Courses Archive
Courses
PHIL 1000 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY [3]
Prof. McCready-Flora – ICM5H
Monday & Wednesday 9:00-9:50+ disc sec Minor 125
This course introduces students to Philosophy via one of its crown jewels (Plato’s Republic), which sets out and discusses enduring philosophical issues with wondrous finesse and compelling strangeness. Supplementary readings complement and contest Plato, teaching students the rudiments of a new field through a series of highly rewarding intellectual encounters.
We will consider, in part: the nature and value of justice and other virtues; propaganda and the ethics of its use; the nature of mind; the good life; the good society; goodness itself; what exists and how we know; the social preconditions of science and art; the place of emotion in human life; the ethics of censorship; death and the afterlife; democracy and other social orders; and philosophical tools such as counterexamples, thought experiments, deduction, analogy and narrative.
Provided you give it your all, this course prepares you to: discern the form and structure of arguments, weigh evidence for and again a claim and apply generous but exacting scrutiny to your own and others’ reasoning; hold lively, productive conversations on matters of intellectual import; acquire and sharpen the fine art of argumentative prose; and (last but not least) continue your philosophical education as a Major or Minor in UVA’s world-class Corcoran Department of Philosophy.
PHIL 1410 FORMS OF REASONING [3]
Prof. Boone –
Tuesday & Thursday 9:30-10:45 Minor 125
A philosophy course with a practical aim: to develop the student's ability to recognize and evaluate arguments. The course will not cover symbolic logic in any detail (for this take PHIL 2420), but will concentrate on actual arguments given in ordinary language. Some time will be spent studying those fallacies, or errors in reasoning, which occur most frequently in discussion and argument. The goal of this course is to give the student a working knowledge of logic which has an application to daily life.
Prof. Langsam – HLL6Y
Tuesday & Thursday 3:30-4:20+disc sec Wilson 301
This course is concerned with the question of whether there are characteristics that all human beings have in common other than obvious biological similarities. In particular, we shall address issues such as the following: 1) is rationality a part of human nature, and, if so, what is the nature of human rationality, and how does the rational part of human beings relate to their other characteristics? 2) what is the relation of human nature to morality: is it in the nature of human beings to act morally and/or to recognize moral obligations, or, on the contrary, are moral requirements in some sense contrary to our nature? 3) are human beings social animals: is it natural for human beings to live with others in societies and be governed by political institutions, or are such living arrangements contrary to our nature? Readings will include contemporary and historical writers.
PHIL 1740 ISSUES OF LIFE AND DEATH [3]
Prof. Stangl – RLS5EF
Monday & Wednesday 2:00-2:50+ disc sec Warner 209
This course is an exploration, from the point of view of philosophical theory, of a number of ethical problems at the beginning and end of life. Questions to be addressed will include: What is the significance of death and the value of life? Under what conditions, if any, are abortion and euthanasia morally permissible? At what point ought we to discontinue medical treatment of the terminally ill, and who should be empowered to make this decision? Are we under any moral obligation to prevent the death of those threatened by hunger and easily treatable disease?
PHIL 2060 PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS IN LAW [3]
Prof. Adams – NA9FW
Monday & Wednesday 8:00-8:50+ disc sec Minor 125
Do we have a duty to obey the law? The law thinks so, and breaking the law is often severely punished. But as citizens we often also think law is bad, mistaken, unjust, and that we should disobey the law or even overthrow the government. More specific questions also arise when we accept the rule of law. What sorts of actions should be criminalized and what sorts of punishments are justified? Why do our mental states matter to the law? What is an attempt, and how can we regulate failures? What processes should we use when making legal judgments? What is the relation between law and morality? Law and politics? In this course, we will look at these and similar philosophical problems for life under law.
PHIL 2110 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY: ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL [3]
This course satisfies History area requirements.
Prof. Secada – JES2F
Monday & Wednesday 11:00-11:50+ disc sec Monroe 130
This course is an introduction to the history of philosophy from its beginnings in the Greek colonies of Asia Minor to the Renaissance and the end of the Middle Ages. The lectures do not aim to offer a comprehensive summary; you will find that in any of several histories of philosophy, one of which is required reading for the course. In the lectures we will instead discuss a few selected major philosophers and we will concentrate on some of their doctrines and arguments. We will, however, look at cultural developments which took place during this period and we will study philosophical works in their more general social and historical setting. The course seeks to provide historical as much as philosophical knowledge and understanding. Requirements include several short quizzes and a term paper.
PHIL 2420 INTRODUCTION TO SYMBOLIC LOGIC [3]
This course satisfies Logic area requirements.
Prof. Cameron – RPC4D
Tuesday & Thursday 8:00-9:15 Wilson 301
A basic introduction to the concepts and techniques of modern formal logic. The aim of this course is to give the student a working knowledge of both sentential and quantifier logic. Students will learn how to translate claims and arguments from English into a formal system, and to test arguments for validity.
PHIL 2660 PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION [3]
Prerequisites: Instructor Permission - First and Second Years only.
Prof. Merricks – TDB8N
Monday & Wednesday 11:00-11:50 Dell 1 105
This course will examine a number of different topics that have been of perennial interest to philosophers of religion and philosophical theologians. These topics include arguments for and against God's existence, the problem of evil, the relationship between human freedom and divine foreknowledge, and how to think about personal immortality and the nature of the human person.
