Philosophy
Departmental Office: 708 Philosophy; 212-854-3196
www.philosophy.columbia.edu
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Christia Mercer, 707 Philosophy; 212-854-4884; cm50@columbia.edu
Economics-Philosophy Adviser: Philip Kitcher, 717 Philosophy; 212-854-4884; psk16@columbia.edu
Students interested in philosophy may pursue a major either in philosophy or in economics-philosophy. Because philosophy treats issues fundamental to both the sciences and the humanities, students are also welcome to combine their philosophy major with work in other fields. Before declaring a major in philosophy or economics-philosophy, and before deciding to combine philosophy with another discipline, students should meet with the director of undergraduate studies to formulate the program best for them.
Philosophy majors are given a foundation in logic and philosophical methodology, and are asked to confront fundamental questions in the main areas of philosophy: epistemology and metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy, philosophy of mind and language, and history of philosophy. The department requires that all majors take at least one seminar (PHIL UN3912), designed to allow students to focus on particular philosophical issues or texts in greater depth. Outstanding seniors may also pursue their own philosophical project in a senior thesis.
Over and above the courses required of all majors, there is room for considerable flexibility. Through an appropriate choice of electives from among the department’s offerings (and from related courses in other departments), there are special opportunities for focusing more intensively on one or two subfields of philosophy, e.g., logic and the philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of science, ethics and political philosophy, or the history of philosophy. Students should consult with the director of undergraduate studies on how best to pursue such programs.
Study Abroad: Reid Hall, Paris
For information on the Columbia in Paris Program at Reid Hall, including summer courses, consult the Columbia University in Paris Bulletin (available in 606 Kent and online at the Office of Global Programs website), call 212-854-2559, or send an email to reidhall@columbia.edu. For information on applicability of Reid Hall courses to the major or concentration, consult the director of undergraduate studies.
Grading
Courses in which a grade of D has been received do not count toward the major or concentration requirements.
Senior Thesis
Undergraduates majoring in Philosophy or Economics-Philosophy may propose to write a senior thesis. Students who wish to write a thesis should approach a faculty member at the end of their junior or beginning of their senior year, and begin working on the proposal early in the fall semester of their senior year. Proposals are due in early December, and will be reviewed by a committee which will include the Director of Undergraduate Studies; students will be notified of the committee’s decision within two weeks. Students whose proposals are approved should register for their faculty advisor’s section of Supervised Independent Research for the spring term of the senior year. Theses are due in early April.
Students who have a grade point average of 3.6 or above in the major and who complete a thesis will be placed into consideration for departmental honors, though any senior may complete a thesis regardless of their grade point average (upon approval of the proposal).
See the full policy and procedure concerning senior theses on the departmental webpage:
http://philosophy.columbia.edu/content/senior-thesis-philosophy
Departmental Honors
Departmental honors are highly competitive. Normally no more than 10% of the majors graduating in the department each year will receive departmental honors.
In order to qualify for departmental honors in philosophy, a student must have a grade point average of at least 3.6 in the major.
For students with a GPA of 3.6 or above, there are two possible routes to consideration:
- A student may complete a senior thesis; those students who complete senior theses will automatically be considered for honors without having to be nominated.
- A student may be nominated by a faculty member early in the spring semester of the senior year; nominated students will be invited to submit a writing sample at least 15 pages in length. A nominated student who is also writing a thesis may submit their thesis as the writing sample, or may choose to submit a different work.
Both the senior theses and writing samples are due in early April. The departmental honors committee will then review the submitted material and the academic records of the writers, and will report to the full faculty.
The full faculty will then decide which students to recommend for departmental honors to the Columbia College and General Studies administrations.
