A look at some central questions in philosophy, including: Does God exist? What is knowledge? Truth? How do we distinguish between right and wrong?  What justifies political authority? Does morality ever permit or require us to break the law? Specific topics will include: race and racism, fake news, and the justification and limits of rights in property.  Examples and case studies will be drawn from a wide range of disciplines and areas, from the natural and social sciences to art and music.

Antirequisite(s): Philosophy 1000E, Philosophy 1022E, Philosophy 1100E, Philosophy 1250F/G, Philosophy 1300E, Philosophy 1350F/G.

In our everyday experiences, we are confronted by situations in which we have to decide what is right, and what is wrong. Broadly, we can think of these as ethical “moments”, where we have to make a certain kind of judgment: normative or moral judgment. We ask: what is morally permissible in these circumstances? What is morally obligatory? What is forbidden? The answers that we give are important – they will guide our actions, or we may use them to evaluate the actions of others. Either way, they will determine what counts as a right action, or who is a good person.

Politics and law sometimes generate very similar experiences – we ask ourselves whether an action is legal or illegal, which tax or environmental policy is the best for the country, whether the government has done something to violate our rights, and so on. There are many instances where ethics, law and politics intersect.

This course will discuss some of the ideas that have shaped modern culture, politics, science, and philosophy. These “big ideas” are familiar and widely debated in our culture. What we often miss is how closely they are connected with philosophy. Many of the most powerful and influential ideas-- not only in philosophy, politics, and culture, but even in science and technology--developed through philosophical reflections on human problems. Historic figures such as Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Alan Turing, as well as many of the transformative thinkers of our own time, began by asking new philosophical questions about old and established beliefs. Reading and discussing original texts by these and other authors, we will try to understand some of the most revolutionary and interesting of these ideas from a critical philosophical perspective. We will talk about the impact that they have had, might have, or ought to have on our lives and thought. “Big ideas” to be discussed include: justice, equality, evolution, infinity, determinism, materialism, computation, artificial intelligence, theism, atheism, skepticism, certainty, evil, relativity, and others.

An introduction to the basic principles of reasoning and critical thinking designed to enhance the student's ability to evaluate various forms of reasoning found in everyday life as well as in academic disciplines. The course will deal with such topics as inductive and deductive reasoning, the nature and function of definitions, types of fallacies, the use and misuse of statistics, and the rudiments of logic. Primarily for first year students.

Antirequisite(s): Philosophy 1000E, Philosophy 1200.

An introduction to the basic principles of reasoning and critical thinking designed to enhance the student's ability to evaluate various forms of reasoning found in everyday life as well as in academic disciplines. The course will deal with such topics as inductive and deductive reasoning, the nature and function of definitions, types of fallacies, the use and misuse of statistics, and the rudiments of logic. Primarily for first year students.

Antirequisite(s): Philosophy 1000E, Philosophy 1200.

This is an introductory course in formal logic, which may be used to satisfy the logic requirement for the HSP module in Philosophy. The focus of the course is on Modern Symbolic Logic. The first term focuses solely on propositional or sentential logic; the second term is dedicated to first-order predicate logic. A system of natural deduction is introduced for proving statements and assessing natural language arguments. A formal language is introduced along with techniques for translating between this formal system and natural language. Truth tables are used to test for truth-functional properties. A more efficient system of truth trees is then introduced to test for these properties. Time permitting the course will conclude with a brief introduction to modal and other alternative logics.

Antirequisite(s): Philosophy 2250, Philosophy 2252W/X, Computer Science 2209A/B.

Astronauts age more slowly. Time can have a beginning. Space and time are curved. All these surprising claims are consequences of Einstein's revolutionary theories of relativity. This course explains these and related ideas in historical context and explores their philosophical significance. No physics and only grade 11 mathematics required.

An evaluation of sciences attempting to understand the nature of the mind and its place in the physical world. Topics may include: phrenology & localization theory, physiology, neuroanatomy, gestalt psychology, experimental psychology, evolutionary psychology, psychophysics, psychoanalysis, behaviorism, cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, intelligence testing and the nature of consciousness.

To say our society is racist, sexist, or the like is to say it is marked by systems and relationships of power that are oppressive to certain groups of people. This course examines these systems and relationships and considers what philosophers have said about them. We will explore their answers to questions that include the following: What does it mean to be oppressed or be the target of something like homophobia or ableism? How should we understand power as it occurs in relationships of both oppression and privilege? How do different systems of oppression intersect and inform one another? How do tools of oppression (e.g., microaggressions, stereotyping) work? How can people be empowered to resist their own oppression or the oppression of others? How can they act in solidarity with one another to achieve this goal?

The above questions fit under categories that correspond to different ways that power can manifest itself: as domination (power over others), as resistance (power to resist), and as solidarity (power with others). The course will be divided up according to these three topics. We will also apply the theories we learn to case studies such as those of police violence against Black people, reproductive injustice toward Indigenous people, the misgendering of trans people, and Quebec’s ban on government employees wearing religious “symbols” such as the hijab.

Antirequisite(s): Philosophy 2630F/G.

A study of philosophical approaches to evil through the history of Western philosophy. We will consider evil as a theological problem (i.e., the problem of evil), the metaphysical character of evil (i.e, what is it?), and philosophical responses to the fact of evil and suffering, especially pessimism (the view that this is the “worst of all possible worlds”).

This course is focused on understanding and engaging the arguments that scholars have made about death. The specific arguments we consider attempt to answer the following questions: What does it mean to say that a person is dead? What, if anything, survives beyond death? Is death bad? Conversely, is immortality good? Are there any circumstances in which it is morally permissible to bring about the death of another and if so, why?

It is sometimes said that the phrase “business ethics” is an oxymoron. In this course we will attempt to dispel this popular conception. By working our way through many of the moral issues to which the practice of business gives rise, we will show that the interests of business people and moral philosophers converge. Topics include: What is the relation between business and free market capitalism? What is the nature of moral reasoning? Do corporations have social responsibilities? What social responsibilities do corporations have when operating in the global context? Are there universal ethical principles which can guide the conduct of multinational corporations? Do international sweatshops violate human rights? Can the capitalist market economy be justified? What constitutes a just distribution of the goods and services produced by society? Is affirmative action morally justified? How much information about a product is a corporation morally obligated to disclose to consumers, and how and to whom should this information be disclosed? Is business bluffing ethical? When is advertising ethically questionable? What rights and obligations do employees and employers have in the workplace? Do employees have the right to know of work-related safety hazards? Is whistle-blowing morally justified?

We spend a considerable portion of our lives in the digital world. What moral considerations ought to guide our conduct as cyber-citizens, given the possibility that online behaviour is morally distinct from real world behaviour? This class will engage materials that address the philosophical issues raised by these two questions: Specifically: What’s the relationship between our virtual identities and our physical identities? How is online activity changing our interpersonal relationships? What are our rights and responsibilities toward others in the cyberworld? How do we trade between the potentially conflicting values of anonymity and accountability? How do we balance copyright claims against demands for open access? Is piracy always wrong? Does a hacker’s code of ethics make any sense? How should we respond to forms of hate and exclusion in online communities?

We will study the fundamental concepts of law, and the philosophical principles on which they are based. The course is divided into four sections, two each term, as follows: the first term will be spent on tort law and contract law; the second term criminal law and constitutional law. There will also be an introduction to the basic structure of our court system, the difference between statute law and common law, and some basic knowledge of the legal process.

In the study of tort law the main focus will be on the law of negligence, including the expanding areas of liability of product manufacturers, tavern owners, and other public ‑ private entities. We will be reading an essay describing the difference between American and Canadian approaches to tort law, and illustrating themes that are ever present in the law's development.