PHIL 2820 PHILOSOPHY OF HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE [3]
Prof. Barnes- EJB5R
Tuesday & Thursday 8:00-8:50+ disc sec Clark 107
In this class, we’ll first discuss the question ‘what is health?’ How do we define what it means to be healthy? Is there a difference between physical and mental health? Is there a difference between health and overall well-being? Is health a biological concept or is it something normative? Then we’ll look at specific puzzles that arise in health care related to how we understand health and disease. For example, how do we measure health outcomes? How do we deal with the inherent subjectivity of some aspects of health, such as pain? What is the relationship between what we consider ‘healthy’ and what our culture values or stigmatizes?
PHIL 3010 DARWIN AND PHILOSOPHY [3]
Prof. Eaker – ELE3A
Tuesday & Thursday 3:30-4:45 Monroe 118
This course explores the history and the philosophical implications of Darwin’s revolutionary idea—that the unguided process of natural selection could explain the magnificent variety and adaptedness of living things and their descent from a common ancestor. We will look at Darwin’s historical, scientific and cultural context, and the evidence and arguments by which Darwin supported his theory. Philosophical topics will include: How are scientific theories supported by evidence? What makes evolutionary theory an accepted scientific theory? What are its moral implications? What does it tell us about human nature, how we should treat one another, and how we should relate to the environment upon which we depend?
PHIL 3110 PLATO [3]
This course satisfies the History requirement for those who have or will take PHIL 2120 – Modern
Prof. McCready-Flora – ICM5H
Monday & Wednesday 2:00-3:15 Warner 113
This course introduces students to the dialogues of Plato, with an emphasis on those of particular argumentative and philosophical interest. Expect treatments of the divine and our relation to it; love; the nature and possibility of human knowledge; what makes anything one; why the world exists at all, and in particular why it takes the form it does; humanity’s place in the cosmic order; and the nature of the soul. Our aim will be to engage Plato as a fellow philosopher through close reading and subtle reasoning. This means understanding his assumptions, scrutinizing his argumentation and proposing alternatives to his conclusions. No knowledge of Greek required, but some prior coursework in Philosophy very much encouraged.
PHIL 3150 17th CENTURY PHILOSOPHY [3]
This course satisfies History area requirements for those who have or will take PHIL 2110 – Ancient
This course satisfies the Second Writing Requirement.
Prof. Lolordo– AL4H
Tuesday & Thursday 3:30-4:45 Cabell 058
In this course, we’ll look at how a group of 17th century philosophers answered three sets of questions, and how their answers fit together. First, what is the nature of the mind? Of God? Of the material world? In particular, is there an immaterial soul – or is the mind just another part of the material world? Second, what does all this imply about human nature? Are human beings special in some way, perhaps in virtue of our unique rationality, or are we just another species of animals? Are human beings the only moral agents? If so, why? And where do moral obligations derive from? Third, how did all this impact their political views? At the abstract level, how did views of human nature and the foundations of morality impact views on the purpose, legitimacy, or origin of state power? More concretely, how did views of human nature and the foundations of morality feed into arguments against slavery and arguments in favor of the rights of women? We’ll look at a fairly wide range of philosophers in this class. Some are probably familiar, at least in name (e.g. Descartes), others probably not (e.g. Amo). This will help us see the extremely wide range of questions up for philosophical debate at the time. It will also help us see that there is a wider range of people doing philosophy in early modern Europe and elsewhere than has traditionally been thought, and that they had very different, even opposed, social and political goals in doing so.
PHIL 3330 PHILOSOPHY OF MIND [3]
Instructor Consent Required
This Course satisfies the Second Writing Requirement
Prof. Langsam – HLL6Y
Tuesday & Thursday 12:30-1:45 Cocke 115
What is the nature of the mind and why do we find its nature so puzzling? We shall critically examine various theories about the nature of the mind; we shall also discuss the nature of particular kinds of mental states and events, such beliefs, desires, feelings, sensory experiences, and others. We shall be especially concerned with the relationships between the mind and body, and, more generally, between the mental and the physical. Most of the readings will be contemporary philosophers. (This course satisfies the major concentration requirements in Metaphysics and Epistemology.
PHIL 3620 SCIENCE FICTION AND PHILOSOPHY [3]
Prof. Cameron – RPC4D
Tuesday & Thursday 12:30-1:45 Cabell 489
Science fiction is a distinctively philosophical genre. Science fiction stories can cause us to question the bounds of what is possible, explore ethical questions that arise in alien circumstances, explore the nature of the self and the very nature of reality, and so on. This course has two main goals: (1)We will use science fiction literature to explore philosophical issues, thereby pursuing philosophical inquiry from an unusual perspective; (2)We will use philosophy to explore the nature of science fiction as a genre, and thereby to gain insight into the nature of art.