Professors
- David Albert
- Akeel Bilgrami
- Taylor Carman (Barnard)
- Haim Gaifman
- Lydia Goehr
- Robert Gooding-Williams
- Axel Honneth
- Jenann Ismael
- Patricia Kitcher
- Philip Kitcher
- Wolfgang Mann
- Christia Mercer
- Michele Moody-Adams
- John Morrison (Barnard)
- Fred Neuhouser (Barnard)
- Christopher Peacocke
- Carol Rovane
- Achille Varzi
- Katja Vogt
Associate Professors
- Jessica Collins
Assistant Professors
- Justin Clarke-Doane
- Melissa Fusco
- Dhananjay Jagannathan
- Tamar Lando
- Karen Lewis (Barnard)
- Francey Russell (Barnard)
Affiliated Faculty
- Souleymane Bachir Diagne (French and Romance Philology)
- Jon Elster (Political Science)
- Kent Greenawalt (University Professor)
- Wayne Proudfoot (Religion)
- Joseph Raz (Law School)
- Gayatri Spivak (University Professor)
Major in Philosophy
Students considering a major in philosophy are strongly encouraged to meet with the director of undergraduate studies early in their sophomore year. All majors must consult with the director of undergraduate studies each term before registering for classes in order to plan and update their individual programs of study.
Students planning to major in philosophy are advised to begin with PHIL UN1010 Methods and Problems of Philosophical Thought. Beginning students are especially encouraged to take 2000-level courses, both in the history of philosophy and in systematic philosophy. These courses are typically less specialized and less narrowly focused than higher-numbered ones. More advanced students are encouraged to take 3000-level courses. The department requires that all majors take at least one seminar, PHIL UN3912.
No more than one course at the 1000-level can be counted toward the major. In order to enroll in one of the 4000-level courses, students must have taken at least four courses in Philosophy.
The major requires a minimum of 30 points in philosophy chosen from courses prefixed with UN or GU:
Code | Title | Points |
---|---|---|
PHIL UN2101 | The History of Philosophy I: Presocratics to Augustine | |
PHIL UN2201 | History of Philosophy II: Aquinas to Kant | |
PHIL UN3411 | Symbolic Logic | |
At least one course in either metaphysics or epistemology e.g., PHIL W3960, or a related course to be chosen in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. | ||
Select at least one course in either ethics or social and political philosophy from the following: | ||
Contemporary Moral Problems | ||
Ethics | ||
Political Philosophy | ||
A related course to be chosen in consultation with the director of undergradute studies. | ||
PHIL UN3912 | Seminar |
Concentration in Philosophy
Philosophy, as an academic discipline, has significant points of contact with a wide range of other subjects—in the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. A concentration in philosophy thus can be an attractive option for many students. Those considering becoming concentrators are strongly encouraged to meet with the director of undergraduate studies early in their sophomore year, in order to discuss their specific interests and to plan their programs of study. All concentrators should consult with the director of undergraduate studies each term before registering for courses.
The concentration requires a minimum of 24 points in philosophy, chosen from courses prefixed with UN or GU. There are no specific courses required for the concentration.
Students may choose courses prefixed with GR only with the instructor’s permission.
PHIL UN3912 is open to junior and senior concentrators who have taken at least four courses in philosophy.
Major in Economics-Philosophy
Please read Guidelines for all Economics Majors, Concentrators, and Interdepartmental Majors in the Economics section of this Bulletin.
Economics-Philosophy is an interdisciplinary major that, while introducing students to the basic methodologies of economics and philosophy, stresses areas of particular concern to both. These include subjects such as rationality and decision making, justice and efficiency, freedom and collective choice, and the logic of empirical theories and their testing. Many of the issues are dealt with historically, and classic texts of Plato, Kant, Mill, Marx, and Smith are reviewed.
Two advisers are assigned for the interdepartmental major, one in the Department of Economics and one in the Department of Philosophy. Please note that the Economics adviser can only advise on the Economics requirements and the Philosophy adviser can only advise on the Philosophy requirements.
