PHL 301S The Philosophy of Plato
Instructor: J. Allen T 1-3/R 1-2 Online Synchronous
This course explores major themes in Plato’s philosophy through a selective reading of his dialogues. Among the areas tackled are the human good, the nature of the soul, knowledge, and the ultimate constitution of reality. Readings may include, though will not necessarily be confined to, the Euthyphro, Protagoras, Euthydemus, Meno, Gorgias, Republic, Phaedo, Phaedrus and Theaetetus. [36L]
Prerequisites: 1.5 credits in PHL
Recommended Prep: PHL200H5 or PHL200Y5 or PHL202H5 or PHL210Y5
PHL 310F Topics in 17th and 18th Century Philosophy
Instructor: M. Rozemond T 1-3/R 1-2 Online synchronous
A study of a topic or thinker in the 17th or 18th century. [36L]
Exclusion: PHL309H5 or PHL310H1 or PHL311H1 or PHL313H5
Prerequisites: 1.5 credits in PHL
Recommended Prep: PHL210Y5
PHL 314F Kant
Instructor: O. Ware T 10-1 Online synchronous
A systematic study of The Critique of Pure Reason.
Exclusion: PHL312H5, PHLC37H3
Prerequisites: PHL210Y5; 1.5 additional credits in PHL
Recommended Prep: PHL245H5/309H5
PHL 315H5S – Topics in Nineteenth Century Philosophy
Instructor: A. Sepielli M 3-5/W 3-4 Online Synchronous
A study of some topic or thinker in the 19th century. [36L]
Exclusion: PHL317H5
Prerequisites: 1.5 credits in PHL
Recommended Prep: PHL210Y5 or PHL309H5 or PHL312H5
PHL 332F Metaphysics
Instructor: B. Yi M 11-1/W 12-1 Online synchronous
Typical problems: ontological categories; ontological commitment; the objectivity of space and time: causality and determinism; mind and body.
Exclusion: PHL330Y1, PHL331H1, PHLC60H3
Prerequisites: 1.5 credits in PHL
PHL 333S Epistemology
Instructor: J. Nagel M 11-12/W 11-1 Online Synchronous
Typical problems: knowledge and belief, perception, the analytic-synthetic distinction, theories of truth, necessity, and the a priori.
Exclusion: PHL330Y1, PHL332H1
Prerequisites: 1.5 credits in PHL
PHL 341F Practical Reason and Human Action [formerly offered as: Freedom, Responsibility, and Human Action]
Instructor: P. Clark M 10-11/W 9-11 Online synchronous
The course will cover various topics in action theory and the nature of practical reason, such as the nature of intentional action and intentional explanations, the relation between morality and practical reason, the distinction between theoretical and practical reasoning, and the relation between motivation and evaluation. [36L]
Prerequisites: 1.5 credits in PHL
PHL 345S Intermediate Logic
Instructor: B. Yi M 12-1/W 11-1 Online Synchronous
A sequel to PHL245H5, developing skills in quantificational logic and treating of definite descriptions. The system developed will be used to study a selection of the following topics: philosophical uses of logic, formal systems, set theory, non-classical logics and metalogic. [36L]
Exclusion: PHLC51H3
Prerequisites: PHL245H5 and 1.0 credit in PHL/MAT/CSC
PHL 346S Modality in Logic and Philosophy
Instructor: J. Weisberg T 11-1/ R 12-1 Online Synchronous
Study of the concepts of necessity and possibility using extensions of classical logic: modal sentential logic, modal quantification logic, possible-world semantics, the metaphysics of modality. Other possible topics include: counterfactuals, epistemic logic, temporal logic, deontic logic, many-valued logic, and supervaluations.[36L]
Exclusion: PHL347H1
Prerequisites: PHL245H5 and 1.0 credit in PHL
Recommended Prep: PHL345H5
PHL 350F Philosophy of Language
Instructor: N. Charlow M 4-5/ W 3-5 Online synchronous
Topics may include: Different approaches to the study of language; the analysis of central theoretical notions in the descriptions of language; the relation between thought and language; the relation between philosophy of language and metaphysics. [36L]
Exclusion: PHL351H1 or PHLC80H3
Prerequisites: PHL245H5 and 1.5 additional credits in PHL
PHL354H5F – Philosophy of Mathematics
Instructor: A. Koo T 1-3/ F 11-12 Online synchronous
Platonism versus nominalism, the relation between logic and mathematics, implications of Godel’s and Church’s theorems, formalism and intuitionism. [36L]
Exclusion: PHL344H5 and PHL346H1
Prerequisites: PHL245H5 and 1.0 credit in PHL/MAT/CSC
Recommended Prep: PHL345H5
PHL358H5S – Philosophical Issues in Cognitive Science
Instructor: J. Nagel M 1-3/ W 2-3 Online Synchronous
An examination of philosophical issues that arise in cognitive science, such as: the nature of consciousness, alternative models of computation in theories of cognition, the nature and function of perception and the emotions, the evolution of mind and language, and the relation among various fields of cognitive science such as psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience. [36L]
Exclusion: COG250Y1
Prerequisites: (PHL340H5 or PHL345H5 or PHL350H5) and 1.5 additional credits in PHL
PHL 365F Issues in Political Philosophy
Instructor: G. Rattan T 10-11/R 9-11 Online synchronous
A study of some of the best recent work by political philosophers on topics such as justice, rights, welfare and political authority. [36L]
Exclusion: PHL365H1, PHL366H1
Prerequisites: 1.5 credits in PHL
Recommended Prep: PHL265H5 or PHL277Y5
PHL 374S Issues in Normative Ethics
Instructor: S. Tenenbaum T 11-12/R 11-1 Online Synchronous
Normative Ethics concerns general questions about what makes actions right or wrong. Topics include, among others, the plausibility of various ethical theories such as consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics, and questions about the moral significance of distinctions such as doing vs allowing and intending vs foreseeing. [36L]
Exclusion: PHL375H5 or PHL376H1 or PHLC05H3 or PHLC06H3
Prerequisite: 1.5 credits in PHL
Recommended Preparation: PHL275H5 or PHL277Y5