Philosophy Course Inventory

The following courses are offered by the department from time to time. See 'Courses' above for current offerings.

PHIL 100 (6) Introduction to Philosophy. Basic problems and methods of Philosophy. Topics such as the existence of God, the nature and scope of human knowledge, the relationship between mind and body, personal identity, free will, issues and problems in moral philosophy. Detailed description in Department booklet.

PHIL 120 (3) Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking. Tools for dealing with both everyday and more technical arguments and concepts. Analysis and resolution of confusions, ambiguities, and fallacies. This course is restricted to students with fewer than 90 credits.

PHIL 125 (3) Introduction to Scientific Reasoning. Historical and logical analysis of various types of scientific hypotheses and the data that support or undermine them. This course is restricted to students with fewer than 90 credits.

PHIL 211 (3) Greek Philosophy I. The Presocratics; Socrates; Sophists. Recommended as preparation for CLST/PHIL 212, CLST 336, 337 and PHIL 310. Equivalent: CLST 211.

PHIL 212 (3) Greek Philosophy II. Plato; Aristotle; selections from Hellenistic Philosophy. Recommended as preparation for CLST 336, 337 and PHIL 310. Equivalent: CLST 212.

PHIL 220 (3) Symbolic Logic I. Sentential and predicate logic. Translation from natural language; truth tables and interpretations; systems of natural deduction up to relational predicate logic with identity; alternative proof methods. Some sections may use computer-based materials and tests.

PHIL 230 (3) Introduction to Moral Theory. Theories of obligation and value; moral reasoning; normative ethics, descriptive ethics and meta-ethics. Readings in classic and contemporary texts.

PHIL 235 (3) Contemporary Moral Issues. Philosophical approaches or moral problems.

PHIL 240 (3) Knowledge and Reality I. Topics in metaphysics and epistemology such as truth, knowledge, justification, the nature of physical reality, and personal identity. Readings from classic and contemporary texts.

PHIL 260 (3) Science and Society. An introduction to the historical development, conceptual foundations, and cultural significance of contemporary science. Themes will vary from year to year. Equivalent: HIST 260.

PHIL 310 (3) The Philosophy of Plato. A study of Plato's dialogues and his influence on subsequent philosophy.

PHIL 311 (3) The Philosophy of Aristotle. A study of Aristotle's writings and his influence on subsequent philosophy. Pre-requisite: PHIL 310.

PHIL 312 (3) Medieval Philosophy. Survey of Western European thought from Augustine to the fourteenth century. Possible topics and authors include: Augustine; Abelard; the influence of Islam; the rediscovery of Aristotle; Aquinas; Scotus; Ockham. Equivalent: RELG 328.

PHIL 314 (3) Philosophy in the 17th Century. Survey of 17th century philosophy from Bacon to Leibniz, including the writings of Hobbes, Descartes, and Spinoza. The influence of science and religion on philosophical thought.

PHIL 315 (3) Early Modern Philosophy: B. Survey of 18th century philosophy from Locke to Kant, including the writings of Berkeley, Rousseau, and Hume. The influence of science and religion on philosophy. Pre-requisite: PHIL 314.

PHIL 316 (3) Philosophy After 1800. Survey of 19th and 20th century philosophy. May include Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Mill, Meinong, Brentano, the British Idealist, Russell, and Moore. Social and political currents in 19th century philosophical thought.

PHIL 320 (3) Symbolic Logic. Continuation of PHIL 220. A system of deduction for predicate logic is selected for further study. Completeness of this system and other metatheoretic results are proved. Other topics include computability, recursive function theory, incompleteness and decidability. Pre-requisite: PHIL 220.

PHIL 321 (3) Induction and Decision. Formal methods relevant to the logic of decision. Decision theory, game theory, axiomatic probability theory and its interpretations, belief dynamics, simulation and modelling. Pre-requisite: 1 of PHIL 125, PHIL 220.

PHIL 322 (3) Modal Logic. Logic of the modal operators "It is necessary that" and "It is possible that." Possible-world semantics and a method of derivation for this logic. Pre-requisite: PHIL 220.

PHIL 323 (3) Non-Classical Logics. One or more of conditional logic, deontic logic, epistemic logic, many-valued logic, systems of belief dynamics. Pre-requisite: PHIL 220.

PHIL 324 (3) Philosophy of Logic. Fundamental concepts and methods of logic; the logistic method, syntax and semantics; the conditional; entailment; consequence; modal logic; problems concerning extensionality and intentionality. Frege's distinction between sense and reference; Russell's theory of definite descriptions; Tarski's definition of truth. Pre-requisite: PHIL 220.

PHIL 330 (3) Social and Political Philosophy. Theories of political and legal obligation and authority, legal reasoning, society and the state. Readings in classic and contemporary texts.

PHIL 335 (3) Power and Oppression. Philosophical approaches to historical problems of inequality and social harm, with readings drawn from historical and contemporary sources. Topics to be studied may include slavery, colonialism, labour, and the position of women in society.

