of the philosophical presuppositions and implications of various traditions in psychology, including behaviorism, Gestalt, and cognitivism, with a special emphasis on the development of the information processing approach of contemporary cognitivism. The conception of psychological phenomena, data, and explanation central to each of these traditions will be examined, and typical topics will include the debates between propositional and imagistic models of representation, different accounts of concepts and categorization, and the relation of psychology to ethics. Prerequisites: one previous course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: HUM

L30 Phil 4210 Topics in Advanced Philosophy of Science

This course will vary in topics related to Philosophy of Science from semester to semester. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 4212 Philosophy of Neuroscience

This course focuses on the historical roots of neuroscience as well as its contemporary developments. Topics include: (1) the nature of explanatory strategies in neuroscience; (2) the relation between neuroscience research and higher-level disciplines such as psychology; and (3) the epistemology of the investigatory tools of neuroscience. Prerequisites: one previous course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: HUM

L30 Phil 423 Philosophy of Biological Science

This course examines a number of theoretical, conceptual, and methodological issues that arise in the attempts of biologists to explain living systems. One sort of problem concerns the relation between biology (and biological descriptions and explanations) and physics and chemistry. Biological phenomena have often seemed very different from ordinary physical phenomena in being telelogical or goal oriented. Vitalists, accordingly, resisted the attempt to invoke physics and chemistry in the attempt to explain biological phenomena. But recently biology has come more and more to draw upon physics and chemistry; we will examine the conceptual frameworks that underlie these efforts. Another sort of problem concerns the adaptiveness of living organisms. Charles Darwin offered one naturalistic explanation of this feature, an explanation that was further developed in this century as the synthetic theory of evolution. A number of controversial issues have arisen within this context of adaptation, and the range of levels at which selection can occur. The ubiquity of evolution, moreover, has been challenged in recent years, as a number of non-selectionist explanations have recently been put forward. We will consider the arguments for the synthetic theory and these alternatives.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 426 Theories of Concepts

Concepts are the building blocks of thought. They are implicated in just about every cognitive task. Beyond that, there is little consensus. What information do concepts encode? How are they acquired? How are they combined to form thoughts? How are they related to perception and imagery? Each of these questions has been answered in numerous ways. In this course, we will explore competing theories of concepts that have been proposed by philosophers, psychologists, and other cognitive scientists. No prior acquaintance with these issues is required. Prerequisites: one previous course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: HUM

L30 Phil 430 Topics in Ethics

Selected advanced topics in ethics. Prerequisite: 6 units of philosophy, or permission of instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 4310 Metaethics

Ethics asks questions about right and wrong, good and bad, virtue and vice. Metaethics asks questions about ethics, including questions about whether we have any reason to do the right thing or to be virtuous, questions about whether it is possible to know the answer to ethical questions, and questions about what we mean by such ethical terms as "right" and "wrong" or "good and "bad." Influential metaethical views include relativism (on which ethical judgments are only true or false relative to an individual or culture) and moral skepticism (on which ethical knowledge is impossible). This course will introduce metaethics through an examination of selected texts and questions. Prerequisites: One previous course in philosophy at the 300 level, graduate standing, or permission of instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 4315 Normative Ethical Theory

An exploration of the three major normative ethical theories debated by philosophers in the last hundred years: Kantian ethics, utilitarianism, and virtue theory. Authors covered in the course may include: Henry Sidgwick, R. M. Hare, R. B. Brandt, John Rawls, Bernard Williams, Philippa Foot, Thomas Nagel, Christine Korsgaard, Michael Slote, and Barbara Herman. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 4320 British Moralists

An investigation of the work of the great British moral philosophers of the 17th-19th centuries, especially Hobbes, Hume, and Mill. Other figures may include Reid, Butler, Hutcheson, Bentham, and Sidgwick. In considering these philosophers, we will explore the relations between normative ethics, moral psychology, and political philosophy, and may include a discussion of legal, social, and economic philosophies as well. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 4331 Topics in the Philosophy of Feminism

This course addresses selected advanced topics in feminist philosophy.

Credit 3 units.

L30 Phil 4332 Cognition and Computation

This course introduces students to some of the key frameworks for thinking about the mind in computational terms. We will be looking at some basic topics in the theory of computation, in addition to considering philosophical issues raised by computational models of cognitive processes. This course is required for graduate students in the PNP Ph.D. program. Prerequisites: At least two 400-level PNP courses crosslisted in Philosophy.
Same as L64 PNP 4332

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC EN: S

L30 Phil 438 Aesthetics

A careful consideration of selected issues regarding the experience of visual art, architecture, music, or literature, as well as of the power or beauty of nature, people, and artifacts. For example, is there a special form of aesthetic experience or aesthetic attitude? In what do aesthetic power and beauty consist? Are they different in art and nature? Do the artists' intentions matter? Some central concerns are: how do visual art and literary texts have 'meaning', what role do the viewer's or reader's interpretations play, and how might recent work in cognitive science and social theory shed light on these issues? Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 4400 Advanced Social and Political Philosophy