In the study of contract law, the student will gain an understanding of the basics of contract law by looking at pivotal cases, and applying the principles found in those cases in various other situations. Again, a philosophical essay will lead the way to conceptual underpinnings of contract law.

For criminal law, the questions of culpability, intention, and available defences are considered.

Finally, constitutional law will be studied with the main focus on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and litigation based on that legislation.

While there is no claim that the student will gain knowledge of the most current state of the law, there will be an effort to consider current events and controversial issues that are topical during the study of the course.

In addition, and in conjunction with the cases studied, will be a discussion of the philosophical principles that underlie, justify and inform the law. Controversial areas of the law will be discussed including such topics as the independence of the courts from political influence, freedom of speech, pornography, the tension between legal obligations to accused persons and the rights of victims of crime etc.

A philosophical reflection on food and our current food system. Issues may include food and climate change, food justice, local and global hunger and food insecurity, the industrialization of food and agriculture, the moral and political dimensions of genetically modified food, or the treatment of animals and lab cultured meat.

Extra Information: Blended

This course will provide students with an introduction to the questions confronted by the main figures of Ancient Greek philosophy (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the Hellenistic Philosophers). We shall examine such questions as: What is philosophy and how should it be practiced? What is the underlying nature of reality? Is the fundamental state of the universe motion or stability? Is knowledge possible? If so, how do we acquire it? Can we have knowledge of a changing world or does knowledge require eternal, unchanging objects (e.g. Plato’s Forms)? What is the nature of happiness and how does one attain it? How many kinds of friendship are there? Is friendship necessary for happiness?

Extra Information: Blended

A critical examination of key works of selected figures of the 17th and 18th centuries.

A very first introduction to philosophy of language, this course will focus on fascinating social and ethical issues about “talk”, such as: how language shapes perception; gender-neutral language; racist and sexist language, including slurs and “cat calls”; linguistic reform and the purported “decline of English grammar”; prohibitions on pornography and hate speech; lying and misleading; bullshitting and nonsensical speech; “fake news”.

An examination of philosophical problems to which modern physical theories of quantum mechanics and relativity have given rise. No previous formal training in physics and mathematics will be presupposed.

This course explores philosophical issues related to climate change, including problems of knowledge in climate science; making choices when outcomes are deeply uncertain; international justice in climate policy; weighing harms to future generations and to non-human nature; the moral significance of risk of human extinction; and revision of cultural values.

Controversies about the moral status of animals, embryos and PVS patients, not to mention the possibility of life beyond the grave, often trace back to a more fundamental controversy in the philosophy of mind: What are minds? This course is about this latter controversy. UNIT 1 begins by discussing two strikingly different pictures of the human mind that go back to the ancient world, viz., materialism and dualism. It then explores how these views were modified and contested in early modern Europe. UNIT 2 examines some more recent, i.e., 20th century, theories of mind and some difficulties they have faced (mostly having to do with pain, zombies, colours and/or bats). UNIT 3 surveys a variety of contemporary topics, including AI, simulated worlds and extended cognition.

All areas of philosophy, and of human knowledge in general, depend on assumptions about the nature of knowledge: assumptions about how we come to know what we know, what we can know about the world, and how we come to trust the knowledge claims of other people as well as our own. The theory of knowledge thus has metaphysical, psychological, and social dimensions as well as directly epistemological ones. This course considers some of the most important problems in the theory of knowledge, from a selection of classical and contemporary viewpoints. In this way we will gain some insight into the origins, motivations, and evolution of these problems as well as their implications for contemporary thought. Topics will include the nature of perception, the relation between sense and reason, scepticism and certainty, trust in the testimony others, deductive and non-deductive inference, and the role of a priori principles in our common sense and scientific knowledge. Although there are no formal prerequisites, some prior familiarity with philosophical texts will be assumed.

This course focuses on five philosophers of the existentialist movement, including Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre and de Beauvoiur. A variety of themes will be investigated; most importantly, why these philosophers call into question the traditional view of the subject as detached from the world in a relation that is epistemic, and how, in doing so, they emphasize our existence as living individuals, that is, as always already situated in a world and as open to future possibilities. These two aspects come together in the idea that human existence involves having to create meaning out of the conditions in which we find ourselves—thus giving rise to related themes including: alienation, authenticity, freedom, and being with others. Accordingly, our investigation will include questions such as: What is our relation to the world and how does the world take on meaning in our everyday lives? What is freedom? To what extent is our freedom shaped by the world and others? What might it mean to live authentically? Who is the other and what role do others play in our lives?

An examination of issues in philosophy of religion, focusing on arguments concerning the existence of God, the immortality of the soul, the occurrence of miracles, the validity of religious experience, and the place of religion in morality. Independent critical thinking is stressed, and no particular religious views are presupposed.

Antirequisite(s): Philosophy 2063E (Brescia), Philosophy 2660E (King's).

This course introduces students to the attempts by scholars to understand whether, and the degree to which, humans can/should be held responsible for their actions. Do humans have ethical duties and responsibilities toward one another or themselves? If so, what are the foundations of those ethical duties, and what do they demand? Our survey of the scholarly responses to these questions will be separated in two parts: First a review of prominent positions on meta-ethics, followed by a survey of the five dominant ethical theories.

Antirequisite(s): Governance, Leadership and Ethics 2002F/G.

Ethical issues in health care represent some of the most pressing issues faced by Canadians. In this course, students will learn about the most important bioethical issues across the human life span, from conception to death. At what point in development do human beings acquire moral status? Is it ethical to select human embryos for desirable features? When patients and physicians disagree about treatment, who has the final say? Should COVID-19 vaccinations be mandatory? And can we harvest organs for transplantation from the dead? Diverse philosophical approaches to these—and other—bioethical problems will be considered with an emphasis on the role of moral reasoning. Readings and online video lectures will be supplemented with discussion of real-world bioethics cases. The course is recommended for students considering a career in the health professions, or those who seek a deeper understanding of contemporary social issues. No prior background in philosophy is assumed.

Antirequisite(s): Health Sciences 2610F/G.

This course is an introduction to various political and ethical issues that arise when considering the function and practice of the media. These include: What is ethical theory and what are the duties and responsibilities of those engaged in disseminating information? What is the relation between the media and the market? Is the news a mere commodity? Is the mass media a “propaganda machine” representing the commercial interests of the property class? Or, is the media an instrument of democracy, a “fourth estate” fostering the pursuit of truth and objectivity? What are the foundations and limits of freedom of the press in a liberal society? What is the role of the media in the formation of social, civic and moral space? Do we live in a post-truth world and how is this related to the phenomenon of fake news? What might it mean to say that our experiences are mediated and how in a globalized world do such mediations construct and make possible the appearance of distant others? What risks and promises do these mediations pose for the other? What, for instance, is the connection between the media and political violence or between the media and minorities? What role can the media play in the construction of a just moral order? Should journalists be considered professionals, and how have new communication technologies shaped the practice of journalism?

An intermediate survey of the works of Aristotle. While some themes or works may be focused on to the exclusion of others, this course aims to give students a strong, foundational understanding of Aristotle's thought on a range of topics.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

Extra Information: Blended

This course is a survey of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical writings, including texts from his early, middle, and late periods. Among the topics to be considered are his critique of Western morality, his doctrine of eternal recurrence, his rejection of the subject, and his declaration of the death of God.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

A study of efforts in early modern philosophy to place human knowledge, including philosophy, theology, and the sciences, on a rational foundation. The works of Descartes and his successors, such as Malebranche, Spinoza, Leibniz, and others, will be emphasized.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

