Courses - Fall 2022
PHIL100
An introduction to the literature, problems, and methods of philosophy either through a study of some of the main figures in philosophic thought or through an examination of some of the central and recurring problems of philosophy.
PHIL140
The uses of philosophical analysis in thinking clearly about such widely debated moral issues as abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, pornography, reverse discrimination, the death penalty, business ethics, sexual equality, and economic justice.
PHIL170
This course will introduce the basic concepts and techniques of modern symbolic logic, with an emphasis on developing skills in two areas: first, translating between ordinary language and logical notation; second, establishing the validity or invalidity of arguments using the methods of truth tables, deductions, and countermodels. Although the subject of symbolic logic was developed by mathematicians and philosophers for their own special purposes (which we will discuss), logical concepts and techniques have found applications in a variety of disciplines, including computer science, economics, law, linguistics, and psychology. We may also consider some of these applications.
PHIL201
Spooky Action at a Distance? Where Physics Meets Metaphysics
Recommended: Students should be comfortable with moderately mathematical presentations. Placement into MATH110 or higher is strongly recommended.
Credit only granted for: PHIL201 or PHIL209I.
Formerly: PHIL209I.
Einstein believed that physics should represent a "reality in space and time, free from spooky action at a distance." He worried that quantum theory failed this test. Later developments suggest that quantum systems really can influence one another instantly, no matter how far apart they are, but the question remains controversial and experiments are not sufficient to provide an answer. This self-contained course will draw on philosophy and physics to investigate the controversy.
PHIL203
Credit only granted for: PHIL209J or PHIL203.
Formerly: PHIL209J.
Virtually everyone thinks it's permissible to kill people only in special circumstances. But why is killing usually wrong? Is it ever acceptable to kill an innocent human being intentionally? This course raises these and related questions and examines cases such as terrorism, suicide, abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, war. Except for a brief discussion of animals, all the controversies considered deal with killing and causing death to human beings.
PHIL210
Philosophy of the Universe
Credit only granted for: PHIL209U or PHIL210.
Formerly: PHIL209U.
An exploration of how philosophy can help us understand our place in the cosmos. The course covers a variety of topics at the intersection of science and philosophy, such as: How does the world we observe emerge from the microscopic world science tells us about? What are laws of nature? What is time? What is life? The emphasis is not on leading students to particular conclusions about these topics. Instead, it is to learn how to ask these questions critically and to understand what would count as relevant evidence for an answer.
PHIL220
Credit only granted for: PHIL209A or PHIL220.
Formerly: PHIL209A.
Bioethicists formulate ethical guidelines. They answer questions such as: When life-saving health resources are scarce, who should get them? Should we increase supply of one such resource, kidneys, by buying them from living "donors"? If drug trials in developing countries benefit patients who consent to participate, are the trials ethical, even if the same research would be forbidden in the US? If a sick person aims to hasten her death, how, if at all, might her doctor permissibly help her? In this course, students construct and defend ethical rules in four domains: research ethics, allocation of scarce resources, markets in organs, and physician-assisted dying.
PHIL245
PHIL250
Main issues in the philosophy of science. Special attention to the ways scientific developments have influenced the philosophy of science and how philosophy of science has influenced scientific progress. Case studies of selected historical episodes in which science and philosophy have interacted significantly, focusing on the physical, biological, or social sciences.
PHIL309B
Philosophical Problems; (Anti-) Realism
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
PHIL309K
Philosophical Problems; Political Epistemology
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with PHPE308E. Credit only granted for PHIL309K or PHPE308E.
PHIL310
Ancient Philosophy
Prerequisite: Must have completed 6 credits in philosophy or classics.
A study of the origins and development of philosophy in ancient Greece and Rome, focusing on Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans, and Stoics.
PHIL341
Ethical Theory
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg
Prerequisite: 6 credits in PHIL courses.
A critical examination of classical and contemporary systems of ethics, such as those of Aristotle, Kant, Mill, and Rawls.
Prerequisite: 6 credit hours in philosophy.
PHIL344
Philosophy of Race
Credit only granted for: PHIL344 or PHIL308Y.
Formerly: PHIL308Y.
A survey of philosophical arguments involving race and racism. Guiding questions will include: How have philosophers and scientists conceived of the concept of race? Is race a coherent concept? Does it help us explain differences in performance and behavior? What makes racism, racial prejudice, and discrimination wrong? What is the point of equality? Do we owe reparations to victims of racism?
