Philosophy

The Philosophy Department: 

Department website: https://philosophy.columbia.edu/

Office location: 708 Philosophy Hall

Office contact: 212-854-3196, hmd2151@columbia.edu 

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Wolfgang Mann, 705 Philosophy Hall; 212-854-7887; wrm4@columbia.edu

Economics-Philosophy Adviser: Jessica Collins, 714 Philosophy Hall; 212-854-3970; jessica.collins@columbia.edu 

Undergraduate Administrator: Haley Donovan, 708 Philosophy Hall; 212-854-8507; hmd2151@columbia.edu
 

The Study of Philosophy

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.

The Study of Economics-Philosophy

The Joint Major in Economics and Philosophy is an interdisciplinary one which, 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 well-being, freedom and collective choice, and the nature of empirical scientific theories. 

There are two advisers for the Joint Major, one in the Department of Economics and one in the Department of Philosophy. Please note that the economics adviser can advise only on the economics requirements and the philosophy adviser can advise only on the philosophy requirements.

Prospective majors are strongly advised to discuss the major early in their sophomore year. Each major is expected to meet with the departmental advisers in the middle of their junior year and at the beginning of their senior year. 

Student Advising 

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Wolfgang Mann, 705 Philosophy Hall; 212-854-7887; wrm4@columbia.edu 

Economics-Philosophy Adviser: Jessica Collins, 714 Philosophy Hall; 212-854-3970; jessica.collins@columbia.edu 

Undergraduate Administrator: Haley Donovan, 708 Philosophy Hall; 212-854-8507; hmd2151@columbia.edu

Consulting Advisers 

  • Students with questions regarding the Philosophy major or concentration should contact the DUS by email to set up an appointment. 

  • Students interested in joining the Philosophy Undergraduate listserv can email Haley Donovan at hmd2151@columbia.edu.

  • Undergraduate Open Houses, Information Events, and Welcome Events will be advertised through our listserv and Department website.

Enrolling in Classes 

  • Please note some courses require professor permission to join. If this is the case, students should email the professor as early as possible to join the course.

Preparing for Graduate Study 

  • Students interested in pursuing graduate studies should consult with their advisers or the DUS.

Coursework Taken Outside of Columbia 

  • Coursework in fulfillment of a major or minor in Philosophy must be taken at Columbia University unless explicitly noted here and/or expressly permitted by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Exceptions or substitutions permitted by the Director of Undergraduate Studies should be confirmed in writing by email to the student.

Advanced Placement 

  • The Department of Philosophy does not accept any advanced placement credit toward courses in the curriculum.

Barnard College Courses 

  • The Columbia and Barnard Philosophy Departments function together as a unit. The courses specifically designed for Barnard students (first-year and senior seminars) do not count towards the Columbia major or concentration. But all other courses in the Columbia-Barnard joint curriculum do count for the major or concentration, regardless of whether the instructor is associated with Barnard or Columbia.

Transfer Courses 

  • Courses taken at other institutions may count only after review and approval by the DUS (a written record of approval must be submitted to 708 Philosophy by the student or DUS). No more than 5 courses taken elsewhere may be applied to the major, and no more than 4 to the concentration.

Study Abroad Courses 

  • Classes taken abroad through Columbia-led programs (i.e., those administered by Columbia’s Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement and taught by Columbia instructors) are treated as Columbia courses, equivalent to those taken on the Morningside Heights campus. If they are not explicitly listed by the department as fulfilling requirements in the major or minor [or special program or concentration], the DUS will need to confirm that they can be used toward requirements in the major/minor.

  • Classes taken abroad through other institutions and programs are treated as transfer credit to Columbia, and are subject to the same policies as other transfer courses. There will be a limit on the number of courses taken abroad that can be applied to the major/minor, and they must be approved by the DUS.

Summer Courses 

  • Summer courses at Columbia are offered through the School of Professional Studies. Courses taken in a Summer Term may be used toward requirements for the major/minor only as articulated in the department/institute/center guidelines or by permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. More general policies about Summer coursework can be found in the Academic Regulations section of this Bulletin.

