printer friendly pagePHIL 49: Survey of Formal Methods
Survey of important formal methods used in philosophy. The course covers the basics of propositional and elementary predicate logic, probability and decision theory, game theory, and statistics, highlighting philosophical issues and applications. Specific topics include the languages of propositional and predicate logic and their interpretations, rationality arguments for the probability axioms, Nash equilibrium and dominance reasoning, and the meaning of statistical significance tests. Assessment is through a combination of problems designed to solidify competence with the mathematical tools and short-answer questions designed to test conceptual understanding.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-FR, GER:DB-Math
Instructors:
Bassett, R. (PI)
;
Forster, M. (TA)
PHIL 50S: Introduction to Formal Methods in Contemporary Philosophy
This course will serve as a first introduction to the formal tools and techniques of contemporary philosophy, including probability and formal logic. Traditionally, philosophy is an attempt to systematically tackle foundational problems related to value, inquiry, mind and reality. Contemporary philosophy continuesthis tradition of critical thinking with modern subject matter (often engaging with natural, social and mathematical science) and modern rigorous methods, including the methods of set theory, probability theory and formal logic. The aim of this course is to introduce such methods, along with various core philosophical distinctions and motivations. The focus will be on basic conceptual underpinnings and skills, not technical details. The material covered is also useful preparation for certain topics in mathematics, computer science, linguistics, economics and statistics. No previous philosophical or mathematical training is presupposed, though an appreciation of precise thinking is an advantage.
Last offered: Summer 2023
| UG Reqs: WAY-FR
PHIL 60: Introduction to Philosophy of Science (HPS 60)
This course introduces students to tools for the philosophical analysis of science. We will cover issues in observation, experiment, and reasoning, questions about the aims of science, scientific change, and the relations between science and values.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
PHIL 61: Philosophy and the Scientific Revolution (HPS 61)
Galileo's defense of the Copernican world-system that initiated the scientific revolution of the 17th century, led to conflict between science and religion, and influenced the development of modern philosophy. Readings focus on Galileo and Descartes.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum
PHIL 71H: Introduction to Aesthetics
Aesthetics encompasses a seemingly special and particularly rewarding way of perceiving the world. Appreciating the beauty of a sunset, feeling moved by a piece of music, becoming absorbed in the composition of an artwork: these are all aesthetic matters, and they are all matters that lie at the heart of this course. We will begin by exploring core debates on aesthetic experience, aesthetic properties, and aesthetic value. But we will also venture into considerations of aesthetics in our everyday lives, aesthetic taste and our personalities, aesthetics and grief, aesthetics and gender, and aesthetics and race. By the end of the quarter, you will have a strong foundation in understanding this rich aspect of life we call aesthetics.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II
PHIL 72: Contemporary Moral Problems (ETHICSOC 185M, POLISCI 134P)
In this course, we will discuss the body as a site of moral and political conflict. Here are a few of the questions that will be explored: People are encouraged to become kidney donors, but we still don't have enough kidneys for everybody who needs one. Should you be allowed to sell a kidney? Suppose Robert is dying of a rare disease and the only thing that could save his life is a bone marrow transplant from his cousin David, but David doesn't want to donate. Should we force him to "donate"? Some people say a woman should be free to make abortion decisions on whatever grounds she wants, including prenatal genetic testing for conditions like Down syndrome; others condemn such selective abortion as an unacceptable form of eugenics. What genetic testing information, if any, should be allowed to influence a woman's decision about whether to terminate a pregnancy? In addition to these normative questions, we will also study related questions in constitutional law. When the Supreme Court decided that abortion was a constitutional right in Roe v. Wade, on what legal reasoning did they base their decision? When they decided to overturn Roe in the recent Dobbs v. Jackson, what legal reasoning did they use then? How will Dobbs affect other (current) constitutional rights?