A selective investigation of one or two advanced topics in the philosophical understanding of society, government, and culture. Readings may include both historical and contemporary materials. Possible topics include: liberalism, socialism, communitarianism, citizenship, nationalism, cosmopolitanism, social contract theory, anarchism, and the rights of cultural minorities. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 451 Plato

An examination of some of Plato's most important dialogues, typically including the Gorgias, Phaedo, and Republic, with the aim of grasping the development of Plato's most influential thoughts in ethics and in metaphysics and epistemology. In order to provide both historical understanding and philosophical evaluation, attention will be paid to the context and structure of the dialogues and to the best of recent secondary literature. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 452 Aristotle

This course offers a maximally full and detailed introduction to the works of Aristotle. His logic, natural philosophy, psychology, metaphysics, ethics, and political philosophy will be discussed, and stress will be laid on the interpretive problems facing contemporary philosophers seeking to understand Aristotle's achievement. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 4530 Hellenistic Philosophy

The Hellenistic Age, traditionally dated from the death of Alexander and his (Macedonian) Empire at 323 BCE to the birth of Augustus' (Roman) Empire in 31 BCE, gave the West three of its most innovative and influential schools of philosophy: Epicureanism, Skepticism, and Stoicism. This course investigates the central features of their thought. Special attention is paid to the still-relevant debates between the Stoics and Skeptics about the possibility of knowledge, to the disagreements among all three schools about the issues of freedom, responsibility, and determinism, and to their ethical theories. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 4550 Continental Rationalism

A rationalist is a philosopher for whom at least one certain truth is inborn or comes from reason rather than from empirical or sensory experience. The major systemic writings of Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz will be examined with a focus on the question: does the epistemology determine the ontology of these philosophical systems, or vice versa? The lines of development connecting these philosophers will be traced, and such enduring problems as the relation of mind to body will be examined. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: HUM

L30 Phil 4551 17th & 18th Century British Philosophy

17th and 18th century British philosophy introduced a profound shift in how philosophers and scientists understood themselves, the natural world, society, politics, and culture. The new, Newtonian science altered their sense of the place of humans in the natural world and the scope of what could be studied scientifically. Social, political, and economic changes motived new conceptions of human nature, culture, and society. And because Britain was an Empire, the theories developed in the 17th and 18th centuries on this island remain embedded in the way many people and cultures understand themselves and the natural world to this day. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 4570 Kant's Critique of Pure Reason

An in-depth investigation of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, one of the most important books in the history of Western philosophy. Some supplementary readings from other philosophers will be used to situate Kant's work in a systematic and historical context, to present some 'Kantian' positions in current philosophy, and to bring in some important contrasting views and criticisms. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 4575 Kant's Moral Theory

An in-depth examination of Kant's practical philosophy: his moral and political theory. Readings include the Critique of Practical Reason, parts of the Metaphysics of Morals, Perpetual Peace, and other writings. Supplementary readings will be used to situate Kant's work in its systematic and historical context, to provide orientation in the world of Kant scholarship, and to introduce important contrasting views and criticisms. We will also discuss recent reformulations of Kantian themes in the works of contemporary philosophers. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 464 Advanced Continental Philosophy

A study of selected texts by such major figures of 20th Century continental philosophy as Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Levinas, Habermas, Foucault, Derrida, and Irigaray. Such topics as phenomenology, hermeneutics, existentialism, critical theory, structuralism and post-structuralism will be investigated. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300-level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Art: HUM

L30 Phil 465 Topics in the History of Philosophy

Study of individual philosophers or themes from the ancient, medieval, and/or modern periods. Examples: Spinoza, St. Thomas Aquinas, neo-Platonism, universals in ancient and medieval thought, ancient and modern theories of space and time. Prerequisite: 6 units in philosophy, or permission of instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 480 History of Analytic Philosophy

This course will begin with the reaction of G.E. Moore to the dominant idealism of the 19th century, together with the advances in formal approaches launched by Gottlob Frege and Bertrand Russell. It will engage in the rise of ordinary language philosophy through the later work of Ludwig Wittgenstein, as well as the important influence of the Vienna Circle and the rise and fall of Logical Positivism/Empiricism, culminating in the resurgence of metaphysics with the work of Saul Kripke. The course will close with a look at philosophy that is still in the analytic tradition after analytic philosophy itself had been abandoned. Prerequisites: One previous course in philosophy at the 300 level, graduate standing, or permission of instructor.

Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H

L30 Phil 497 Undergraduate Independent Study

Prerequisite: Permission of the department. Credit variable, max 6 units.

Credit variable, maximum 6 units.

L30 Phil 499 Study for Honors

Prerequisites: senior standing, a 3.5 minimum grade point average overall, a 3.5 minimum grade point average in philosophy courses, and the permission of the department. Applications and further information are available in the Department of Philosophy. See further: artsci.wustl.edu/~philos/undergrad/honors.html

Credit 3 units.