PHIL 3640-001 POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY [3]
Prof. Motchoulski – AAM5JM
Tuesday & Thursday 5:00-6:15 Cocke 115
PHIL 3640-002 POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY [3]
Prof. Adams – NA9FW
Monday & Wednesday 2:00-3:15 Cabell 338
How should we live together? This question is at the core of political philosophy and is the main focus of the course. This question has various components, including: Who counts as one of us? How should we make decisions? Who should be in charge? How should we use our power? How should we treat others? How can we flourish? And who gets a say in how to answer these questions? The course focuses on contemporary democratic answers and considers to what extent our ideals have been realized in our shared life.
PHIL 3720 CONTEMPORARY ETHICS [3]
Prof. MacKenzie
Tuesday & Thursday 3:30-4:45 Cabell 389
In this course, we will consider some of the liveliest topics of debate in contemporary ethical theory. Among the questions that may be considered are: Are there moral facts, and if so what sorts of facts are they, how do we come to know them, and how do we explain their authority? What would it mean to say that a life “has meaning” and what might entitle us to say such a thing? Can we make sense of prohibitions to perform certain kinds of actions even when doing so would reduce the overall incidence of that very kind of action? Do contemporary conceptions of our moral obligations leave us sufficient space to be true to our own ideals and loves? Are we responsible for bad outcomes that we knowingly choose not to prevent others from bringing about? Can we be held responsible for unchosen elements of our own character? Are there “morally tragic” cases in which we will do wrong no matter what we choose to do?
PHIL 3810 SEX, SEXUALITY, AND GENDER [3]
Prof. Payton – MRT4RJ
Tuesday & Thursday 8:00-9:15 Cocke 115
In this class, we'll be talking about philosophical issues at the intersection of sexuality, sexual experience, and gender experience. What is sexual consent? What is the relationship between sexual consent and sexual morality? What is sexual orientation, and what is its relationship to sex and gender? Is there such a thing as biological sex? Is there a difference between sex and gender?
PHIL 3820 PHILOSOPHY OF MENTAL HEALTH [3]
Prof. Barnes – EJB5R
Tuesday & Thursday 11:00-12:15 Cocke 115
This class explores philosophical issues in the nature of mental health and mental illness. Topics may include: What is the difference between a mental illness and a physical illness? How do we understand the difference between mental difference and mental dysfunction? Does our current approach to understanding mental health overly pathologize or medicalize people? What is a social contagion? What does it mean to be mentally healthy? What is the relationship between mental health and agency, or mental health and moral responsibility?
GRADUATE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
PHIL 5530 THE MEDITATIONS: [3]
Prof. Secada – WO5N
Monday 1:00-3:30 Cocke Hall 108
This is a seminar on Descartes’ Meditations. By closely reading the text of the Meditations, this seminar will study the metaphysics and epistemology of Rene Descartes (1596-1650). Topics that will be covered include skepticism and the Cartesian circle; the cogito; the reflection on a piece of wax; ideas and their material falsity; the proofs of the existence of God; causation; the individuation, essence and existence of substances; the distinction and relation between a mind and a body. Descartes’ thought will be examined in its Late Scholastic historical context, particularly the philosophies of Francisco Suarez (1548-1617) and Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), but we will also place the Meditations in the context of earlier meditative treatises, uncovering its relation to such works as St. Francis of Sales’ Treatise on the Love of God (1616), St Bonaventure’s Road of the Mind to God, and St Therese of Avila’s Inner Castle, and using it to address issues regarding the nature of philosophy and philosophical understanding. Some consideration will also be given to Descartes’ influence on subsequent philosophers, such as Spinoza, Malebranche, Leibniz or Berkeley. Requirements will include a term paper, seminar presentations, and short written summaries and discussions.
PHIL 7500 1st YEAR SEMINAR: Metaphysical Survey
Required for all first year Philosophy graduate students.
Prof. Payton – MRT4RJ
Thursday 1:00-3:30 Cocke Hall 108
This seminar is also designed to introduce first-year PhD students to graduate school in philosophy. This means that, in addition to our core philosophical subject matter, we will discuss topics related to completing a PhD at UVA, as well as elements of professional engagement. The assignments in this course are designed to give students a good amount practice reading, writing, presenting, and discussing philosophy at the graduate level.
PHIL 7570 REDUCTION AND EMERGENCE [3]
Prof. Boone – TBD
Tuesday 1:00-3:30 Cocke Hall 108
This seminar will examine central issues related to reduction and emergence in philosophy of science. What is the relationship between higher and lower levels of organization in nature? How does and should mereology figure into scientific explanation? We will examine these and other foundational questions while drawing on examples from many scientific disciplines. We will cover classical work, though contemporary debate will be our primary focus.
PHIL 8570 METAPHYSICS OF MATERIAL OBJECTS [3]
This course satisfies M&E area requirements
Prof. Merricks – TDM8N
Wednesday 1:00-3:30 Cocke Hall 108
This is a course on the ontology of material objects. Our primary texts will be Objects and Persons by Trenton Merricks, Ordinary Objects by Amie Thomasson, and Objects: Nothing out of the Ordinary by Daniel Z. Korman.