The Economics-Philosophy major requires a total minimum of 54 points: 25 points in Economics, 16 points in Philosophy, 6 points in Mathematics, 3 points in Statistics, and 4 points in the interdisciplinary seminar as follows:
Code | Title | Points |
---|---|---|
Economics Core Courses | ||
ECON UN1105 | Principles of Economics | |
ECON UN3211 | Intermediate Microeconomics | |
ECON UN3213 | Intermediate Macroeconomics | |
ECON UN3412 | Introduction To Econometrics | |
Mathematics Sequence | ||
Select a mathematics sequence | ||
Statistics | ||
Select a statistics course | ||
Economics Electives | ||
Three electives are required; refer to the Economics section of this bulletin. | ||
Philosophy Courses | ||
PHIL UN1010 | Methods and Problems of Philosophical Thought | |
PHIL UN3411 | Symbolic Logic | |
PHIL UN3701 | Ethics (a social or political philosophy course may be substituted, please consult the Philosophy DUS) | |
PHIL UN3551 | Philosophy of Science | |
or PHIL UN3960 | Epistemology | |
PHIL GU4561 | Probability and Decision Theory | |
Seminar | ||
ECPH GU4950 | Economics and Philosophy Seminar (or another seminar in philosophy or economics approved by advisers in both department) |
Students who declared before Spring 2014:
The requirements for this program were modified in 2014. Students who declared this program before Spring 2014 should contact the director of undergraduate studies for the department in order to confirm their options for major requirements.
Fall 2019
PHIL UN1010 Methods and Problems of Philosophical Thought. 3 points.
Critical introduction to philosophical problems, ideas and methods.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN1010
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 1010 | 001/45493 | M W 11:40am - 12:55pm 702 Hamilton Hall |
Akeel Bilgrami | 3 | 56/86 |
Spring 2020: PHIL UN1010
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
PHIL 1010 | 001/12109 | M W 6:10pm - 7:25pm Room TBA |
Justin Clarke-Doane | 3 | 59/86 |
PHIL UN2100 Philosophy of Education. 3 points.
Drawing on classical and contemporary sources, this course will introduce students to a variety of texts that address the philosophical consideration of education, including its role in the development of the individual and the development of a democratic society. Readings from Plato, Rousseau, Dewey, and others.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN2100
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 2100 | 001/09019 | M W 10:10am - 11:25am 203 Diana Center |
Kyle Driggers | 3 | 11/16 |
PHIL UN2101 The History of Philosophy I: Presocratics to Augustine. 4 points.
BC: Fulfillment of General Education Requirement: Reason and Value (REA)., Recitation Section Required
Corequisites: PHIL V2111 Required Discussion Section (0 points).
Exposition and analysis of the positions of the major philosophers from the pre-Socratics through Augustine. This course has unrestricted enrollment.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN2101
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 2101 | 001/45364 | T Th 10:10am - 11:25am 602 Hamilton Hall |
Dhananjay Jagannathan | 4 | 70/80 |
PHIL UN2110 Philosophy and Feminism. 3 points.
Is there an essential difference between women and men? How do questions about race conflict or overlap with those about gender? Is there a "normal" way of being "queer"? Introduction to philosophy and feminism through a critical discussion of these and other questions using historical and contemporary texts, art, and public lectures. Focus includes essentialism, difference, identity, knowledge, objectivity, and queerness.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN2110
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 2110 | 001/45516 | T Th 11:40am - 12:55pm 833 Seeley W. Mudd Building |
Christia Mercer | 3 | 96/120 |
PHIL UN2685 Introduction to Philosophy of Language. 3 points.
This course gives students an introduction to various topics in the Philosophy of Language.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN2685
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 2685 | 001/09024 | T Th 11:40am - 12:55pm 323 Milbank Hall |
Karen Lewis | 3 | 15/60 |
PHIL UN3252 Philosophy of Language and Mind. 3 points.
This course will provide an introduction to meaning, reference, understanding, and content in language, thought, and perception. A central concern will be the question of the relation of meaning to truth-conditions, and what is involved in language and thought successfully latching on to reality. If you have not already taken an elementary course in first order logic, you will need to catch up in that area to understand some crucial parts of the course. All the same, the primary concerns of the course will be philosophical, rather than technical.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN3252
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3252 | 001/45495 | T Th 2:40pm - 3:55pm 516 Hamilton Hall |
Christopher Peacocke | 3 | 16/40 |
PHIL UN3353 European Social Philosophy. 3 points.
Prerequisites: one philosophy course.
