2024-2025 Course Catalog

Please note: The information displayed here is current as of Saturday, November 23, 2024, but the official Course Catalog should be used for all official planning.

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Philosophy

ProfessorM. Phelan
Associate professorsI. Albrecht (chair), C. Armstrong
Assistant professorS. Dixon

Courses in philosophy develop skills in reading analytically, thinking critically, and arguing cogently. In addition, they provide students with valuable insights into many of the significant issues confronting us in a rapidly changing world.

Philosophy department faculty members will gladly discuss with majors and potential majors the specific ways in which their work can best prepare them for careers in education, academia, business, government, law, medicine, and the non-profit sector, among others.

Non-majors tend to find that taking two or three philosophy courses significantly enhances the quality of their work in their own fields. We urge students to discuss the relationship between philosophy and other disciplines with any member of the philosophy department and with their own major advisors.

Note that, with the consent of the instructor, students may take an intermediate or advanced course in philosophy without having taken an introductory course (numbered 100-199). Intermediate courses are numbered 200 through 440. Courses numbered above 440 are considered advanced.

The philosophy major

Students are introduced to philosophy through a study of logic or through a course in which substantive problems are raised by an examination of selected writings of important philosophers. Students may continue their study through a variety of courses in the history of philosophy, in the systematic study of problem areas within philosophy, and in the philosophical examination of other disciplines.

The historical courses enable students to become familiar with the thinking of the most influential philosophers in our tradition and with the contexts in which they worked. The systematic courses encourage students to confront contemporary statements of central philosophical questions and to investigate some of the more promising answers to them. The courses engaged in the philosophical examination of other areas encourage students to bring methods of philosophical analysis to bear on the methods and presuppositions of other areas of inquiry.


Required for the major in philosophy

Students who major in philosophy will learn to appreciate the formal features of arguments. They will acquire a clear sense of the development of philosophy and critically engage issues in metaphysics and epistemology and in ethics and value theory, and they will learn to relate philosophy to other areas of study.

The major in philosophy requires the following:

  1. PHIL 150 Symbolic Logic or 420 Topics in Logic; majors are strongly encouraged to satisfy this requirement early
  2. At least two core courses in the history of philosophy:
    1. PHIL 200: History of Philosophy: Plato and Aristotle
    2. PHIL 210: History of Philosophy: Descartes, Locke, and Leibniz
    3. PHIL 220: History of Philosophy: Berkeley, Hume, Kant, and Mill
    4. PHIL 227: History of Philosophy: New Narratives from 17th and 18th Century Women Philosophers
    5. PHIL 230: History of Philosophy: Early Analytic Philosophy
    6. PHIL 240: History of Philosophy: The American Pragmatists
    7. PHIL 275: Existentialism
    8. PHIL 283: Chinese Philosophy
  3. One course in epistemology:
    1. PHIL 300: Epistemology
    2. PHIL 305: Experimental Philosophy 
    3. PHIL 330: Philosophy of Science
    4. PHIL 405: How to Do Things With Words
  4. One course in metaphysics:
    1. PHIL 310: Metaphysics
    2. PHIL 333: God and the Afterlife
    3. PHIL 340: Philosophy of Art
    4. PHIL 400: Philosophy of Language
    5. PHIL 410: Philosophy of Mind
  5. One course in ethics:
    1. PHIL 280: Women and Friendship
    2. PHIL 320: Ethics
    3. PHIL 325: Metaethics 
    4. PHIL 347: Valuing Art: The Philosophy and Psychology of Aesthetic Appreciation
    5. PHIL 350: Political Philosophy
    6. PHIL 360: Environmental Ethics
    7. PHIL 370: Advanced Studies in Bioethics
    8. PHIL 375: Philosophy of Sex and Love
    9. PHIL 380: Ethics of Technology
    10. PHIL 385: Value Theory
    11. PHIL 430: Philosophy of Law
    12. PHIL 440: Morality, Rationality, and Self-Interest
  6. Four additional six-unit courses in philosophy or a second major and two additional six-unit courses in philosophy:
    1. Two of these additional courses may be numbered 149 or below.
    2.  Philosophy majors who do not prefer a second major may, in consultation with their advisor and subject to the approval of the department of philosophy, substitute selected courses not offered by the department for no more than two of the four additional courses.
  7. One dimensions of diversity (D) course offered in the philosophy department, which may also satisfy one of the above requirements.
  8. PHIL 600: Studies in Philosophy as a Senior Experience

(PHIL 345: Topics courses may be substituted for courses required by 2-5 above, if the topic fits the relevant distribution area, subject to the approval of the department.)


Senior Experience in philosophy

The department of philosophy's Senior Experience is PHIL 600: Studies in Philosophy. This is an advanced seminar in which students revisit previous work and critically analyze each other's original research. It occurs during the Winter Term.


Required for the minor in philosophy

  1. Six 6-unit courses in philosophy, including:
    1. At least two courses in the history of philosophy, from among:
      1. PHIL 200: History of Philosophy: Plato and Aristotle
      2. PHIL 210: History of Philosophy: Descartes, Locke, and Leibniz
      3. PHIL 220: History of Philosophy: Berkeley, Hume, Kant, and Mill 
      4. PHIL 227: History of Philosophy: New Narratives from 17th and 18th Century Women Philosophers
      5. PHIL 230: History of Philosophy: Early Analytic Philosophy
      6. PHIL 240: History of Philosophy: The American Pragmatists
      7. PHIL 275: Existentialism
      8. PHIL 283: Chinese Philosophy
    2. Four additional Philosophy courses (three of them outside the history of philosophy and numbered 250 or above)
  2. C average in the minor

Students pursuing a minor in philosophy are encouraged to choose a member of the philosophy department as an informal advisor.

 


Courses - Philosophy

PHIL 100: Introduction to Philosophy: Problems

An introduction to philosophical analysis and intensive study of selected philosophical classics. Topics include the existence of God, the problem of evil, problems of knowledge, the relationship between mind and body, free will, determinism, and moral obligation. Recommended for freshmen and sophomores. PREREQUISITES: Recommended for freshmen and sophomores
Units: 6
Prerequisite: Recommended for freshmen and sophomores

PHIL 102: Introduction to Ethics

What makes actions right or wrong? This course explores the ways in which prominent ethical theories answer that question. The course also provides opportunity to apply the basic principles of different ethical theories to a variety of historical and contemporary issues. This si a lecture- and discussion-based course. Requirements may include homework assignments, projects, papers, and exams.
Units: 6

PHIL 103: Philosophy in the 21st Century

A three-credit introduction to some contemporary topics in philosophy related to life in the 21st Century. Topics may include threats to knowledge and belief posed by social media and the internet, cultural-linguistic issues related to politics and power, and questions related to technology and the use of forces in policing and warfare. Learning is assessed using short written work and exams.
Units: 3

PHIL 105: Introduction to Cognitive Science

An introduction to the interdisciplinary study of how the mind works. Topics include: the nature of perception; what human language reveals about the mind; the basis of morality and altruism; how sexual selection has shaped human psychology; and the cognitive science of religious and spiritual belief. We will discuss tools, theories, and assumptions from philosophy, psychology, computer science, linguistics, anthropology, behavioral economics, and neuroscience.
Units: 6
Also listed as Cognitive Science 105

PHIL 111: Computation and Cognition

Digital technologies give us incredible capabilities and allow us to shape our identities in unprecedented ways. But algorithms shape our individual identities and capacities as well. We will investigate the nature of digital technologies, algorithms, and machine learning. We will compare them with human psychological processes, assess their impacts on human society, and consider how best to address those impacts. Discussion based, written work and exams.
Units: 6
Also listed as Cognitive Science 111

PHIL 115: Food Ethics

Eating has become a complicated activity. We will examine some of the hard ethical questions facing policymakers and individuals: How should government regulate our food choices? When, if ever, is it ethical to eat animals? Are there any moral reasons to favor local food producers? Is gluttony a moral fault? Not open to students who have previously received credit for Philosophy 316.
Units: 6

PHIL 120: Applied Ethics: Introduction to Biomedical Ethics

The course will examine moral dilemmas created or intensified by recent advances in medical technology and study ways of analyzing those dilemmas to make them more tractable. We will focus on examples such as euthanasia and the right to die, abortion, behavior modification, allocation of scarce medical resources, in vitro fertilization, genetic screening and engineering, and human experimentation. PREREQUISITES: Recommended for freshmen and sophomores
Units: 6
Also listed as Biomedical Ethics 120
Prerequisite: Recommended for freshmen and sophomores

PHIL 150: Symbolic Logic

Formal study of the notions of validity, consistency, and equivalence in the languages of sentential logic and predicate logic, plus an introduction to semantics for these languages. PREREQUISITES: Recommended for freshmen and sophomores
Units: 6
Also listed as Linguistics 160
Prerequisite: Recommended for freshmen and sophomores

