PHIL Courses for Fall 2026
Please click on the course title for more information.
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PHIL 103 01 - Self and World: Introduction to Metaphysics and Epistemology
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Course: |
PHIL 103 - 01 |
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Title: |
Self and World: Introduction to Metaphysics and Epistemology |
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Credit Hours: |
1 |
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Description: |
This course introduces basic philosophical methods and concepts by exploring a variety of approaches to some central philosophical problems. Topics covered may include the existence of God, the relation between reason and faith, skepticism and certainty, personal identity and the nature of time, and the compatibility of free will and causal determinism. Readings are drawn from historical and contemporary texts. Discussions and assignments encourage the development of the student's own critical perspective on the problems discussed. |
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Prerequisite(s): |
None. |
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Notes: |
Subfield C |
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Distribution(s): |
Epistemology and Cognition |
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Instructors: |
Mary Kate Kathryn McGowan |
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Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 121 Classroom - TF 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM |
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PHIL 106 01 - Introduction to Moral Philosophy
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Course: |
PHIL 106 - 01 |
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Title: |
Introduction to Moral Philosophy |
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Credit Hours: |
1 |
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Description: |
A study of central issues in moral philosophy, with readings drawn from historical and contemporary texts. Topics include the nature of morality, conceptions of justice, views of human nature and their bearing on questions of value, competing accounts of the bases of moral judgment, and questions in contemporary applied ethics. |
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Prerequisite(s): |
None |
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Notes: |
Subfield B |
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Distribution(s): |
Religion, Ethics, and Moral Philosophy |
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Instructors: |
Corinne Gartner |
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Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 307 Classroom - MR 9:55 AM - 11:10 AM |
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PHIL 107 01 - Introduction to Social Philosophy
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Course: |
PHIL 107 - 01 |
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Title: |
Introduction to Social Philosophy |
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Credit Hours: |
1 |
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Description: |
In this course we will explore the philosophical underpinnings and ramifications of the social structures which shape our lives. Among the topics we will consider are racism, gender, and disability. For each topic, we will investigate different accounts of what the phenomenon at issue is. Among the thinkers we will engage are Sally Haslanger, Charles Mills, and Tommie Shelby. Questions for discussion include: What are the implications of endorsing one account of an oppressive structure over another? How are oppressive social structures, e.g. ableism, transphobia, etc., mutually reinforcing? Does oppression manifest differently in different contexts? |
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Prerequisite(s): |
None. |
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Notes: |
Subfield B |
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Distribution(s): |
Religion, Ethics, and Moral Philosophy |
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Instructors: |
Adele Watkins |
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Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 207 Classroom - MR 11:20 AM - 12:35 PM |
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PHIL 201 01 - Ancient Greek Philosophy
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Course: |
PHIL 201 - 01 |
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Title: |
Ancient Greek Philosophy |
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Credit Hours: |
1 |
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Description: |
An introduction to the work of Plato, Aristotle, and select Hellenistic philosophers that aims to develop students' skills in analyzing and constructing philosophical arguments with attention to historical context. Focusing on the ways in which various ancient philosophical views formed internally consistent systems, we will address a range of central topics in ancient thought, including issues in ethics, political philosophy, metaphysics, and epistemology. The course will deal primarily with Plato and Aristotle and end with a briefer treatment of the Epicureans, Stoics, and Skeptics. |
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Prerequisite(s): |
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Notes: |
Subfield A |
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Distribution(s): |
Epistemology and Cognition or Religion, Ethics, and Moral Philosophy |
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Instructors: |
Corinne Gartner |
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Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 126 Classroom - MR 2:20 PM - 3:35 PM |
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PHIL 203 01 - Philosophy of Art
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Course: |
PHIL 203 - 01 |
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Title: |
Philosophy of Art |
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Credit Hours: |
1 |
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Description: |
In this course, we will examine a broad set of philosophical questions about art. What is art? Why does it matter? Are there objective standards of taste, or is beauty in the eye of the beholder? What is the relationship between aesthetics and ethics? In addition to these general questions, we will consider specific philosophical puzzles posed by other issues in the arts, which may include adaptation, guilty pleasures, snobbery, subtlety, AI-generated art, and the paradox of horror, among other topics. Cases will range from fine art to popular music to film and television. |
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Prerequisite(s): |
None |
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Notes: |
Subfield B |
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Distribution(s): |
Epistemology and Cognition
Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Film and Video |
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Instructors: |
Erich Matthes |
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Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 126 Classroom - TF 11:20 AM - 12:35 PM |
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PHIL 215 01 - Philosophy of Mind
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Course: |
PHIL 215 - 01 |
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Title: |
Philosophy of Mind |
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Credit Hours: |
1 |
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Description: |
What is a mind? How is it related to a person's brain and body? These two questions have driven centuries of work in the philosophy of mind, and we will take them as our starting point. After considering a variety of answers, we will pursue several topics that challenge our best accounts of the mind: consciousness, mental representation, the emotions, free will, and the possibility of thinking machines. Our goal will be to connect central philosophical perspectives on these issues with contributions from psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. |
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Prerequisite(s): |
One course in philosophy, psychology, or cognitive science, or permission of the instructor. |
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Notes: |
Subfield C |
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Distribution(s): |
Epistemology and Cognition |
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Instructors: |
