A study of the origins and development of philosophy in ancient Greece and Rome, focusing on Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans, and Stoics.

For students who wish to gain experience working in research outside the classroom. Pending approval of the department, students may work at a professional site or remotely under professional supervision - your primary supervisor must be a professional in the field. Beyond working at a professional site or under professional supervision, students will have to complete further assignments to receive a passing grade in the course. Students may take PHPE386 for three-six credits, but only three credits will count towards the major requirements. PHPE386 is only open to those with junior standing or above.

Foundational issues that arise within the theories of rational choice that underlie the treatments of decision-making found in economics, politics, and the other social sciences. The course is focused on individual decisions (rational choice theory), strategic decisions (game theory) and group decisions (social choice theory). In addition to presenting the formal models of decision making, we also discuss to what extent these mathematical theories explain social interactions. An important aspect of the course is to introduce students to the ways in which economic analysis has been applied to issues in social and political philosophy. Readings will be drawn from the literature in economics, psychology, statistics and political science, as well as philosophy.

Examines capitalism and socialism as differing modes of economic production through several different theoretical lenses. We begin by examining capitalism and socialism as they developed historically, by looking primarily at the work of Adam Smith and Karl Marx. Then, we turn our attention to one of the most important debates in 20th century economics: to what extent rational economic calculation is possible in a socialist commonwealth. After this we turn our attention to how capitalist and socialist modes of production functioned in practice. We end by turning our attention to the ethics of capitalism and socialism: which mode of economic production is most just?

Senior capstone course for the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics major. The exact content of the course will be determined by the instructor who teaches it. The purpose of the course is to pursue sustained inquiry on a narrow philosophical topic, using the tools and methods from economics and political science to help analyze the topic. The course ends with a substantial research paper, where the student should demonstrate an ability to use the tools of philosophy, political science, and economics in his or her analysis.