PHIL362
Theory of Knowledge
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: 6 credits in PHIL courses; and PHIL170.
Formerly: PHIL462.
Some central topics in the theory of knowledge, such as perception, memory, knowledge, and belief, skepticism, other minds, truth, and the problems of induction.
PHIL370
Logical Theory I: Metatheory
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: PHIL271 or CMSC250; or permission of the instructor.
This course is an introduction to logical "metatheory", that is, to logical reasoning about logic systems themselves. Topics include alternative alternative proof-theoretic presentations of logical systems as well as soundness and completeness theorems for propositional and first-order logic. Along the way, we will deepen our understanding of the elementary set-theoretic concepts underlying first order logic. Other topics may include basic results in the semantics of first order logic (such as the Craig interpolation theorem, the Beth definability theorem, or the Lowenhein-Skolem theorem).
PHIL386
Experiential Learning
Credits:
3 - 6
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F
Restriction: Permission of ARHU-Philosophy department; and junior standing or higher.
Consult Director of Undergraduate Studies: C. Manekin. Prerequisites: 12 credit hours of philosophy and 3.0 GPA. Carries no credit toward philosophy major.
PHIL408D
Topics in Contemporary Philosophy; Theories of Democracy
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with PHPE408D. Credit only granted for PHPE408D or PHIL408D.
Many think that democracy is the only acceptable form of government, but it is hard to articulate why. This course will look at normative arguments in defense of democracy. It will also look at criticisms of these arguments, along with normative arguments in favor of non-democratic forms of government. The course will also look at theoretical and empirical work concerning how democracies actually function in the real world (e.g., the median voter theorem, the Hong-Page theorem, McKelvey Schofield chaos theorem, etc.), and ask how this theoretical and empirical work should inform our normative arguments for democracy.
Many think that democracy is the only acceptable form of government, but it is hard to articulate why. This course will look at normative arguments in defense of democracy. It will also look at criticisms of these arguments, along with normative arguments in favor of non-democratic forms of government. The course will also look at theoretical and empirical work concerning how democracies actually function in the real world (e.g., the median voter theorem, the Hong-Page theorem, McKelvey Schofield chaos theorem, etc.), and ask how this theoretical and empirical work should inform our normative arguments for democracy.
PHIL408E
Topics in Contemporary Philosophy; The Ethics of Markets
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with PHPE408E. Credit only granted for PHPE408E or PHIL408E.
Markets are pervasive throughout our lives, but we rarely think about them from an ethical perspective. This course examines questions at the intersection of ethics and markets. It asks questions like: what is the extent of permissible market exchange? What sorts of things can be bought and sold on the market? Do markets corrupt our morals? Do markets presuppose certain morals? Does trade between nations lead to tolerance? What are the social responsibilities of business?
Markets are pervasive throughout our lives, but we rarely think about them from an ethical perspective. This course examines questions at the intersection of ethics and markets. It asks questions like: what is the extent of permissible market exchange? What sorts of things can be bought and sold on the market? Do markets corrupt our morals? Do markets presuppose certain morals? Does trade between nations lead to tolerance? What are the social responsibilities of business?
PHIL408P
Topics in Contemporary Philosophy; Philosophy of Psychiatry
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
PHIL412
The Philosophy of Plato
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: 6 credits in PHIL courses.
A critical study of selected dialogues.
Cross-listing with PHPE408J. Credit only granted for PHIL412 or PHPE408J.
PHIL418X
Topics in Epistemology/Metaphysics; Bayesian Epistemology
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with PHPE408x. Credit only granted for PHIL418X or PHPE408X.
Epistemology is the philosophical study of knowledge and rational belief. Bayesian epistemology frames this study by centering not on full beliefs (like my belief that there is no chocolate on the moon) but instead on graded belief. This is for example what happens when we say that we are 80% confident that a certain party will win an election. Among the topics to be covered in the class are: the connection between degrees of belief and the mathematical theory of probability; the principles governing whether degrees of belief are rational; the principles whether agents respond appropriately to evidence; the role of degrees of belief in practical decision making. The approach in the class will be to present these topics without presupposing prior competence in epistemology.