This course is a comprehensive examination of one of Plato’s most famous dialogues, the Republic. The ostensible question of the Republic is, ‘What is Justice?’ But the Republic deals with a whole host of philosophical issues, ranging from tough ethical questions (Why should I be moral?), to metaphysical questions about the nature of reality (Can we trust our senses?), to questions about education (Should the State be in the business of moral development?), to asthetic questions (What grounds our judgements about beauty?). This course is suited to all students, both philosophy ma-jors and students from other disciplines, whether this is your first journey through the Republic or whether you have travelled this road before.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

Philosophical issues raised by the physics of space and time: are space and time objectively real or merely abstractions from spatial and temporal relations? Is motion absolute or relative? Is our knowledge of space and time factual or conventional? Authors include: Newton, Leibniz, Kant, Mach, Einstein. No physics background presumed.

Prerequisite(s): Philosophy 2300F/G or Philosophy 2310F/G or permission of the department.

Conceptual issues arising in psychology. Topics may include: modularity, nativism, theory of mind, the theory theory, simulation theory, concept acquisition, conceptual content. The methodology used by psychologists may also be investigated. Though some historical writings may be used, the emphasis will be on contemporary works.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

Introduction to philosophy of neuroscience. Questions may include: What does neuroscience tell us about the mind-brain relationship, free will and moral responsibility, or the mechanisms of learning and memory? Is consciousness a mental, behavioral or brain state? What is the structure of explanation in neuroscience? Is psychology reducible to neuroscience?

The emphasis in this course will be on understanding some of the key questions at stake for continental philosophy such as the relation between truth and appearance, perception and meaning, and what it means to inhabit the earth in this age of technology. We will read some works that can help us to think about what is happening in our contemporary technological world, and we will complicate what is meant by reality. Humans in the modern age are planners. We plan for the future based on the past, attempting to secure everything around us. Contemporary events reveal how that is not completely possible. The future is unpredictable. Hannah Arendt and Martin Heidegger will help us to think through these questions. But we will also draw on some contemporary thinkers to explore how this urge to control intersects with a certain understanding of the world. This understanding provides the bedrock of Western thinking that contributes to racialization, sexism and other forms of oppression.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

Moral philosophers engaged in normative ethics seek to articulate and justify systems of normative standards - of action or of character - to guide our moral life. This course is an advanced study of normative ethical theories, such as utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue theories.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

The course will provide students in science, health science and the humanities with an introduction to ethical issues in human experimentation. The course will review relevant history, an ethical framework for research ethics, and cover core topics, including informed consent, confidentiality, benefit-harm analysis, participant selection, vulnerable participants and communities. Special topics, such as randomized controlled trials, Covid-19 human challenge studies, gene therapy trials, cluster randomized trials, social science research, and health policy and systems research may also be covered.

Extra information: Philosophy 2715F/G is recommended, but not required.

Topic: Hume on Conventions, Property and Justice

Cross-listed with Philosophy 9045

A broadly-based study of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason and his related critical and pre-critical writings on physical, metaphysical and epistemological topics.

Cross-listed with Philosophy 9015.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

A study of selected topics in continental philosophy. The topics dealt with vary from year to year. More detailed information concerning content and prerequisites may be obtained from the Department prior to registration.

Topic: Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology of Perception

Cross-listed with Philosophy 9615.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

An intensive study of central themes in feminist ethics and social/political theory. Topics include: feminist critiques of classical and contemporary theories of moral agency, autonomy, and individualism; constructive proposals for feminist alternatives to the ethics of rights; arguments for contextualizing ethical and social/political theory

Topic: Trust and Social Bonds

Cross-listed with Philosophy 9129.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

This seminar will introduce students to contemporary philosophical research. Students will read and present on material recently published in the instructor's areas of expertise. Students will be guided through the process of identifying paper topics that could contribute to active research in philosophy.

Prerequisite(s):  Third or Fourth year standing in the Honours Specialization in Philosophy.