PHIL 338 (3) Philosophy of Law. Concepts of law, constitution and sovereignty; law and morality; natural law theories and legal positivism; obligation, responsibility, and punishment.

PHIL 339 (3) Philosophy of Art. Topics include art and perception, art and reality, imagination, expression, censorship, and the role of art in human life.

PHIL 340 (3) Knowledge and Reality II. Topics in metaphysics and epistemology such as induction, the mind/body problem, free will, and action theory. Readings from classic and contemporary texts. Pre-requisite: PHIL 240.

PHIL 349 (3) Philosophy of Religion. A critical and analytical examination of arguments for and arguments against the existence of God, and other related topics.

PHIL 360 (3) Introduction to History and Philosophy of Science. An examination of historical, conceptual and methodological conditions of scientific knowledge through detailed consideration of important episodes in the history of science. Equivalent: HIST 360.

PHIL 362 (3) History and Philosophy of Economics I. The development of economic thought from Aristotle to Adam Smith, focusing primarily on the conceptual foundations of economics, particularly the problems of value, distribution, and economic growth (Same as ECON 319A). This course is pending Senate approval.

PHIL 363 (3) History and Philosophy of Economics II. The development of economic thought from David Ricardo up to the present, including such figures as Malthus, Mill, Jevons, and Keynes, focusing primarily on the conceptual foundations of economics, particularly the problems of value, distribution, and growth. (Same as ECON 319B)

PHIL 375 (3) Philosophy and Literature. Philosophical issues in works of literature or arising from theories of literary interpretation. Topics include issues relating to relativism, the nature of morality, free will, personal identity, the nature of the emotions.

PHIL 385 (3) Existentialism. Meaning, identity and alienation as explored in the works for example of Kierkegaard, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Sartre, and Camus.

PHIL 390 (6/12) c Honours Tutorial. For students in third-year Honours.

PHIL 400 (3) Morals, Politics and the Individual. Introduction to major themes in moral and political philosophy. Primarily for fourth-year and graduate students who have had no previous course in Philosophy.

PHIL 401 (3) Knowledge, Explanation, and the Nature of Things. Introduction to major themes in epistemology and metaphysics. Primarily for fourth-year and graduate students who have had no previous course in Philosophy.

PHIL 410 (3) Topics in Ancient Philosophy. Advanced study of the Presocratics, or of a philosopher such as Plato, or of a school such as the Sceptics or Stoics. Topics vary from year to year. Pre-requisite: PHIL 311.

PHIL 412 (3) Topics in Medieval Philosophy. Advanced study of a medieval philosopher such as Aquinas, or school. Pre-requisite: PHIL 313.

PHIL 414 (3/6) d Topics in the History of Modern Philosophy. Intensive study of a major philosopher or school such as Descartes, Hume, Empiricism, Rationalism, or the British utilitarians. Pre-requisite: 1 of PHIL 314, PHIL 315, PHIL 316.

PHIL 415 (3) The Philosophy of Immanuel Kant. Study of Kant's critical philosophy. Pre-requisite: 1 of PHIL 314, PHIL 315, PHIL 340.

PHIL 416 (3/6) d Topics in 19th-Century Philosophy. Study of a major nineteenth-century philosopher such as Hegel, Mill or Nietzsche, or school, such as German Idealism. Pre-requisite: 1 of PHIL 314, PHIL 315, PHIL 316, PHIL 340.

PHIL 418 (3/6) d Topics in Twentieth-Century Philosophy. Intensive study of a major philospher such as Wittgenstein, Russell, or Heidegger, or school, such as pragmatism or logical empiricism. Pre-requisite: PHIL 340.

PHIL 419 (3) Philosophy of History. Concepts of history and historical explanation, historical progress, purpose, necessity, law and causation. Hegel, Marx, Vico, Spengler, Pareto, Collingwood, Croce, and Toynbee, as well as contemporary figures. Students will be expected to have an adequate knowledge of ancient or modern history.

PHIL 420 (3/6) d Topics in Symbolic Logic. Formal semantics, proof theory, incompleteness and decidability, axiomatic set theory, independence results. Consult the Department as to which topics are offered in a given year. Pre-requisite: PHIL 220.

PHIL 425 (3) Philosophy of Language: A. Predication, definite descriptions, performative utterances, interpretation and semantic theory. Pre-requisite: PHIL 340.

PHIL 426 (3) Philosophy of Language: B. The continuation of PHIL 425. Pre-requisite: PHIL 340.

PHIL 427 (3) Philosophy of Mathematics. Such questions as: logicism, formalism and constructivism, implications of metatheorems such as those of Gödel and Church, mathematical truth, mathematics and mental construction, mathematics and the physical world. Readings from Frege, Russell, Hilbert, Gödel, Wittgenstein, Quine and others.

PHIL 431 (3) Social and Political Philosophy. Central concepts and problems in political life and thought including obligation; the citizen, agent and representative; public purpose and good; justice; equality; civil rights and liberty; disobedience; the relationship between moral and legal duty and between education and politics.