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
Instructors:
Mapps, M. (PI)
PHIL 76: Introduction to Global Justice (ETHICSOC 136R, INTNLREL 136R, POLISCI 136R, POLISCI 336)
As we live in a globalized world, our lives are interconnected with many other people within and beyond the state borders. Currently, we face urgent problems of global justice, such as climate change, economic inequality, immigration, and health disparities, and how to address these issues is a crucial question for all of us. This course introduces students to normative inquiries into issues of global justice and offers an opportunity to integrate theories and practices by engaging with essential and timely questions. What normative demands does justice impose on individuals and institutions in a global world? Do people in affluent countries bear the responsibility for the suffering of those who live in other countries? Should relatively developed countries open their borders to those from developing countries? How should we allocate responsibilities for reducing global injustice, such as health disparities? How does injustice with historical roots, such as colonialism, further complic
more »
As we live in a globalized world, our lives are interconnected with many other people within and beyond the state borders. Currently, we face urgent problems of global justice, such as climate change, economic inequality, immigration, and health disparities, and how to address these issues is a crucial question for all of us. This course introduces students to normative inquiries into issues of global justice and offers an opportunity to integrate theories and practices by engaging with essential and timely questions. What normative demands does justice impose on individuals and institutions in a global world? Do people in affluent countries bear the responsibility for the suffering of those who live in other countries? Should relatively developed countries open their borders to those from developing countries? How should we allocate responsibilities for reducing global injustice, such as health disparities? How does injustice with historical roots, such as colonialism, further complicate the picture of normative demands? While there are no easy answers to these questions, throughout this course, students will be exposed to interdisciplinary approaches (including philosophy, political theory, gender studies, etc.), learn to critically analyze various theoretical approaches, and use them as frameworks to develop their views on issues of global justice. This class meets on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:30-11AM. Please note that in addition to the listed lecture time, students must sign up for a 45-min discussion session. The schedule of the discussion session will be arranged and announced during the first week of the quarter.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
Instructors:
Lin, T. (PI)
;
Cooper, E. (TA)
PHIL 80: Mind, Matter, and Meaning
Intensive study of central topics in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language and mind in preparation for advanced courses in philosophy. Emphasis on development of analytical writing skills. This iteration of Philosophy 80 will focus on three important philosophical issues: personal identity; the metaphysics of mind; and the nature of belief and related attitudes. Readings will be drawn both from philosophy and from cognitive science more broadly. Prerequisite: at least one other philosophy course, not including
SYMSYS 1 /
PHIL 99.
Terms: Aut, Spr
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
Instructors:
Briggs, R. (PI)
;
Peacocke, A. (PI)
;
Dowling, G. (TA)
...
more instructors for PHIL 80 »
Instructors:
Briggs, R. (PI)
;
Peacocke, A. (PI)
;
Dowling, G. (TA)
;
Ha, J. (TA)
;
Hazel, A. (TA)
;
Irvin, P. (TA)
;
Kang, S. (TA)
;
Kemmann, B. (TA)
;
Kim, R. (TA)
;
McGuthry, M. (TA)
;
McKinnon, J. (TA)
;
Pistol, L. (TA)
PHIL 81: Philosophy and Literature (CLASSICS 42, COMPLIT 181, ENGLISH 81, FRENCH 181, GERMAN 181, ILAC 181, ITALIAN 181, SLAVIC 181)
Can novels make us better people? Can movies challenge our assumptions? Can poems help us become who we are? We'll think about these and other questions with the help of writers like Toni Morrison, Marcel Proust, Jordan Peele, Charlie Kaufman, Rachel Cusk, William Shakespeare, and Samuel Beckett, plus thinkers like Nehamas, Nietzsche, Nussbaum, Plato, and Sartre. We'll also ask whether a disenchanted world can be re-enchanted; when, if ever, the truth stops being the most important thing; why we sometimes choose to read sad stories; whether we ever love someone for who they are; who could possibly want to live their same life over and over again; what it takes to make ourselves fully moral; whether it's ever good to be conflicted; how we can pull ourselves together; and how we can take ourselves apart. (This is the required gateway course for the Philosophy and Literature major tracks. Majors should register in their home department.)
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3-5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
Instructors:
Landy, J. (PI)
;
Peacocke, A. (PI)
;
Dowling, G. (TA)
...
more instructors for PHIL 81 »
Instructors:
Landy, J. (PI)
;
Peacocke, A. (PI)
;
Dowling, G. (TA)
;
Machado de Oliveira, M. (TA)
;
McGuthry, M. (TA)
PHIL 82: Ethics, Public Policy, and Technological Change (COMM 180, CS 182, ETHICSOC 182, POLISCI 182, PUBLPOL 182)
Examination of recent developments in computing technology and platforms through the lenses of philosophy, public policy, social science, and engineering. Course is organized around five main units: algorithmic decision-making and bias; data privacy and civil liberties; artificial intelligence and autonomous systems; the power of private computing platforms; and issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the technology sector. Each unit considers the promise, perils, rights, and responsibilities at play in technological developments. Prerequisite:
CS106A.
Last offered: Winter 2023
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
Filter Results: