Philosophy - graduate program

Philosophy

[ undergraduate program | graduate program | faculty ]

All courses, faculty listings, and curricular and degree requirements described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice.

Courses

For course descriptions not found in the UC San Diego General Catalog 2019–20, please contact the department for more information.

Lower Division

PHIL 1. Introduction to Philosophy (4)

A general introduction to some of the fundamental questions, texts, and methods of philosophy. Multiple topics will be covered, and may include the existence of God, the nature of mind and body, free will, ethics and political philosophy, knowledge and skepticism.

PHIL 10. Introduction to Logic (4)

Basic concepts and techniques in both informal and formal logic and reasoning, including a discussion of argument, inference, proof, and common fallacies, and an introduction to the syntax, semantics, and proof method in sentential (propositional) logic. May be used to fulfill general-education requirements for Warren and Eleanor Roosevelt Colleges.

PHIL 12. Scientific Reasoning (4)

Strategies of scientific inquiry: how elementary logic, statistical inference, and experimental design are integrated to evaluate hypotheses in the natural and social sciences. May be used to fulfill general-education requirements for Marshall, Warren, and Eleanor Roosevelt Colleges.

PHIL 13. Introduction to Philosophy: Ethics (4)

An inquiry into the nature of morality and its role in personal or social life by way of classical and/or contemporary works in ethics. May be used to fulfill general-education requirements for Muir and Marshall Colleges.

PHIL 14. Introduction to Philosophy: The Nature of Reality (4)

A survey of central issues and figures in the Western metaphysical tradition. Topics include the mind-body problem, freedom and determinism, personal identity, appearance and reality, and the existence of God.

PHIL 15. Introduction to Philosophy: Knowledge and Its Limits (4)

A study of the grounds and scope of human knowledge, both commonsense and scientific, as portrayed in the competing traditions of Continental rationalism, British empiricism, and contemporary cognitive science.

PHIL 16. Science Fiction and Philosophy (4)

An introduction to philosophy which uses science fiction to make abstract philosophical problems vivid. Science fiction themes may include time travel, teleportation, virtual reality, super-intelligent robots, futuristic utopias, and parallel universes. These scenarios raise philosophical questions about knowledge, reality, ethics, and the mind.

PHIL 25. Science, Philosophy, and the Big Questions (4)

An inquiry into fundamental questions at the intersection of science and philosophy. Topics can include Einstein’s universe; scientific revolutions; the mind and the brain.

PHIL 26. Science, Society, and Values (4)

An exploration of the interaction between scientific theory and practice on the one hand, and society and values on the other. Topics can include the relationship between science and religion, global climate change, DNA, medicine, and ethics.

PHIL 27. Ethics and Society (4)

An examination of ethical principles (e.g., utilitarianism, individual rights, etc.) and their social and political applications to contemporary issues: abortion, environmental protection, and affirmative action. Ethical principles will also be applied to moral dilemmas in government, law, business, and the professions. Warren College students must take course for a letter grade in order to satisfy the Warren College general-education requirement. Prerequisites: CAT 2 and 3 or DOC 2 and 3 or MCWP 40 and 50 or HUM 1 and 2 or MMW 2 and 3 or WCWP 10A and B.

PHIL 28. Ethics and Society II (4)

An examination of a single set of major contemporary social, political, or economic issues (e.g., environmental ethics, international ethics) in light of ethical and moral principles and values. Warren College students must take course for a letter grade in order to satisfy the Warren College general-education requirement. Prerequisites: PHIL 27 or POLI 27.

PHIL 31. Introduction to Ancient Philosophy (4)

A survey of classical Greek philosophy with an emphasis on Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, though some consideration may be given to Pre-Socratic and/or Hellenistic philosophers.

PHIL 32. Philosophy and the Rise of Modern Science (4)

Beginning with the contrast between medieval and early modern thought, the course focuses on the relation of seventeenth-century philosophy and the emergence of modern natural science. Figures to be studied may include Bacon, Galileo, Descartes, Cavendish, Hobbes, Leibniz, and Newton.

PHIL 33. Philosophy between Reason and Despair (4)

Introduction to nineteenth-century philosophy, focusing on skepticism about the authority of reason to answer questions about the ultimate meaning and value of human life. Figures discussed may include Kant, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Goldman, and de Beauvoir.

