printer friendly pagePHIL 26Q: How to Build a World (in a Video Game)
Sophomore Seminar. First preference to Sophomores; second preference to Freshman. What makes a video game world feel like a real place? What is our relationship to the real world? Can we learn anything from video games about our relationship to the real world, and can we learn anything from philosophy that can help us create compelling video game worlds? In this course we will examine elements of video game design and development in the context of related philosophical topics including the nature of worlds, the nature of the mind, and the nature of action. For example, while some games are open-world, some consist of a set of sandboxes, and could the distinction between what philosophers call 'possible worlds' and 'situations' help us understand the difference? (Or vice versa?) Video game worlds are often sprinkled with 'pick-ups' -- do philosophical accounts of how agents perceive the real world help to explain why this is such an intuitive game mechanic? In this course we will play and tinker with video games while also reading philosophical texts, and see if each domain can stimulate our thinking about the other. There are no prerequisites for this course, but all students should come prepared to read challenging literature, to play some games, and to make some games!
Terms: Aut
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II
Instructors:
Turman, J. (PI)
PHIL 27S: How to Make a Decision: Ancient Greek Philosophers on Practical Rationality
This course presents how the "seven sages," Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, and the ancient Skeptics believed we should make decisions and then evaluates those theories with an eye towards present day needs and uses for a decision theory. We will consider how ancient Greek philosophers formulated answers to questions like: What is the role of knowledge in decision making? How do urgent circumstances change how we make decisions? How should we factor in experts and mentors into our decision making? What is the relationship between morality and rationality? How much do we need to know about ourselves to make good decisions? No philosophical experience is presupposed.
Terms: Sum
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Dowling, G. (PI)
PHIL 28S: Philosophical Issues in Artificial Intelligence
This course is an introduction to philosophical issues raised by the growing field of artificial intelligence. What does the rise of increasingly complex artificial intelligence models (OpenAI; ChatGPT, AlphaGo, text-to-image generators) tell us about the nature of mind, rationality, and human creativity? What are ethical issues raised by the increasingly sophisticated use of algorithms in our daily lives - whether it be spotting credit card fraud, targeted advertising, curating our social media content, or prison sentencing? How do notions such as 'moral agency', 'practical reason', and 'responsibility' pertain, if at all, to applications of artificial intelligence, e.g., automated cars and weapons? What does the future of human work look like in light of developments in artificial intelligence? No philosophical background is presupposed. The aim of this class will be to help students engage with the philosophical issues raised by emerging technologies. Individual and group assignments will enable students to develop their critical skills in both written and discussion¿based work.
Terms: Sum
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Kim, H. (PI)
;
Hall, Z. (TA)
PHIL 29S: Feminist Philosophy
What's the difference between sex and gender? What's does it mean to be a man or woman, cis or trans, straight or gay?and everything in between and outside of the box? How are gender and sexuality related to race, class, ability, and other identities? What is the patriarchy and does it really benefit all men? What does it mean to be oppressed??And how can we change the world to be more gender just? In our class, we will draw on feminist theory to critically investigate these questions and discuss their relevance to our own lives. Together, we will work to build a collaborative learning environment where we can collectively reflect on how our personal experiences are illuminated by feminism. To do so, we will engage each other both intellectually and personally, going beyond the lecture based model of education to center our shared exploration of the course topics. Main ideas will include intersectionality, performativity, deconstruction, structural analysis, theories of injustice, social knowledge, and care ethics. Primary thinkers will include Simone de Beauvoir, Angels Davis, Judith Butler, Catherine MacKinnon, Audre Lorde, Donna Haraway, Robin Kimmerer, and Michel Foucault.
Terms: Sum
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-EDP, WAY-SI
Instructors:
Hope, P. (PI)
;
McGuthry, M. (TA)
PHIL 30S: Introduction to Political Philosophy
This class introduces students to political philosophy through the problems of justice, equality, and freedom. We will focus on contemporary political thought, engaging with debates about each of these concepts and identifying connections between them. What is justice? What is the relationship between ideal conditions of justice and current social conditions? What forms of injustice should the state try to remedy? What is the point of equality? How should we assess equality? Is there an obligation to mitigate 'natural' inequalities? How much personal freedom should be allowed in society? When is state authority legitimate? Do we have an obligation always to obey the law? Throughout the course we will evaluate answers to these questions, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of different arguments and theoretical frameworks.
Terms: Sum
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Jimenez, P. (PI)
;
Kang, S. (TA)
PHIL 36: Dangerous Ideas (ARTHIST 36, COMPLIT 36A, EALC 36, ENGLISH 71, ETHICSOC 36X, FRENCH 36, HISTORY 3D, MUSIC 36H, POLISCI 70, RELIGST 36X, SLAVIC 36, TAPS 36)
Ideas matter. Concepts such as progress, technology, and sex, have inspired social movements, shaped political systems, and dramatically influenced the lives of individuals. Others, like cultural relativism and historical memory, play an important role in contemporary debates in the United States. All of these ideas are contested, and they have a real power to change lives, for better and for worse. In this one-unit class we will examine these "dangerous" ideas. Each week, a faculty member from a different department in the humanities and arts will explore a concept that has shaped human experience across time and space.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
4 times
(up to 4 units total)
Instructors:
Safran, G. (PI)
PHIL 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 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 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
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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)
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