PHIL 191: Directed Study in Philosophy

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

PHIL 200: History of Philosophy: Plato and Aristotle

A survey of ancient Greek philosophical theories of the cosmos, justice, and the principles and purpose of human inquiry through the works of Plato and Aristotle. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 210: History of Philosophy: Descartes, Locke, and Leibniz

We will explore some exciting developments of the 16th and 17th centuries. Specifically, we will look at how the study of metaphysics, epistemology, and the mind, were transformed by the scientific revolution. The works of three thinkers will serve as our primary window in to this era: French philosopher and mathematician, Rene Descartes(1596-1650); English philosopher and physician, John Locke (1632-1704); and German philosopher and mathematician, Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716). But we will also read excerpts from some other prominent figures of this era, including Thomas Hobbes, Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia, Nicolas Malebranche, and David Hume. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 220: History of Philosophy: Berkeley, Hume, Kant, and Mill

An examination of selected works of 18th- and 19th-century philosophers. Epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics are emphasized. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of the instructor.
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of the instructor.

PHIL 227: History of Philosophy: New Narratives from 17th and 18th Century Women Philosophers

An introduction to philosophical texts by women authors in Early Modern Europe, including Émilie Du Chatelet, Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia, Christine de Pizan, Margaret Cavendish, Mary Astell and Anne Conway. We will consider the import of these texts on controversial topics of the time: new scientific methods, gender equality, political rule, the nature of mind and body, religious authority and morality. Lecture/discussion with written assignments. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy or sophomore standing
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or sophomore standing

PHIL 230: History of Philosophy: Early Analytic Philosophy

An examination of the early 20th-century works of G. E. Moore and Bertrand Russell against the background of the then-dominant Hegelian Idealism. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 240: History of Philosophy: The American Pragmatists

An examination of the attempts by pragmatists such as C. S. Peirce, William James, and John Dewey to reconceptualize “traditional” issues in Western philosophy. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 260: Feminism and Philosophy

A consideration of the contribution of feminism to a range of subjects of philosophical inquiry, including: the philosophy of mind, ethics and the history of philosophy. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Also listed as Gender Studies 261
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 275: Existentialism

An introduction to existentialist philosophy, with emphasis on its development throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in the Continental tradition of philosophy. This course pays special attention to such existentialist themes as the possibility of meaninglessness, the necessity of first-personal experience, and authenticity. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing, one previous course in philosophy, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing, one previous course in philosophy, or consent of instructor

PHIL 280: Women and Friendship

An introduction to philosophical theories of friendship, with emphasis on feminist responses. This course examines historical and contemporary accounts of the value of friends and the role they play in our self-development, as well as moral accounts of the special obligations friendships involve. This course can be counted as the equivalent of GEST 280. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing, one previous course in philosophy, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing, one previous course in philosophy, or consent of instructor

PHIL 283: Chinese Philosophy

A survey of topics in Chinese philosophy, which may include Classical Chinese philosophy, Buddhism and religion and comparative philosophy. We will discuss how the quickly changing historical and political climates affect the major schools of thought and influence pertinent philosophical questions for the region or topic. Assignments include papers and in-class assignments/presentations. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Also listed as East Asian Studies 283
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor

PHIL 300: Epistemology

An examination of some basic questions concerning the nature and extent of human knowledge, focusing on the topics of skepticism, justification, certainty, the a priori and the a posteriori, and analyses of knowledge. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 310: Metaphysics

An examination of some central philosophical questions about reality, such as: What basic kinds of things are there? Is truth always and only relative to a conceptual scheme? What is the nature of necessity and possibility? What is the nature of change over time? PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 315: Science Fiction and Philosophy

What can alternative science fiction worlds and speculative futures reveal about the nature of reality and our own condition? In answering this question we will engage philosophical puzzles inspired by science fiction in various forms: short stories, novels, television series and movies. Topics may include time travel, robot intelligence and consciousness, scientific knowledge, morality, political power, free will and personal identity. Lecture/discussion. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy or junior standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or junior standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 316: Food Ethics

We will examine some of the hard ethical questions facing policymakers and individuals with respect to food production and distribution: How should government regulate our food choices? When, if ever, is it ethical to eat animals? Are there any moral reasons to favor local food producers? Is gluttony a moral fault? This course is designed for Philosophy and Environmental Studies majors to pursue research projects. Not open to students who have previously received credit for Philosophy 115.
Units: 6

PHIL 320: Ethics

An examination of theories about how we should live. Issues include the role of rights, duties, and virtues in decision making, the scope of morality, the limits of our obligations to others, and the foundations of morality. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 330: Science vs. Pseudoscience