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
PHIL 1330| VIRTUAL WORLDS AND PHILOSOPHY
Prof. Cameron – RPC4D Tuesday & Thursday 8:00-8:50+ disc sec Wilson 301
In this class we will explore the intersection of philosophy with issues concerning virtual reality (VR), computer simulation, artificial intelligence (AI), etc. We will investigate how traditional philosophical problems can be seen in a new light through the lens of VR and AI, as well as showing how VR and AI can raise new and distinctive philosophical issues. The goal is to show how reflection on modern technologies can help us with ancient philosophical questions as well as showing how philosophy can help us in the development of these new technologies and society’s response to them. We will explore questions such as: Can we know that we are not simulated characters in a simulated world?; What does it mean to say that something is a simulation?; Can a simulated world have moral value?; Can a simulated character be conscious?; How ought we to organize society in response to issues raised by VR and AI, such as deepfakes, AI created content, etc
PHIL 1410 FORMS OF REASONING [3]
Instructor Cetic – NC7NJ Tuesday & Thursday 8:00-9:15 New Cabell 338
Prof. Anderson – AKD3WB Tuesday & Thursday 9:30-10:45 Cocke 115
Prof. Anderson – AKD3WB Tuesday & Thursday 12:30-1:45 Gibson 141
Prof. Anderson – AKD3WB Tuesday & Thursday 2:00-3:15 Gibson 141
A philosophy course with a practical aim: to develop the student's ability to recognize and evaluate arguments. The course will not cover symbolic logic in any detail (for this take PHIL 2420), but will concentrate on actual arguments given in ordinary language. Some time will be spent studying those fallacies, or errors in reasoning, which occur most frequently in discussion and argument. The goal of this course is to give the student a working knowledge of logic which has an application to daily life.
PHIL 1510 KNOWLEDGE AND SOCIETY [3]
Instructor Vincent – WBV4KE Monday & Wednesday 3:30-4:45 Cocke 115
This course is an introduction to contemporary social epistemology. Epistemology is the study of knowledge. But humans don't gain knowledge in isolation. We do so in societies. This course asks how we gain knowledge from society and how that knowledge contributes to society.
For the first part of the course, we look at the question ‘how do we have knowledge in a social world?’ For example, we often confront disagreement with those who are just as informed and thoughtful as us. How are we able to know in the face of such disagreement?
For the second part, we ask what goods knowledge contributes to society. For example, are the goods that science contributes to society due to an aim of acquiring knowledge?
Other topics include relativism, testimony, miracles, epistemic injustice, and the place of knowledge in democracy. This course assumes no prior background in philosophy.
PHIL 1730 INTRODUCTION TO MORAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY [3]
Prof. Adams - NA9FW Tuesday & Thursday 9:30-10:15+ disc sec Minor 125
In this course we apply the tools of philosophy to problems of human life, flourishing, and community. We will see how philosophy helps us ask the biggest questions about existence but also illuminates mundane aspects of everyday life. We will look at issues that humanity has encountered for millennia as well as issues faced only in our modern moment—from what it means to act well to how social media is affecting us. Our focus is on contemporary philosophy rather than a historical overview.
PHIL 1740 ISSUES OF LIFE AND DEATH [3]
Prof. Stangl – RLS5EF Monday & Wednesday 2:00-2:50+ disc sec Minor 125
This course is an exploration, from the point of view of philosophical theory, of a number of ethical problems at the beginning and end of life. Questions to be addressed will include: What is the significance of death and the value of life? Under what conditions, if any, are abortion and euthanasia morally permissible? At what point ought we to discontinue medical treatment of the terminally ill, and who should be empowered to make this decision? Are we under any moral obligation to prevent the death of those threatened by hunger and easily treatable disease?
PHIL 2120 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY: MODERN [3]
This course satisfies the requirement for History of Philosophy: Modern
Prof. Secada – JES2F Tuesday & Thursday 9:30-10:15+ disc sec Gibson 211
This course is a survey of the history of philosophy in the Renaissance and the early modern period. We will pay close attention to some of the metaphysical and epistemological issues arising in the central writings of Suárez, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant, though some other figures including some XIXth-Century philosophers, such as Hegel, will also be discussed in the lectures. Throughout the term, we will read closely the first five of Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy and Leibniz's "First Truths". Students will be required to write a term paper, to submit an earlier draft of it, and to take several quizzes during the term.
PHIL 2500-001 PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE [3]
Prof. Fox – CTF9G Monday & Wednesday 2:00-3:15 Warner 113
It is easy to take for granted what humans can accomplish with language. With language use we can describe and better come to know about the world. We can express ourselves, share core values, and be better able to understand each other. Through language use we also do things and change things, including languages themselves. We define, argue, and translate from completely different languages. Accomplishments abound! In this course, we will revel in some of these accomplishments, and through close study of theories in the philosophy of language that seek to understand, analyze, and explain some of these accomplishments. Large-scale questions will include: how are we able to refer? What are the relationships between words/phrases and what they are able to mean when they are used? What roles do language users play in those relationships? More broadly, what is linguistic meaning? We will approach these and other questions with both theoretical interest and an eye to the practices we share of using language in the world.
PHIL 2500 PHILOSOPHY OF MORAL RESPONSIBILITY [3]
Prof. Payton – MRT4RJ Tuesday & Thursday 9:30-10:15+ disc sec Nau 211
In this course we will take up philosophical questions about moral responsibility and blame: what is blame and how is it related to moral responsibility? What does it take to be blameworthy for something? We will also look at questions about blamerworthiness, or what it takes to be in a position to hold another person or institution accountable.
PHIL 2640 RATIONAL CHOICE AND HAPPINESS [3]
Prof. Barnes – EJB5R Tuesday & Thursday 8:00-8:50+ disc sec Clark 107
In this class, we will examine philosophical puzzles about our ability to make rational choices that affect or determine our own happiness. How can we rationally decide to undergo a significant experience - such as having a child or moving to a new country - when have no way of knowing what that experience will be like? How can we rationally choose to make decisions about our future (such as what career path to follow or where to live), since who we will become in the future is in part determined by those choices? These kinds of questions will be the focus of the class.
PHIL 2660 PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION [3]
Prerequisites: Instructor Permission - First and Second Years only.
Prof. Merricks – TDB8N Monday & Wednesday 10:00-10:50 Warner 104
This course will examine a number of different topics that have been of perennial interest to philosophers of religion and philosophical theologians. These topics include arguments for and against God's existence, the problem of evil, the relationship between human freedom and divine foreknowledge, and how to think about personal immortality and the nature of the human person.
PHIL 2780 ANCIENT POLITICAL THOUGHT [3]
Prof. Lomasky – LEL3F Monday & Wednesday 5:00-5:50+ disc sec Wilson 301
It isn’t possible to study politics adequately without looking to the great Greek political philosophers. For one thing, the word politics is Greek in origin. For another thing, democracy is born in Greece. For yet another . . . well, take the class and find out. If you do you will read several works by Plato, including a big chunk of Republic. You will also study Aristotle’s Politics and Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian Wars. We will aim for a maximum of discussion to accompany lectures. I’ll ask you to write two or three short-to-medium length papers and in the fullness of time to take a final exam. There will also be occasional pop quizzes
PHIL 3140 HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY [3]
This course satisfies the requirement for History of Philosophy: Ancient or Medieval
Prof. Secada Tuesday & Thursday 8:00-9:15 New Cabell 032
In this course, we will closely read three medieval philosophical masterpieces: Anselm of Canterbury’s Proslogion, the Treatise on God from Thomas Aquinas’s Summa of Theology, and John Duns Scotus’s On the First Principle. Students will also be required to read Augustine’s Confessions and a general survey of the history of philosophy during this period, for both of which there will be several reading controls during term. Weekly sessions will be wholly devoted to close textual analysis. Students will also be required to write a term paper.
PHIL 3180 NIETZSCHE [3]
Prof. Langsam – HLL6Y Tuesday & Thursday 5:00-6:15 Cocke 115
Nietzsche, Nietzsche, and even more Nietzsche on life, truth, philosophy, art, morality, nihilism, values and their creation, will to power, eternal recurrence, and a lot of other good stuff. Readings will include The Birth of Tragedy, The Gay Science, Beyond Good and Evil, On the Genealogy of Morals, Twilight of the Idols, The Antichrist, and others
PHIL 3310 METAPHYSICS [3]
Instructor Permission Required
This Course satisfies the Second Writing Requirement
Prof. Merricks – TDM8N Monday & Wednesday 2:00-3:15 Cocke 115
This survey course will examine a variety of issues central to contemporary analytic metaphysics. We shall consider, among other things, possibility and necessity, identity over time, and personal identity. This course is meant for third and fourth year philosophy majors only.
PHIL 3330 PHILOSOPHY OF MIND [3]
This Course satisfies the Second Writing Requirement
Prof. Ott – WO5N Monday & Wednesday 2:00-3:15 New Cabell 032
What is the nature of the mind and why do we find its nature so puzzling? We shall critically examine various theories about the nature of the mind; we shall also discuss the nature of particular kinds of mental states and events, such as beliefs, desires, feelings, sensory experiences, and others. We shall be especially concerned with the relations between the mind and the body, and, more generally, between the mental and the physical. Most of the readings will be by contemporary philosophers.
PHIL 3400 INTRODUCTION TO NON-CLASSICAL LOGIC [3]
Prerequisites: PHIL 2420
Prof. Cameron – RPC4D Tuesday & Thursday 11:00-12:15 Monroe 116
An introduction to systems of non-classical logic, including both extensions and revisions to classical logic. We will look at logical systems that extend classical logic to deal with the phenomena of possibility & time. We will look at logics that revise classical logic to allow for sentences which are neither true nor false, or sentences which can be both. We will show how these departures from classical logic can shed light on various philosophical questions.
PHIL 3500 EXISTENTIALISM [3]
Prof. Harris – DCN7XU Tuesday & Thursday 12:30-1:45 Warner 113
This course covers existentialist concerns such as the human condition, the purpose of life, and authenticity.
PHIL 3640 POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY [3]
Prof. Adams – NA9FW Monday & Wednesday 2:00-3:15 Warner 110
The point of this class is to learn how to think well about political institutions and social structures more broadly. The perennial questions of political philosophy, such as justice, fairness, and in general living well together, can only be asked and even potentially answered within a framework of social life. Our readings are mostly contemporary analytic political philosophy. The course is designed to hone the philosophical skills of careful reading and clear writing.