  • Two courses taken in summer sessions can count towards the major.

Core Curriculum Connections 

  • Students may be interested in course offerings in this department that can be taken in fulfillment of the [Global Core requirement / Language requirement / Science requirement] of the Core Curriculum. See the list of approved courses for the requirement on this page of the Bulletin that lists all approved courses to see the list of courses in this department that have been approved for the requirement. 

  • Core classes such as Contemporary Civilization may not count towards the major. 

Undergraduate Research and Senior Thesis 

Senior Thesis Coursework and Requirements 

  • 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 a 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 their senior year. Theses are due in early April. 

  • See the full policy and procedure concerning senior theses on the departmental webpage: http://philosophy.columbia.edu/content/senior-thesis-philosophy  

Department Honors and Prizes

Department 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 their senior year; nominated students will be invited to submit a writing sample. 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 thesis 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 the departmental honors to the Columbia College and General Studies administrations. 

Academic Prizes 

  • Columbia College Prizes

    • Adam Leroy Jones Prize

      • Established by Mrs. Leroy Jones in memory of her husband who was Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of University Admissions from 1909 until 1934, the prize may be awarded to a student in the College for the best essay on a topic in the Philosophy of Science, or in the Foundations of Logic.

    • James Gutmann Prize

      • Established in 1987 in honor of James Gutmann, CC’18 and Professor of Philosophy, by his family and friends on the occasion of his 90th birthday. It may be awarded each year to a graduating Columbia College senior in Philosophy who plans to pursue graduate work in the field.

    • Lina Kahn Prize

      • Established in 1965 by the family of the late Lina Kahn, who received a Ph.D. in Philosophy in 1916. This annual competition, which is open to graduate students only, awards $500 to the best paper in metaphysics.

Other Important Information 

  • Student Organizations

    • Meade Anderson Undergraduate Philosophy Forum

      • Wednesdays 8:00-9:00 pm in 716 Philosophy Hall

      • Join us each week to discuss a topic of philosophical interest! Discussions do not require any background knowledge or preparation. All undergraduates are welcome to attend, and we hope to see you there. 

      • The Forum Leaders are Samantha Rosen (skr2168@barnard.edu) and Oscar Lloyd (oal2113@columbia.edu).

    • Gadfly

      • The Gadfly is the undergraduate philosophy magazine of Columbia University, which publishes academic papers, interviews, events, and free-form work. 

      • https://www.thegadflymagazine.org 

Professors

  • David Albert
  • Akeel Bilgrami
  • Taylor Carman (Barnard)
  • Haim Gaifman
  • Lydia Goehr
  • Axel Honneth
  • Wolfgang Mann 
  • Christia Mercer
  • Michele Moody-Adams
  • John Morrison (Barnard)
  • Fred Neuhouser (Barnard)
  • Christopher Peacocke 
  • Carol Rovane
  • Achille Varzi
  • Katja Vogt

Associate Professors

  • Justin Clarke-Doane
  • Jessica Collins
  • Melissa Fusco
  • Tamar Lando
  • Karen Lewis (Barnard)

Assistant Professors

  • Allison Aitken
  • Dhananjay Jagannathan
  • Francey Russell (Barnard)
  •  
  • Affiliated Faculty
  • Souleymane Bachir Diagne (French and Romance Philology)
  • Jon Elster (Political Science)
  • Wayne Proudfoot (Religion)
  • Gayatri Spivak (University Professor)

Guidance for Undergraduate Students in the Department
 

Program Planning for all Students 

  • PHIL UN1001 Intro to Philosophy & PHIL UN1401 Intro to Logic do not count towards the undergraduate major in Philosophy.

  • Courses in which a grade of D has been received do not count toward the major or concentration.

Course Numbering Structure 

  • 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.