We’ll begin with an initial discussion of issues related to justified belief, before turning to examine some purported examples of pseudoscience. Next, we’ll pivot to consider several answers to the question of what makes something a science or a scientific theory. We’ll then investigate the phenomena of explanation and laws of nature, both closely related to the scientific project. Ultimately, we’ll apply these previous considerations in discussions of some potential borderline cases, including Biology, Economics, and Computer Science. We will conclude with some reflections on how to address pseudoscience in the public square and in our own minds. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 332: Rationality and Religious Belief

An examination of the range of views on the relationship between reason and religion, focusing in particular on theistic belief. Questions addressed include: Can God’s existence be proven? Is faith different from ordinary belief? Does mystical experience provide adequate grounds for religious belief? PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing
Units: 6
Also listed as Religious Studies 330
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing

PHIL 333: God and the Afterlife

This course will focus on the nature of God and the afterlife from the perspective of the Abrahamic and Indian Hindu and Buddhist traditions, including arguments for and against the existence of God and the afterlife. Does God or the afterlife exist? Does either provide us with reason to be good? Students will be evaluated on the basis of expository and critical essays and presentations.
Units: 6
Also listed as Religious Studies 333

PHIL 340: Philosophy of Art

An examination of major theories of the essence of art, of the major 20th-century critique of the thesis that art has an essence, and of recent attempts to analyze art in light of the critique. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 345: Topics in Philosophy

The specific topic investigated changes with each term. Student responsibilities may include evaluation of primary and secondary sources, short assignments, class activities, research, and essay writing.


Topic for Fall 2024: Leibniz's Monadology
PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor We will closely read G.W. Leibniz’s enigmatic text The Monadology (1714), beginning with his concept of ontological atoms, or monads. The goal is to attain a good understanding of Leibniz’s doctrines expressed in the Monadology, situated in his philosophical system and 17th and 18th century views on nature, souls, bodies, time, space, morality, and the afterlife. This course may be repeated when topic is different.

Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 347: Valuing Art: The Philosophy and Psychology of Aesthetic Appreciation

How and why do we value art? Is there an objective standard of taste or is taste relative? How does and aesthetic property--such as beauty--differ from other properties of art--such as being made of stone? What are the roles of emotion and evolution in aesthetic response? These and other questions will be considered in this discussion-oriented class. Appropriate for those interested in philosophy, art history or cognitive science. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 350: Political Philosophy

Philosophers from classical to contemporary times have offered responses to the question of what makes a society just. This course examines a selection of those responses, with attention to general issues such as what a just distribution of resources requires and what makes a state’s authority legitimate. Specific topics under discussion might include poverty relief, access to education and other social goods, health care, punishment, freedom of speech, gun control, war, immigration, and international relations. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 355: Race and Social Justice

This seminar focuses on race-based social injustices and considers what institutional changes are necessary to overcome racial inequity. How do current social and legal practices perpetuate racism? Possible topic include the concept of race, the value of race-based solidarity, affirmative action, racial segregation and racial profiling. Students will write papers in which they present their own philosophical arguments.
Units: 6

PHIL 360: Environmental Ethics

An examination of some ethical assumptions that might figure in discussions of environmental policy by economists, legal experts, philosophers, and policy scientists. PREREQUISITES: One course in economics or environmental studies or government or philosophy; or junior standing
Units: 6
Also listed as Environmental Studies 360
Prerequisite: One course in economics or environmental studies or government or philosophy; or junior standing

PHIL 370: Advanced Studies in Bioethics

A seminar examining one particular issue or set of issues in bioethics. PREREQUISITES: PHIL 120 or two courses in philosophy
Units: 6
Also listed as Biomedical Ethics 370
Prerequisite: PHIL 120 or two courses in philosophy

PHIL 375: Philosophy of Sex and Love

This course uses feminist theories to explore philosophical questions concerning sex and love. How do gender norms affect our sexual desires and the power dynamics in loving relationships? How responsible are we for our sexual preferences and loving attitudes? How do we relate ethically to lovers and those we love? PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, sophomore standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 380: Ethics of Technology

This course focuses on ethical issues that arise from the development of new technology. Specific topics may include artificial intelligence, information technologies, human enhancement, transhumanism, transgenesis, ectogenesis, nanoethics, and neuroethics. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of the instructor
Units: 6
Also listed as Biomedical Ethics 380
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of the instructor

PHIL 385: Value Theory

This course focuses on theories of the good and related philosophical issues. Questions that we will explore include: What is happiness? How are happiness and satisfaction related? Can we measure happiness or well-being? Is virtue valuable in itself? PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 390: Tutorial Studies in Philosophy

