printer friendly pageLINGUIST 130A: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics (LINGUIST 230A)
Linguistic meaning and its role in communication. Topics include logical semantics, conversational implicature, presupposition, and speech acts. Applications to issues in politics, the law, philosophy, advertising, and natural language processing. Those who have not taken logic, such as
PHIL 150
or 151, should attend section. Prerequisites:
LINGUIST 1,
SYMSYS 1 (
LINGUIST 35), consent of instructor, or graduate standing in Linguistics
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-FR, GER:DB-SocSci
LINGUIST 230A: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics (LINGUIST 130A)
Linguistic meaning and its role in communication. Topics include logical semantics, conversational implicature, presupposition, and speech acts. Applications to issues in politics, the law, philosophy, advertising, and natural language processing. Those who have not taken logic, such as
PHIL 150
or 151, should attend section. Prerequisites:
LINGUIST 1,
SYMSYS 1 (
LINGUIST 35), consent of instructor, or graduate standing in Linguistics
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
OSPOXFRD 32: Philosophy of Language
Introduction to contemporary analytic philosophy of language, examining some of its central concepts, including reference, meaning, and context. Students explore these concepts, by studying some of the major questions in the field, including: How do expressions esp. names secure their referents? What are the connections and differences between literal meaning and speaker meaning? What is the role of context in language? How philosophy of language impacts other areas in philosophy, by covering such topics as Meaning Externalism (metaphysics), Contextualism about 'know' (epistemology), and Propositional Attitudes (philosophy of mind).
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4-5
Instructors:
Petzolt, S. (PI)
PHIL 1: Introduction to Philosophy
Is there one truth or many? Does science tell us everything there is to know? Can our minds be purely physical? Do we have free will? Is faith rational? Should we always be rational? What is the meaning of life? Are there moral truths? What are truth, reality, rationality, and knowledge? How can such questions be answered? Intensive introduction to theories and techniques in philosophy from various contemporary traditions. Once a week discussions will occur during scheduled meeting time (~50 minutes)
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, GER:DB-Hum
Instructors:
Lawlor, K. (PI)
;
Attwood, A. (TA)
;
Cohen, M. (TA)
;
Haidu Gerea, P. (TA)
;
Koeksal, S. (TA)
;
Sugarman, E. (TA)
PHIL 2: Introduction to Moral Philosophy (ETHICSOC 20)
What should I do with my life? What kind of person should I be? How should we treat others? What makes actions right or wrong? What is good and what is bad? What should we value? How should we organize society? Is there any reason to be moral? Is morality relative or subjective? How, if at all, can such questions be answered? Intensive introduction to theories and techniques in contemporary moral philosophy.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 5
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-A-II, WAY-ER
Instructors:
Kim, R. (PI)
;
Koeksal, S. (PI)
;
Amaral, J. (TA)
;
Gottlieb, D. (TA)
;
Kang, S. (TA)
;
Koeksal, S. (TA)
PHIL 23S: Philosophy as Freedom
Philosophizing, if done correctly, can be life-changing: new ideas can change the way we think about, look at, interact, engage and deal with the world around us. New ideas can bring out problems that we could not even see as problems before; they can change our conception of how and why we are to live the lives in the way we think we should; they can change our relations with other individuals who either share or do not share the ideas that we have newly come to acquire. The aim of this course is to provide a broad-ranging, general introduction to a wide range of topics including justice, race, gender, metaphysics and more through a philosophical exploration of some of the ideas that have shaped and are currently shaping our world today, and what that means for our evolving understanding of freedom, to be "purely at home with ourselves."
Terms: Sum
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II
Instructors:
Kim, H. (PI)
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.
Terms: Sum
| Units: 3
| 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
Instructors:
Ryckman, T. (PI)
;
Wilcox, J. (TA)
PHIL 72: Contemporary Moral Problems (ETHICSOC 185M, POLISCI 134P)
This course is an introduction to contemporary ethical thought with a focus on the morality of harming others and saving others from harm. It aims to develop students' ability to think carefully and rationally about moral issues, to acquaint them with modern moral theory, and to encourage them to develop their own considered positions about important real-world issues. In the first part of the course, we will explore fundamental topics in the ethics of harm. Among other questions, we will ask: How extensive are one's moral duties to improve the lives of the less fortunate? When is it permissible to inflict harm on others for the sake of the greater good? Does the moral permissibility of a person's action depend on her intentions? Can a person be harmed by being brought into existence? In the second part of the course, we will turn to practical questions. Some of these will be familiar; for example: Is abortion morally permissible? What obligations do we have to protect the planet for the sake of future generations? Other questions we will ask are newer and less well-trodden. These will include: How does the availability of new technology, in particular artificial intelligence, change the moral landscape of the ethics of war? What moral principles should govern the programming and operation of autonomous vehicles?
Terms: Spr
| Units: 4-5
| UG Reqs: GER:EC-EthicReas, WAY-ER
PHIL 76: Introduction to Global Justice (ETHICSOC 136R, INTNLREL 136R, POLISCI 136R, POLISCI 336)
Our world is divided into many different states, each of which has its own culture or set of cultures. Vast inequalities of wealth and power exist between citizens of the rich world and the global poor. International commerce, immigration, and climate change entwine our lives in ways that transcend borders. It is in this context that problems of global justice, which relate to the normative obligations that arise from our international order, emerge. What demands (if any) does justice impose on institutions and individuals acting in a global context? Is it morally permissible to prioritize the welfare of our compatriots over the welfare of foreigners? Do states have the right to control their borders? What are the responsibilities (if any) of wealthy states, consumers, and multinational corporations to the global poor? This course explores longstanding problems of global justice via a discussion of contemporary issues: global poverty, global public health, immigration, human rights and humanitarian intervention, self-determination, and climate change.n nThere are no easy answers to these questions, and the complexity of these issues requires an interdisciplinary approach. While there are several possible theoretical approaches to problems of global justice, the approach taken in this course will be rooted in political philosophy and political theory. We will combine readings from political philosophy and theory with empirical material from the social sciences, newspaper articles, and popular media. By the end of this course, students will be familiar with contemporary problems of global justice, be able to critically assess theoretical approaches to these problems, and be able to formulate and defend their own views on these complex issues.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER, GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-EthicReas
Instructors:
Soon, V. (PI)
;
Kim, R. (TA)
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