A survey of Eurpoean social philosophy from the 18th to the 20th century, with special attention to theories of capitalism and the normative concepts (freedom, alienation, human flourishing) that inform them. Also: the relationship between civil society and the state.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN3353
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3353 | 001/45517 | T Th 8:40am - 9:55am 467 Ext Schermerhorn Hall |
Axel Honneth | 3 | 31/40 |
PHIL UN3411 Symbolic Logic. 4 points.
CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement, Recitation Section Required
Corequisites: PHILV3413 Required Discussion Section (0 points).
Advanced introduction to classical sentential and predicate logic. No previous acquaintance with logic is required; nonetheless a willingness to master technicalities and to work at a certain level of abstraction is desirable. This course has unrestricted enrollment.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN3411
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3411 | 001/45464 | M W 10:10am - 11:25am 833 Seeley W. Mudd Building |
Tamar Lando | 4 | 59/86 |
PHIL 3411 | 002/45513 | T Th 1:10pm - 2:25pm 717 Hamilton Hall |
Haim Gaifman | 4 | 14/45 |
Spring 2020: PHIL UN3411
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
PHIL 3411 | 001/11565 | M W 11:40am - 12:55pm Room TBA |
Tamar Lando | 4 | 86/86 |
PHIL UN3601 Metaphysics. 4 points.
Discussion Section Required
Corequisites: PHIL V3611 Required Discussion Section (0 points).
Systematic treatment of some major topics in metaphysics (e.g. modality, causation, identity through time, particulars and universals). Readings from contemporary authors.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN3601
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3601 | 001/45400 | M W 6:10pm - 7:25pm 717 Hamilton Hall |
Justin Clarke-Doane | 4 | 20/86 |
PHIL UN3701 Ethics. 4 points.
Prerequisites: one course in philosophy.
Corequisites: PHIL V3711 Required Discussion Section (0 points).
This course is mainly an introduction to three influential approaches to normative ethics: utilitarianism, deontological views, and virtue ethics. We also consider the ethics of care, and selected topics in meta-ethics.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN3701
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3701 | 001/45366 | M W 8:40am - 9:55am 602 Hamilton Hall |
Carol Rovane | 4 | 29/80 |
PHIL UN3756 Critical Philosophy of Race: What is Race?. 3 points.
This course is a philosophical examination of the meaning and significance of the concept of race. The course will chiefly aim to answer: What do we mean by the term “race”? And why is it often tied to the existence of racism? From where does the concept come? And what role did “race” play in the philosophical thought and the culture of Western modernity? Among the questions that can be asked are, How do concepts of race contribute to the formation and justification of various economic, political, and social institutions and practices, such as slavery, colonialism, and segregation? However, we will also inquire at the end of the course whether “race” is always a destructive concept, or whether it can be re-defined as part of a liberation project centered on racial identity: the appreciation and celebration of racial difference and solidarity.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN3756
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3756 | 001/17317 | M W 1:10pm - 2:25pm 516 Hamilton Hall |
Aminah Hasan | 3 | 7/25 |
PHIL UN3912 Seminar. 3 points.
Required of senior majors, but also open to junior majors, and junior and senior concentrators who have taken at least four philosophy courses. This exploration will typically involve writing a substantial research paper. Capped at 20 students with preference to philosophy majors.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN3912
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3912 | 003/45519 | W 10:10am - 12:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Jenann Ismael | 3 | 18/20 |
PHIL 3912 | 014/45515 | T 2:10pm - 4:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Michele Moody-Adams | 3 | 17/20 |
PHIL 3912 | 019/45514 | M 6:10pm - 8:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Lydia Goehr | 3 | 16/20 |
Spring 2020: PHIL UN3912
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
PHIL 3912 | 004/11569 | W 12:10pm - 2:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Aminah Hasan | 3 | 6/20 |
PHIL 3912 | 005/00017 | Th 12:10pm - 2:00pm Room TBA |
Taylor Carman | 3 | 20/20 |
PHIL 3912 | 014/20065 | W 10:10am - 12:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Akeel Bilgrami | 3 | 12/20 |
PHIL UN3996 Supervised Senior Research. 3 points.