PHIL 432 (3) Ethical Theory. Classic or contemporary works in ethical theory. Pre-requisite: PHIL 330.

PHIL 433 (3) Bio-Medical Ethics. Moral problems arising in the health sciences, especially in medicine but also in biology, psychology, and social work. Topics include abortion, death and euthanasia, genetic engineering, behaviour modification, compulsory treatment, experimentation with human beings and animals, and the relationship between professionals and their patients, subjects or clients. No philosophical background is required.

PHIL 434 (3) Business and Professional Ethics. Moral problems in contemporary business and professional practice, general moral theory, the law, and policy formation. Corporate social and environmental responsibility, employee rights, preferential hiring and affirmative action programs, conflicts of interest, advertising, "whistle blowing" and self-regulation.

PHIL 435 (3) Environmental Ethics. Moral problems arising in the context of human relationships to nature and to non-human living things, considered both in terms of general moral theory and policy formation. Topics include moral standing, animal rights, obligations to future generations, pollution, hazardous materials, the depletion of natural resources and the treatment of non-human living things.

PHIL 440 (3) Epistemology. Analysis of the concept of knowledge; problems of justifying our ordinary and basic empirical beliefs. Pre-requisite: PHIL 340.

PHIL 441 (3) Philosophy of Perception. The contribution of the senses to knowledge of the external world; problems about skepticism. Pre-requisite: PHIL 340.

PHIL 449 (3) Continental Philosophy. A study of European philosophers from amongst Husserl, Heidegger, Habermas, Foucault, Derrida, Lacan, Levinas, and others.

PHIL 450 (3) Metaphysics. Topics including ontology, universals and particulars, substance, determinism and indeterminism, identity over time, and theories of truth. Pre-requisite: PHIL 340.

PHIL 451 (3) Philosophy of Mind. The concepts of the mental and physical; problems of the relation between minds and bodies; problems of determining the meaning of statements about mental events. Pre-requisite: PHIL 340.

PHIL 452 (3) Philosophy of Action. Explanation of human actions; the conditions of responsibility; freedom of the will; the domains of rational and moral appraisal; the category of action and the individuation of actions. Pre-requisite: PHIL 340.

PHIL 460 (3/6) d Philosophy of Science. Issues common to all sciences. Philosophical questions including the character of scientific laws, theories and revolutions, the nature of scientific confirmation, causality, explanation and prediction, and the use of logic and probability. Difficulties in the interpretation of atomic physics and questions about relationships between biology and psychology. No philosophical background is assumed.

PHIL 461 (3) Philosophy of Social Science. Topics in the philosophy of science of special concern to the social and behavioural sciences; hypotheses and explanation; principles, theories, models; the formation of scientific concepts; the function of mathematics in social science.

PHIL 462 (3/6) d Space and Time. Such topics as: Are space and time continuous? Is motion always relative to another body? Does time flow? Is time irreversible? Pre-requisite: PHIL 340 or 12 credits of Mathematics or Science.

PHIL 469 (3/6) d Topics in Philosophy of Science. Topics such as probability and induction; foundations of measurement; theory construction. Pre-requisite: PHIL 460.

PHIL 485 (3) Directed Reading. Same as PHIL 486-9.

PHIL 490 (6/12) c Honours Tutorial. For students in fourth-year Honours.

PHIL 491 (3) Seminar for Majors in Philosophy. This course satisfies the research requirement for undergraduates who must meet the writing and research requirements. The research requirement applies to all students who declare a Major for 2011W session or later.

PHIL 510 (3-12) d Ancient Philosophy.

PHIL 512 (3-12) d Medieval Philosophy.

PHIL 514 (3-12) d Early Modern Philosophy.

PHIL 516 (3-12) d Modern Philosophy.

PHIL 518 (3-12) d Twentieth-Century Philosophy.

PHIL 520 (3-12) d Logic.

PHIL 525 (3-12) d Philosophy of Language.

PHIL 527 (3-12) d Philosophy of Mathematics.

PHIL 528 (3-12) d Philosophical Issues in the Foundations of Mathematics.

PHIL 530 (3-12) d Moral Philosophy.

PHIL 531 (3-12) d Political Philosophy.

PHIL 532 (3-12) d Ethical Theory and Practice.

PHIL 533 (3-12) d Issues in Bio-Medical Ethics.

PHIL 534 (3-12) d Issues in Business and Professional Ethics.

PHIL 535 (3-12) d Issues in Environmental Ethics.

PHIL 536 (3-12) d Ethical Issues in Public Policy.

PHIL 539 (3-12) d Aesthetics.

PHIL 540 (3-12) d Epistemology.

PHIL 550 (3-12) d Metaphysics.

PHIL 551 (3-12) d Philosophy of Mind.

PHIL 560 (3-12) d Philosophy of Science.

PHIL 581 (3) Problems. Same as PHIL 582-589.

PHIL 599 (12) MA Thesis.

PHIL 699 (0) Ph.D. Thesis.