Minor Concentration Philosophy (18 credits)

Program Requirements

Complementary Courses (18 credits)

18 credits, of which no more than 9 credits may be at the 200 level and at least 3 credits must be at the 400 or 500 level, distributed as follows:

15 credits from Groups A, B, C, D, and E with one course from at least four of the five groups.

3 additional credits from Groups A, B, C, D, and E or from other Philosophy (PHIL) courses.

Group A

• PHIL 230 Introduction to Moral Philosophy 1 (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A survey of a number of historically important and influential theories. Philosophers to be discussed may include Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Bentham, Mill, and Moore.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Sarah Stroud (Fall)

• PHIL 237 Contemporary Moral Issues (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An introductory discussion of central ethical questions (the value of persons, or the relationship of rights and utilities, for example) through the investigation of currently disputed social and political issues. Specific issues to be discussed may include pornography and censorship, affirmative action, civil disobedience, punishment, abortion, and euthanasia.

  Terms: Winter 2013, Summer 2013

  Instructors: Kristin Voigt (Winter)

• PHIL 242 Introduction to Feminist Theory (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An introduction to feminist theory as political theory. Emphasis is placed on the plurality of analyses and proposals that constitute contemporary feminist thought. Some of the following are considered: liberal feminism, marxist and socialist feminism, radical feminism, postmodern feminism, francophone feminism, and the contributions to feminist theory by women of colour and lesbians.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Marguerite Deslauriers (Fall)

• PHIL 334 Ethical Theory (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A course focusing on central questions in ethical theory such as the nature of the good and the right and the factors which determine moral rightness and wrongness.

  Terms: Winter 2013

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  • Prerequisite: one of PHIL 230, PHIL 237, PHIL 242, PHIL 343, or written permission of the instructor
• PHIL 343 Biomedical Ethics (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An investigation of ethical issues as they arise in the practice of medicine (informed consent, e.g.) or in the application of medical technology (in vitro fertilization, euthanasia, e.g.)

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Iwao Hirose (Fall)

• PHIL 348 Philosophy of Law 1 (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A discussion of the nature of justice and law, and of the relationship between them.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: R Storrs McCall (Fall)

  • Restriction: This course is intended for students with a non-professional interest in law, as well as for those considering law as a profession
• PHIL 434 Ethics 2 (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : Advanced discussion of one or more themes in ethics. Topics will vary from year to year but may include such issues as the nature of rights and duties, moral realism and anti-realism, or the place of reason in morality.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Andrew Reisner (Fall)

  • Prerequisite: PHIL 334 or written permission of the instructor
• PHIL 442 Topics in Feminist Theory (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : Advanced discussion of topical and central themes in feminist theory.

  Terms: Winter 2013

  Instructors: Alia Al-Saji (Winter)

  • Prerequisite: PHIL 242 and one intermediate course in philosophy

Group B

• PHIL 210 Introduction to Deductive Logic 1 (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An introduction to propositional and predicate logic; formalization of arguments, truth tables, systems of deduction, elementary metaresults, and related topics.

  Terms: Fall 2012, Summer 2013

  Instructors: Michael Frank Hallett (Fall)

  • Restriction: Not open to students who are taking or have taken MATH 318
• PHIL 221 Introduction to History and Philosophy of Science 2 (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A survey of the development of modern science since the Eighteenth Century.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

• PHIL 304 Chomsky (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : Philosophical aspects of Chomsky's contribution to psychology, linguistic theory, theories of human nature, and to politics.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

• PHIL 306 Philosophy of Mind (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A survey of major positions of the mind-body problem, focusing on such questions as: Do we have minds and bodies? Can minds affect bodies? Is mind identical to body? If so, in what sense "identical"? Can physical bodies be conscious.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Andrew Reisner (Fall)

• PHIL 310 Intermediate Logic (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A second course in Logic. NB. The course will be technical in nature, and some mathematical aptitude is essential. The emphasis is on the expressive properties of standard logical systems, including implications for the philosophy of mathematics. We will study the Completeness of First-Order Logic, then the 'limitative' theorems of Tarski and Gödel.

