The courses listed below are provided by the JHU Public Course Search. This listing provides a snapshot of immediately available courses and may not be complete.
This First-Year Seminar will explore diverse aspects of how we see and fail to see the world. We’ll discuss questions such as: What can we learn about vision from illusions and hallucinations? What explains why we sometimes miss things even though we’re looking right at them? Does what we believe and desire affect what we see? What happens to our visual experience when the brain is damaged, for example in conditions such as “blindsight,” “neglect” and “visual form agnosia”? And: Is there such a thing as subliminal or unconscious perception? Though primarily psychological, the course will draw on other disciplines, especially the philosophy of perception. We’ll also think about some of the ways visual artists and magicians exploit the workings of our visual systems to achieve their aims. This will likely involve at least one outing to a local art gallery to look for examples of what we’ve learned, an in-class screening, and hopefully a guest speaker or two.
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FYS: Seeing Things AS.001.182 (01)
This First-Year Seminar will explore diverse aspects of how we see and fail to see the world. We’ll discuss questions such as: What can we learn about vision from illusions and hallucinations? What explains why we sometimes miss things even though we’re looking right at them? Does what we believe and desire affect what we see? What happens to our visual experience when the brain is damaged, for example in conditions such as “blindsight,” “neglect” and “visual form agnosia”? And: Is there such a thing as subliminal or unconscious perception? Though primarily psychological, the course will draw on other disciplines, especially the philosophy of perception. We’ll also think about some of the ways visual artists and magicians exploit the workings of our visual systems to achieve their aims. This will likely involve at least one outing to a local art gallery to look for examples of what we’ve learned, an in-class screening, and hopefully a guest speaker or two.
Days/Times: Th 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Phillips, Ian B
Room: Gilman 134
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.001.194 (01)
FYS: The Arrow of Time
MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Carroll, Sean Michael
Bloomberg 259
Fall 2023
This First-year Seminar will study the direction of time, pointing from past to future. It will primarily be based on the physics of entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics, covering aspects of statistical mechanics, probability, and cosmology. But it will also touch on how time's arrow manifests itself in the macroscopic world, including questions of memory, prediction, aging, and causality.
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FYS: The Arrow of Time AS.001.194 (01)
This First-year Seminar will study the direction of time, pointing from past to future. It will primarily be based on the physics of entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics, covering aspects of statistical mechanics, probability, and cosmology. But it will also touch on how time's arrow manifests itself in the macroscopic world, including questions of memory, prediction, aging, and causality.
Days/Times: MW 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Instructor: Carroll, Sean Michael
Room: Bloomberg 259
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.001.202 (01)
FYS: The Human Face of Addiction
T 1:15PM - 3:45PM
Pickard, Hanna
Gilman 288
Fall 2023
The current paradigm for understanding addiction is a brain disease of compulsion, investigated in large part through animal models. Yet addiction in humans has dimensions of meaning and suffering alike that cannot be captured by neuroscience or modelled in animals. This First-Year Seminar explores addiction by combining what we know from addiction science with what we know from philosophy and the humanities, as well as therapy, journalism, film, and autobiographical narratives. We will work to understand the puzzle of why people use drugs in ways that can come to destroy their lives through these various lenses and without recourse to stigma, dogma, or dehumanization. This interdisciplinary course will develop students' skills in reading, analytic thinking, and writing; we will also visit an animal lab.
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FYS: The Human Face of Addiction AS.001.202 (01)
The current paradigm for understanding addiction is a brain disease of compulsion, investigated in large part through animal models. Yet addiction in humans has dimensions of meaning and suffering alike that cannot be captured by neuroscience or modelled in animals. This First-Year Seminar explores addiction by combining what we know from addiction science with what we know from philosophy and the humanities, as well as therapy, journalism, film, and autobiographical narratives. We will work to understand the puzzle of why people use drugs in ways that can come to destroy their lives through these various lenses and without recourse to stigma, dogma, or dehumanization. This interdisciplinary course will develop students' skills in reading, analytic thinking, and writing; we will also visit an animal lab.
Days/Times: T 1:15PM - 3:45PM
Instructor: Pickard, Hanna
Room: Gilman 288
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.001.211 (01)
FYS: Getting a Life
MW 10:00AM - 11:15AM
Velleman, James David
Gilman 413
Fall 2023
Every person has a life to live, but what is this thing, “a life”, that every person has? To begin with, it’s just the temporally extended existence of the person, the proverbial three score and ten. But a person’s life is more than that, because it follows a natural progression of life-stages, from childhood to adolescence to middle age to senescence. And it’s even more still, since it is partly the creation of the person living it, who can plan it, evaluate it, anticipate its future, and remember its past. In this First-Year Seminar, we will explore these and other aspects of a person’s life through works of literature and philosophy. What makes you the same person throughout the different stages of your life? How does the passage of time color your perception of life? What makes for a good life? A meaningful life? Should you be grateful for having been born or dismayed at having to die?
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FYS: Getting a Life AS.001.211 (01)
Every person has a life to live, but what is this thing, “a life”, that every person has? To begin with, it’s just the temporally extended existence of the person, the proverbial three score and ten. But a person’s life is more than that, because it follows a natural progression of life-stages, from childhood to adolescence to middle age to senescence. And it’s even more still, since it is partly the creation of the person living it, who can plan it, evaluate it, anticipate its future, and remember its past. In this First-Year Seminar, we will explore these and other aspects of a person’s life through works of literature and philosophy. What makes you the same person throughout the different stages of your life? How does the passage of time color your perception of life? What makes for a good life? A meaningful life? Should you be grateful for having been born or dismayed at having to die?
Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 11:15AM
Instructor: Velleman, James David
Room: Gilman 413
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/12
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.150.183 (01)
The Scientific Method: Historical and Contemporary Approaches
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Achinstein, Peter; Ismael, Jenann T
Gilman 55
Fall 2023
Some scientists and philosophers believe that there is a universal scientific method for discovering and proving truths about the world. Other scientists and philosophers deny that such a method exists. Those in the first camp defend various viewpoints, including rationalism, inductivism, hypothetico-deductivism, and retroduction. Those in the second camp argue that these methods do not work universally and that what method a scientist should use is not general but is specific to the scientific problem and situation. In this introductory course we examine various universal methods proposed by scientists and philosophers including Rene Descartes and Isaac Newton in the 17th century, William Whewell and John Stuart Mill in the 19th, and various writers in the 20 and 21st. We also examine works of contemporary writers, including Thomas Kuhn and Paul Feyerabend, who reject all universal methods and claim that science is most innovative and successful when these methods are violated. Who is right, and why?
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The Scientific Method: Historical and Contemporary Approaches AS.150.183 (01)
Some scientists and philosophers believe that there is a universal scientific method for discovering and proving truths about the world. Other scientists and philosophers deny that such a method exists. Those in the first camp defend various viewpoints, including rationalism, inductivism, hypothetico-deductivism, and retroduction. Those in the second camp argue that these methods do not work universally and that what method a scientist should use is not general but is specific to the scientific problem and situation. In this introductory course we examine various universal methods proposed by scientists and philosophers including Rene Descartes and Isaac Newton in the 17th century, William Whewell and John Stuart Mill in the 19th, and various writers in the 20 and 21st. We also examine works of contemporary writers, including Thomas Kuhn and Paul Feyerabend, who reject all universal methods and claim that science is most innovative and successful when these methods are violated. Who is right, and why?
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Achinstein, Peter; Ismael, Jenann T
Room: Gilman 55
Status: Open
Seats Available: 11/20
PosTag(s): PHIL-LOGSCI, MSCH-HUM
AS.150.183 (03)
The Scientific Method: Historical and Contemporary Approaches
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 1:30PM - 2:20PM
Achinstein, Peter; Ismael, Jenann T
Gilman 55
Fall 2023
Some scientists and philosophers believe that there is a universal scientific method for discovering and proving truths about the world. Other scientists and philosophers deny that such a method exists. Those in the first camp defend various viewpoints, including rationalism, inductivism, hypothetico-deductivism, and retroduction. Those in the second camp argue that these methods do not work universally and that what method a scientist should use is not general but is specific to the scientific problem and situation. In this introductory course we examine various universal methods proposed by scientists and philosophers including Rene Descartes and Isaac Newton in the 17th century, William Whewell and John Stuart Mill in the 19th, and various writers in the 20 and 21st. We also examine works of contemporary writers, including Thomas Kuhn and Paul Feyerabend, who reject all universal methods and claim that science is most innovative and successful when these methods are violated. Who is right, and why?
×
The Scientific Method: Historical and Contemporary Approaches AS.150.183 (03)
Some scientists and philosophers believe that there is a universal scientific method for discovering and proving truths about the world. Other scientists and philosophers deny that such a method exists. Those in the first camp defend various viewpoints, including rationalism, inductivism, hypothetico-deductivism, and retroduction. Those in the second camp argue that these methods do not work universally and that what method a scientist should use is not general but is specific to the scientific problem and situation. In this introductory course we examine various universal methods proposed by scientists and philosophers including Rene Descartes and Isaac Newton in the 17th century, William Whewell and John Stuart Mill in the 19th, and various writers in the 20 and 21st. We also examine works of contemporary writers, including Thomas Kuhn and Paul Feyerabend, who reject all universal methods and claim that science is most innovative and successful when these methods are violated. Who is right, and why?