  • Students may choose courses prefixed with GR only with the instructor’s permission. Additionally, because these seminars are capped, students should register early.

Guidance for First-Year Students 

  • Refer to the coursework and majors requirements sections. 

Guidance for Transfer Students 

  • Courses taken at other institutions may count only after review and approval by the DUS (a written record of approval must be submitted to 708 Philosophy by the student or DUS). No more than 5 courses taken elsewhere may be applied to the major, and no more than 4 to the concentration.

     

Undergraduate Programs of Study

Required Coursework for all Programs 

  • PHIL UN2101* or another course in ancient or medieval philosophy

  • PHIL UN2201* or another course in the history of late medieval or early modern philosophy (e.g. PHIL UN3237 or UN3264)

  • PHIL UN3411 or, in exceptional cases, a more advanced course in logic

  • At least one course in either metaphysics or epistemology (e.g. PHIL GU4501, UN3601, or a related course to be chosen in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies)

  • At least one course in either systematic ethics or social and political philosophy (e.g. PHIL UN2702, UN3701, UN3751, or a related course to be chosen in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies)

  • At least one majors’ seminar, i.e. UN3912

    * Substituted courses must be selected in consultation with the DUS.

 

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 METHDS/PROB OF PHILOS 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.

*PLEASE NOTE* PHILUN1401 INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC does not count for credit towards the undergraduate major in philosophy.* 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:

PHIL UN2101HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY I
PHIL UN2201HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY II
PHIL UN3411SYMBOLIC 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 UN3912SEMINAR
  • Courses taken pass/fail only count towards the major in unusual circumstances.

  • Two courses taken in summer sessions can count towards the major.

  • In some instances, courses in other departments can count for credit towards the major. For example, the Religion Department offers courses in philosophy of religion, and the Political Science Department offers courses in political philosophy. Questions about whether courses in other departments will count towards the major should be directed to the DUS.

  • The Columbia and Barnard Philosophy Departments function together as a unit. The courses specifically designed for Barnard students (first-year and senior seminars) do not count towards the Columbia major. But all other courses in the Columbia-Barnard joint curriculum do count for the major, regardless of whether the instructor is associated with Barnard or Columbia.

  • Core classes such as Contemporary Civilization may not count towards the major. 


Joint Major in Economics-Philosophy 

  • An Introductory course. Most often this will be PHIL UN1010 Methods and Problems of Philosophical Thought.

  • PHIL UN3411 Symbolic Logic.

  • One 3000-level course in moral, political, or social philosophy. (PHIL UN3701 Ethics satisfies this requirement, as do various other courses offered by the Department from time to time. Consult with the Philosophy adviser if you are in any doubt here.)

  • One 3000-level course in epistemology, the philosophy of science, or in the philosophy of one of the particular sciences. (PHIL UN3551 Philosophy of Science and PHIL UN3960 Epistemology both satisfy this requirement, as do various other courses offered by the Department from time to time. Consult with the Philosophy adviser if you are in any doubt here.)

  • PHIL GU4561 Probability and Decision Theory.

  • ECPH UN4950 Senior Seminar in Economics and 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:

:

Economics Core Courses
ECON UN1105PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS
ECON UN3211INTERMEDIATE MICROECONOMICS
ECON UN3213INTERMEDIATE MACROECONOMICS
ECON UN3412INTRODUCTION 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 UN1010METHDS/PROB OF PHILOS THOUGHT
PHIL UN3411SYMBOLIC LOGIC
PHIL UN3701ETHICS (a social or political philosophy course may be substituted, please consult the Philosophy DUS)
PHIL UN3551PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
or PHIL UN3960 EPISTEMOLOGY
PHIL GU4561PROBABILITY & DECISION THEORY
Seminar
ECPH GU4950ECONOMICS & PHILOSOPHY (or another seminar in philosophy or economics approved by advisers in both department)

For students who entered Columbia in or before the 2023-24 academic year
 

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.

Fall 2024

PHIL UN1001 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY. 3.00 points.