Supervised research under the direction of individual members of the department.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN3996
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3996 | 002/45467 | |
Akeel Bilgrami | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 003/45468 | |
Taylor Carman | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 004/45469 | |
Justin Clarke-Doane | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 005/45470 | |
Jessica Collins | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 007/45472 | |
Haim Gaifman | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 008/45473 | |
Lydia Goehr | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 009/45474 | |
Robert Gooding-Williams | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 010/45475 | |
Axel Honneth | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 011/45476 | |
Dhananjay Jagannathan | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 012/45477 | |
Patricia Kitcher | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 014/45479 | |
Tamar Lando | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 015/45480 | |
Karen Lewis | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 016/45481 | |
Wolfgang Mann | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 017/45482 | |
Christia Mercer | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 018/45483 | |
Michele Moody-Adams | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 021/45486 | |
Christopher Peacocke | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 022/45487 | |
Carol Rovane | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3996 | 026/45491 | |
Katja Vogt | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL UN3997 Supervised Senior Research. 3 points.
Supervised research under the direction of individual members of the department.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN3997
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3997 | 002/45368 | |
Akeel Bilgrami | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 003/45369 | |
Taylor Carman | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 004/45370 | |
Justin Clarke-Doane | 3 | 1/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 005/45371 | |
Jessica Collins | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 007/45373 | |
Haim Gaifman | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 008/45374 | |
Lydia Goehr | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 009/45375 | |
Robert Gooding-Williams | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 010/45376 | |
Axel Honneth | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 011/45377 | |
Dhananjay Jagannathan | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 012/45378 | |
Patricia Kitcher | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 014/45380 | |
Tamar Lando | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 016/45381 | |
Wolfgang Mann | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 017/45382 | |
Christia Mercer | 3 | 2/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 018/45383 | |
Michele Moody-Adams | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 021/45386 | |
Christopher Peacocke | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 022/45387 | |
Carol Rovane | 3 | 1/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 026/45391 | |
Katja Vogt | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL GU4089 Aristotle. 3 points.
Not offered during 2019-20 academic year.
Prerequisites: undergraduate students must obtain the instructor's permission.
The course offers a high-level survey of central themes in Aristotle's ethics: happiness, motivation, agency, excellence, deliberation, pleasure, responses to relativism, and the nature of ethics.
Fall 2019: PHIL GU4089
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 4089 | 001/45520 | M 2:10pm - 4:00pm 602 Hamilton Hall |
Katja Vogt | 3 | 60/86 |
PHIL GU4424 Modal Logic. 3 points.
CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement
Fall 2019: PHIL GU4424
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 4424 | 001/45492 | W 2:10pm - 4:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Tamar Lando | 3 | 18/40 |
PHIL GU4451 History of Philosophy: From De Morgan to Frege. 3 points.
Prerequisites: one term of Symbolic Logic.
The roots of logic may be traced to Aristotle, who systematized and codified the subject in a way that was not significantly surpassed for over two millennia. As we know it today, however, logic stems largely from certain advancements that took place in the mid-ninteenth century, when the subject developed into a rigorous discipline whose exemplar was the exact method of proof used in mathematics. Tha aim of this course is to provie a critical reconstruction of such advancements along with an assessment of their philosophical significance.
Fall 2019: PHIL GU4451
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 4451 | 001/45528 | F 12:10pm - 2:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Haim Gaifman | 3 | 5/40 |
PHIL GU4471 Philosophy of Mathematics. 3 points.
Not offered during 2019-20 academic year.
Prerequisites: mathematical background, or familiarity with formal reasoning. The instructor's permission in borderline cases is required.
Topics: Mathematical reasoning and intuition, as illustrated in simple problem solving and historical examples. The source of mathematical validity. Views of mathematics of some major philosophers: Kant, Mill, Frege Russell, Wittgenstein. Realism and Constructivism. Hilbert's program. Mathematics as a formal deductive activity. Formal systems and the significance of Gödel's incompleteness results. Some more recent debates in the philosophy of mathematics.