PHIL 35. Philosophy in the Americas (4)

An exploration of central philosophical issues as they have been taken up in the diverse philosophical traditions of the Americas, such as indigenous philosophy, Latin American philosophy, American Pragmatism, and the Civil Rights movement, among others. Topics may include ethics, social and political philosophy, colonialism, philosophy of race and gender, environmentalism, and issues in philosophy of language.

PHIL 50. Law and Society (4)

A survey of philosophical issues concerning law and society, such as the rule of law, the moral limits of the law, individual rights, judicial review in a constitutional democracy, the justification of punishment, and responsibility.

PHIL 87. Freshman Seminar (1)

The Freshman Seminar Program is designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small seminar setting. Freshman Seminars are offered in all campus departments and undergraduate colleges, and topics vary from quarter to quarter. Enrollment is limited to fifteen to twenty students, with preference given to entering freshmen.

PHIL 90. Basic Problem in Philosophy (4)

An investigation of a selected philosophical topic through readings, discussions, and written assignments. May be taken for credit twice, when topics vary.

Upper Division

PHIL 100. Plato (4)

A study of Socrates and/or Plato through major dialogues of Plato. Possible topics include the virtues and happiness; weakness of the will; political authority and democracy; the theory of Forms and sensible flux; immortality; relativism, skepticism, and knowledge. May be repeated for credit with change of content and approval of instructor. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 101. Aristotle (4)

A study of major issues in Aristotle’s works, such as the categories; form and matter; substance, essence, and accident; the soul; virtue, happiness, and politics. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 102. Hellenistic Philosophy (4)

A study of selected texts from the main schools of Hellenistic philosophy—Stoicism, Epicureanism, and Skepticism. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 105. The Empiricists (4)

The major writings of one or more of the philosophers associated with British empiricists—Locke, Cavendish, Berkeley, Hume, Shepherd, Cockburn, and Reid. May be repeated for credit with change of content and approval of instructor. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 106. Kant (4)

A study of selected portions of The Critique of Pure Reason and other theoretical writings and/or his major works in moral theory. May be repeated for credit with change in content and approval of the instructor. Prerequisites: PHIL 32 or 33 or 104 or 105 or 111 or 112 or consent of instructor.

PHIL 107. Hegel (4)

A study of one or more of Hegel’s major works, in particular, The Phenomenology of Spirit and The Philosophy of Right. Readings and discussion may also include other figures in the Idealist tradition—such as Fichte, Hölderlin, and Schelling—and critics of the Idealist tradition—such as Marx and Kierkegaard. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 108. Nineteenth-Century Philosophy (4)

A study of one or more figures in nineteenth-century philosophy, such as Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Marx, Emerson, Thoreau, Goldman, Luxemburg, James, and Mill. The focus may be on particular figures or intellectual themes and traditions. May be repeated for credit with change of content and approval of instructor. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 109. History of Analytic Philosophy (4)

Central texts, figures, and traditions in analytic philosophy. Figures may include Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Carnap, Moore, Austin, Quine, and Anscombe. May be repeated for credit with change of content and approval of the instructor. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 110. History of Philosophy: Ancient (4)

An examination of ancient Greek philosophy, focusing on major works of Plato and Aristotle. PHIL 10, PHIL 111, and PHIL 112 should be taken in order. Prerequisites: upper-division standing and department stamp or consent of instructor.

PHIL 111. History of Philosophy: Early Modern (4)

An examination of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century philosophy, focusing on major works of Descartes, Locke, and Hume. PHIL 110, PHIL 111, and PHIL 112 should be taken in order. Prerequisites: PHIL 110, upper-division standing and department stamp or consent of instructor.

PHIL 112. History of Philosophy: Late Modern (4)

An examination of late eighteenth and nineteenth-century philosophy, focusing on major works of Kant and Hegel. PHIL 110, PHIL 111, and PHIL 112 should be taken in order. Prerequisites: PHIL 111, upper-division standing and department stamp or consent of instructor.

PHIL 115. Philosophical Methods Seminar (4)

This course provides an introduction to the techniques of philosophical inquiry through detailed study of selected philosophical texts and through extensive training in philosophical writing based on those texts. Enrollment limited and restricted to majors; must be taken for letter grade. May not be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: open to philosophy majors only.

PHIL 120. Symbolic Logic I (4)

The syntax, semantics, and proof-theory of first-order predicate logic with identity, emphasizing both conceptual issues and practical skills (e.g., criteria for logical truth, consistency, and validity; the application of logical methods to everyday as well as scientific reasoning). Prerequisites: PHIL 10 or consent of instructor.