Survey of some of the central problems, key figures, and great works in both traditional and contemporary philosophy. Topics and texts will vary with instructor and semester

Fall 2024: PHIL UN1001
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 1001 001/00018 M W 11:40am - 12:55pm
304 Barnard Hall
Francey Russell 3.00 54/80
PHIL 1001 002/00215 T Th 2:40pm - 3:55pm
207 Milbank Hall
Christopher Prodoehl 3.00 16/20
PHIL 1001 003/00216 M W 4:10pm - 5:25pm
203 Diana Center
Caroline Bowman 3.00 19/20
Spring 2025: PHIL UN1001
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 1001 001/00220 M W 10:10am - 11:25am
302 Barnard Hall
Taylor Carman 3.00 13/20
PHIL 1001 002/00221 T Th 2:40pm - 3:55pm
237 Milbank Hall
Christopher Prodoehl 3.00 16/20

PHIL UN1010 METHDS/PROB OF PHILOS THOUGHT. 3.00 points.

Critical introduction to philosophical problems, ideas and methods

PHIL UN2101 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY I. 4.00 points.

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 2024: PHIL UN2101
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 2101 001/13513 T Th 4:10pm - 5:25pm
141 Uris Hall
Taylor Pincin 4.00 37/60

PHIL UN2110 PHILOSOPHY & FEMINISM. 3.00 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 2024: PHIL UN2110
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 2110 001/12274 T Th 2:40pm - 3:55pm
833 Seeley W. Mudd Building
Christia Mercer 3.00 59/90
PHIL 2110 AU1/18841 T Th 2:40pm - 3:55pm
Othr Other
Christia Mercer 3.00 2/2

PHIL UN2685 INTRO TO PHIL OF LANGUAGE. 4.00 points.

This course gives students an introduction to various topics in the Philosophy of Language

Fall 2024: PHIL UN2685
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 2685 001/00019 M W 2:40pm - 3:55pm
418 Barnard Hall
Karen Lewis 4.00 42/80

PHIL UN3000 BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY. 3.00 points.

Buddhist philosophers generally agree about what doesn’t exist: an enduring, unitary, and independent self. But there is surprisingly little consensus across Buddhist traditions about what does exist and what it’s like. In this course, we will examine several Buddhist theories about the nature and structure of reality and consider the epistemological and ethical implications of these radically different pictures of the world. We will analyze and evaluate arguments from some of the most influential Indian Buddhist philosophers from the second to the eleventh centuries, including Nāgārjuna, Vasubandhu, Dignāga, Candrakīrti, Śāntarakṣita, Śāntideva, and Ratnakīrti. Topics will include the existence and nature of the external world, the mind, and the self; practical and epistemological implications of the Buddhist no-self principle; personal identity; the problem of other minds; and causal determinism and moral responsibility

PHIL UN3264 19TH CENTURY PHILOSOPHY: HEGEL. 3.00 points.

Prerequisites: PHIL UN2201 or PHIL UN3251 Examines major themes of Hegels philosophy, with emphasis on social and political thought. Topics include Hegels critique of Kant, the possibility of metaphysics, the master-slave dialectic, and the role of freedom in a rational society. Readings from Kant’s Third Critique help explain how Hegels project develops out of Kants transcendental idealism. Some knowledge of Kants moral theory and his Critique of Pure Reason is presupposed. Prerequisite: at least one of PHIL UN2201, PHIL UN2301, or PHIL UN3251

PHIL UN3353 EUROPEAN SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY. 3.00 points.

Prerequisites: one philosophy course.
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 2024: PHIL UN3353
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3353 001/12275 T Th 10:10am - 11:25am
326 Uris Hall
Axel Honneth 3.00 43/60
PHIL 3353 AU1/18844 T Th 10:10am - 11:25am
Othr Other
Axel Honneth 3.00 2/2

PHIL UN3411 SYMBOLIC LOGIC. 4.00 points.