Fall 2019: PHIL GU4471
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 4471 | 001/45521 | F 4:10pm - 6:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Justin Clarke-Doane | 3 | 15/40 |
PHIL GU4561 Probability and Decision Theory. 3 points.
Examines interpretations and applications of the calculus of probability including applications as a measure of degree of belief, degree of confirmation, relative frequency, a theoretical property of systems, and other notions of objective probability or chance. Attention to epistimological questions such as Hume's problem of induction, Goodman's problem of projectibility, and the paradox of confirmation.
Fall 2019: PHIL GU4561
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 4561 | 001/45498 | T 10:10am - 12:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Jessica Collins | 3 | 24/40 |
Spring 2020
PHIL UN1010 Methods and Problems of Philosophical Thought. 3 points.
Critical introduction to philosophical problems, ideas and methods.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN1010
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 1010 | 001/45493 | M W 11:40am - 12:55pm 702 Hamilton Hall |
Akeel Bilgrami | 3 | 56/86 |
Spring 2020: PHIL UN1010
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
PHIL 1010 | 001/12109 | M W 6:10pm - 7:25pm Room TBA |
Justin Clarke-Doane | 3 | 59/86 |
PHIL UN1401 Introduction to Logic. 3 points.
Explicit criteria for recognizing valid and fallacious arguments, together with various methods for schematizing discourse for the purpose of logical analysis. Illustrative material taken from science and everyday life.
Spring 2020: PHIL UN1401
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 1401 | 001/00011 | M W 10:10am - 11:25am Room TBA |
John Morrison | 3 | 59/80 |
PHIL UN2201 History of Philosophy II: Aquinas to Kant. 4 points.
Prerequisites: PHIL UN2211 Required Discussion Section (0 points).
PHIL UN2101 is not a prerequisite for this course. Exposition and analysis of the metaphysics, epistemology, and natural philosophy of the major philosophers from Aquinas through Kant. Authors include Aquinas, Galileo, Gassendi, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant. This course has unrestricted enrollment.
Spring 2020: PHIL UN2201
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 2201 | 001/00012 | T Th 11:40am - 12:55pm Room TBA |
Kyle Driggers | 4 | 55/80 |
PHIL UN2301 History of Philosophy III: Kant to Nietzsche. 4 points.
Prerequisites: None.
Exposition and analysis of major texts and figures in European philosophy since Kant. Authors include Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche. Required discussion section (PHIL UN2311). Attendance in the first week of classes is mandatory.
Spring 2020: PHIL UN2301
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 2301 | 001/00014 | T Th 8:40am - 9:55am Room TBA |
Taylor Carman | 4 | 33/40 |
PHIL UN3251 Kant. 3 points.
Explores the connections between theoretical and practical reason in Kant's thinking with special attention to the Critique of Pure Reason and the project of "transcendental" philosophy.
Spring 2020: PHIL UN3251
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3251 | 001/11564 | M W 1:10pm - 2:25pm Room TBA |
Patricia Kitcher | 3 | 39/86 |
PHIL UN3411 Symbolic Logic. 4 points.
CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement, Recitation Section Required
Corequisites: PHILV3413 Required Discussion Section (0 points).
Advanced introduction to classical sentential and predicate logic. No previous acquaintance with logic is required; nonetheless a willingness to master technicalities and to work at a certain level of abstraction is desirable. This course has unrestricted enrollment.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN3411
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3411 | 001/45464 | M W 10:10am - 11:25am 833 Seeley W. Mudd Building |
Tamar Lando | 4 | 59/86 |
PHIL 3411 | 002/45513 | T Th 1:10pm - 2:25pm 717 Hamilton Hall |
Haim Gaifman | 4 | 14/45 |
Spring 2020: PHIL UN3411
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
PHIL 3411 | 001/11565 | M W 11:40am - 12:55pm Room TBA |
Tamar Lando | 4 | 86/86 |
PHIL UN3576 Physics and Philosophy. 3 points.