PHIL 3800 FEMINIST PHILOSOPHY [3]
Prof. Barnes – EJB5R Tuesday & Thursday 11:00-12:15 Cocke 115
In this class, we’ll look at ways in which issues of gender can interact with traditional philosophical topics. We’ll discuss gendered dimensions to our understanding of some central issues in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, and social and political philosophy.
PHIL 4020 SEMINAR FOR MAJORS – REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE [3]
Prof. Payton – MRT4RJ Tuesday & Thursday 9:30-10:15 Shannon House 119
This is an advanced, discussion-based seminar for Philosophy majors, focused on philosophical issues related to abortion and reproductive healthcare in the US. In connection with these topics, we will address questions about the nature and moral significance of personhood; rights; religious arguments for and against abortion; as well as questions about the relationships between race, class, and gender, as these things interact with access to reproductive healthcare.
GRADUATE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS FOR COURSES OPEN TO UNDERGRADUATES
Prof. Lomasky – LEL3F Wednesday 1:00-3:30 Cocke 108
Although the rationality of acting to advance one's own interests, well-being, or purposes appears to be unproblematic, the same cannot be said for acting on the basis of ethical considerations that mandate acting to secure the good of others (or to satisfy some deontic principle). Indeed, the two seemingly are in tension with each other. To do what morality demands will, at least on occasion, require one to forgo some good for oneself that might otherwise have been enjoyed. If that is so, then ethically-motivated action isn't merely different from the pursuit of rational self-interest but contrary to it. How, we might well ask, can one have reason to do what is contra-rational? In this seminar we will look at central works by Aristotle, Hobbes, Kant, Mill, and Henry Sidgwick to explore and evaluate their ideas concerning the connection between conventional morality and the enlightened pursuit of rational self interest. Requirements include regular participation, writing several (4?) short discussion papers and a term paper.
Department Permission Required
Prof. Harris – DCN7XU Thursday 3:30-6:00 Cocke 108
This course covers contemporary arguments in the metaphysics of race: realism, deflationism, eliminativism, and constructionism. PHIL 5540 WHY BE MORAL? [3]
PHIL 5570 METAPHYSICS OF RACE [3]
PHIL 1000 | INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
Professor(s): Prof. Cameron
Credits: 3
Tuesday & Thursday 8:00-8:50+ disc sec Clark 107
An introduction to some of the major problems of philosophy. Questions we will look at include: Is consciousness supernatural? Are there races and genders? Do you know you're not in the Matrix? Must the future resemble the past? When is it permissible to end a life? Is morality objective, subjective, or relative? What are the limits of state authority? Readings are drawn from classics in the history of philosophy and from contemporary sources.
PHIL 1410 | FORMS OF REASONING
Professor(s): Prof. Anderson
Credits: 3
Tuesday & Thursday 9:30-10:45 New Cabell 364
Tuesday & Thursday 12:30-1:45 New Cabell 485
Tuesday & Thursday 2:00-3:15 Gibson 141
A philosophy course with a practical aim: to develop the student's ability to recognize and evaluate arguments. The course will not cover symbolic logic in any detail (for this take PHIL 2420), but will concentrate on actual arguments given in ordinary language. Some time will be spent studying those fallacies, or errors in reasoning, which occur most frequently in discussion and argument. The goal of this course is to give the student a working knowledge of logic which has an application to daily life.
PHIL 1710 | HUMAN NATURE
Professor(s): Prof. Langsam
Credits: 3
Tuesday & Thursday 2:00-2:50+disc sec Minor 125
This course is concerned with the question of whether there are characteristics that all human beings have in common other than obvious biological similarities. In particular, we shall address issues such as the following: 1) is rationality a part of human nature, and, if so, what is the nature of human rationality, and how does the rational part of human beings relate to their other characteristics? 2) what is the relation of human nature to morality: is it in the nature of human beings to act morally and/or to recognize moral obligations, or, on the contrary, are moral requirements in some sense contrary to our nature? 3) are human beings social animals: is it natural for human beings to live with others in societies and be governed by political institutions, or are such living arrangements contrary to our nature? Readings will include contemporary and historical writers.
PHIL 1740 | ISSUES OF LIFE AND DEATH
Professor(s): Prof. Stangl
Credits: 3
Monday & Wednesday 9:00-9:50+ disc sec Minor 125
This course is an exploration, from the point of view of philosophical theory, of a number of ethical problems at the beginning and end of life. Questions to be addressed will include: What is the significance of death and the value of life? Under what conditions, if any, are abortion and euthanasia morally permissible? At what point ought we to discontinue medical treatment of the terminally ill, and who should be empowered to make this decision? Are we under any moral obligation to prevent the death of those threatened by hunger and easily treatable disease?
PHIL 2060 | PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS IN LAW
Professor(s): Prof. Adams
Credits: 3
Monday & Wednesday 5:00-5:50+ disc sec Minor 125
Do we have a duty to obey the law? The law thinks so, and breaking the law is often severely punished. But as citizens we often also think law is bad, mistaken, unjust, and that we should disobey the law or even overthrow the government. More specific questions also arise when we accept the rule of law. What sorts of actions should be criminalized and what sorts of punishments are justified? Why do our mental states matter to the law? What is an attempt, and how can we regulate failures? What processes should we use when making legal judgments? What is the relation between law and morality? Law and politics? In this course, we will look at these and similar philosophical problems for life under law.
