Introduction to Reason & Persuasion, 50:730:101:01, In Person Tues/Thurs 2:00 pm – 3:20 pm (Gen Ed: LQR)
Professor Sacks
Development of skills in reasoning. Consideration of what an argument is, how arguments go wrong, and what makes an argument valid. Application of techniques for clarifying meaning, evaluating, and constructing arguments. Enrollment not open to students who have taken 50:730:201.
Introduction to Current Moral and Social Issues, 50:730:105:01, In Person Tues/Thurs 11:10 am – 12:30 pm (Gen Ed: EAV)
Professor Young
Introduction to moral theory and application to selected contemporary issues. Possible topics include abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, punishment, equality, sexism, racism, affirmative action, privacy, obligations to the world’s needy, treatment of animals, drug use, and the meaning of life. Formerly 50:730:315,316.
Introduction to Philosophy, 50:730:111:02, In Person, Mon/Weds 12:30 pm – 1:50 pm (Gen Ed: EAV)
Professor Betz
An exploration of central philosophical problems, such as truth, justice, mind, and person, with a view to surveying the field and locating particular philosophical specialties within it such as logic, ethics, and metaphysics.
Introduction to Philosophy, 50:730:111:03, In Person, Tues/Thurs 2:00 pm – 3:20 pm (Gen Ed: EAV)
Professor Betz
An exploration of central philosophical problems, such as truth, justice, mind, and person, with a view to surveying the field and locating particular philosophical specialties within it such as logic, ethics, and metaphysics.
Reading Seminar, 1 credit, 50:730:190:01, In Person, Mon 2:05 pm – 4:25 pm (Gen Ed: EAV)
Professor Agule
In this small, seminar-style course, students will work through either one significant book or a similarly substantive collection of essays, with the topic varying by semester. Students will engage in intensive close reading of the philosophical texts, identifying particular arguments, premises, and claims for assessment during student discussion in the seminar meetings. The course meets for 1/3 the time of a regular course, that is, on average one hour a week (or two hours every other week). This course can be repeated up to three times for credit. (Note that there is also a similar course in Religion, 50:840:190, which can be taken up to an additional three times).
History of Philosophy II, 50:730:212:01, In Person, Tues/Thurs 11:10 am – 12:30 pm (Gen Ed: HAC)
Professor Betz
The development of philosophy from its modern beginnings in Descartes. Readings selected from the classical modern period, from Descartes through Kant. Topics include the relationship between mind and body, the origins and extent of human knowledge, skepticism and belief, and the nature of personal identity.
Nature of Mind, 50:730:221:01, In Person, Tues/Thurs 2:00 pm – 3:20 pm (Gen Ed: EAV)
Professor Rooney
What is the mind? Is it part of physical reality, or something separate? Can science explain the nature of the mind? Is it possible for a properly programmed computer to have a mind? If the mind is completely physical, is it located entirely in the brain? We will investigate these questions, and contrast philosophical approaches to them with the methods employed in neuroscience and empirical psychology.
Self and Identity, 50:730:222:01, In Person, Tues/Thurs 11:10 am – 12:30 pm (Gen Ed: EAV)
Professor Rooney
An exploration of the nature of the self, with emphasis on the conditions for remaining the same person over time and the relation between selfhood and moral responsibility.
Ethics, 50:730:226:01, In Person, Tues/Thurs 3:35 pm – 4:55 pm (Gen Ed: EAV)
Professor Rooney
An examination of fundamental issues in ethical theory through the works of contemporary philosophers and key figures in the History of ethics such as Aristotle, Kant, and Mill. Topics may include human goodness, moral obligation, rights and duties, the relation of happiness to duties, the idea of role obligations specific to professional contexts, and the possibility of objective justifications of value judgments as contrasted with views from moral nihilists, skeptics, and relativists.
Biomedical Ethics (Gen Ed: EAV)
50:730:249:90 Online – Professor Gentzel
50:730:249:92 Online – Professor Gentzel
50:730:249:94 Online – Professor Gentzel
50:730:249:96 Online – Professor Young
50:730:249:98 Online – Professor Denehy
Exploration of moral issues in medicine and medical research. The course will typically focus on issues raised by the creation and termination of life and include topics such as abortion, stem cell research, cloning, prenatal screening for disability, right to medical care, human experimentation, genetic enhancement and eugenics, animal experimentation, the diagnosis of death, and euthanasia.
Ethics of Food, 50:730:252:01, In Person, Mon/Wed 9:35 am – 10:55 am (Gen Ed: EAV)
Professor Betz
Exploration of ethical issues concerning individual food choices, food policies, and the cultural importance of culinary traditions. Course will analyze arguments concerning vegetarian and vegan diets, for organic and/or local food choices, and about policies we should collectively adopt to shape the processing, marketing, and sale of food within communities.
Philosophy of Law, 50:730:258:01, In Person, Mon/Wed 12:30 pm – 1:50 pm (Gen Ed: EAV)
Professor Agule
Exploration of moral and social issues pertaining to emerging technologies. Topics covered include human enhancement, artificial intelligence, robotics, reproductive technology and cloning, and artificial life.
Philosophical Ideas in Film, Online, 50:730:264:90 (Gen Ed: AAI)
Professor Young
An exploration of classic philosophical questions as represented in film. Possible topics include (but are not limited to) truth, skepticism, relativism, personal identity, determinism, artificial intelligence, and the problem of evil. Film representations of these classic questions will be identified and evaluated from the perspective of various philosophers, possibly including Plato, Russell, James, Descartes, Berkeley, Kant, Locke, Hume, and others.
Artifical Intelligence and Society, 50:730:328:40, Hybrid, Tues 6:00 pm – 8:50 pm (Gen Ed: AAI)
Professor Walker
The dawn of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked many ethical and legal questions, resulting in societies worldwide responding in distinct ways. In this global communities & ethics course, students will hone their critical thinking skills when examining societies’ relationship to the development and deployment of various AI technologies. Case studies will reveal the social impact that multinational, national, and corporate regulatory systems have when seeking to govern the artificial intelligence movement. Students will explore AI’s impact across the professions and analyze the ethical and legal implications of AI systems that seek to emulate human learning, reasoning, self-correction, and perception. This exploration aims to illuminate these rapidly changing innovations and foster students’ nuanced understanding of these technologies with an eye on AI’s influence on humanity and the natural world.
These rapidly evolving technologies span the gamut from foundational algorithms—sequential instructions used in all AI systems—to sophisticated machine learning models that use neural networks to process vast amounts of data. Large language models in deep learning systems build upon these innovations to generate language and create images, multimedia, and speech recognition programs. These advancements range from narrow AI used for highly specified tasks, such as chatbots, language translation, medical imaging, navigation apps, and self-driving cars, to the theoretical realm of general AI that seeks to someday simulate broad human intelligence. While general AI, also referred to as Artificial General Intelligence, remains aspirational, understanding this distinction is necessary to evaluate the current ethical and legal landscape.
Independent Studies in Philosophy, 50:730:389:01
Professor Agule
An individual reading and research project under the guidance of a member of the philosophy department in an area of interest to the department. Prerequisite: Permission of department.
Independent Studies in Philosophy, 50:730:389:02
Professor Betz
An individual reading and research project under the guidance of a member of the philosophy department in an area of interest to the department. Prerequisite: Permission of department.