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

Fall 2024: PHIL UN3411
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3411 001/12277 M W 10:10am - 11:25am
417 International Affairs Bldg
Tamar Lando 4.00 74/100
Spring 2025: PHIL UN3411
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3411 001/14173 M W 10:10am - 11:25am
402 Chandler
Achille Varzi 4.00 90/90

PHIL UN3551 PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE. 3.00 points.

Enrollment limited to 40.

Prerequisites: one philosophy course or the instructor's permission.
Philosophical problems within science and about the nature of scientific knowledge in the 17th-20th centuries. Sample problems: causation and scientific explanation; induction and real kinds; verification and falsification; models, analogies and simulations; the historical origins of the modern sciences; scientific revolutions; reductionism and supervenience; differences between physics, biology and the social sciences; the nature of life; cultural evolution; human nature; philosophical issues in cosmology

Spring 2025: PHIL UN3551
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3551 001/14175 M W 4:10pm - 5:25pm
330 Uris Hall
David Albert 3.00 47/60

PHIL UN3601 METAPHYSICS. 4.00 points.

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 2024: PHIL UN3601
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3601 001/12278 M W 1:10pm - 2:25pm
702 Hamilton Hall
Achille Varzi 4.00 72/75

PHIL UN3701 ETHICS. 4.00 points.

Prerequisites: one course in philosophy.
Corequisites: PHIL V3711 Required Discussion Section (0 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 2024: PHIL UN3701
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3701 001/12279 M W 1:10pm - 2:25pm
517 Hamilton Hall
Michele Moody-Adams 4.00 41/80
Spring 2025: PHIL UN3701
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3701 001/00163 M W 1:10pm - 2:25pm
405 Milbank Hall
Francey Russell 4.00 64/80

PHIL UN3751 POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY. 3.00 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

Fall 2024: PHIL UN3751
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3751 001/00020 T Th 1:10pm - 2:25pm
405 Milbank Hall
Frederick Neuhouser 3.00 43/80
PHIL 3751 AU1/18843 T Th 1:10pm - 2:25pm
Othr Other
Frederick Neuhouser 3.00 2/2

PHIL UN3756 Critical Philosophy of Race: What is Race?. 3.00 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

PHIL UN3858 CULTIVATING INDIVIDUALITY. 3.00 points.

Talk about “individuality”, about being (or becoming) “yourself” is all around us. But what exactly does this mean? What is genuine individuality, and how can we develop it, in ourselves (though self-development) and in others (by designing appropriate educational institutions)? What is the relationship between being an individual and being a part of society? Is there a tension between the non-conformism often associated with genuine individuality on the one hand, and the demands of community and good citizenship, on the other? Can educational institutions be designed to fulfill both those demands (to the extent they are distinct)? And how might oppressive social institutions hinder the development of “individuality”? In this course, we will explore these and related questions by drawing on both the classics of philosophy of education (Plato, Rousseau, Nietzsche, Dewey, Du Bois), and on relevant literary material that is in conversation with the philosophical texts (Rilke, Tolstoy, Woolf)

PHIL UN3768 ALLIES, ADVOCATES, ADVERSARIES. 3.00 points.

This course will survey political and epistemological questions that are centered around living in a society with oppression, including: What is oppression? What does it mean to be an ally? When is it right to speak for others and advocate for their interests? Do we have a duty to dissent and protest under certain circumstances? What is solidarity and how can we act in solidarity with others?

PHIL UN3863 HAPPINESS AND WELL-BEING. 3.00 points.