PHIL 2120 | HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY: MODERN
Professor(s): Prof. Secada
Credits: 3
This course satisfies the requirement for History of Philosophy: Modern
Monday & Wednesday 2:00-2:50+ disc sec Dell 1 105
This course is a survey of the history of philosophy in the Renaissance and the early modern period. We will pay close attention to some of the metaphysical and epistemological issues arising in the central writings of Suárez, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant, though some other figures including some XIXth-Century philosophers, such as Hegel, will also be discussed in the lectures. Throughout the term, we will read closely the first five of Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy and Leibniz's "First Truths". Students will be required to write a term paper, to submit an earlier draft of it, and to take several quizzes during the term.
PHIL 2500-002 | PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE
Professor(s): Prof. Fox
Credits: 3
Tuesday & Thursday 2:00-3:15 New Cabell 232
It is easy to take for granted what humans can accomplish with language. With language use we can describe and better come to know about the world. We can express ourselves, share core values, and be better able to understand each other. Through language use we also do things and change things, including languages themselves. We define, argue, and translate from completely different languages. Accomplishments abound! In this course, we will revel in some of these accomplishments, and through close study of theories in the philosophy of language that seek to understand, analyze, and explain some of these accomplishments. Large-scale questions will include: how are we able to refer? What are the relationships between words/phrases and what they are able to mean when they are used? What roles do language users play in those relationships? More broadly, what is linguistic meaning? We will approach these and other questions with both theoretical interest and an eye to the practices we share of using language in the world.
PHIL 2500-003 | FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Professor(s): Prof. Lomasky
Credits: 3
Tuesday & Thursday 2:00-3:15 New Cabell 489
Free speech is about the First Amendment: that’s not exactly false but neither is it entirely true. Constitutional speech guarantees concern restriction by law, but there are many other ways in which people can be pressured not to speak. Sometimes they are fired/not hired, sometimes they are shunned, shamed or canceled. This course will look at some of the legal issues surrounding speech but mostly examine whether and how speech, broadly understood, should be constrained or protected outside courtroom contexts. Readings commence with John Stuart Mill’s classic ON LIBERTY. Then we turn to contemporary disputes, asking how well Mill’s arguments apply to speech in the internet era.
PHIL 2500-100 | PHILOSOPHY OF MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
Professor(s): Prof. Payton
Credits: 3
Monday & Wednesday 10:00-10:50+ disc sec Nau 211
In this course we will take up philosophical questions about moral responsibility and blame: what is blame and how is it related to moral responsibility? What does it take to be blameworthy for something? We will also look at questions about blamerworthiness, or what it takes to be in a position to hold another person or institution accountable.
PHIL 2640 | RATIONAL CHOICE AND HAPPINESS
Professor(s): Prof. Barnes
Credits: 3
Tuesday & Thursday 8:00-8:50+ disc sec Wilson 301
In this class, we will examine philosophical puzzles about our ability to make rational choices that affect or determine our own happiness. How can we rationally decide to undergo a significant experience - such as having a child or moving to a new country - when have no way of knowing what that experience will be like? How can we rationally choose to make decisions about our future (such as what career path to follow or where to live), since who we will become in the future is in part determined by those choices? These kinds of questions will be the focus of the class
PHIL 2660 | PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
Professor(s): Prof. Merricks
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Prerequisites: Instructor Permission - First and Second Years only.
Monday & Wednesday 10:00-10:50+ disc sec Dell 1 105
This course will examine a number of different topics that have been of perennial interest to philosophers of religion and philosophical theologians. These topics include arguments for and against God's existence, the problem of evil, the relationship between human freedom and divine foreknowledge, and how to think about personal immortality and the nature of the human person.
PHIL 3120 | ARISTOTLE
Professor(s): Prof. McCready-Flora
Credits: 3
This course satisfies the History requirement for those who have or will take PHIL 2120 – Modern.
Tuesday & Thursday 11:00-12:15 New Cabell 168
An introduction to the philosophy of Aristotle through close reading of keys texts in translations with the aim of achieving a philosophical understanding of his views and their lasting influence. Readings will focus on his metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind and theory of natural science, though expect material from his ethics and social philosophy as well.
PHIL 3310 | METAPHYSICS
Professor(s): Prof. Merricks
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Instructor Permission Required
This Course satisfies the Second Writing Requirement
Monday & Wednesday 2:00-3:15 New Cabell 389
This survey course will examine a variety of issues central to contemporary analytic metaphysics. We shall consider, among other things, possibility and necessity, identity over time, and personal identity. This course is meant for third and fourth year philosophy majors only.
PHIL 3320 | EPISTEMOLOGY
Professor(s): Prof. Langsam
Credits: 3
This course satisfies the requirement for M&E.
Tuesday & Thursday 11:00-12:15 New Cabell 032
The course focuses on questions in the theory of knowledge. Topics include: skepticism about knowledge of the external world, the nature of justification, foundationalism, and coherentism, the Gettier problem, internalism and externalism, a priori knowledge, the analytic/synthetic distinction, induction, and the ethics of belief.