  Terms: Winter 2013

  Instructors: Michael Frank Hallett (Winter)

  • Prerequisite: PHIL 210 or equivalent
• PHIL 341 Philosophy of Science 1 (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A discussion of philosophical problems as they arise in the context of scientific practice and enquiry. Such issues as the philosophical presuppositions of the physical and social sciences, the nature of scientific method and its epistemological implications will be addressed.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Dirk Schlimm (Fall)

• PHIL 370 Problems in Analytic Philosophy (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An introduction to the central questions in the analytic tradition, through the works of important early figures in that tradition. Philosophers to be discussed may include: Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Ramsay, Carnap and the "logical positivists".

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Oran Magal (Fall)

• PHIL 410 Advanced Topics in Logic 1 (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A course focusing on central results in logic that are of philosophical significance.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  • Prerequisite: PHIL 310 or equivalent
• PHIL 411 Topics in Philosophy of Logic and Mathematics (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A course focusing on some philosophical issue (e.g., the nature of numbers or the relation of truth to provability) as it arises in the study of mathematics and logic.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  • Prerequisites: PHIL 210 or the equivalent, and one intermediate course in philosophy
• PHIL 415 Philosophy of Language (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of central notions in the philosophy of language (reference, meaning, and truth, e.g.), the puzzles these notions give rise to, and the relevance of these notions to such questions as: What is language? How is communication possible? What is understanding? Is language rule-governed.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Michael Frank Hallett (Fall)

  • Prerequisites: PHIL 210 or equivalent and one intermediate course in philosophy
• PHIL 419 Epistemology (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A discussion of central topics in the theory of knowledge. The questions addressed in the course may include: What is knowledge? Do we have any knowledge? What is the relation between knowledge and belief? When is belief justified? Is all knowledge conscious knowledge.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Michael Blome-Tillmann (Fall)

  • Prerequisite: PHIL 210 or equivalent and one intermediate course in philosophy
• PHIL 421 Metaphysics (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of central questions in metaphysics in their historical and contemporary forms. Topics may be chosen from such issues as: personal identity, the nature of space and time, the nature of events and properties, possible worlds, and the problem of realism.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  • Prerequisites: PHIL 210 or equivalent and one intermediate course in philosophy
• PHIL 441 Philosophy of Science 2 (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An analysis of some key philosophical ideas in science and technology, e.g. problem, explanation, forecast, testability and truth.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  • Prerequisite: PHIL 341 or written permission of the instructor
• PHIL 470 Topics in Contemporary Analytic Philosophy (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An advanced discussion of major themes in the analytic tradition.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  • Prerequisite: PHIL 370, PHIL 415 or written permission of instructor

Group C

• PHIL 375 Existentialism (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : This course will examine the nature of existentialist thought as represented in various philosophical and literary texts. Particular themes to be examined include freedom, alienation, responsibility and choice, and the nature of self.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Susan Judith Hoffmann (Fall)

  • Prerequisite: one course in philosophy
• PHIL 474 Phenomenology (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A study of phenomenology from a historical and thematic perspective. The course will typically involve the study of central thinkers such as Husserl, Heidegger, or Merleau-Ponty, with an examination of the nature and development of the phenomenological movement.

  Terms: Winter 2013

  Instructors: R Philip Buckley (Winter)

  • Prerequisite: one intermediate course in philosophy
• PHIL 475 Topics in Contemporary European Philosophy (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : Advanced discussion of selected themes in contemporary European philosophy.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Stephen Noble (Fall)

  • Prerequisite: one intermediate course in philosophy

Group D

• PHIL 344 Medieval and Renaissance Political Theory (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

• PHIL 345 Greek Political Theory (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of the ethical and political theories of ancient Greece, especially those of Plato and Aristotle.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Marguerite Deslauriers (Fall)

  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken POLI 333
• PHIL 350 History and Philosophy of Ancient Science (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : Topics in ancient pure mathematics (geometry and number theory), "mixed mathematics" (astronomy, music theory, optics, mechanics), and/or natural science (including medicine), studied with a view to philosophical issues raised by the content of ancient science and/or by the logic of scientific argument.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

• PHIL 353 The Presocratic Philosophers (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of the surviving fragments of the presocratic philosophers and schools of philosophy, as well as later reports of their views.