“What is it to be happy?” Philosophers have passionately debated this question from antiquity until now. Especially in times when happiness seems difficult to find, we naturally want to know what happiness is and how best to secure it. In this course, we will consider happiness in relation to well-being, examining four major theories of well-being (hedonism, desire-fulfillment theories, objective list theories, and eudaimonism/perfectionism). We will gain a nuanced understanding of each view by juxtaposing their ancient and modern advocates and opponents

PHIL UN3912 SEMINAR. 3.00 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 2024: PHIL UN3912
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3912 001/12280 W 10:10am - 12:00pm
716 Philosophy Hall
Dhananjay Jagannathan 3.00 11/20
PHIL 3912 002/13514 T 2:10pm - 4:00pm
716 Philosophy Hall
Michele Moody-Adams 3.00 15/20
PHIL 3912 003/12281 T 6:10pm - 8:00pm
201a Philosophy Hall
Melissa Fusco 3.00 3/20
Spring 2025: PHIL UN3912
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3912 001/14184 M 6:10pm - 8:00pm
716 Philosophy Hall
Lydia Goehr 3.00 18/20
PHIL 3912 002/14185 M 10:10am - 12:00pm
716 Philosophy Hall
Wolfgang Mann 3.00 9/20

PHIL UN3960 EPISTEMOLOGY. 4.00 points.

Corequisites: PHIL UN3963
Corequisites: PHIL W3963 Required Discussion Section (0 points). What can we know? What is knowledge? What are the different kinds of knowledge? We will read classic and contemporary texts for insight into these questions

Spring 2025: PHIL UN3960
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3960 001/14186 T Th 8:40am - 9:55am
141 Uris Hall
Jessica Collins 4.00 44/60

PHIL UN3996 SUPERVISED SENIOR RESEARCH. 3.00 points.

PHIL UN3997 SUPERVISED SENIOR RESEARCH,Supervised Senior Research. 3.00,3 points.

Supervised research usually with the goal of writing a senior thesis, under the direction of individual members of the department. ,

Supervised research under the direction of individual members of the department.

Fall 2024: PHIL UN3997
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3997 001/12282  
Allison Aitken 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 002/12283  
David Albert 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 003/12284  
Akeel Bilgrami 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 004/12285  
Justin Clarke-Doane 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 005/12286  
Jessica Collins 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 006/12287  
Melissa Fusco 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 007/12288  
Haim Gaifman 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 008/12289  
Lydia Goehr 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 009/12290  
Axel Honneth 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 010/12291  
Dhananjay Jagannathan 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 011/12292  
Tamar Lando 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 012/12293  
Michele Moody-Adams 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 013/12294  
Christopher Peacocke 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 014/12295  
Carol Rovane 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 015/12296  
Wolfgang Mann 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 016/12297  
Christia Mercer 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 017/12298  
Achille Varzi 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 018/12299  
Katja Vogt 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 019/00931  
Taylor Carman 3 1/1
PHIL 3997 020/00935  
Karen Lewis 3 0/1
PHIL 3997 021/00936  
John Morrison 3 0/1
PHIL 3997 022/00937  
Frederick Neuhouser 3 1/1
PHIL 3997 023/00938  
Francey Russell 3 0/1
Spring 2025: PHIL UN3997
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3997 001/14188  
Allison Aitken 3 1/5
PHIL 3997 002/14189  
David Albert 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 003/14191  
Akeel Bilgrami 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 004/14192  
Justin Clarke-Doane 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 005/14193  
Jessica Collins 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 006/14194  
Melissa Fusco 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 007/14196  
Haim Gaifman 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 008/14197  
Lydia Goehr 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 009/14198  
Axel Honneth 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 010/14199  
Dhananjay Jagannathan 3 1/5
PHIL 3997 011/14201  
Tamar Lando 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 012/14202  
Michele Moody-Adams 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 013/14203  
Christopher Peacocke 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 014/14204  
Carol Rovane 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 015/14205  
Wolfgang Mann 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 016/14206  
Christia Mercer 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 017/14207  
Achille Varzi 3 1/5
PHIL 3997 018/14208  
Katja Vogt 3 1/5
PHIL 3997 019/00738  
Taylor Carman 3 1/5
PHIL 3997 020/00739  
Karen Lewis 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 021/00740  
John Morrison 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 022/00741  
Frederick Neuhouser 3 0/5
PHIL 3997 023/00742  
Francey Russell 3 0/5

PHIL GU4424 MODAL LOGIC. 3.00 points.