PHIL 3400 | INTRODUCTION TO NON-CLASSICAL LOGIC
Professor(s): Prof. Cameron
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Prerequisites: PHIL 2420
Tuesday & Thursday 11:00-12:15 New Cabell 389
An introduction to systems of non-classical logic, including both extensions and revisions to classical logic. We will look at logical systems that extend classical logic to deal with the phenomena of possibility & time. We will look at logics that revise classical logic to allow for sentences which are neither true nor false, or sentences which can be both. We will show how these departures from classical logic can shed light on various philosophical questions.
PHIL 3500 | METAPHILOSOPHY
Professor(s): Prof. Harris
Credits: 3
Tuesday & Thursday 11:00-12:15 New Cabell 058
Philosophy characteristically probes existence, the reality of objects, the possibility of knowledge, and the nature of truth, among many other things. Metaphilosophy is the self-reflective inquiry into the nature, aims, and methods of the activity that make these philosophical inquiries possible. It is concerned with the nature of philosophy—the philosophy of philosophy.
PHIL 3640 | POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Professor(s): Prof. Adams
Credits: 3
Monday & Wednesday 2:00-3:15 New Cabell 309
How should we live together? This question is at the core of political philosophy and is the main focus of the course. This question has various components, including: Who counts as one of us? How should we make decisions? Who should be in charge? How should we use our power? How should we treat others? How can we flourish? And who gets a say in how to answer these questions? The course focuses on contemporary democratic answers and considers to what extent our ideals have been realized in our shared life.
PHIL 3710 | ETHICS
Professor(s): Prof. Motchoulski
Credits: 3
Tuesday & Thursday 9:30-10:45 Cocke 115
While no one would deny that the concept of the good is basic to ethical thought, the specific role of that concept has varied throughout history. This course will study the role of the good in ethical thought throughout the history of the Western philosophical tradition. We will start with Aristotle and work our way to the cusp of contemporary philosophy, ending with Bernard Williams. Along the way, we will cover major figures such as Hume, Kant, and Sidgwick. Questions that we will cover concern the relationship between the good and happiness, the good and right, and the good and virtue.
PHIL 3800 | FEMINIST PHILOSOPHY
Professor(s): Prof. Barnes
Credits: 3
Tuesday & Thursday 11:00-12:15 Cocke 115
In this class, we’ll look at ways in which issues of gender can interact with traditional philosophical topics. We’ll discuss gendered dimensions to our understanding of some central issues in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, and social and political philosophy.
PHIL 3999 | PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON LIBERTY
Professor(s): Prof. Lomasky
Credits: 3
Monday & Wednesday 5:00-6:15 Cocke 115
The Founder of this university declared that we possess an inalienable right to liberty. He does not, however, explain exactly what he means by that. We’re here to help him out. This course examines different theories about the nature and function of liberty. Among the theorists we will study are Adam Smith, J. J. Rousseau, Ayn Rand, and G. A. Cohen. Students will be required to submit 2 or 3 medium length essays and take a final exam. In addition, to keep things interesting there will be several unannounced quizzes.
PHIL 7510 | ARISTOTLE
Professor(s): Prof. McCready-Flora
Credits: 3
This course satisfies History-Ancient area requirements.
Tuesday 1:00-3:30 Cocke 108
Graduate-level treatment, in translation, of Aristotle’s On the Soul and other relevant texts, e.g. Movement of Animals and parts of the Nicomachean Ethics. We will survey all parts of the work but give particular attention to book 3, which covers human reason (nous), imagination (phantasia) and the cognitive basis of animal movement. We will also consider the nature of the soul; function (ergon) and its place in Aristotle's natural philosophy; the varieties of human and animal perception; memory and recollection; practical reason and its various failure modes; and what makes humans cognitively distinct. Knowledge of Greek helpful but not required. Readings to include substantial amounts of secondary literature, with the aim of introducing students to the practices of scholarship and professional history of philosophy
PHIL 7530 | DU BOIS AND PHILOSOPHY
Professor(s): Prof. Harris
Credits: 3
Tuesday 3:30-6:00 Cocke 108
W. E. B. Du Bois's work has been counted as philosophical—either because he makes race an object of philosophical investigation or he helps to innovate the subfields of philosophy of race, social and political philosophy, philosophy of science, and aesthetics with his important vision. It is also philosophical in the sense that he provides a view of the nature of philosophy.
PHIL 7570 | SOCIAL METAPHYSICS
Professor(s): Prof. Payton
Credits: 3
Monday 3:30-6:00 Cocke 108
In this seminar we will focus on the social construction of properties (e.g., being money) and kinds (e.g., gender and race kinds), with special attention paid to the mechanics and utility of different social construction relations. We will also spend some time with the question of how to best evaluate views about how social construction works: is there a general list of desiderata available here, and if so, what is on that list and why?
PHIL 7900 | DISSERTATION SEMINAR
Professor(s): Prof. Ott
Credits: 3
Thursday 1:00-3:30 Cocke 108
This non-credit course is taught every spring. It combines discussions of the central aspects of professional life with multiple opportunities for students to present and receive peer feedback on their work-in-progress. It is mandatory for all third-year students in residence, and optional for others.