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 1:30PM - 2:20PM
Instructor: Achinstein, Peter; Ismael, Jenann T
Room: Gilman 55
Status: Open
Seats Available: 19/20
PosTag(s): PHIL-LOGSCI, MSCH-HUM
AS.150.201 (01)
Introduction To Greek Philosophy
MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 10:00AM - 10:50AM
Bett, Richard
Gilman 132
Fall 2023
A survey of the earlier phase of Greek philosophy. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle will be discussed, as well as two groups of thinkers who preceded them, usually known as the pre-Socratics and the Sophists.
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Introduction To Greek Philosophy AS.150.201 (01)
A survey of the earlier phase of Greek philosophy. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle will be discussed, as well as two groups of thinkers who preceded them, usually known as the pre-Socratics and the Sophists.
Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 10:00AM - 10:50AM
Instructor: Bett, Richard
Room: Gilman 132
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/16
PosTag(s): PHIL-ANCIEN
AS.150.201 (02)
Introduction To Greek Philosophy
MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Bett, Richard
Gilman 132
Fall 2023
A survey of the earlier phase of Greek philosophy. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle will be discussed, as well as two groups of thinkers who preceded them, usually known as the pre-Socratics and the Sophists.
×
Introduction To Greek Philosophy AS.150.201 (02)
A survey of the earlier phase of Greek philosophy. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle will be discussed, as well as two groups of thinkers who preceded them, usually known as the pre-Socratics and the Sophists.
Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Bett, Richard
Room: Gilman 132
Status: Open
Seats Available: 6/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-ANCIEN
AS.150.201 (03)
Introduction To Greek Philosophy
MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 10:00AM - 10:50AM
Bett, Richard
Gilman 132
Fall 2023
A survey of the earlier phase of Greek philosophy. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle will be discussed, as well as two groups of thinkers who preceded them, usually known as the pre-Socratics and the Sophists.
×
Introduction To Greek Philosophy AS.150.201 (03)
A survey of the earlier phase of Greek philosophy. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle will be discussed, as well as two groups of thinkers who preceded them, usually known as the pre-Socratics and the Sophists.
Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 10:00AM - 10:50AM
Instructor: Bett, Richard
Room: Gilman 132
Status: Open
Seats Available: 6/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-ANCIEN
AS.150.201 (04)
Introduction To Greek Philosophy
MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Bett, Richard
Gilman 132
Fall 2023
A survey of the earlier phase of Greek philosophy. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle will be discussed, as well as two groups of thinkers who preceded them, usually known as the pre-Socratics and the Sophists.
×
Introduction To Greek Philosophy AS.150.201 (04)
A survey of the earlier phase of Greek philosophy. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle will be discussed, as well as two groups of thinkers who preceded them, usually known as the pre-Socratics and the Sophists.
Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Bett, Richard
Room: Gilman 132
Status: Open
Seats Available: 9/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-ANCIEN
AS.150.219 (01)
Intro to Bioethics
MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 12:00PM - 12:50PM
Bok, Hilary
Shaffer 3
Fall 2023
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
×
Intro to Bioethics AS.150.219 (01)
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 12:00PM - 12:50PM
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
×
Intro to Bioethics AS.150.219 (02)
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 12:00PM - 12:50PM
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
×
Intro to Bioethics AS.150.219 (03)
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 12:00PM - 12:50PM
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
×
Intro to Bioethics AS.150.219 (04)
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 1:30PM - 2:20PM
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
×
Intro to Bioethics AS.150.219 (05)
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 1:30PM - 2:20PM
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
×
Intro to Bioethics AS.150.219 (06)
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 1:30PM - 2:20PM
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
×
Intro to Bioethics AS.150.219 (07)
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 3:00PM - 3:50PM
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
×
Intro to Bioethics AS.150.219 (08)
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 3:00PM - 3:50PM
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
×
Intro to Bioethics AS.150.219 (09)
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 12:00PM - 12:50PM
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
×
Intro to Bioethics AS.150.219 (10)
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 3:00PM - 3:50PM
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
×
Intro to Bioethics AS.150.219 (11)
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 4:30PM - 5:20PM
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
×
Intro to Bioethics AS.150.219 (12)
Introduction to a wide range of moral issues arising in the biomedical fields, e.g. physician-assisted suicide, human cloning, abortion, surrogacy, and human subjects research. Cross listed with Public Health Studies.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 12:00PM - 12:50PM
For better or for worse (and we think better), during the last century or so, philosophy has become infused with logic. Logic informs nearly every area of philosophy; it is part of our shared language and knowledge base. Vast segments of literature, especially in contemporary analytic philosophy, presuppose basic competence in logic and a familiarity with associated formal methods, particularly set theoretical. The standard philosophy curriculum should therefore guarantee a minimum level of logic literacy, thus enabling students to read the literature without it seeming like an impenetrable foreign tongue. This course is an introductory survey of the formal methods that a contemporary philosopher should be familiar with. It is not mathematically demanding in the way that more advanced courses in metalogic and specialized topics may be. The emphasis is on basic comprehension, not on mathematical virtuosity.
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Formal Methods of Philosophy AS.150.223 (01)
For better or for worse (and we think better), during the last century or so, philosophy has become infused with logic. Logic informs nearly every area of philosophy; it is part of our shared language and knowledge base. Vast segments of literature, especially in contemporary analytic philosophy, presuppose basic competence in logic and a familiarity with associated formal methods, particularly set theoretical. The standard philosophy curriculum should therefore guarantee a minimum level of logic literacy, thus enabling students to read the literature without it seeming like an impenetrable foreign tongue. This course is an introductory survey of the formal methods that a contemporary philosopher should be familiar with. It is not mathematically demanding in the way that more advanced courses in metalogic and specialized topics may be. The emphasis is on basic comprehension, not on mathematical virtuosity.
Days/Times: TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Instructor: Bledin, Justin
Room: Shaffer 300
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/15
PosTag(s): COGS-PHLMND, PHIL-LOGSCI
AS.150.245 (01)
Philosophy of Mind
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Phillips, Ian B
Gilman 50
Fall 2023
If we know anything, it is natural to think it is our own minds. Despite this, philosophers have long disagreed about the natures of the states which make up our minds. And there is equally little agreement as to what makes such states count as mental in the first place. This course will investigate the nature of different aspects of mind and their interrelations. Time permitting, we will explore debates and puzzles about perception, memory, imagination, dreaming, pain and bodily sensation, emotion, action, volition and those states commonly classed as propositional attitudes: knowledge, belief, desire and intention. This will put us in a position to ask what if anything unifies such phenomena as mental
×
Philosophy of Mind AS.150.245 (01)
If we know anything, it is natural to think it is our own minds. Despite this, philosophers have long disagreed about the natures of the states which make up our minds. And there is equally little agreement as to what makes such states count as mental in the first place. This course will investigate the nature of different aspects of mind and their interrelations. Time permitting, we will explore debates and puzzles about perception, memory, imagination, dreaming, pain and bodily sensation, emotion, action, volition and those states commonly classed as propositional attitudes: knowledge, belief, desire and intention. This will put us in a position to ask what if anything unifies such phenomena as mental
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Phillips, Ian B
Room: Gilman 50
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/20
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM, PHIL-MIND, COGS-PHLMND
AS.150.245 (02)
Philosophy of Mind
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 1:30PM - 2:20PM
Phillips, Ian B
Gilman 50
Fall 2023
If we know anything, it is natural to think it is our own minds. Despite this, philosophers have long disagreed about the natures of the states which make up our minds. And there is equally little agreement as to what makes such states count as mental in the first place. This course will investigate the nature of different aspects of mind and their interrelations. Time permitting, we will explore debates and puzzles about perception, memory, imagination, dreaming, pain and bodily sensation, emotion, action, volition and those states commonly classed as propositional attitudes: knowledge, belief, desire and intention. This will put us in a position to ask what if anything unifies such phenomena as mental
×
Philosophy of Mind AS.150.245 (02)
If we know anything, it is natural to think it is our own minds. Despite this, philosophers have long disagreed about the natures of the states which make up our minds. And there is equally little agreement as to what makes such states count as mental in the first place. This course will investigate the nature of different aspects of mind and their interrelations. Time permitting, we will explore debates and puzzles about perception, memory, imagination, dreaming, pain and bodily sensation, emotion, action, volition and those states commonly classed as propositional attitudes: knowledge, belief, desire and intention. This will put us in a position to ask what if anything unifies such phenomena as mental
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 1:30PM - 2:20PM
Instructor: Phillips, Ian B
Room: Gilman 50
Status: Open
Seats Available: 11/20
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM, PHIL-MIND, COGS-PHLMND
AS.150.245 (03)
Philosophy of Mind
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Phillips, Ian B
Gilman 50
Fall 2023
If we know anything, it is natural to think it is our own minds. Despite this, philosophers have long disagreed about the natures of the states which make up our minds. And there is equally little agreement as to what makes such states count as mental in the first place. This course will investigate the nature of different aspects of mind and their interrelations. Time permitting, we will explore debates and puzzles about perception, memory, imagination, dreaming, pain and bodily sensation, emotion, action, volition and those states commonly classed as propositional attitudes: knowledge, belief, desire and intention. This will put us in a position to ask what if anything unifies such phenomena as mental