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement

Fall 2024: PHIL GU4424
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 4424 001/12319 M W 1:10pm - 2:25pm
516 Hamilton Hall
Tamar Lando 3.00 15/20

PHIL GU4495 PERCEPTION. 3.00 points.

This course addresses the fabulously rich range of issues about the nature of perception, including: perceptual mental representation and its content; computational explanation; justifying beliefs; knowledge and thought about perception; and perception of music. Perception is an interdisciplinary subject par excellence. Readings will be drawn from philosophy and psychology, aesthetics, and artificial intelligence

PHIL GU4561 PROBABILITY & DECISION THEORY. 3.00 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 2024: PHIL GU4561
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 4561 001/12320 Th 12:10pm - 2:00pm
602 Northwest Corner
Jessica Collins 3.00 27/30

PHIL GU4602 PHILOSOPHICAL TEXTS IN GREEK. 3.00 points.

Careful reading and translation of a major philosophical text in ancient Greek to be chosen by the course participants in consultation with the instructor. Special attention is to be paid to the linguistic and conceptual problems of translating ancient Greek philosophical texts. Prerequisite: equivalent of at least two years of study of ancient Greek at university level

Fall 2024: PHIL GU4602
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 4602 001/13511 W 6:10pm - 8:00pm
317 Hamilton Hall
Wolfgang Mann 3.00 5/20

PHIL GU4675 THE DIRECTION OF TIME. 3.00 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 2025: PHIL GU4675
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 4675 001/14233 T 12:10pm - 2:00pm
716 Philosophy Hall
David Albert 3.00 20/20

Spring 2024

PHIL UN1010 METHDS/PROB OF PHILOS THOUGHT. 3.00 points.

Critical introduction to philosophical problems, ideas and methods

PHIL UN1401 INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC. 3.00 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 2025: PHIL UN1401
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 1401 001/00207 T Th 11:40am - 12:55pm
408 Zankel
Christopher Prodoehl 3.00 80/80

PHIL UN2201 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY II. 4.00 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 2025: PHIL UN2201
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 2201 001/00165 T Th 1:10pm - 2:25pm
405 Milbank Hall
Caroline Bowman 4.00 80/80

PHIL UN3131 ARISTOTLE. 3.00 points.

Prerequisites: One philosophy course or permission of the instructor.

Introduction to Aristotle's philosophy through analysis of selected texts.

Spring 2025: PHIL UN3131
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3131 001/14170 T Th 10:10am - 11:25am
330 Uris Hall
Dhananjay Jagannathan 3.00 55/60

PHIL UN3411 SYMBOLIC LOGIC. 4.00 points.

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

Fall 2024: PHIL UN3411
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3411 001/12277 M W 10:10am - 11:25am
417 International Affairs Bldg
Tamar Lando 4.00 74/100
Spring 2025: PHIL UN3411
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3411 001/14173 M W 10:10am - 11:25am
402 Chandler
Achille Varzi 4.00 90/90

PHIL UN3685 PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE. 3.00 points.

This course is a survey of analytic philosophy of language. It addresses central issues about the nature of meaning, including: sense and reference, speech acts, pragmatics, and the relationship between meaning and use, meaning and context, and meaning and truth

Spring 2025: PHIL UN3685
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3685 001/14176 T Th 11:40am - 12:55pm
330 Uris Hall
Melissa Fusco 3.00 27/60

PHIL UN3912 SEMINAR. 3.00 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 2024: PHIL UN3912
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3912 001/12280 W 10:10am - 12:00pm
716 Philosophy Hall
Dhananjay Jagannathan 3.00 11/20
PHIL 3912 002/13514 T 2:10pm - 4:00pm
716 Philosophy Hall
Michele Moody-Adams 3.00 15/20
PHIL 3912 003/12281 T 6:10pm - 8:00pm
201a Philosophy Hall
Melissa Fusco 3.00 3/20
Spring 2025: PHIL UN3912
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3912 001/14184 M 6:10pm - 8:00pm
716 Philosophy Hall
Lydia Goehr 3.00 18/20
PHIL 3912 002/14185 M 10:10am - 12:00pm
716 Philosophy Hall
Wolfgang Mann 3.00 9/20

PHIL UN3996 SUPERVISED SENIOR RESEARCH. 3.00 points.