Philosophical problems at the foundations of quantum theory, especially those having to do with the uncertainty of relations and nature of quantum mechanical indeterminacy. Exploration of a variety of interpretation and hidden variable theory.
Spring 2020: PHIL UN3576
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 3576 | 001/11566 | M W 4:10pm - 5:25pm Room TBA |
David Albert | 3 | 60/60 |
PHIL UN3654 Philosophy of Psychology. 3 points.
Considers psychology from the perspective of philosophy of science and the plausibility of various philosophical positions in light of the best current theories of psychology. Examines the assumptions and explanatory strategies of past and present "schools of psychology" and the implications of recent work in psychology for such perennial philosophical problems as moral responsibility and personal identity.
Spring 2020: PHIL UN3654
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3654 | 001/00065 | M W 2:40pm - 3:55pm Room TBA |
John Morrison, Raphael Gerraty | 3 | 48/80 |
PHIL UN3751 Political Philosophy. 3 points.
Six major concepts of political philosophy including authority, rights, equality, justice, liberty and democracy are examined in three different ways. First the conceptual issues are analyzed through contemporary essays on these topics by authors like Peters, Hart, Williams, Berlin, Rawls and Schumpeter. Second the classical sources on these topics are discussed through readings from Hobbes, Locke, Hume, Marx, Plato, Mill and Rousseau. Third some attention is paid to relevant contexts of application of these concepts in political society, including such political movements as anarchism, international human rights, conservative, liberal, and Marxist economic policies as well as competing models of democracy.
Spring 2020: PHIL UN3751
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3751 | 001/11567 | M W 8:40am - 9:55am Room TBA |
Axel Honneth | 3 | 86/86 |
PHIL UN3800 Philosophy, Justice, and Social Activism. 4 points.
This course will do three things: (1) critically examine the works of philosophers who have argued for justice reform and social change, (2) set this philosophical work next to writings by prominent activists, especially those interested in criminal justice reform, and
(3) work with students to do semester-long activist work. Local activists will visit class and discuss their work.
Students must petition to take the course. The petition must include a 2-3 sentence statement about the student's training in or commitment to activist work
Spring 2020: PHIL UN3800
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
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PHIL 3800 | 001/11568 | M 6:10pm - 8:00pm Room TBA |
Christia Mercer | 4 | 18/18 |
PHIL UN3912 Seminar. 3 points.
Required of senior majors, but also open to junior majors, and junior and senior concentrators who have taken at least four philosophy courses. This exploration will typically involve writing a substantial research paper. Capped at 20 students with preference to philosophy majors.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN3912
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3912 | 003/45519 | W 10:10am - 12:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Jenann Ismael | 3 | 18/20 |
PHIL 3912 | 014/45515 | T 2:10pm - 4:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Michele Moody-Adams | 3 | 17/20 |
PHIL 3912 | 019/45514 | M 6:10pm - 8:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Lydia Goehr | 3 | 16/20 |
Spring 2020: PHIL UN3912
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
PHIL 3912 | 004/11569 | W 12:10pm - 2:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Aminah Hasan | 3 | 6/20 |
PHIL 3912 | 005/00017 | Th 12:10pm - 2:00pm Room TBA |
Taylor Carman | 3 | 20/20 |
PHIL 3912 | 014/20065 | W 10:10am - 12:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Akeel Bilgrami | 3 | 12/20 |
PHIL UN3997 Supervised Senior Research. 3 points.
Supervised research under the direction of individual members of the department.
Fall 2019: PHIL UN3997
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3997 | 002/45368 | |
Akeel Bilgrami | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 003/45369 | |
Taylor Carman | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 004/45370 | |
Justin Clarke-Doane | 3 | 1/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 005/45371 | |
Jessica Collins | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 007/45373 | |
Haim Gaifman | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 008/45374 | |
Lydia Goehr | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 009/45375 | |
Robert Gooding-Williams | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 010/45376 | |
Axel Honneth | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 011/45377 | |
Dhananjay Jagannathan | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 012/45378 | |
Patricia Kitcher | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 014/45380 | |
Tamar Lando | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 016/45381 | |
Wolfgang Mann | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 017/45382 | |
Christia Mercer | 3 | 2/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 018/45383 | |
Michele Moody-Adams | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 021/45386 | |
Christopher Peacocke | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 022/45387 | |
Carol Rovane | 3 | 1/5 |
PHIL 3997 | 026/45391 | |
Katja Vogt | 3 | 0/5 |
PHIL UN3998 Supervised Individual Research. 3 points.
