PHL 201 Intro to Philosophy
Hill; In-person
General introduction to philosophy; its practice and major areas of study. Topics typically include introductions to metaphysics (study of being), epistemology (study of knowledge), philosophy of language, morality, and critical thinking.
PHL 211 Philosophy of Games
Spencer; Online
From ancient board games to virtual reality, discover how games mirror and mold human society, values, and identity. Explore essential questions such as: Why do we play? How do games blur reality and fiction? What ethical concerns arise in gameplay? How have games influenced philosophy? Using the lenses of ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology, students will understand games as profound cultural artifacts that reflect deeper truths about humanity.
PHL 301U Ancient Philosophy
Berman; In-person
An introduction to ancient Greek philosophy with a primary focus on the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle. May include topics in epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science, human flourishing, and political philosophy.
PHL 303U Early Modern Philosophy
Coventry; Online
An introduction to seventeenth- and eighteenth-century philosophy. May include topics in epistemology, metaphysics, mind and religion with readings by major thinkers such as Descartes, Spinoza, Conway, Locke, Cavendish, Leibniz, Berkeley, Shepherd, Amo, Hume, and Reid.
PHL 306U Science and Pseudoscience
Gillis; Online
An examination of basic issues in philosophy of science through an analysis of creation science, faith healing, UFO abduction stories, and other pseudosciences. Some of the questions addressed: What distinguishes science from pseudoscience? How are theories tested? When is evidence reliable? Must we invoke the supernatural to explain certain aspects of reality?
PHL 308U Elementary Ethics
Weber; Online
General introduction to ethical theories and topics such as whether there are objective moral distinctions, what makes right actions right and wrong acts wrong, and how we know (if we do) that actions are right or wrong, and how we know (if we do) that actions are right or wrong. Topics also include relativism, egoism, utilitarianism, and Kantianism (deontology).
PHL 309U Business Ethics
Hamington; Online
Study of the ethical aspects of practices and organizational structures in the business world. The bulk of the course is devoted to specific contemporary topics, for example: the moral status of corporations; the concept of work place rights; responsibility in advertising; environmental constraints on business; affirmative action in hiring; the social roles of profit and private property; and the role of work in the life of the individual.
PHL 310U Environmental Ethics
Elliott; In-person or Cohen; Online
Study of our moral responsibilities with respect to the environment (e.g., treatment of non-human animals, rights of animals, trees, rivers and possibly our planet) in light of some of the central environmental problems (e.g., population growth, global warming, and endangered species).
PHL 311U Morality of Punishment
Jokic; Online
The focus is on the nature and proper aims of punishment; moral considerations that bear on the justice and wisdom of punishment. Consideration will be given to the main theories of punishment: retributionism, utilitarianism, paternalism, and the view that punishment should be replaced by therapy.
PHL 312U Feminist Philosophy
Hamington; Online
Critically examines traditional schools of philosophical thinking from a feminist perspective.
PHL 314U Computer Ethics
Hiller; In-person
Examines the moral principles and judgments relevant for computer-related practices. Topics include: ethical aspects of new information technologies; are technologies value-laden; freedom, privacy and control; security, reliability, and professional responsibilities; piracy and ownership; ethics of hacking; ethics of virtual environment; and international aspects of new technologies.
PHL 318U Philosophy of Medicine
Gillis; Online
Examination of central philosophical issues that arise within the theory and practice of medicine such as: the relationship of medicine to basic sciences, the roles played in medicine by normative concepts such as health and illness, the nature of causal reasoning in medicine, and the nature of diagnostic categories in medicine and psychiatry.
PHL 320U Critical Thinking
Seppalainen; Online
Designed to improve reasoning and skills of critical assessment of information. Focuses on practical methods that are applied to case studies from public media such as editorials, essays, propaganda, advertisem*nts, and newspaper reports of scientific studies.
PHL 324U Intro to Formal Logic I
Weber; In-person orHiller, Online
A course in basic formal logic. Major topics include the methods of deduction for showing propositional arguments valid and the method of counter-example for showing such arguments invalid. Truth table methods, tests for consistency, and syllogistic arguments are optional topics.
PHL 331U Philosophy of Education
Elliott; In-person
Exploration of the nature, aims, and value of education by situating it in its historical and contemporary philosophical context and perspective.
PHL 341 Latinx Philosophy
Spencer; Online
Latinx Philosophy will explore the philosophical contributions of indigenous, Hispanic, and Latinx thinkers in the Americas and in the Iberian Peninsula, situating philosophical thought in its social and political contexts. Students will grapple with the questions of Latinx identity and philosophy, read philosophical and literary works from pre-Columbian civilizations, scholastic, and Marxian traditions, as well as engage contemporary thinkers on feminism, race, social movements, and migration.
PHL 350U Morality and World Politics
Jokic; Online
Introduction to central moral principles relevant for international relations. Topics include military, humanitarian, and covert intervention, economic sanctions, development assistance and human rights.
PHL 369U Philosophy of Sex & Love
Goldman; Online
An examination of some of the central philosophical issues emerging from a reflection of sex and love. Topics include: conceptual or ontological ones such as the possible essence of heterosexuality, hom*osexuality, and asexuality; ethical ones such as the morality or immorality of different expressions of sex and love such as sadomasochism, polygamy, and philandering; existential ones such as the role of sexuality and romantic love in our self-conception and a good life; epistemological ones such as the nature of our experiences of sexuality and love and the possible influence that conceptual sources have on them.
PHL 380 Writing Intensive Course: Philosophical Writing
Berman; In-person
Philosophical Writing is a “writing in the genre” course for philosophy majors. It teaches strategies for the major types of philosophical writing, including summaries, blog posts, abstracts, argumentative essays, and research papers. Students may also study essays, dialogues, and short stories to explore the diverse ways in which people have communicated philosophical ideas. This is a writing-intensive course in which students will receive feedback on multiple drafts to improve their writing.
PHL 432/532 Philosophy of Mind
Seppalainen; Online
Study of the debates over the nature of mental states and our knowledge of them. Main topics are dualism and various forms of physicalism, behaviorism, mind-body identity theories, functionalism and eliminativism. Expected preparation: 8 credits in philosophy.
PHL 451/551 - Major Figures: Hegel
Hill
Intensive study of one or more major figures.