PHIL UN3998 SUPERVISED INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH. 1.00-3.00 points.

Fall 2024: PHIL UN3998
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3998 001/12300  
Allison Aitken 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 002/12301  
David Albert 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 003/12302  
Akeel Bilgrami 1.00-3.00 1/5
PHIL 3998 004/12303  
Justin Clarke-Doane 1.00-3.00 1/5
PHIL 3998 005/12304  
Jessica Collins 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 006/12305  
Melissa Fusco 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 007/12306  
Haim Gaifman 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 008/12307  
Lydia Goehr 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 009/12308  
Axel Honneth 1.00-3.00 1/5
PHIL 3998 010/12309  
Dhananjay Jagannathan 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 011/12310  
Tamar Lando 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 012/12311  
Michele Moody-Adams 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 013/12312  
Christopher Peacocke 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 014/12313  
Carol Rovane 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 015/12314  
Wolfgang Mann 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 016/12315  
Christia Mercer 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 017/12316  
Achille Varzi 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 018/12317  
Katja Vogt 1.00-3.00 0/5
Spring 2025: PHIL UN3998
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 3998 001/14209  
Allison Aitken 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 002/14210  
David Albert 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 003/14211  
Akeel Bilgrami 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 004/14212  
Justin Clarke-Doane 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 005/14213  
Jessica Collins 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 006/14214  
Melissa Fusco 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 007/14215  
Haim Gaifman 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 008/14216  
Lydia Goehr 1.00-3.00 1/5
PHIL 3998 009/14217  
Axel Honneth 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 010/14218  
Dhananjay Jagannathan 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 011/14220  
Tamar Lando 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 012/14221  
Michele Moody-Adams 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 013/14222  
Christopher Peacocke 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 014/14223  
Carol Rovane 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 015/14225  
Wolfgang Mann 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 016/14226  
Christia Mercer 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 017/14227  
Achille Varzi 1.00-3.00 0/5
PHIL 3998 018/14228  
Katja Vogt 1.00-3.00 0/5

PHIL GU4170 MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY. 3.00 points.

PHIL GU4431 INTRODUCTION TO SET THEORY. 3.00 points.

Basic set-theoretic operations and constructions. The axiom of choice. Infinitary arithmetic, ordinal and cardinal. Russell’s paradox, Cantor’s paradoxes, and other set-theoretic paradoxes. The continuum hypothesis. Axiomatic set theory. Other topics as time permits.

PHIL GU4337 EARLY TWENTIETH CENT PHILOS. 3.00 points.

PHIL GU4810 LATTICES AND BOOLEAN ALGEBRA. 3.00 points.

Prerequisites: PHIL UN3411 or 4801
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 2025: PHIL GU4810
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
PHIL 4810 001/17225 T 6:10pm - 8:00pm
507 Philosophy Hall
Tamar Lando 3.00 12/20

PHIL GU4481 PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE. 3.00 points.

.

PHIL GU4501 EPISTEMOLOGY. 3.00 points.

PHIL GU4900 TOPICS IN EARLY MODERN PHILOSOPHY. 3.00 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)

ECPH GU4950 ECONOMICS & PHILOSOPHY. 4.00 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.
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 2025: ECPH GU4950
Course Number Section/Call Number Times/Location Instructor Points Enrollment
ECPH 4950 002/17528 T 10:10am - 12:00pm
308a Lewisohn Hall
Brendan O'Flaherty, Jessica Collins 4.00 0/16