Spring 2020: PHIL UN3998
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 3998 | 002/19913 | |
Akeel Bilgrami | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 003/19914 | |
Taylor Carman | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 004/19915 | |
Justin Clarke-Doane | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 005/19916 | |
Jessica Collins | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 009/19920 | |
Robert Gooding-Williams | 3 | 1/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 010/19921 | |
Axel Honneth | 3 | 1/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 012/19922 | |
Dhananjay Jagannathan | 3 | 1/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 013/19923 | |
Patricia Kitcher | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 015/19925 | |
Tamar Lando | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 016/19926 | |
Karen Lewis | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 017/19927 | |
Wolfgang Mann | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 018/19928 | |
Christia Mercer | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 019/19929 | |
Michele Moody-Adams | 3 | 1/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 020/19930 | |
John Morrison | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 021/19933 | |
Frederick Neuhouser | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 022/19934 | |
Christopher Peacocke | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 023/19935 | |
Carol Rovane | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 024/19937 | |
Francey Russell | 3 | 0/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 026/19938 | |
Katja Vogt | 3 | 1/10 |
PHIL 3998 | 027/34830 | |
Aminah Hasan | 3 | 1/10 |
PHIL GU4675 The Direction of Time. 3 points.
A survey of the various attempts to reconcile the macroscopic directionality of time with the time-reversibility of the fundamental laws of physics. The second law of thermodynamics and the concept of entropy, statistical mechanics, cosmological problems, the problems of memory, the possibility of multiple time direction.
Spring 2020: PHIL GU4675
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 4675 | 001/11572 | M 12:10pm - 2:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
David Albert | 3 | 27/40 |
PHIL GU4810 Lattices and Boolean Algebras. 3 points.
Prerequisites: PHIL UN3411 or 4801
This course is designed as an introduction to lattices and Boolean algebras. In the first part of the course, we study partial orders and view lattices both as partial orders and as algebraic structures. We study some basic constructions involving sublattices, products of lattices, and homomorphic images of lattices. In the second part of the course, we study Boolean algebras, with an aim to proving several representation theorems: first, a representation theorem for finite Boolean algebras, and toward the end of the course, the famous Stone Representation Theorem. We end the course with a look at the connection between classical mereology (or the theory of parthood) and complete Boolean algebras.
Spring 2020: PHIL GU4810
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 4810 | 001/11573 | W 6:10pm - 8:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Tamar Lando | 3 | 18/40 |
PHIL GU4900 Topics in Early Modern Philosophy. 3 points.
Open to undergraduates with previous work in the history of philosophy and to graduate students. Focuses either on an important topic in the history of early modern philosophy (e.g., skepticism, causation, mind, body) or on the philosophy of a major figure in the period (e.g., Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Gassendi, Conway).
Spring 2020: PHIL GU4900
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHIL 4900 | 001/11574 | Th 12:10pm - 2:00pm Room TBA |
Christia Mercer | 3 | 17/40 |
ECPH GU4950 Economics and Philosophy Seminar. 4 points.
Open only to economics-philosophy majors who are in their senior year.
Prerequisites: ECON W3211, ECON W3213, ECON W3412. Students will be contacted by the Economics department for pre-enrollment.
Explores topics in the philosophy of economics such as welfare, social choice, and the history of political economy. Sometimes the emphasis is primarily historical and someimes on analysis of contemporary economic concepts and theories.
Spring 2020: ECPH GU4950
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Course Number | Section/Call Number | Times/Location | Instructor | Points | Enrollment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ECPH 4950 | 001/11563 | M 2:10pm - 4:00pm 716 Philosophy Hall |
Jessica Collins | 4 | 7/20 |
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