Spring 2025

The philosophical foundations of modern political and economic thought, including economic rationality, neoclassical economics, free-market vs. socialist economies and behavioral economics.

Techniques for constructing good arguments and for assessing and criticizing the arguments of others. (Duplicates credit in former PHIL 250a)

Techniques for constructing good arguments and for assessing and criticizing the arguments of others. (Duplicates credit in former PHIL 250b)

The study of the nature and role of professionals in life and society, forces that shape and direct them, foundations and applications of professional ethics.

What is time? What is the difference between past, present and future? Is time-travel possible? And what paradoxes might it give rise to?

Introduction to research in interdisciplinary cognitive science, highlighting ideas and methods from philosophy, psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and computer science.

Exploration of the philosophical and religious implications of major scientific revolutions, such as those of Copernicus, Galileo, and Darwin. (Duplicates credit in former PHIL 220g)

Explores various conceptions of morality and what makes actions right or wrong, together with the implications of these views for concrete ethical issues.

Introduces and explores philosophical and ethical questions and theories related to technology, including biomedical technologies, internet applications and artificial intelligence.

Key works that have shaped the European and American cultural inheritance, with a special focus on the nature of love.

Central topics in the philosophy of economics, including models of economic rationality, the aggregation of preferences and the conditions in which markets yield undesirable outcomes.

Study of major philosophical theories of moral right and wrong, such as utilitarianism, Kantianism, egoism, virtue ethics, and theological ethics.

Philosophical content in representative European and American literature; philosophical problems about literature such as the nature of truth and meaning in fiction.

Intensive study of selected topics taken from Aristotle's writings in natural philosophy, in metaphysics, and in other areas of philosophy.

Development of philosophy in Great Britain from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries; emphasis on Locke, Berkeley, and Hume.

The rise of analytic philosophy; major ethical, metaphysical, epistemological, views; Frege, Moore, Russell, early and late Wittgenstein and Quine.

A systematic presentation of the main philosophical perspectives on the interactions between law and the social-political aspects of our lives.

Elements of propositional and quantified modal logic and the logic of counterfactual conditionals with an eye to some of their applications in contemporary philosophy.

Topics of current interest at the crossroads of philosophy of language, philosophy of mind and linguistics.

Examination of contemporary accounts of the nature, scope, sources--and value--of human knowledge and justified belief.

Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.

Independent studies for philosophy majors, and guidance in the preparation of the senior thesis for students who wish to graduate with honors in philosophy.

In-depth study synthesizing important recent developments in one or more central areas of philosophy pursued at a beginning graduate level.

Analysis of selected philosophical problems and theses of current interest; explication of major contemporary papers and/or books is emphasized.

Contemporary philosophical issues and literature.

Applications of logical theory to contemporary philosophical research. Elements of model theory, recursion theory; Goedel's Incompleteness results; modal logic and its interpretations. Recommended preparation: PHIL-350.

Problems in research in selected portions of ancient and medieval philosophy.

Advanced literature on selected topics in social and political philosophy, including the nature of law, man, and society; ideals such as justice and freedom.

Advanced topics and literature in ethical theory.

Advanced topics in metaphysics.

Advanced topics in epistemology.

Intensive writing seminar in which students read cutting-edge philosophy and take supervised steps towards crafting critical essays for publication.

Research leading to the master's degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Part-time or full-time, practical work experience in the student's field of study. The internship must be located at an off-campus facility. Students are individually supervised by faculty. May not be taken until the student has completed at least two semesters of enrollment in the graduate program.

A focused environment in which to present and evaluate dissertation work-in-progress. Focus on peer and faculty feedback, developing professional presentation skills, improving critical communication skills. Graded CR/NC. Open only to Philosophy doctoral students.

Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.