  Terms: Winter 2013

  Instructors: Eric Lewis (Winter)

• PHIL 354 Plato (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of some of the philosophical problems (those in logic, epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics, e.g.) found in a selection of Plato's dialogues.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Andrew Reisner (Fall)

• PHIL 355 Aristotle (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of selected works by Aristotle. The course considers issues in moral philosophy as well as those found in the logical treatises, the Physics and Metaphysics, and in the philosophy of mind.

  Terms: Winter 2013

  Instructors: Marguerite Deslauriers (Winter)

• PHIL 356 Early Medieval Philosophy (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of selected works in the Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions. Topics in moral and political philosophy, logic and metaphysics, philosophical psychology and epistemology, philosophy of science, and philosophical theology may be discussed.

  Terms: Winter 2013

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

• PHIL 357 Late Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A discussion of the works of selected philosophers from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Topics for discussion may include God's knowledge of future contingents, issues in medieval logic, political and moral issues, and philosophical theology.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

• PHIL 452 Later Greek Philosophy (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of some of the major post-Aristotelian schools of philosophy. Texts from the Peripatetic, Stoic, Epicurean, Sceptical, Platonic, and medical traditions may be considered. Problems in logic, ethics, physics, epistemology, and metaphysics will be addressed.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  • Prerequisite: PHIL 354 or PHIL 355
  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken POLI 351
• PHIL 453 Ancient Metaphysics and Natural Philosophy (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of central themes of ancient metaphysics and/or natural philosophy as treated by two or more contrasting philosophers or philosophical traditions - probably including Plato and/or Aristotle, and possibly including some Hellenistic or post-Hellenistic schools.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

• PHIL 454 Ancient Moral Theory (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of central themes of ancient moral theory as treated by two or more contrasting philosophers or philosophical traditions - probably including Plato and/or Aristotle, and possibly some Hellenistic or post-Hellenistic schools.

  Terms: Winter 2013

  Instructors: Gaelle Fiasse (Winter)

Group E

• PHIL 360 17th Century Philosophy (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of the work of such seventeenth-century philosophers as Descartes, Hobbes, Gassendi, Malebranche, Leibniz, and the Cambridge Platonists.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

• PHIL 361 18th Century Philosophy (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A survey of eighteenth century philosophy, especially British philosophy. Attention is given to fundamental metaphysical, epistemological, and moral issues as reflected in the work of such philosophers as Locke, Shaftesbury, Berkeley, Hutcheson, Butler, Hume and Reid.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Emily J Carson (Fall)

• PHIL 366 18th and Early 19th Century German Philosophy (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of the works of such philosophers as Kant, Fichte, Jacobi, Schelling, and Hegel.

  Terms: Fall 2012

  Instructors: Antoine Panaioti (Fall)

  • Prerequisite: PHIL 360 or PHIL 361 is recommended
• PHIL 367 19th Century Philosophy (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of the works of such 19th century philosophers as Mach, Helmholtz, Dedekind, Frege, Marx, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Mill and Bradley.

  Terms: Winter 2013

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  • Prerequisite: A previous course in philosophy is recommended
• PHIL 444 Early Modern Political Theory (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : A survey of political and moral theory from the Reformation to the French Revolution including Luther, Montaigne, Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Smith.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  • Prerequisite: at least one course in political philosophy
• PHIL 445 19th Century Political Theory (3 credits)

  Offered by: Philosophy (Faculty of Arts)

  Overview

  Philosophy : An examination of various strands of political theory since Rousseau, concentrating on such themes as the understanding of modernity and theories of liberal society.

  Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

  • Prerequisite: at least one course in political philosophy
  • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken POLI 434