Courses

All courses carry 3 credits unless otherwise specified.

511 Modal Logic
Selected topics from intensional logic, including alethic modal logic, tense logic, deontic logic, epistemic logic, and propositional attitudes.

512 Philosophy and Logic
Naive set theory and mathematical induction. Axiomatic presentations of propositional and predicate logic. Interpretations and validity. Completeness theorems for both systems. The Lowenhein-Skolem theorem.

513 Math Logic I
Elementary metamathematics. Completeness and Lowenhein-Skolem theorems. Elementary number theory. Gödel’s incompleteness theorems.

514 Math Logic II
Further topics in mathematical logic (e.g., set theory, recursion theory, type theory).

541 Topics in Metaphysics
Topics may include necessity and possibility, universals and particulars, causality, the mental and the physical.

542 Topics in Epistemology
Topics may include knowledge, epistemic justification, belief, truth, perception, skepticism.

543 Topics in Philosophy of Art
Theories on the nature of art and aesthetic evaluation; their epistemological and metaphysical implications.

546 Topics in Philosophy of Language
Topics may include Frege’s theory of sense and reference, Russell’s theory of denoting phrases, elocutionary aspects of speech acts, modal and epistemic contexts, theories of tense.

553 Topics in Philosophy of Science
Critical analysis of structure of scientific method and language of science, respective roles of induction and deduction in science, and the status of theoretical terms.

555 Topics in Philosophy of Mind
In-depth investigation of a topic such as:  The computational model, the problem of naturalizing intentionality, internalism vs externalism, the problem of naturalizing conscious experience, the relation between perception and cognition.

560 Topics in Ethics
Critical study of recent work in moral philosophy. May include utilitarian, Kantian, or other normative theories, as well as naturalistic, nonnaturalistic, or emotivist theories in metaethics.

562 History of Ethics
Intensive study of classic texts in the history of ethics. May include works of such figures as Aristotle, Plato, Aquinas, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, Mill, Moore, and others.

570 Topics in Social-Political Philosophy
Topics may include nature and proper role of the state, nature and justification of legal obligation and rights.

571 Philosophy and Feminist Thought
An analytical study of philosophical issues that arise out of feminist analysis and feminist practice.

583 Topics in Philosophy of Religion
Topics may include arguments for the existence of God, problem of evil, faith and reason, meaning of religious language, the divine attributes, and religious foundations of morality.

585 Philosophical Theology
Historical and systematic study of the methods and validity of theological thought, through selected problems.

586 Philosophy of Mathematics
Basic issues in philosophy of mathematics. Platonism, nominalism, constructivism. Mathematical knowledge.

591-595 Seminars

596 Independent Study  

597 Special Topics

691-695 Seminars

696 Independent Study

697 Special Topics

698 Practicum

699 Master’s Thesis

701 Selected Philosopher I
Intensive critical study of work of a major figure in history of philosophy.

702 Selected Philosopher II
Intensive critical study of work of a major philosopher.

703 Problems in History of Philosophy
Intensive critical study of selected topics in history of philosophy.

710 Formal Logic
Selected advanced topics in logic. Consent of instructor required.

741 Seminar in Metaphysics
Selected topics in analytic metaphysics, such as properties, identity, time, modality, minds, free will.

742 Seminar in Epistemology
Selected topics in epistemology.

746 Seminar in Philosophy of Language
Selected topics in philosophy of language, such as truth, meaning, reference, names, descriptions, demonstratives.

753 Seminar in Philosophy of Science
Selected topics in the philosophy of science, such as confirmation, laws, causation, explanation, and scientific realism.

755 Seminar in Philosophy of Mind
Selected topic in the philosophy of mind, such as intentionality of the mental, relation between the mental and the physical, connection between thought and action, and ways of verifying the existence of various mental states.

760 Seminar in Ethics
Selected topics in ethical theory. May focus on issues in normative ethics, axiology, metaethics, virture theory, or the epistemology of ethics. Readings may include works of any period from the ancients to the present.

771 Seminar in Feminist Theory
Some current controversies within feminist epistemology, readings being drawn from contemporary works in mainstream and feminist epistemology.

783 Seminar in Philosophy of Religion
Selected topics in philosophical theology, such as freedom and foreknowledge, the problem of evil, the divine attributes, classical theistic arguments (e.g., the ontological argument, the cosmological argument), and reformed epistemology.

791-795 Seminars

796 Independent Study

797 Special Topics

891-895 Seminars

896 Independent Study

897 Special Topics

899 Ph.D. Dissertation
Credit, 18.