Formal logic and informal logic. The study of abstract logic together with the construction and deconstruction of everyday arguments. Logical symbolism and operations, deduction and induction, consistency and inconsistency, paradoxes and puzzles. Examples drawn from law, philosophy, politics, literary criticism, computer science, history, commercials, mathematics, economics and the popular press. Enrollment limited to 60.

Formal logic and informal logic. The study of abstract logic together with the construction and deconstruction of everyday arguments. Logical symbolism and operations, deduction and induction, consistency and inconsistency, paradoxes and puzzles. Examples drawn from law, philosophy, politics, literary criticism, computer science, history, commercials, mathematics, economics and the popular press. Enrollment limited to 30.

Formal logic and informal logic. The study of abstract logic together with the construction and deconstruction of everyday arguments. Logical symbolism and operations, deduction and induction, consistency and inconsistency, paradoxes and puzzles. Examples drawn from law, philosophy, politics, literary criticism, computer science, history, commercials, mathematics, economics and the popular press. Enrollment limited to 30.

Formal logic and informal logic. The study of abstract logic together with the construction and deconstruction of everyday arguments. Logical symbolism and operations, deduction and induction, consistency and inconsistency, paradoxes and puzzles. Examples drawn from law, philosophy, politics, literary criticism, computer science, history, commercials, mathematics, economics and the popular press. Enrollment limited to 30.

Formal logic and informal logic. The study of abstract logic together with the construction and deconstruction of everyday arguments. Logical symbolism and operations, deduction and induction, consistency and inconsistency, paradoxes and puzzles. Examples drawn from law, philosophy, politics, literary criticism, computer science, history, commercials, mathematics, economics and the popular press. Enrollment limited to 30.

A study of Western philosophy from the early Greeks to the end of the Middle Ages, with emphasis on the pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics and Epicureans, and some of the scholastic philosophers.

An examination of the works of some major moral theorists of the Western philosophical tradition and their implications for understanding the nature of the good life and the sources and scope of moral responsibilities. Enrollment limited to 30.

This class is a survey of epistemology, the subfield of philosophy concerned with the nature of knowledge, evidence, and rational belief. Students begin by investigating sources of doubt about whether one can know anything at all. Students then puzzle through how, in light of these sources, one can nevertheless know about the world. Next, students explore questions that arise when one goes about gathering knowledge. Among these are questions about how one’s social identities influence what they know, whether one’s emotions ever guide one to knowledge and how echo chambers and political polarization make knowledge-gathering fraught.

This course introduces students to central themes in political philosophy regarding how societies should be organized and governed. Discussions include: the legitimacy of political authority and the nature of citizens’ obligations to the state; theories of freedom, equality, and justice, and how these concepts can be used to evaluate social, political, and economic institutions; questions about power, oppression, and social change; how social institutions structure opportunities and constrain individuals; and when resistance or disobedience can be morally justified. Prerequisite: one course in PHI or GOV 100, or equivalent. (E)

This course examines philosophical questions at the intersection of philosophy of mind and artificial intelligence. Main questions include: can machines have conscious experiences? What would justify thinking that AI is or is not conscious? What would be the philosophical implications of AI consciousness? Students begin by exploring whether there is a theory that enables one to determine which beings are conscious. They then explore whether AI systems that generate creative content, seemingly form beliefs, and display personality genuinely have these capacities, or merely mimic them? Finally, they examine what artificial minds can reveal about consciousness. (E)

This course prepares students to understand and critically evaluate various ethical perspectives on human beings’ interactions with nature and these perspectives’ applications to environmental issues. The principal ethical perspectives studied are anthropocentrism, biocentric individualism, environmental holism and environmental pragmatism. The class studies representative descriptions and defenses of these perspectives and examine in particular whether they can validly and effectively help us resolve environmental problems. Students study controversies about biodiversity, wilderness protection, global climate change and pollution. Enrollment limited to 40.

Over the past few decades there has been an explosion of research on animal consciousness. This class examines three interrelated issues: (i) questions of animal consciousness, (ii) issues related to the study of animal consciousness, and (iii) how current understandings of animal consciousness should impact our treatment of animals. Discussions include: whether animals have beliefs and desires, whether animals have a conception of the self and others, problems of researching animal consciousness, which animals are sentient, the ethics of animal experimentation and captivity, and whether there is evidence of cognition in plants. (E)

An investigation of ethical questions that arise in the world of business, including the business of the academy; and scrutiny of the moral principles that may enable people to cope successfully with these questions. Discussions include the responsibilities of businesses and the academy toward their various stakeholders, including society at large and the environment; the ethics of investment, including endowments; product liability; advertisement and the principle of caveat emptor; sexual harassment; employee rights; spirituality and the workplace; and special privileges of the academy (academic freedom, tenure, etc.). The case-study method is used. Enrollment limited to 40.

This course is an introduction to central topics and debates in classic and contemporary philosophy of language. What is the relation between thought, language and reality? What kinds of things are accomplished with words? Is there anything significant about the definite article "the"? How does meaning accrue to proper names? Is speaker meaning the same as the public, conventional (semantic) meaning of words? Is there a distinction between metaphorical and literal language? This course also considers contemporary topics such as silencing speech, slurs, and misleading speech. Prerequisite: PHI 101, PHI 102 or equivalent.

This course provides a survey of different Latin American philosophical traditions. The course considers the existence of a Latin American philosophy in its own right and its contributions to understanding other world philosophies. The course examines different figures in Latin American thought relevant to social and political philosophy; the history of philosophy; political violence and revolutions; and race, feminism and memory. Among others, the course focuses on figures such as Guaman Poma de Ayala, Bartolomé de las Casas, Carlos Mariátegui, Enrique Dussel, Aníbal Quijano, Maria Lugones, Gloria Anzaldúa and Silvia Rivera Cusicánqui. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required.

Permission Required/Registration by Waitlist. During Add/Drop, Waiver Required.

As the mobility of information, goods, capital and people has increased worldwide, so has the backlash against migration. This course examines contemporary bordering principles and practices in, and asks moral questions about citizenship, mobility and identity. The class investigates principles of inclusion and exclusion and asks how borders define moral status. The class then investigates bordering practices through social theory, ethnography, human geography and art. Should democratic societies adopt more open or closed policies toward immigration? How should nations conceive of the rights of climate refugees? Should territorial bordering practices be subject to international law and scrutiny? Restrictions: First-years only; students are limited to one first-year seminar. Enrollment limited to 16.

Do humans really need bosses, rulers, gods, or other authority figures? Are coercion and hierarchy necessary for groups of people to flourish? Or, as anarchists argue, are noncoercive and nonhierarchical forms of community both morally desirable and practically feasible? This course examines anarchist thinkers and movements, their criticisms of the state and other institutions, and their practices and proposals regarding alternative forms of social organization. It engages with diverse philosophical, religious, and moral perspectives regarding anarchist critiques and programs, focusing on issues of liberty, equality, community, and education. Course materials include manifestos, archival documents, academic articles, and literary works. (E)

As AI grows in popularity and ubiquity, considering its social, ethical, and interpersonal impacts is crucial. How can AI be understood as part of the sociocultural fabric? How does one balance the harms caused by AI systems with the benefits it (reportedly) provides? In this class, students explore the philosophical and ethical aspects of AI in conversation with the practical implementations of AI systems. Prerequisite: SDS 192, SDS 210, CSC 110, PHI 100, or PHI 102. Enrollment limited to 25.