printer friendly pagePHIL 14N: Belief and the Will
Preference to freshmen. Is there anything wrong with believing something without evidence? Is it possible? The nature and ethics of belief, and belief's relation to evidence and truth. How much control do believers have over their belief?
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-ER
Instructors:
Lawlor, K. (PI)
PHIL 23V: Plato's Republic
Who should rule? What is the best regime? What is the role of law? What makes a regime just? What is the relation between theory and practice in politics?n nThis course will focus on the political philosophy of the Republic, Plato's most well known dialogue and a foundational text in the history of political thought. We will also consider how Plato's psychology underlies his political philosophy and how the political philosophy of the Republic is related to political thinking in Plato's later works. Emphasis will be on primary texts, although the instructor will recommend relevant secondary sources as needed. Students will work closely with the instructor to tailor a final assignment that engages with the text and furthers the student's educational goals and interests.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 2
Instructors:
Espeland, A. (PI)
PHIL 23Y: Knowledge in Action: Anscombe's Intention
Anscombe's Intention is one of the foundational texts of 20th century analytic philosophy. It brings together central issues from the philosophy of mind, epistemology, philosophy of language -- and lays the ground for contemporary philosophy of action. Anscombe raises (and answers) questions regarding the nature of intentional action, intention, reasons for action, agential self-knowledge, and practical reasoning, connecting them all in one unified account. nIn the tutorial we will discuss these issues through a close reading of Intention. A short, terse, and marvelously rich self-contained piece of philosophical investigation, it is particularly well-suited for this purpose. Our work with the text should yield a solid basis notably in the philosophy of action, which will be useful for various other courses and areas (in philosophy of action, epistemology, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of language, and ethics). Methodologically the tutorial will foster philosophical skills regarding the analysis, interpretation, and criticism of a dense and rich philosophical text such as Anscombe's.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 2
Instructors:
Hauthaler, N. (PI)
PHIL 50: Introductory Logic
Propositional and predicate logic; emphasis is on translating English sentences into logical symbols and constructing derivations of valid arguments.
Terms: Aut, Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Math, WAY-FR
PHIL 60: Introduction to Philosophy of Science (HPS 60)
The nature of scientific knowledge: evidence and confirmation; scientific explanation; models and theories; objectivity; science, society, and values.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
Instructors:
Longino, H. (PI)
;
King, D. (TA)
PHIL 72: Contemporary Moral Problems (ETHICSOC 185M, POLISCI 134P)
This course addresses moral issues that play a major role in contemporary public discourse. The course aims to encourage students to consider moral problems in a reflective, systematic manner, and to equip students with skills that will enable them to do so. Questions to be addressed include: Do rich countries have an obligation to accept refugees from other parts of the world? Do such obligations conflict with the right of individuals to protect their culture? Is there anything principally wrong in the use of drones for purposes of warfare? Do we have obligations to the environment, and if so why? What is racism and what makes it wrong? And what are feminist ideals?
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
PHIL 74A: Ethics in a Human Life (HUMBIO 74)
Ethical questions pervade a human life from before a person is conceived until after she dies, and at every point in between. This course raises a series of ethical questions, following along the path of a person¿s life ¿ questions that arise before, during, and after she lives it. We will explore distinctive questions that a life presents at each of several familiar stages: prior to birth, childhood, adulthood, death, and even beyond. We will consider how some philosophers have tried to answer these questions, and we will think about how answering them might help us form a better understanding of the ethical shape of a human life as a whole. Seminar for Juniors and Seniors in Philosophy or Humbio - others by permission.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-ER
Instructors:
Dannenberg, J. (PI)
PHIL 77S: Philosophy of Religion (RELIGST 36)
(Formerly
RELIGST 62S) Explores fundamental questions about the existence of God, free will and determinism, faith and reason, through traditional philosophical texts. Course is divided into four sections: first asks what is religion; second surveys the western philosophical tradition from Boethius through Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Kierkegaard regarding the foundation for theist beliefs; third investigates questions mystical experience raises through both western and Buddhist materials; and fourth takes up the ethics of belief, what we have a right to believe, through the Clifford and James debate and the opposing stances of Camus and Pascal.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
Instructors:
Gelber, H. (PI)
PHIL 80: Mind, Matter, and Meaning
Central topics in philosophy emphasizing development of analytical writing skills. Are human beings free? How do human minds and bodies interact? Prerequisite: introductory philosophy course.
Terms: Aut, Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
Instructors:
Hauthaler, N. (PI)
;
Lawlor, K. (PI)
;
Parmer, W. (PI)
...
more instructors for PHIL 80 »
Instructors:
Hauthaler, N. (PI)
;
Lawlor, K. (PI)
;
Parmer, W. (PI)
;
Taylor, K. (PI)
;
Turman, J. (PI)
;
Duffy, H. (TA)
;
Nunez Jimenez, C. (TA)
;
Wong-Taylor, G. (TA)
;
Yang, K. (TA)
PHIL 99: Minds and Machines (LINGUIST 144, PSYCH 35, SYMSYS 100)
An overview of the interdisciplinary study of cognition, information, communication, and language, with an emphasis on foundational issues: What are minds? What is computation? What are rationality and intelligence? Can we predict human behavior? Can computers be truly intelligent? How do people and technology interact, and how might they do so in the future? Lectures focus on how the methods of philosophy, mathematics, empirical research, and computational modeling are used to study minds and machines. Undergraduates considering a major in symbolic systems should take this course as early as possible in their program of study.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-FR
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