Existentialism is unique in the Western philosophical tradition in that many of its central thinkers wrote in the narrative form in addition to the conventional philosophical form. Most closely associated with the French philosophers Sartre, Camus, and de Beauvoir, the evolution of existentialism can be traced through earlier works by Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche. The fundamental concern that links these thinkers is whether human existence can have any meaning, and, if so, how. This course will examine, through their works, the existentialist themes of authenticity, absurdity, transcendence, self-deception, alienation, truth, choice, freedom, value, and death.

PMWA

MoWe

5:50PM-7:05PM

Vincent Peluce

IN PERSON

Philosophical analysis of legal theory and the relation of law to other basic social institutions.

DMWA	MoWe	12:50PM-2:05PM	Corey Beckford	IN PERSON
DMWH	MoWe	12:50PM-2:05PM	Corey Beckford	IN PERSON

This course is a philosophical examination of fundamental psychological concepts such as belief, desire, motive, and intention; and an analysis of psychological explanations, the nature of feelings and emotions, and the relation of folk psychology to the science of psychology. Theories and concepts, such as the unconscious, from the psychoanalytic or Freudian tradition will also be considered. This is the same course as PHI 3035. Students may receive credits for PSY 3035 or PHI 3035, not both.

DMWA

MoWe

12:50PM-2:05PM

Eric Mandelbaum

IN PERSON

Though a science, economics generates intense political, moral, and philosophical controversies. This course studies philosophical and moral questions raised by economic theories, including different accounts of rational choice, the major analyses of the concept of value, the relation between justice and market distributions, the concept of rights and the notion of property, and the moral claims of consumers, shareholders, and workers.

PMWA

MoWe

5:50PM-7:05PM

Gerrit Kamperdyk

IN PERSON

This course investigates a set of philosophical problems concerning visual representation and our experiences of it. Do films and photographs reproduce reality, re-present it, or create it? Can a film make a philosophical statement? Can photographs be true or false? The course will raise questions about the ontology and aesthetics of film: What is a movie? What is the world of a movie? What is it to give a reading of a movie? Can a movie present a philosophy? A film per week will be shown or assigned, together with readings on the film.

QTRA

TuTh

7:30PM-8:45PM

Karan Dhingra

ONLINE

A study of major philosophers of the 19th century, such as Hegel, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Marx, Comte, Bentham, J.S. Mill, and Nietzsche.

BWA

We

9:05AM-10:20AM

Thomas Teufel

HYBRID

Classical Buddhism explores the theory and practice of Buddhism as it originated in India and spread to Tibet and eastern Asia. In addition to examining the life and teachings of the historical Buddha, the course investigates Indian Buddhism after the turn of the Common Era, as well as the theories and practices of Tibetan and Zen Buddhism.

ETRA

TuTh

2:30PM-3:45PM

Sandeep Sreekumar

IN PERSON

This course provides a systematic introduction to Chinese philosophy and its classical schools, including Confucianism, Moism, Daoism, and Legalism. These schools will be studied by considering their responses to central philosophical problems, as well as by their responses to each other and their larger historical context. Their central teachings will, moreover, be analyzed in light of modern philosophical theories, in particular normative ethical theories.

(This course is cross-listed as AAS 2170 and HIS 2170. Students may receive credit for PHI 2170, AAS 2170, or HIS 2170. These courses may not substitute for each other in the F-grade replacement policy.)

BNWA

MoWe

9:05AM-10:20AM

ONLINE

This course deals with the philosophical foundations of a good society, with special attention given to the concepts of freedom, equality, right, social justice, and the good life.

ETRA

TuTh

2:30PM-3:45PM

Elizabeth Edenberg

IN PERSON

This course deals with the origins of art in human activity, theories of beauty, and art as expression, as communication, and as ideology. The concepts of form, representation, and abstraction are examined, as well as the distinction between the fine and popular arts. Examples are chosen from painting, music and literature.

EMWA

MoWe

10:45AM-12:00PM

Douglas Lackey

IN PERSON

This course focuses on the nature, justification, and conceptual analysis of crime, social responsibility, criminal responsibility and punishment; Topics may include theories of punishment, justification for limiting freedom, victimless crimes, morals offenses, guilt, insanity pleas, plea bargains, due process, white collar and cyber-crime, capital punishment.

FTRA	TuTh	4:10PM-5:25PM	Sandeep Sreekumar	IN PERSON
PTRA	TuTh	5:50PM-7:05PM	Cory Evans	IN PERSON

This course provides a philosophical perspective to ethical decision making, especially regarding the specific ethical issues and controversies surrounding modern computer technology. These issues include those relating to privacy, security, identity, copyright, unauthorized use, access for the disabled, gender issues, and the digital divide. Ethical theories to be explored include subjective and cultural relativism, Kantianism, utilitarianism, and social contract theory. This course is cross-listed with CIS 3270. Students will receive credit for either PHI 3270 or CIS 3270. These courses may not substitute for each other with the F-replacement policy.

FMWA	MoWe	4:10PM-5:25PM	Gerrit Kamperdyk	IN PERSON
PTRA	TuTh	5:50PM-7:05PM	David Neely	IN PERSON
CTRA	TuTh	10:45AM-12:00PM	Joshua Appel	IN PERSON

Who, exactly, is responsible for structural injustices such as racism, gender-based discrimination, homelessness, and environmental harm? We normally attribute blame to individuals who act willfully and voluntarily for the harms they directly cause. But structural injustices are imbedded in our social systems and cannot simply be traced to discrete, intentional contributions by blameworthy individuals. How should we even understand responsibility in these contexts? Is complicity a useful framework, and what does it entail? Does it make sense to hold people responsible for injustices that they neither intend nor control? We will explore these questions together, drawing on contemporary selections from ethics, feminist philosophy, political philosophy, and critical philosophy of race.

Prerequisite: 6 credits in Philosophy at 3000 level

NFA

Fr

2:30PM-5:25PM

Eliana Peck

IN PERSON

This seminar will use a diversity of tools—historical, psychological, philosophical, and more—to consider the nature of comedy as a form of creative expression. Understanding comedy requires considering questions such as: what makes something funny? When is it okay (and not okay) to laugh at a joke? Why do we laugh at all? Can comedy be used as a tool for pursuing social justice?

Prerequisite: 6 credits in Philosophy at 3000 level

PTRA

TuTh

5:50PM-7:05PM

Timothy Ignaffo

IN PERSON

Recently a number of state legislatures have enacted bans on the participation of transgender athletes on female sports teams. The standard argument is that competition between birth females and transition females is unfair. But what is fair in these circumstances? When, in general, is a competition fair? Is it fair for East Africans, who live at altitude, to compete in marathons with athletes who live at sea level? Is it fair to have athletes of different heights compete in the standard high jump? Why do we have weight classes in boxing but not in track? All these questions are entangled with the concepts of justice. Sports provides us with vivid study cases of our concept of what is fair and what is unfair. The course will explore such cases and the possibility that the concept of fair competition in sports has political connotations.

Prerequisite: 6 credits in Philosophy at 3000 level

DMWA

MoWe

12:50PM-2:05PM

Douglas Lackey

IN PERSON