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Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 307 Classroom - MR 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM |
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PHIL 216 01 - Logic
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Course: |
PHIL 216 - 01 |
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Title: |
Logic |
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Credit Hours: |
1 |
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Description: |
Logic studies the principles of valid, or correct, reasoning. It does this by looking for ways to regiment the relationship between a conclusion and the claims that support it. In this course, we will learn how to translate sentences of English into a symbolic language that brings out their logically relevant properties, and we will study formal methods - methods sensitive only to the form of the arguments, as opposed to their content - that allow us to determine whether the conclusions of arguments follow from their premises. Some consideration is given to the limits of the system itself as well as to the relationship between logic and ordinary language. |
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Prerequisite(s): |
None |
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Notes: |
Subfield C |
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Distribution(s): |
Mathematical Modeling and Problem Solving
Epistemology and Cognition |
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Instructors: |
Mary Kate Kathryn McGowan |
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Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 120 Lecture Hall - TF 8:30 AM - 9:45 AM |
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PHIL 221 01 - History of Modern Philosophy
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Course: |
PHIL 221 - 01 |
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Title: |
History of Modern Philosophy |
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Credit Hours: |
1 |
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Description: |
A study of central themes in seventeenth and eighteenth-century philosophy. We will engage with questions of metaphysics, epistemology, and morals. Authors include Amo, Astell, Cavendish, Conway, Descartes, Princess Elisabeth, Heywat, Hume, Locke, Kant, and Wang Yangming. Among the topics: the nature of substance, the relationship between mind and body, the limits of reason, determinism and freedom, and the good life. |
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Prerequisite(s): |
None. |
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Notes: |
Subfield A |
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Distribution(s): |
Epistemology and Cognition or Historical Studies |
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Instructors: |
Julie Walsh |
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Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 126 Classroom - MR 8:30 AM - 9:45 AM
Founders 126 Classroom - W 8:30 AM - 9:20 AM |
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PHIL 226 01 - Philosophy of Law
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Course: |
PHIL 226 - 01 |
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Title: |
Philosophy of Law |
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Credit Hours: |
1 |
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Description: |
This course provides a systematic consideration of fundamental issues in the conception and practice of law. We will first consider the nature of law. Is law derived from moral principles or created by legislative fiat? Is international “law” law? We will then discuss moral limits on the law. Which principles should guide the state’s restriction of citizens’ liberties? Is refusal to obey the law ever justified? Next we will consider the ethics of criminal punishment. What, if anything, justifies punishment by the state? In what ways are policing and incarceration in the contemporary United States racially discriminatory? We will finish by considering questions of constitutional law and legal reasoning. Why have a constitution? When judges interpret the law, do they discover it or, in effect, make it up as they go along? Readings will include selections from philosophy, legal theory and court decisions. |
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Prerequisite(s): |
Open to First-Years who have taken one course in philosophy and to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors without prerequisite. |
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Notes: |
Subfield B |
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Distribution(s): |
Religion, Ethics, and Moral Philosophy |
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Instructors: |
Helena de Bres |
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Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 126 Classroom - TF 9:55 AM - 11:10 AM |
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PHIL 320 01 - Seminar: Demonology and Social Media
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Course: |
PHIL 320 - 01 |
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Title: |
Seminar: Demonology and Social Media |
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Credit Hours: |
1 |
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Description: |
The witch hunts of Early Modern Europe (1400-1780) flourished alongside the newly invented printing press, as "information" about witches spread rapidly through published manuals by "demonologists." Today, social media enables the spread of information at unprecedented speed and scale. Then and now, new technologies of communication raise questions about the moral responsibility for the spread of misinformation.
We will examine debates between demonologists and their skeptics to explore how Early Modern thinkers understood accountability for harmful ideas. By reading the works of, among others, frustrated German friars, an aspiring Italian astrologer, a tortured Scottish king, a possessed Italian nun, a Dutch medical provocateur, and an ennui-filled French essayist, we will explore historical frameworks for assessing the moral responsibilities associated with writing, printing, and distributing lies, and apply them to today's communication ecosystem. |
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Prerequisite(s): |
One course in Philosophy. |
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Notes: |
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Distribution(s): |
Historical Studies or Religion, Ethics, and Moral Philosophy |
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Instructors: |
Julie Walsh |
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Meeting Time(s): |
Founders 102 Classroom - W 9:30 AM - 12:10 PM |
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PHIL 331 01 - Calderwood Seminar in Public Writing: Philosophy in the First Person
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Course: |
PHIL 331 - 01 |
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Title: |
Calderwood Seminar in Public Writing: Philosophy in the First Person |
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Credit Hours: |
1 |
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Description: |
Philosophical writing is often thought to be impersonal and abstract, focused on rigorous argument and high theory to the exclusion of personal narrative, voice, humor, and literary style. But not all philosophy takes that form. This seminar explores the alternative mode of more personal philosophical writing, as it appears in contemporary personal essays on philosophical themes and pieces of public philosophy with a personal slant philosophy (in, e.g., The New York Times, The Point, Aeon, and The New Yorker.) The course is structured as a writing workshop, and centrally aims to develop students’ confidence and skill in writing their own pieces of autobiographical philosophy. Students will create a portfolio of writing and workshop it closely with their peers and professor throughout the semester. |
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Prerequisite(s): |
Permission of the instructor required. Intended for Philosophy majors and minors, but students with at least two courses in Philosophy will be considered.
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Notes: |
Subfield B or C |
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Distribution(s): |
Religion, Ethics, and Moral Philosophy
Language and Literature |
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Instructors: |
Helena de Bres |
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Meeting Time(s): |
Pendleton East 351 Seminar Room - T 12:45 PM - 3:25 PM |
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