PHIL 122. Advanced Topics in Logic (4)

Topics vary from year to year. They include: Metalogic (Mathematical Logic), Modal Logic, Foundations of Logic, Foundations of Set Theory, Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorems, and others. Prerequisites: PHIL 120 or consent of instructor.

PHIL 123. Philosophy of Logic (4)

Philosophical issues underlying standard and nonstandard logics, the nature of logical knowledge, the relation between logic and mathematics, the revisability of logic, truth and logic, ontological commitment and ontological relativity, logical consequence, etc. May be repeated for credit with change in content and approval of instructor. Prerequisites: PHIL 120 or consent of instructor.

PHIL 124. Philosophy of Mathematics (4)

The character of logical and mathematical truth and knowledge; the relations between logic and mathematics; the significance of Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem; Platonism, logicism, and more recent approaches. Prerequisites: PHIL 120 or consent of instructor.

PHIL 130. Metaphysics (4)

Central problems in metaphysics, such as free will and determinism, the mind-body problem, personal identity, causation, primary and secondary qualities, the nature of universals, necessity, and identity. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 131. Topics in Metaphysics (4)

An in-depth study of some central problem, figure, or tradition in metaphysics. May be repeated for credit with change of content and approval of instructor. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 132. Epistemology (4)

Central problems in epistemology such as skepticism; a priori knowledge; knowledge of other minds; self-knowledge; the problem of induction; foundationalist, coherence, and causal theories of knowledge. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 134. Philosophy of Language (4)

Examination of contemporary debates about meaning, reference, truth, and thought. Topics include descriptional theories of reference, sense and reference, compositionality, truth, theories of meaning, vagueness, metaphor, and natural and formal languages. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 136. Philosophy of Mind (4)

Different conceptions of the nature of mind and its relation to the physical world. Topics include identity theories, functionalism, eliminative materialism, internalism and externalism, subjectivity, other minds, consciousness, self-knowledge, perception, memory, and imagination. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 137. Moral Psychology (4)

The nature of action and psychological explanation. Topics include action individuation, reasons as causes, psychological laws, freedom and responsibility, weakness of will, self-deception, and the emotions. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 138. Responsibility (4)

A study of the nature and significance of responsibility. Possible topics include freedom, determinism, and responsibility; moral luck; responsibility and reactive attitudes such as blame and forgiveness; responsibility and situationism; moral and criminal responsibility; responsibility and excuse; insanity and psychopathy, immaturity, addiction, provocation, and duress. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 139. Global Justice (4)

Social justice issues as they arise across the borders of nation-states. Topics may include nationalism and cosmopolitanism, theories of just war and just warfare, issues of migration and immigration, global distributive justice and fair trade, and international cooperation in the face of global problems such as climate change and human rights violations. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 140. Free Will (4)

Investigation into the nature of free will, including arguments for and against its compatibility with a scientific picture of the world and competing accounts of the metaphysics of free will. Possible topics include disputes about the nature of free will; what it is for agents to cause actions; the nature of abilities or capacities to act; the relevance of neuroscience to accounts of free will; whether free will skepticism is a stable view; and experimental research on free will. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 145. Philosophy of Science (4)

Central problems in philosophy of science, such as the nature of confirmation and explanation, the nature of scientific revolutions and progress, the unity of science, and realism and antirealism. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 146. Philosophy of Physics (4)

Philosophical problems in the development of modern physics, such as the philosophy of space and time, the epistemology of geometry, the philosophical significance of Einstein’s theory of relativity, the interpretation of quantum mechanics, and the significance of modern cosmology. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 147. Philosophy of Biology (4)

Philosophical problems in the biological sciences, such as the relation between biology and the physical sciences, the status and structure of evolutionary theory, and the role of biology in the social sciences. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 148. Philosophy and the Environment (4)

Investigation of ethical and epistemological questions concerning our relationship to the environment. Topics may include the value of nature, biodiversity, policy and science, and responsibility to future generations. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 149. Philosophy of Psychology (4)

Philosophical issues raised by psychology, including the nature of psychological explanation, the role of nature versus nurture, free will and determinism, and the unity of the person. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 150. Philosophy of the Cognitive Sciences (4)

Theoretical, empirical, methodological, and philosophical issues at work in the cognitive sciences (e.g., psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and computer science), concerning things such as mental representation, consciousness, rationality, explanation, and nativism. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.

PHIL 151. Philosophy of Neuroscience (4)

sponsibility, and for those with special interests in the topics. May be taken for credit up to nine times for a maximum of nine units.

PHIL 275. German Philosophy...