×
Philosophy of Mind AS.150.245 (03)
If we know anything, it is natural to think it is our own minds. Despite this, philosophers have long disagreed about the natures of the states which make up our minds. And there is equally little agreement as to what makes such states count as mental in the first place. This course will investigate the nature of different aspects of mind and their interrelations. Time permitting, we will explore debates and puzzles about perception, memory, imagination, dreaming, pain and bodily sensation, emotion, action, volition and those states commonly classed as propositional attitudes: knowledge, belief, desire and intention. This will put us in a position to ask what if anything unifies such phenomena as mental
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Phillips, Ian B
Room: Gilman 50
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/20
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM, PHIL-MIND, COGS-PHLMND
AS.150.245 (04)
Philosophy of Mind
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 1:30PM - 2:20PM
Phillips, Ian B
Gilman 50
Fall 2023
If we know anything, it is natural to think it is our own minds. Despite this, philosophers have long disagreed about the natures of the states which make up our minds. And there is equally little agreement as to what makes such states count as mental in the first place. This course will investigate the nature of different aspects of mind and their interrelations. Time permitting, we will explore debates and puzzles about perception, memory, imagination, dreaming, pain and bodily sensation, emotion, action, volition and those states commonly classed as propositional attitudes: knowledge, belief, desire and intention. This will put us in a position to ask what if anything unifies such phenomena as mental
×
Philosophy of Mind AS.150.245 (04)
If we know anything, it is natural to think it is our own minds. Despite this, philosophers have long disagreed about the natures of the states which make up our minds. And there is equally little agreement as to what makes such states count as mental in the first place. This course will investigate the nature of different aspects of mind and their interrelations. Time permitting, we will explore debates and puzzles about perception, memory, imagination, dreaming, pain and bodily sensation, emotion, action, volition and those states commonly classed as propositional attitudes: knowledge, belief, desire and intention. This will put us in a position to ask what if anything unifies such phenomena as mental
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 1:30PM - 2:20PM
Instructor: Phillips, Ian B
Room: Gilman 50
Status: Open
Seats Available: 12/20
PosTag(s): MSCH-HUM, PHIL-MIND, COGS-PHLMND
AS.150.300 (01)
Prometheus Workshop
T 7:00PM - 7:50PM
Cummings, Cara Rei
Gilman 288
Fall 2023
Prometheus is Johns Hopkins' undergraduate philosophical society. The society organizes a conference and publishes a journal each year and more generally provides a community for philosophically-minded students. The Prometheus workshop facilitates this through open philosophical discussion; interaction with faculty, graduate students, and other members of the Philosophy Department; and other activities. For more information, please visit . Prerequisite: MUST have taken one philosophy course
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Prometheus Workshop AS.150.300 (01)
Prometheus is Johns Hopkins' undergraduate philosophical society. The society organizes a conference and publishes a journal each year and more generally provides a community for philosophically-minded students. The Prometheus workshop facilitates this through open philosophical discussion; interaction with faculty, graduate students, and other members of the Philosophy Department; and other activities. For more information, please visit . Prerequisite: MUST have taken one philosophy course
Days/Times: T 7:00PM - 7:50PM
Instructor: Cummings, Cara Rei
Room: Gilman 288
Status: Open
Seats Available: 15/25
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.150.333 (01)
An Iconoclast in Islamic Philosophy: Abu Bakr al-Razi
F 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Gungor, Huseyin
Gilman 300
Fall 2023
Abū Bakr al-Rāzī was a fascinating philosopher and physician in the golden age of Islam. He was credited with being the first to apply placebos in clinical trials and scientifically distinguishing measles from smallpox. He also applied his rigorous methodology in medicine to philosophy. He provided very original arguments for surprising conclusions on topics ranging from metaphysics to religion. In this course we will survey al-Razi’s philosophy in general. We will both learn and examine al-Razi’s philosophical ideas on metaphysics, ethics and religion as well as the relevant philosophical background for his philosophy. We will also compare his ideas in various fields of philosophy to contemporary approaches to these issues. Recommended Course Background: Introductory Philosophy Course.
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An Iconoclast in Islamic Philosophy: Abu Bakr al-Razi AS.150.333 (01)
Abū Bakr al-Rāzī was a fascinating philosopher and physician in the golden age of Islam. He was credited with being the first to apply placebos in clinical trials and scientifically distinguishing measles from smallpox. He also applied his rigorous methodology in medicine to philosophy. He provided very original arguments for surprising conclusions on topics ranging from metaphysics to religion. In this course we will survey al-Razi’s philosophy in general. We will both learn and examine al-Razi’s philosophical ideas on metaphysics, ethics and religion as well as the relevant philosophical background for his philosophy. We will also compare his ideas in various fields of philosophy to contemporary approaches to these issues. Recommended Course Background: Introductory Philosophy Course.
Days/Times: F 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Gungor, Huseyin
Room: Gilman 300
Status: Open
Seats Available: 11/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.150.338 (01)
The Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories
MW 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Ross, Ryan Daniel
Krieger 304
Fall 2023
The study of conspiracy theories is of increasing societal importance. The course will largely focus on two main questions: What are conspiracy theories? And when, if ever, is it rational to believe a conspiracy theory? Answering the first question will involve determining whether we should conceive of conspiracy theories as necessarily having a negative connotation. Answering the second question will involve assessing philosophical arguments that have been given for and against the potential rationality of conspiracy theories.
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The Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories AS.150.338 (01)
The study of conspiracy theories is of increasing societal importance. The course will largely focus on two main questions: What are conspiracy theories? And when, if ever, is it rational to believe a conspiracy theory? Answering the first question will involve determining whether we should conceive of conspiracy theories as necessarily having a negative connotation. Answering the second question will involve assessing philosophical arguments that have been given for and against the potential rationality of conspiracy theories.
Days/Times: MW 3:00PM - 4:15PM
Instructor: Ross, Ryan Daniel
Room: Krieger 304
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/18
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.150.345 (01)
Me, Myself, and I: Personal Identity and the Self
TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Ringer, Sonya Maxine
Gilman 288
Fall 2023
This course focuses on two questions: (1) What am I? And (2) who am I? The first question is the central problem in the personal identity literature—a core topic analytic philosophy. Philosophers have offered a wide variety of answers, including souls, persons, brains, human animals, and nothing at all, often through fantastical thought experiments. The second question concerns the self—the stable traits and characteristics that make you the sort of person you are and underwrite your choices and actions. In this course, we will examine the foundations of these topics, as well as their applications to issues like pregnancy, dementia, addiction, and attitudes towards death. Recommended Course Background: Introductory Philosophy Course.
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Me, Myself, and I: Personal Identity and the Self AS.150.345 (01)
This course focuses on two questions: (1) What am I? And (2) who am I? The first question is the central problem in the personal identity literature—a core topic analytic philosophy. Philosophers have offered a wide variety of answers, including souls, persons, brains, human animals, and nothing at all, often through fantastical thought experiments. The second question concerns the self—the stable traits and characteristics that make you the sort of person you are and underwrite your choices and actions. In this course, we will examine the foundations of these topics, as well as their applications to issues like pregnancy, dementia, addiction, and attitudes towards death. Recommended Course Background: Introductory Philosophy Course.
Days/Times: TTh 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Instructor: Ringer, Sonya Maxine
Room: Gilman 288
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/18
PosTag(s): PHIL-MIND, COGS-PHLMND
AS.150.413 (01)
The Nature of Consciousness in Kant and Beyond
Th 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Kraus, Katharina
Gilman 288
Fall 2023
This course examines theories of consciousness in Kant and selected post-Kantian thinkers in the German tradition, including Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Edmund Husserl. Important topics includes the unity of consciousness, the perspectival nature of consciousness, subjectivity, reflexivity and self-consciousness, temporality and phenomenal qualities, intentionality, objectivity and intersubjectivity. Emphasis will be placed on close reading of the original texts, historically informed interpretation, and systematic argumentation.
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The Nature of Consciousness in Kant and Beyond AS.150.413 (01)
This course examines theories of consciousness in Kant and selected post-Kantian thinkers in the German tradition, including Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Edmund Husserl. Important topics includes the unity of consciousness, the perspectival nature of consciousness, subjectivity, reflexivity and self-consciousness, temporality and phenomenal qualities, intentionality, objectivity and intersubjectivity. Emphasis will be placed on close reading of the original texts, historically informed interpretation, and systematic argumentation.
Days/Times: Th 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Kraus, Katharina
Room: Gilman 288
Status: Reserved Open
Seats Available: 4/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-MODERN
AS.150.420 (01)
Mathematical Logic I
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Rynasiewicz, Robert
Gilman 288
Fall 2023
Mathematical Logic I (H,Q) is the first semester of a year long course studying the logical methods used in mathematical reasoning. The first semester explores the construction of formal languages in which to cast mathematical discourse, introduces systems of proof for deriving propositions from assumptions, and develops a formal semantics that provides a precise criterion of logical consequence. We expect a system of proof to allow the derivation only of propositions that are logical consequences of the assumptions (soundness). A principle result establishes the converse: these systems of proof are such that any logical consequence is derivable (completeness). This provides us with a purely mathematical characterization of logic within which mathematical theories can be formulated and their properties studied (decidability, axiomatizability, consistency, completeness), a pursuit commonly known as metamathematics.
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Mathematical Logic I AS.150.420 (01)
Mathematical Logic I (H,Q) is the first semester of a year long course studying the logical methods used in mathematical reasoning. The first semester explores the construction of formal languages in which to cast mathematical discourse, introduces systems of proof for deriving propositions from assumptions, and develops a formal semantics that provides a precise criterion of logical consequence. We expect a system of proof to allow the derivation only of propositions that are logical consequences of the assumptions (soundness). A principle result establishes the converse: these systems of proof are such that any logical consequence is derivable (completeness). This provides us with a purely mathematical characterization of logic within which mathematical theories can be formulated and their properties studied (decidability, axiomatizability, consistency, completeness), a pursuit commonly known as metamathematics.
Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Instructor: Rynasiewicz, Robert
Room: Gilman 288
Status: Reserved Open
Seats Available: 11/14
PosTag(s): PHIL-LOGSCI
AS.150.434 (01)
Formal Methods of Philosophy
TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Bledin, Justin
Shaffer 300
Fall 2023
For better or for worse (and we think better), during the last century or so, philosophy has become infused with logic. Logic informs nearly every area of philosophy; it is part of our shared language and knowledge base. Vast segments of literature, especially in contemporary analytic philosophy, presuppose basic competence in logic and a familiarity with associated formal methods, particularly set theoretical. The standard philosophy curriculum should therefore guarantee a minimum level of logic literacy, thus enabling students to read the literature without it seeming like an impenetrable foreign tongue. This course is an introductory survey of the formal methods that a contemporary philosopher should be familiar with. It is not mathematically demanding in the way that more advanced courses in metalogic and specialized topics may be. The emphasis is on basic comprehension, not on mathematical virtuosity. Co-taught with AS.150.223 Formal Methods of Philosophy.
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Formal Methods of Philosophy AS.150.434 (01)
For better or for worse (and we think better), during the last century or so, philosophy has become infused with logic. Logic informs nearly every area of philosophy; it is part of our shared language and knowledge base. Vast segments of literature, especially in contemporary analytic philosophy, presuppose basic competence in logic and a familiarity with associated formal methods, particularly set theoretical. The standard philosophy curriculum should therefore guarantee a minimum level of logic literacy, thus enabling students to read the literature without it seeming like an impenetrable foreign tongue. This course is an introductory survey of the formal methods that a contemporary philosopher should be familiar with. It is not mathematically demanding in the way that more advanced courses in metalogic and specialized topics may be. The emphasis is on basic comprehension, not on mathematical virtuosity. Co-taught with AS.150.223 Formal Methods of Philosophy.
Days/Times: TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
Instructor: Bledin, Justin
Room: Shaffer 300
Status: Open
Seats Available: 3/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-LOGSCI, COGS-PHLMND
AS.150.470 (01)
Philosophical Naturalism
TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Carroll, Sean Michael
Gilman 288
Fall 2023
Naturalism, in the philosophical sense, is the claim that the natural world is the entire world -- there is no need for anything supernatural or non-natural in our best understanding of reality. This course will discuss varieties of philosophical naturalism as well as the related notions of materialism and physicalism. We will investigate challenges to naturalism from a variety of sources -- the origin of the universe, the origin of life, consciousness, morality, and meaning -- and how they might be overcome. We will also touch on the ontological status of mathematical objects, laws of physics, and other worlds.
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Philosophical Naturalism AS.150.470 (01)
Naturalism, in the philosophical sense, is the claim that the natural world is the entire world -- there is no need for anything supernatural or non-natural in our best understanding of reality. This course will discuss varieties of philosophical naturalism as well as the related notions of materialism and physicalism. We will investigate challenges to naturalism from a variety of sources -- the origin of the universe, the origin of life, consciousness, morality, and meaning -- and how they might be overcome. We will also touch on the ontological status of mathematical objects, laws of physics, and other worlds.
Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Instructor: Carroll, Sean Michael
Room: Gilman 288
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/12
PosTag(s): PHIL-MIND, MSCH-HUM
AS.150.482 (01)
Food Ethics
W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Barnhill, Anne
Bloomberg 176
Fall 2023
Eating is an essential human activity: we need to eat to survive. But how should we eat? In this course, we consider such ethical questions as: Is it morally wrong to make animals suffer and to kill them in order to eat them? What is the extent of hunger and food insecurity, in this country and globally, and what should we as individuals do about it? Should the government try to influence our food choices, to make them healthier?
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Food Ethics AS.150.482 (01)
Eating is an essential human activity: we need to eat to survive. But how should we eat? In this course, we consider such ethical questions as: Is it morally wrong to make animals suffer and to kill them in order to eat them? What is the extent of hunger and food insecurity, in this country and globally, and what should we as individuals do about it? Should the government try to influence our food choices, to make them healthier?
Days/Times: W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Barnhill, Anne
Room: Bloomberg 176
Status: Open
Seats Available: 6/30
PosTag(s): PHIL-BIOETH, ENVS-MAJOR, ENVS-MINOR
AS.150.488 (01)
Hume's Treatise of Human Nature
M 4:30PM - 7:00PM
Melamed, Yitzhak Yohanan; Williams, Michael
Gilman 288
Fall 2023
This is a close study of David Hume's major work, the Treatise of Human Nature.
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Hume's Treatise of Human Nature AS.150.488 (01)
This is a close study of David Hume's major work, the Treatise of Human Nature.
Days/Times: M 4:30PM - 7:00PM
Instructor: Melamed, Yitzhak Yohanan; Williams, Michael
Room: Gilman 288
Status: Reserved Open
Seats Available: 1/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-MODERN
AS.150.490 (01)
Mutual Recognition
M 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Moyar, Dean
Croft Hall G02
Fall 2023
This course will examine the historical origins of mutual recognition theory in J.G. Fichte and G.W.F. Hegel, and then turn to the recent appropriations of mutual recognition by Jürgen Habermas, Axel Honneth, Judith Butler, and others.
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Mutual Recognition AS.150.490 (01)
This course will examine the historical origins of mutual recognition theory in J.G. Fichte and G.W.F. Hegel, and then turn to the recent appropriations of mutual recognition by Jürgen Habermas, Axel Honneth, Judith Butler, and others.
Days/Times: M 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Moyar, Dean
Room: Croft Hall G02
Status: Reserved Open
Seats Available: 3/15
PosTag(s): COGS-PHLMND
AS.211.265 (01)
Panorama of German Thought
MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Jelavich, Peter
Bloomberg 168
Fall 2023
This course will survey German ideas—in philosophy, social and political theory, and drama—since the Enlightenment. Authors include Kant, Schiller, Lessing, Goethe, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Weber, Horkheimer, and Adorno.
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Panorama of German Thought AS.211.265 (01)
This course will survey German ideas—in philosophy, social and political theory, and drama—since the Enlightenment. Authors include Kant, Schiller, Lessing, Goethe, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Weber, Horkheimer, and Adorno.
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 1:15PM
Instructor: Jelavich, Peter
Room: Bloomberg 168
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/10
PosTag(s): INST-GLOBAL, INST-PT, HIST-EUROPE
AS.150.118 (01)
Introduction to Formal Logic
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Achinstein, Peter
Gilman 50
Spring 2024
An introduction to symbolic logic and probability. In the first two parts of the course we study formal ways of determining whether a conclusion of an argument follows from its premises. Included are truth-functional logic and predicate logic. In the third part we study the basic rules of probability, and learn how to make probability calculations and decisions in life.
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Introduction to Formal Logic AS.150.118 (01)
An introduction to symbolic logic and probability. In the first two parts of the course we study formal ways of determining whether a conclusion of an argument follows from its premises. Included are truth-functional logic and predicate logic. In the third part we study the basic rules of probability, and learn how to make probability calculations and decisions in life.
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Achinstein, Peter
Room: Gilman 50
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/20
PosTag(s): PHIL-LOGSCI, COGS-PHLMND
AS.150.118 (02)
Introduction to Formal Logic
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Achinstein, Peter
Gilman 50
Spring 2024
An introduction to symbolic logic and probability. In the first two parts of the course we study formal ways of determining whether a conclusion of an argument follows from its premises. Included are truth-functional logic and predicate logic. In the third part we study the basic rules of probability, and learn how to make probability calculations and decisions in life.
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Introduction to Formal Logic AS.150.118 (02)
An introduction to symbolic logic and probability. In the first two parts of the course we study formal ways of determining whether a conclusion of an argument follows from its premises. Included are truth-functional logic and predicate logic. In the third part we study the basic rules of probability, and learn how to make probability calculations and decisions in life.
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Achinstein, Peter
Room: Gilman 50
Status: Open
Seats Available: 7/20
PosTag(s): PHIL-LOGSCI, COGS-PHLMND
AS.150.118 (03)
Introduction to Formal Logic
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Achinstein, Peter
Gilman 50
Spring 2024
An introduction to symbolic logic and probability. In the first two parts of the course we study formal ways of determining whether a conclusion of an argument follows from its premises. Included are truth-functional logic and predicate logic. In the third part we study the basic rules of probability, and learn how to make probability calculations and decisions in life.
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Introduction to Formal Logic AS.150.118 (03)
An introduction to symbolic logic and probability. In the first two parts of the course we study formal ways of determining whether a conclusion of an argument follows from its premises. Included are truth-functional logic and predicate logic. In the third part we study the basic rules of probability, and learn how to make probability calculations and decisions in life.
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Achinstein, Peter
Room: Gilman 50
Status: Open
Seats Available: 7/20
PosTag(s): PHIL-LOGSCI, COGS-PHLMND
AS.150.118 (04)
Introduction to Formal Logic
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Achinstein, Peter
Gilman 50
Spring 2024
An introduction to symbolic logic and probability. In the first two parts of the course we study formal ways of determining whether a conclusion of an argument follows from its premises. Included are truth-functional logic and predicate logic. In the third part we study the basic rules of probability, and learn how to make probability calculations and decisions in life.
×
Introduction to Formal Logic AS.150.118 (04)
An introduction to symbolic logic and probability. In the first two parts of the course we study formal ways of determining whether a conclusion of an argument follows from its premises. Included are truth-functional logic and predicate logic. In the third part we study the basic rules of probability, and learn how to make probability calculations and decisions in life.
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Achinstein, Peter
Room: Gilman 50
Status: Open
Seats Available: 10/20
PosTag(s): PHIL-LOGSCI, COGS-PHLMND
AS.150.139 (01)
Introduction to Philosophy of Mind
MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 12:00PM - 12:50PM
Green, E. J.
Ames 234
Spring 2024
Introduction to the philosophy of mind with special emphasis on the relationship between human minds and artificial machines. Questions to be discussed include: Is the mind the brain, or something over and above it? Can computers think, and if so, do they think the way we do? How do our thoughts get to be about things in the external world? What is the nature of conscious experience?
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Introduction to Philosophy of Mind AS.150.139 (01)
Introduction to the philosophy of mind with special emphasis on the relationship between human minds and artificial machines. Questions to be discussed include: Is the mind the brain, or something over and above it? Can computers think, and if so, do they think the way we do? How do our thoughts get to be about things in the external world? What is the nature of conscious experience?
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 12:00PM - 12:50PM
Instructor: Green, E. J.
Room: Ames 234
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-MIND, COGS-PHLMND, MSCH-HUM
AS.150.139 (02)
Introduction to Philosophy of Mind
MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Green, E. J.
Ames 234
Spring 2024
Introduction to the philosophy of mind with special emphasis on the relationship between human minds and artificial machines. Questions to be discussed include: Is the mind the brain, or something over and above it? Can computers think, and if so, do they think the way we do? How do our thoughts get to be about things in the external world? What is the nature of conscious experience?
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Introduction to Philosophy of Mind AS.150.139 (02)
Introduction to the philosophy of mind with special emphasis on the relationship between human minds and artificial machines. Questions to be discussed include: Is the mind the brain, or something over and above it? Can computers think, and if so, do they think the way we do? How do our thoughts get to be about things in the external world? What is the nature of conscious experience?
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Green, E. J.
Room: Ames 234
Status: Open
Seats Available: 2/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-MIND, COGS-PHLMND, MSCH-HUM
AS.150.139 (03)
Introduction to Philosophy of Mind
MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 12:00PM - 12:50PM
Green, E. J.
Ames 234
Spring 2024
Introduction to the philosophy of mind with special emphasis on the relationship between human minds and artificial machines. Questions to be discussed include: Is the mind the brain, or something over and above it? Can computers think, and if so, do they think the way we do? How do our thoughts get to be about things in the external world? What is the nature of conscious experience?
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Introduction to Philosophy of Mind AS.150.139 (03)
Introduction to the philosophy of mind with special emphasis on the relationship between human minds and artificial machines. Questions to be discussed include: Is the mind the brain, or something over and above it? Can computers think, and if so, do they think the way we do? How do our thoughts get to be about things in the external world? What is the nature of conscious experience?
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 12:00PM - 12:50PM
Instructor: Green, E. J.
Room: Ames 234
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-MIND, COGS-PHLMND, MSCH-HUM
AS.150.139 (04)
Introduction to Philosophy of Mind
MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 1:30PM - 2:20PM
Green, E. J.
Ames 234
Spring 2024
Introduction to the philosophy of mind with special emphasis on the relationship between human minds and artificial machines. Questions to be discussed include: Is the mind the brain, or something over and above it? Can computers think, and if so, do they think the way we do? How do our thoughts get to be about things in the external world? What is the nature of conscious experience?
×
Introduction to Philosophy of Mind AS.150.139 (04)
Introduction to the philosophy of mind with special emphasis on the relationship between human minds and artificial machines. Questions to be discussed include: Is the mind the brain, or something over and above it? Can computers think, and if so, do they think the way we do? How do our thoughts get to be about things in the external world? What is the nature of conscious experience?
Days/Times: MW 12:00PM - 12:50PM, F 1:30PM - 2:20PM
Instructor: Green, E. J.
Room: Ames 234
Status: Open
Seats Available: 2/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-MIND, COGS-PHLMND, MSCH-HUM
AS.150.202 (01)
Introduction to Islamic Philosophy
MW 4:30PM - 5:45PM
Morvarid, Hashem
Ames 218
Spring 2024
In the Islamic Golden Age (800-1400 CE), philosophers such as al-Farabi, Avicenna, al-Ghazali, and Averroes made enormous contributions to every aspect of philosophy, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, and philosophical theology. But philosophy in the Islamic world did not end with Averroes. It continued to flourish in Muslim Eastern countries, in particular Persia and India, with the works of such philosophers as Suhrawardi and Mula Sadra. In the contemporary era, drawing on their rich tradition, Muslim philosophers such as Muhammad lqbal, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Amina Wadud continue to tackle social, philosophical, and theological issues in the Islamic world. In this course, we will discuss the works of Muslim philosophers from the Golden Age to the present day.
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Introduction to Islamic Philosophy AS.150.202 (01)
In the Islamic Golden Age (800-1400 CE), philosophers such as al-Farabi, Avicenna, al-Ghazali, and Averroes made enormous contributions to every aspect of philosophy, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, and philosophical theology. But philosophy in the Islamic world did not end with Averroes. It continued to flourish in Muslim Eastern countries, in particular Persia and India, with the works of such philosophers as Suhrawardi and Mula Sadra. In the contemporary era, drawing on their rich tradition, Muslim philosophers such as Muhammad lqbal, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Amina Wadud continue to tackle social, philosophical, and theological issues in the Islamic world. In this course, we will discuss the works of Muslim philosophers from the Golden Age to the present day.
Days/Times: MW 4:30PM - 5:45PM
Instructor: Morvarid, Hashem
Room: Ames 218
Status: Open
Seats Available: 18/20
PosTag(s): INST-PT
AS.150.205 (01)
Introduction to the History of Modern Philosophy
MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 9:00AM - 9:50AM
Dong, Hao
Ames 218
Spring 2024
An overview of philosophical thought in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. We shall focus on fundamental questions in epistemology (knowledge, how we acquire it, its scope and limits), metaphysics (the ultimate nature of reality, the relation of mind and body, free will), and theology (the existence and nature of God, God’s relation to the world, whether knowledge of such things is possible): all questions that arose in dramatic ways as a result of the rise of modern science. The principal philosophers to be discussed are Descartes, Locke, Hume and Kant, though we shall also make the acquaintance of Spinoza, Leibniz and Berkeley.
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Introduction to the History of Modern Philosophy AS.150.205 (01)
An overview of philosophical thought in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. We shall focus on fundamental questions in epistemology (knowledge, how we acquire it, its scope and limits), metaphysics (the ultimate nature of reality, the relation of mind and body, free will), and theology (the existence and nature of God, God’s relation to the world, whether knowledge of such things is possible): all questions that arose in dramatic ways as a result of the rise of modern science. The principal philosophers to be discussed are Descartes, Locke, Hume and Kant, though we shall also make the acquaintance of Spinoza, Leibniz and Berkeley.
Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 9:00AM - 9:50AM
An overview of philosophical thought in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. We shall focus on fundamental questions in epistemology (knowledge, how we acquire it, its scope and limits), metaphysics (the ultimate nature of reality, the relation of mind and body, free will), and theology (the existence and nature of God, God’s relation to the world, whether knowledge of such things is possible): all questions that arose in dramatic ways as a result of the rise of modern science. The principal philosophers to be discussed are Descartes, Locke, Hume and Kant, though we shall also make the acquaintance of Spinoza, Leibniz and Berkeley.
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Intro Hist of Mod Philos AS.150.205 (02)
An overview of philosophical thought in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. We shall focus on fundamental questions in epistemology (knowledge, how we acquire it, its scope and limits), metaphysics (the ultimate nature of reality, the relation of mind and body, free will), and theology (the existence and nature of God, God’s relation to the world, whether knowledge of such things is possible): all questions that arose in dramatic ways as a result of the rise of modern science. The principal philosophers to be discussed are Descartes, Locke, Hume and Kant, though we shall also make the acquaintance of Spinoza, Leibniz and Berkeley.
Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 10:00AM - 10:50AM
An introduction to moral philosophy through in-depth and critical reading of selected texts from the history of philosophy. The philosophers whose texts will be discussed include Aristotle, Kant, Mill, and Hannah Arendt.
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Introduction to Moral Philosophy AS.150.220 (01)
An introduction to moral philosophy through in-depth and critical reading of selected texts from the history of philosophy. The philosophers whose texts will be discussed include Aristotle, Kant, Mill, and Hannah Arendt.
Days/Times: MW 9:00AM - 9:50AM, F 9:00AM - 9:50AM
Instructor: Velleman, James David
Room: Ames 234
Status: Open
Seats Available: 7/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-ETHICS, AGRI-ELECT
AS.150.220 (02)
Introduction to Moral Philosophy
MW 9:00AM - 9:50AM, F 9:00AM - 9:50AM
Velleman, James David
Ames 234
Spring 2024
An introduction to moral philosophy through in-depth and critical reading of selected texts from the history of philosophy. The philosophers whose texts will be discussed include Aristotle, Kant, Mill, and Hannah Arendt.
×
Introduction to Moral Philosophy AS.150.220 (02)
An introduction to moral philosophy through in-depth and critical reading of selected texts from the history of philosophy. The philosophers whose texts will be discussed include Aristotle, Kant, Mill, and Hannah Arendt.
Days/Times: MW 9:00AM - 9:50AM, F 9:00AM - 9:50AM
Instructor: Velleman, James David
Room: Ames 234
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-ETHICS, AGRI-ELECT
AS.150.220 (04)
Introduction to Moral Philosophy
MW 9:00AM - 9:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Velleman, James David
Ames 234
Spring 2024
An introduction to moral philosophy through in-depth and critical reading of selected texts from the history of philosophy. The philosophers whose texts will be discussed include Aristotle, Kant, Mill, and Hannah Arendt.
×
Introduction to Moral Philosophy AS.150.220 (04)
An introduction to moral philosophy through in-depth and critical reading of selected texts from the history of philosophy. The philosophers whose texts will be discussed include Aristotle, Kant, Mill, and Hannah Arendt.
Days/Times: MW 9:00AM - 9:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Velleman, James David
Room: Ames 234
Status: Open
Seats Available: 8/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-ETHICS, AGRI-ELECT
AS.150.220 (05)
Introduction to Moral Philosophy
MW 9:00AM - 9:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Velleman, James David
Ames 234
Spring 2024
An introduction to moral philosophy through in-depth and critical reading of selected texts from the history of philosophy. The philosophers whose texts will be discussed include Aristotle, Kant, Mill, and Hannah Arendt.
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Introduction to Moral Philosophy AS.150.220 (05)
An introduction to moral philosophy through in-depth and critical reading of selected texts from the history of philosophy. The philosophers whose texts will be discussed include Aristotle, Kant, Mill, and Hannah Arendt.
Days/Times: MW 9:00AM - 9:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Velleman, James David
Room: Ames 234
Status: Open
Seats Available: 9/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-ETHICS, AGRI-ELECT
AS.150.240 (01)
Introduction to Modern Political Philosophy: The Social Contract Tradition
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Chaput, Emmanuel
Krieger 302
Spring 2024
This course begins by reviewing canonical texts in modern political philosophy beginning with Thomas Hobbes and John Locke and ends by exploring classic questions in contemporary debates in race, gender, and identity.
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Introduction to Modern Political Philosophy: The Social Contract Tradition AS.150.240 (01)
This course begins by reviewing canonical texts in modern political philosophy beginning with Thomas Hobbes and John Locke and ends by exploring classic questions in contemporary debates in race, gender, and identity.
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 11:00AM - 11:50AM
Instructor: Chaput, Emmanuel
Room: Krieger 302
Status: Open
Seats Available: 15/20
PosTag(s): PHIL-ETHICS, INST-PT
AS.150.240 (02)
Introduction to Modern Political Philosophy: The Social Contract Tradition
MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 1:30PM - 2:20PM
Chaput, Emmanuel
Krieger 302
Spring 2024
This course begins by reviewing canonical texts in modern political philosophy beginning with Thomas Hobbes and John Locke and ends by exploring classic questions in contemporary debates in race, gender, and identity.
×
Introduction to Modern Political Philosophy: The Social Contract Tradition AS.150.240 (02)
This course begins by reviewing canonical texts in modern political philosophy beginning with Thomas Hobbes and John Locke and ends by exploring classic questions in contemporary debates in race, gender, and identity.
Days/Times: MW 11:00AM - 11:50AM, F 1:30PM - 2:20PM
Instructor: Chaput, Emmanuel
Room: Krieger 302
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/5
PosTag(s): PHIL-ETHICS, INST-PT
AS.150.300 (01)
Prometheus Workshop
T 7:00PM - 8:00PM
Cummings, Cara Rei
Gilman 288
Spring 2024
Prometheus is Johns Hopkins' undergraduate philosophical society. The society organizes a conference and publishes a journal each year and more generally provides a community for philosophically-minded students. The Prometheus workshop facilitates this through open philosophical discussion; interaction with faculty, graduate students, and other members of the Philosophy Department; and other activities. For more information, please visit . Prerequisite: MUST have taken one philosophy course
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Prometheus Workshop AS.150.300 (01)
Prometheus is Johns Hopkins' undergraduate philosophical society. The society organizes a conference and publishes a journal each year and more generally provides a community for philosophically-minded students. The Prometheus workshop facilitates this through open philosophical discussion; interaction with faculty, graduate students, and other members of the Philosophy Department; and other activities. For more information, please visit . Prerequisite: MUST have taken one philosophy course
Days/Times: T 7:00PM - 8:00PM
Instructor: Cummings, Cara Rei
Room: Gilman 288
Status: Open
Seats Available: 18/28
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.150.301 (01)
Majors Seminar: Philosophy of Love
TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Wonderly, Monique Lisa
Gilman 288
Spring 2024
In this course, we will explore various philosophical views concerning the nature and ethics of love. We will address questions such as “What is love?”, “Are there reasons to love (or not to love) particular people or objects?”, “What role does love play in leading a flourishing life?”, and “How does one love well?” In examining these issues, we will focus on contemporary debates in the philosophy of love, but we might also engage with prominent historical treatments of love, psychological research, literature, and art.
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Majors Seminar: Philosophy of Love AS.150.301 (01)
In this course, we will explore various philosophical views concerning the nature and ethics of love. We will address questions such as “What is love?”, “Are there reasons to love (or not to love) particular people or objects?”, “What role does love play in leading a flourishing life?”, and “How does one love well?” In examining these issues, we will focus on contemporary debates in the philosophy of love, but we might also engage with prominent historical treatments of love, psychological research, literature, and art.
Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
Instructor: Wonderly, Monique Lisa
Room: Gilman 288
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-SEM, PHIL-ETHICS
AS.150.402 (01)
Aristotle
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Bett, Richard
Gilman 288
Spring 2024
A study of major selected texts of Aristotle.
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Aristotle AS.150.402 (01)
A study of major selected texts of Aristotle.
Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Instructor: Bett, Richard
Room: Gilman 288
Status: Waitlist Only
Seats Available: 0/18
PosTag(s): PHIL-ANCIEN
AS.150.421 (01)
Mathematical Logic II
TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Rynasiewicz, Robert
Greenhouse 110
Spring 2024
Euclid set a precedent for the codification of mathematics by axiomatizing the set of geometric truths. An obvious question that arises is whether all branches of mathematics are axiomatizable, especially fundamental ones, such as arithmetic. In the late nineteenth century, what became known as Peano arithmetic was proposed as an axiomatization. The essential feature of an axiomatization is that, although one might have an infinite number of axioms, as does Peano arithmetic, one must have a decision procedure for determining whether a given proposition is or is not an axiom. In 1931, Gödel proved the astounding result that, not only is Peano arithmetic incomplete in the sense that it does not entail all arithmetic truths, but any attempted axiomatization of arithmetic is incomplete, and thus the set of arithmetic truths must be undecidable. Subsequently, Alfred Tarski showed the set of arithmetic truths is not even definable. Also, by finding a finitely axiomatizable undecidable subtheory of Peano arithmetic, Alonzo Church was able to show that there is not even an effective procedure for determining whether a given sentence is a logical truth.
Finally, in his 1931 paper, Gödel argued a second incompleteness theorem, viz., that any theory strong enough to express its own consistency, as he showed Peano arithmetic to be, cannot prove its own consistency unless it is inconsistent. We will cover these and other results that have had a profound effect on the foundations of mathematics. It remains an open question whether so basic a theory as Peano arithmetic is consistent.
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Mathematical Logic II AS.150.421 (01)
Euclid set a precedent for the codification of mathematics by axiomatizing the set of geometric truths. An obvious question that arises is whether all branches of mathematics are axiomatizable, especially fundamental ones, such as arithmetic. In the late nineteenth century, what became known as Peano arithmetic was proposed as an axiomatization. The essential feature of an axiomatization is that, although one might have an infinite number of axioms, as does Peano arithmetic, one must have a decision procedure for determining whether a given proposition is or is not an axiom. In 1931, Gödel proved the astounding result that, not only is Peano arithmetic incomplete in the sense that it does not entail all arithmetic truths, but any attempted axiomatization of arithmetic is incomplete, and thus the set of arithmetic truths must be undecidable. Subsequently, Alfred Tarski showed the set of arithmetic truths is not even definable. Also, by finding a finitely axiomatizable undecidable subtheory of Peano arithmetic, Alonzo Church was able to show that there is not even an effective procedure for determining whether a given sentence is a logical truth.
Finally, in his 1931 paper, Gödel argued a second incompleteness theorem, viz., that any theory strong enough to express its own consistency, as he showed Peano arithmetic to be, cannot prove its own consistency unless it is inconsistent. We will cover these and other results that have had a profound effect on the foundations of mathematics. It remains an open question whether so basic a theory as Peano arithmetic is consistent.
Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
Instructor: Rynasiewicz, Robert
Room: Greenhouse 110
Status: Open
Seats Available: 10/12
PosTag(s): PHIL-LOGSCI
AS.150.439 (01)
Catastrophe Ethics
F 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Rieder, Travis N
Krieger 180
Spring 2024
Catastrophe Ethics explores the question, “how do you live a morally decent life in an era of massive, structural catastrophes?” Most of what we do contributes to harm and injustice as a result of climate change, ecological devastation, child labor and exploitation in the global supply chain, the spread of infectious diseases like Covid-19, animal welfare issues, and much more. And yet, as individuals with incredibly little power, most of us can’t make a difference to any of these problems no matter what we choose. So our actions seem to matter morally (Recycle! Boycott bad companies! Go vegan!), and yet also to matter not at all (You don’t make a difference!). In attempting to address this problem—the puzzle of individual responsibility amidst collective threats—this course takes students on a tour of both traditional moral philosophy, and newer, disruptive moral concepts. By the end of the semester, students will be provided with tools to think more clearly about living in our chaotic world and hopefully, to do better and feel better about the mark that they’re leaving on the planet and on society.
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Catastrophe Ethics AS.150.439 (01)
Catastrophe Ethics explores the question, “how do you live a morally decent life in an era of massive, structural catastrophes?” Most of what we do contributes to harm and injustice as a result of climate change, ecological devastation, child labor and exploitation in the global supply chain, the spread of infectious diseases like Covid-19, animal welfare issues, and much more. And yet, as individuals with incredibly little power, most of us can’t make a difference to any of these problems no matter what we choose. So our actions seem to matter morally (Recycle! Boycott bad companies! Go vegan!), and yet also to matter not at all (You don’t make a difference!). In attempting to address this problem—the puzzle of individual responsibility amidst collective threats—this course takes students on a tour of both traditional moral philosophy, and newer, disruptive moral concepts. By the end of the semester, students will be provided with tools to think more clearly about living in our chaotic world and hopefully, to do better and feel better about the mark that they’re leaving on the planet and on society.
Days/Times: F 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Rieder, Travis N
Room: Krieger 180
Status: Open
Seats Available: 4/40
PosTag(s): PHIL-BIOETH, PHIL-ETHICS, MSCH-HUM
AS.150.442 (01)
The Philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein
M 4:30PM - 7:00PM
Williams, Michael
Gilman 288
Spring 2024
An advanced introduction to the philosophical work of Ludwig Wittgenstein. We shall begin by examining the central ideas of Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus against the background of the philosophical work of Frege and Russell. We shall then move on to the Philosophical Investigations, paying special attention to his searching self-criticisms and to the “rule-following” and “private language” problems, as highlighted by Saul Kripke’s pathbreaking but controversial account of Wittgenstein’s argument.
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The Philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein AS.150.442 (01)
An advanced introduction to the philosophical work of Ludwig Wittgenstein. We shall begin by examining the central ideas of Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus against the background of the philosophical work of Frege and Russell. We shall then move on to the Philosophical Investigations, paying special attention to his searching self-criticisms and to the “rule-following” and “private language” problems, as highlighted by Saul Kripke’s pathbreaking but controversial account of Wittgenstein’s argument.
Days/Times: M 4:30PM - 7:00PM
Instructor: Williams, Michael
Room: Gilman 288
Status: Open
Seats Available: 5/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.150.469 (01)
Immanuel Kant's Political Philosophy
W 4:00PM - 6:30PM
Allais, Lucy
Gilman 288
Spring 2024
Immanuel Kant's political philosophy is primarily presented in two works very late in his corpus: Perpetual Peace and the Metaphysics of Morals. In these Kant presents an account of justice as based on the innate right of individuals to freedom, which situates his account in the history of the liberal tradition of political philosophy. But what really follows from the starting point of individual freedom? In this course we will both pay careful attention to Kant's texts, and also think about the implications of the position for contemporary concerns, as well as for how liberalism should be understood.
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Immanuel Kant's Political Philosophy AS.150.469 (01)
Immanuel Kant's political philosophy is primarily presented in two works very late in his corpus: Perpetual Peace and the Metaphysics of Morals. In these Kant presents an account of justice as based on the innate right of individuals to freedom, which situates his account in the history of the liberal tradition of political philosophy. But what really follows from the starting point of individual freedom? In this course we will both pay careful attention to Kant's texts, and also think about the implications of the position for contemporary concerns, as well as for how liberalism should be understood.
Days/Times: W 4:00PM - 6:30PM
Instructor: Allais, Lucy
Room: Gilman 288
Status: Open
Seats Available: 10/21
PosTag(s): PHIL-MODERN, PHIL-ETHICS, INST-PT
AS.150.471 (01)
Philosophy and AI
T 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Gross, Steven
Gilman 288
Spring 2024
This course explores philosophical issues raised by developments in Artificial Intelligence. For example, can a machine be conscious? (What is consciousness?) Who is responsible for a bad decision made by AI? What light, if any, do developments in AI shed on age-old debates about nature vs. nurture?
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Philosophy and AI AS.150.471 (01)
This course explores philosophical issues raised by developments in Artificial Intelligence. For example, can a machine be conscious? (What is consciousness?) Who is responsible for a bad decision made by AI? What light, if any, do developments in AI shed on age-old debates about nature vs. nurture?
This course examines the works, influence, and legacy of often underappreciated and overlooked women philosophers of the German tradition in the 19th and 20th centuries. Although they were largely deprived of formal education and academic positions and excluded from academic discourse, women thinkers developed their own ways of philosophizing, of engaging in dialogue with their contemporaries, and of shaping the philosophical movements of their time. The course will focus on Lou Andreas-Salomé (1861-1937) and her engagement with the philosophy of life movement and psychoanalysis, Edith Stein (1891-1942) and her impact on the phenomenological tradition, and Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) and her lasting contribution to existential questions of human intellectual, social, and political life. The underlying theme of the course that connects these three thinkers is the life of the mind: what can we learn from each thinker about the conditions of human life, the dynamics of personal development, and the potential for emancipation?
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Women Philosophers in the German tradition AS.150.472 (01)
This course examines the works, influence, and legacy of often underappreciated and overlooked women philosophers of the German tradition in the 19th and 20th centuries. Although they were largely deprived of formal education and academic positions and excluded from academic discourse, women thinkers developed their own ways of philosophizing, of engaging in dialogue with their contemporaries, and of shaping the philosophical movements of their time. The course will focus on Lou Andreas-Salomé (1861-1937) and her engagement with the philosophy of life movement and psychoanalysis, Edith Stein (1891-1942) and her impact on the phenomenological tradition, and Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) and her lasting contribution to existential questions of human intellectual, social, and political life. The underlying theme of the course that connects these three thinkers is the life of the mind: what can we learn from each thinker about the conditions of human life, the dynamics of personal development, and the potential for emancipation?
Days/Times: Th 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Kraus, Katharina
Room: Greenhouse 110
Status: Reserved Open
Seats Available: 11/15
PosTag(s): PHIL-MIND, PHIL-MODERN, INST-PT
AS.150.474 (01)
Justice and Health
W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Bok, Hilary
Hodson 203
Spring 2024
This course will consider the bearing of theories of justice on health care. Topics will include national health insurance, rationing and cost containment, and what justice requires of researchers in developing countries.
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Justice and Health AS.150.474 (01)
This course will consider the bearing of theories of justice on health care. Topics will include national health insurance, rationing and cost containment, and what justice requires of researchers in developing countries.
Days/Times: W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Bok, Hilary
Room: Hodson 203
Status: Reserved Open
Seats Available: 6/20
PosTag(s): PHIL-ETHICS, PHIL-BIOETH, MSCH-HUM
AS.211.387 (01)
Theories of Peace from Kant to MLK
W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Frey, Christiane; Seguin, Becquer D
Gilman 381
Spring 2024
That the nations of the world could ever work together seems utopian, but also unavoidable: migration, war, and not least climate change make some form of global coordination increasingly necessary. This course will give historical and philosophical depth to the idea of a cosmopolitan order and world peace by tracing it from its ancient sources through early modernity to today. At the center of the course will be the text that has been credited with founding the tradition of a world federation of nations, Immanuel Kant’s "Toward Perpetual Peace" (1795). Confronting recent and current political discourse, literature, and philosophy with Kant’s famous treatise, we will work to gain a new perspective on the idea of a world order. In addition to Kant, readings include Homer, Erasmus, Pico della Mirandola, Rousseau, Jeremy Bentham, Emily Dickinson, Tolstoy, Whitman, Rosa Luxemburg, Gandhi, Hannah Arendt, John Lennon, and Martin Luther King as well as lesser-known authors such as the Abbé de Saint-Pierre, Ellen Key, Odette Thibault, Simone Weil, and Claude Lefort. Taught in English.
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Theories of Peace from Kant to MLK AS.211.387 (01)
That the nations of the world could ever work together seems utopian, but also unavoidable: migration, war, and not least climate change make some form of global coordination increasingly necessary. This course will give historical and philosophical depth to the idea of a cosmopolitan order and world peace by tracing it from its ancient sources through early modernity to today. At the center of the course will be the text that has been credited with founding the tradition of a world federation of nations, Immanuel Kant’s "Toward Perpetual Peace" (1795). Confronting recent and current political discourse, literature, and philosophy with Kant’s famous treatise, we will work to gain a new perspective on the idea of a world order. In addition to Kant, readings include Homer, Erasmus, Pico della Mirandola, Rousseau, Jeremy Bentham, Emily Dickinson, Tolstoy, Whitman, Rosa Luxemburg, Gandhi, Hannah Arendt, John Lennon, and Martin Luther King as well as lesser-known authors such as the Abbé de Saint-Pierre, Ellen Key, Odette Thibault, Simone Weil, and Claude Lefort. Taught in English.
Days/Times: W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
Instructor: Frey, Christiane; Seguin, Becquer D
Room: Gilman 381
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/15
PosTag(s): INST-PT
AS.213.374 (01)
Existentialism in Literature and Philosophy
T 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Gosetti, Jennifer Anna
Gilman 479
Spring 2024
What does it mean to exist, and to be able to reflect on this fact? What is it mean to be a self? This course explores the themes of existentialism in literature and philosophy, including the meaning of existence, the nature of the self, authenticity and inauthenticity, the inescapability of death, the experience of time, anxiety, absurdity, freedom and responsibility to others. It will be examined why these philosophical ideas often seem to demand literary expression or bear a close relation to literary works. Readings may include writings by Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, Heidegger, Rilke, Kafka, Simmel, Jaspers, Buber, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Camus, and Daoud.
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Existentialism in Literature and Philosophy AS.213.374 (01)
What does it mean to exist, and to be able to reflect on this fact? What is it mean to be a self? This course explores the themes of existentialism in literature and philosophy, including the meaning of existence, the nature of the self, authenticity and inauthenticity, the inescapability of death, the experience of time, anxiety, absurdity, freedom and responsibility to others. It will be examined why these philosophical ideas often seem to demand literary expression or bear a close relation to literary works. Readings may include writings by Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, Heidegger, Rilke, Kafka, Simmel, Jaspers, Buber, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Camus, and Daoud.
Days/Times: T 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Instructor: Gosetti, Jennifer Anna
Room: Gilman 479
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/20
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.213.460 (01)
Animals and Animality in Literature and Philosophy
W 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Gosetti, Jennifer Anna
Bloomberg 276
Spring 2024
This course critically engages the presentation and imagination of animals and other non-human life in modern literature, philosophy, and thought. We will examine the figure of the animal and the means of conceptual differentiation between the animal and the human, considering animals' relation to or perceived exclusion from language, pain, embodiment, sexuality, and the visual gaze. The course is ideal for students interested in fascinating themes in literature and how they reflect philosophical concerns. No prior courses in philosophy are required. Students will read philosophical texts alongside literary works in learning the conceptual history of animals and of humanity as a distinct species. Expect fascinating readings and engaging, lively discussions. Readings may include works by Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Heidegger Derrida, Agamben, Poe, Kleist, Hofmannsthal, Rilke, Kafka, Mann, Pirandello, and Coetzee.
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Animals and Animality in Literature and Philosophy AS.213.460 (01)
This course critically engages the presentation and imagination of animals and other non-human life in modern literature, philosophy, and thought. We will examine the figure of the animal and the means of conceptual differentiation between the animal and the human, considering animals' relation to or perceived exclusion from language, pain, embodiment, sexuality, and the visual gaze. The course is ideal for students interested in fascinating themes in literature and how they reflect philosophical concerns. No prior courses in philosophy are required. Students will read philosophical texts alongside literary works in learning the conceptual history of animals and of humanity as a distinct species. Expect fascinating readings and engaging, lively discussions. Readings may include works by Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Heidegger Derrida, Agamben, Poe, Kleist, Hofmannsthal, Rilke, Kafka, Mann, Pirandello, and Coetzee.
Days/Times: W 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Instructor: Gosetti, Jennifer Anna
Room: Bloomberg 276
Status: Open
Seats Available: 1/15
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.213.460 (02)
Animals and Animality in Literature and Philosophy
W 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Gosetti, Jennifer Anna
Bloomberg 276
Spring 2024
This course critically engages the presentation and imagination of animals and other non-human life in modern literature, philosophy, and thought. We will examine the figure of the animal and the means of conceptual differentiation between the animal and the human, considering animals' relation to or perceived exclusion from language, pain, embodiment, sexuality, and the visual gaze. The course is ideal for students interested in fascinating themes in literature and how they reflect philosophical concerns. No prior courses in philosophy are required. Students will read philosophical texts alongside literary works in learning the conceptual history of animals and of humanity as a distinct species. Expect fascinating readings and engaging, lively discussions. Readings may include works by Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Heidegger Derrida, Agamben, Poe, Kleist, Hofmannsthal, Rilke, Kafka, Mann, Pirandello, and Coetzee.
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Animals and Animality in Literature and Philosophy AS.213.460 (02)
This course critically engages the presentation and imagination of animals and other non-human life in modern literature, philosophy, and thought. We will examine the figure of the animal and the means of conceptual differentiation between the animal and the human, considering animals' relation to or perceived exclusion from language, pain, embodiment, sexuality, and the visual gaze. The course is ideal for students interested in fascinating themes in literature and how they reflect philosophical concerns. No prior courses in philosophy are required. Students will read philosophical texts alongside literary works in learning the conceptual history of animals and of humanity as a distinct species. Expect fascinating readings and engaging, lively discussions. Readings may include works by Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Heidegger Derrida, Agamben, Poe, Kleist, Hofmannsthal, Rilke, Kafka, Mann, Pirandello, and Coetzee.
Days/Times: W 3:00PM - 5:30PM
Instructor: Gosetti, Jennifer Anna
Room: Bloomberg 276
Status: Open
Seats Available: 2/4
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.225.328 (01)
The Existential Drama: Philosophy and Theatre of the Absurd
W 4:30PM - 7:00PM
Martin, Joe
Gilman 77
Spring 2024
Existentialism, a powerful movement in modern drama and theatre, has had a profound influence on contemporary political thought, ethics, and psychology, and has transformed our very notion of how to stage a play. Selected readings and lectures on the philosophy of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Camus, and Sartre -- and discussion of works for the stage by Sartre, Ionesco, Genet, Beckett, Albee, Pinter, and the late plays of Caryl Churchill. Opportunities for projects on central European Absurdism in works by Dürrenmatt, Havel, Witkiewicz, and Mrozek. Students may also choose to examine post-colonialism in the work of Frantz Fannon and second-wave feminism in essays by Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre's long-time collaborator.
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The Existential Drama: Philosophy and Theatre of the Absurd AS.225.328 (01)
Existentialism, a powerful movement in modern drama and theatre, has had a profound influence on contemporary political thought, ethics, and psychology, and has transformed our very notion of how to stage a play. Selected readings and lectures on the philosophy of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Camus, and Sartre -- and discussion of works for the stage by Sartre, Ionesco, Genet, Beckett, Albee, Pinter, and the late plays of Caryl Churchill. Opportunities for projects on central European Absurdism in works by Dürrenmatt, Havel, Witkiewicz, and Mrozek. Students may also choose to examine post-colonialism in the work of Frantz Fannon and second-wave feminism in essays by Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre's long-time collaborator.
Days/Times: W 4:30PM - 7:00PM
Instructor: Martin, Joe
Room: Gilman 77
Status: Open
Seats Available: 8/14
PosTag(s): n/a
AS.150.142 (11)
Introduction to Philosophical Issues in AI
MTWTh 12:00PM - 2:00PM
Gungor, Huseyin
Gilman 134
Summer 2024
Novel developments in the field of artificial intelligence have recently delivered staggering improvements nearly in any field imaginable. Machine learning models which detect and classify latent features of text, image and sound helped us read ancient scrolls we have not been able to read, improve cancer detection techniques and design better self-driving cars. Machine learning models also became better at producing new text, image and sound. ChatGPT is reaching level of competence which urges us to watermark its output and Dall-E is recreating any image to text in any style requested. The complexity of these models rivals and even surpasses their human counterparts at times. At other times, however, these models also behave shockingly incompetently. Self-driving cars struggle with unfamiliar situations, which give rise from absurd to dangerous situations. The detection models perform significantly worse on groups of individuals lying outside their training data. ChatGPT4 does not sound less confident when it makes up an answer than when it provides accurate information. These failures range from being merely amusing to threatening the very existence of humanity. With its promises of new heights and threats of new lows, machine-learning-based AI raises new and hard ethical issues. This course aims to introduce you both to the basic concepts in machine-learning-based AI as well as the hard ethical questions they raise from a philosophical perspective.
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Introduction to Philosophical Issues in AI AS.150.142 (11)
Novel developments in the field of artificial intelligence have recently delivered staggering improvements nearly in any field imaginable. Machine learning models which detect and classify latent features of text, image and sound helped us read ancient scrolls we have not been able to read, improve cancer detection techniques and design better self-driving cars. Machine learning models also became better at producing new text, image and sound. ChatGPT is reaching level of competence which urges us to watermark its output and Dall-E is recreating any image to text in any style requested. The complexity of these models rivals and even surpasses their human counterparts at times. At other times, however, these models also behave shockingly incompetently. Self-driving cars struggle with unfamiliar situations, which give rise from absurd to dangerous situations. The detection models perform significantly worse on groups of individuals lying outside their training data. ChatGPT4 does not sound less confident when it makes up an answer than when it provides accurate information. These failures range from being merely amusing to threatening the very existence of humanity. With its promises of new heights and threats of new lows, machine-learning-based AI raises new and hard ethical issues. This course aims to introduce you both to the basic concepts in machine-learning-based AI as well as the hard ethical questions they raise from a philosophical perspective.