Epistemology is the philosophical study of knowledge and rational belief. Bayesian epistemology frames this study by centering not on full beliefs (like my belief that there is no chocolate on the moon) but instead on graded belief. This is for example what happens when we say that we are 80% confident that a certain party will win an election. Among the topics to be covered in the class are: the connection between degrees of belief and the mathematical theory of probability; the principles governing whether degrees of belief are rational; the principles whether agents respond appropriately to evidence; the role of degrees of belief in practical decision making. The approach in the class will be to present these topics without presupposing prior competence in epistemology.
PHIL438L
Topics in Value Theory; Philosophy and Law
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Cross-listed with PHPE408K. Credit only granted for PHIL438L or PHPE408K.
Philosophy and Law deal with many of the same concepts but from different perspectives. This class explores ways in which the two fields interact, demonstrating how the use of philosophical tools can enhance understanding of many areas of law, from free speech, the rules of evidence, and criminal law to contracts, antitrust, and corporations. It will expose students to concrete legal issues that lawyers deal with on a day-to-day basis. At the same time, this cross-disciplinary class, which should not be confused with philosophy of law, will deepen the student's knowledge of critical ideas in epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of language, and other philosophical subjects. Previous exposure to basic philosophical concepts would be helpful, though not essential.
Philosophy and Law deal with many of the same concepts but from different perspectives. This class explores ways in which the two fields interact, demonstrating how the use of philosophical tools can enhance understanding of many areas of law, from free speech, the rules of evidence, and criminal law to contracts, antitrust, and corporations. It will expose students to concrete legal issues that lawyers deal with on a day-to-day basis. At the same time, this cross-disciplinary class, which should not be confused with philosophy of law, will deepen the student's knowledge of critical ideas in epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of language, and other philosophical subjects. Previous exposure to basic philosophical concepts would be helpful, though not essential.
PHIL445
Contemporary Political Philosophy
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Restriction: Must have completed 3 credits in philosophy or political theory; or permission of ARHU-Philosophy department. And sophomore standing or higher.
Major trends in contemporary political philosophy: liberal, libertarian, communitarian, socialist, feminist.
PHIL498F
Topical Investigations; Topical Investigation
Credits:
1 - 3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite:Two courses in philosophy or permission of the department.
PHIL498G
Topical Investigations; Topical Investigation
Credits:
1 - 3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite:Two courses in philosophy or permission of the department.
PHIL660
Metaphysics, Mind, and Language
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud, S-F
A basic course on selected issues in metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of language for beginning graduate students, covering a number of topics in depth, to provide a springboard for further study and research in the area.
PHIL688B
Selected Problems in Philosophy; Topics in Epistemology/Metaphysics; Bayesian Epistemology
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
Epistemology is the philosophical study of knowledge and rational belief. Bayesian epistemology frames this study by centering not on fullbeliefs (like my belief that there is no chocolate on the moon) but instead on graded belief. This is for example what happens when we say that we are 80% confident that a certain party will win an election. Among the topics to be covered in the class are: the connection between degrees ofbelief and the mathematical theory of probability; the principles governing whether degrees of belief are rational; the principles whetheragents respond appropriately to evidence; the role of degrees of belief in practical decision making. The approach in the class will be to present these topics without presupposing prior competence in epistemology.
PHIL688T
Selected Problems in Philosophy; Introduction to Semantics
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
Cross-listed with LING660. Credit granted for LING660 or PHIL688T.
PHIL788G
Research in Philosophy; Research in Philosophy
Credits:
1 - 6
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
PHIL788I
Research in Philosophy; Research in Philosophy
Credits:
1 - 6
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
PHIL799
Master's Thesis Research; Masters Thesis Research
Credits:
1 - 6
Grad Meth:
S-F
PHIL808K
Seminar in the Problems of Philosophy
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
PHIL808M
Seminar in the Problems of Philosophy
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud, S-F
PHIL888
Professional Mentoring for Doctoral Students
Credits:
1 - 3
Grad Meth:
S-F
PHIL889
Pedagogical Mentoring for Doctoral Students
Credits:
1 - 3
Grad Meth:
S-F
PHIL898
Pre-Candidacy Research
Credits:
1 - 8
Grad Meth:
Reg
PHIL899
Doctoral Dissertation Research; Doctoral Dissertation Research
Credits:
6
Grad Meth:
S-F
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