Senior majors undertaking honors projects should elect one or more terms. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

PHIL 391: Directed Study in Philosophy

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

PHIL 395: Internship In Philosophy

An opportunity for students to apply philosophy skills and experiences in industry, government, and non-profit sectors. Internships, either summer activities or full- or part-time work experiences during the academic year, are arranged by students in consultation with a Lawrence philosophy professor. The academic internship is supplemented with readings, discussions, and assignments. The course grade will be based on submitted work evaluated by the supervising faculty member. PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing, instructor approval
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing, instructor approval

PHIL 399: Independent Study in Philosophy

Advanced students of philosophy may elect one or more terms. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

PHIL 400: Philosophy of Language

An examination of major theories of meaning, reference, and cognitive content and an attempt to understand how language functions to relate “internal” psychological states to things in the “external” world. Contemporary philosophers are emphasized. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor; PHIL 150 recommended
Units: 6
Also listed as Linguistics 400
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor; PHIL 150 recommended

PHIL 405: How to Do Things With Words

An examination of major and cutting edge topics in the philosophy of language and linguistics. Where do word meanings come from? How can one word mean different things in different contexts? How do we promise or make commitments? Why do slurs hurt and jokes amuse? What is the nature of metaphor? Where does the border between what words mean and what speakers mean with words lie? These and other questions will be considered. Appropriate for students with an interest in philosophy, linguistics, or cognitive science. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of the instructor
Units: 6
Also listed as Linguistics 405
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of the instructor

PHIL 410: Philosophy of Mind

What is the relationship between the mind and the body? What is the nature of conscious experience? How do mental states represent states of the world? Is our common sense conception of mental states and processes compatible with the methods and assumptions of cognitive science? These and other questions in the philosophy of mind will be considered. PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, PSYC 340, junior standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, PSYC 340, junior standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 420: Topics in Logic

An investigation of topics selected from among the following: consistency and completeness theorems for both sentential and predicate logic, Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem, logical paradoxes (Russell’s Paradox, the Liar Paradox, and Newcomb’s Paradox), and modal-tense logic and its formal semantics
Units: 6
Also listed as Linguistics 420
Prerequisite: PHIL 150 or consent of instructor

PHIL 425: Philosophy of Mathematics

This course will focus on issues relating to the nature of and our knowledge of mathematical truths, such as 2 + 2 = 4, and to the existence of mathematical entities like numbers and sets. How do we know that mathematical truths are true? Do numbers exist? If so, what are they like? Students will be evaluated on the basis of expository and critical essays and presentations.
Units: 6

PHIL 430: Philosophy of Law

An exploration of questions such as: To what extent may a decision in a legal controversy be deemed uniquely correct (as contrasted with an exercise of the judge’s discretion)? What purposes and assumptions underlie branches of the law such as criminal law or torts? What are the functions of precedent? What are the various relationships between morality and the law? PREREQUISITES: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: One course in philosophy, junior standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 448: Enlightenment Selves

An interdisciplinary investigation of key concepts of identity and the emotions as understood during the Enlightenment. Students examine philosophical and literary texts to uncover how seventeenth and eighteenth century people conceived of their mental and emotional existence, and how these historical conceptions still influence contemporary theories of mind and self. PREREQUISITES: One course in either English or philosophy, or junior standing, or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Also listed as English 448
Prerequisite: One course in either English or philosophy, or junior standing, or consent of instructor

PHIL 590: Tutorial Studies in Philosophy

Senior majors undertaking honors projects should elect one or more terms. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

PHIL 591: Directed Study in Philosophy

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

PHIL 599: Independent Study in Philosophy

Advanced students of philosophy may elect one or more terms. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

PHIL 600: Studies in Philosophy

Specific topics for the year will be published as classes are scheduled. PREREQUISITES: Three courses in philosophy or consent of instructor
Units: 6
Prerequisite: Three courses in philosophy or consent of instructor

PHIL 690: Tutorial Studies in Philosophy

Senior majors undertaking honors projects should elect one or more terms. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

PHIL 691: Directed Study in Philosophy

Directed study follows a syllabus set primarily by the instructor to meet the needs or interests of an individual student or small group of students. The main goal of directed study is knowledge or skill acquisition, not research or creative work. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.

PHIL 699: Independent Study in Philosophy

Advanced students of philosophy may elect one or more terms. PREREQUISITES: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.
Units: 1 TO 98
Prerequisite: To register student must complete the Student Initiated Course Form with consultation of supervising instructor.