Program Requirements
Complementary Courses (18 credits)
18 credits, of which no more than 9 credits may be at the 200 level and at least 3 credits must be at the 400 or 500 level, distributed as follows:
15 credits from Groups A, B, C, D, and E with one course from at least four of the five groups.
3 additional credits from Groups A, B, C, D, and E or from other Philosophy (PHIL) courses.
Group A
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PHIL 230 Introduction to Moral Philosophy 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A survey of a number of historically important and influential theories. Philosophers to be discussed may include Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Bentham, Mill, and Moore.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Howard, Christopher; Magal, Oran (Fall)
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PHIL 237 Contemporary Moral Issues (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An introductory discussion of central ethical questions (the value of persons, or the relationship of rights and utilities, for example) through the investigation of currently disputed social and political issues. Specific issues to be discussed may include pornography and censorship, affirmative action, civil disobedience, punishment, abortion, and euthanasia.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PHIL 240 Political Philosophy 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An introduction to contemporary philosophy of politics by concentrating on a number of contested concepts, such as freedom, justice and equality, in contemporary political philosophy and practice.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Sharp, Hasana (Winter)
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PHIL 242 Introduction to Feminist Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An introduction to feminist theory as political theory. Emphasis is placed on the plurality of analyses and proposals that constitute contemporary feminist thought. Some of the following are considered: liberal feminism, marxist and socialist feminism, radical feminism, postmodern feminism, francophone feminism, and the contributions to feminist theory by women of colour and lesbians.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Deslauriers, Marguerite (Fall)
Note: Since this course is being taught abroad, the Victoria Day statutory holiday will not be taken into consideration. Therefore, students are expected to attend their lecture on Monday, May 19, 2014.
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PHIL 334 Ethical Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A course focusing on central questions in ethical theory such as the nature of the good and the right and the factors which determine moral rightness and wrongness.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PHIL 343 Biomedical Ethics (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An investigation of ethical issues as they arise in the practice of medicine (informed consent, e.g.) or in the application of medical technology (in vitro fertilization, euthanasia, e.g.)
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Hirose, Iwao (Fall)
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PHIL 348 Philosophy of Law 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A discussion of the nature of justice and law, and of the relationship between them.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Stoljar, Natalie (Winter)
Restriction: This course is intended for students with a non-professional interest in law, as well as for those considering law as a profession
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PHIL 427 Topics in Critical Philosophy of Race (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An advanced discussion of topics in the critical philosophy of race.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Lewis, Eric (Winter)
PHIL 327 or permission of the instructor.
Topics vary from year to year.
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PHIL 434 Metaethics (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A study of the status of sentences containing moral terms, judgements about moral claims, and the nature of moral facts.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Morin-Martel, Alexis (Fall)
Prerequisite: PHIL 334 or written permission of the instructor
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PHIL 442 Topics in Feminist Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : Advanced discussion of topical and central themes in feminist theory.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Al-Saji, Alia (Fall)
Prerequisite: PHIL 242 and one intermediate course in philosophy
Group B
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PHIL 210 Introduction to Deductive Logic 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An introduction to propositional and predicate logic; formalization of arguments, truth tables, systems of deduction, elementary metaresults, and related topics.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Hallett, Michael Frank (Fall)
Restriction: Not open to students who are taking or have taken MATH 318
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PHIL 221 Introduction to History and Philosophy of Science 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A survey of the development of modern science since the Eighteenth Century.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Tal, Eran (Fall)
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PHIL 306 Philosophy of Mind (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A survey of major positions of the mind-body problem, focusing on such questions as: Do we have minds and bodies? Can minds affect bodies? Is mind identical to body? If so, in what sense "identical"? Can physical bodies be conscious.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Davies, David (Fall)
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PHIL 310 Intermediate Logic (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A second course in Logic. NB. The course will be technical in nature, and some mathematical aptitude is essential. The emphasis is on the expressive properties of standard logical systems, including implications for the philosophy of mathematics. We will study the Completeness of First-Order Logic, then the 'limitative' theorems of Tarski and Gödel.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Hallett, Michael Frank (Winter)
Prerequisite: PHIL 210 or equivalent
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PHIL 311 Philosophy of Mathematics (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : This course provides an historically informed introduction to philosophy of mathematics. It gives the student an overview of prominent issues and arguments, to enable her to follow and discuss contemporary research in philosophy of mathematics.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Schlimm, Dirk (Fall)
Prerequisite: PHIL 210
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PHIL 341 Philosophy of Science 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A discussion of philosophical problems as they arise in the context of scientific practice and enquiry. Such issues as the philosophical presuppositions of the physical and social sciences, the nature of scientific method and its epistemological implications will be addressed.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Magal, Oran (Fall)
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PHIL 411 Topics in Philosophy of Logic and Mathematics (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A course focusing on some philosophical issue (e.g., the nature of numbers or the relation of truth to provability) as it arises in the study of mathematics and logic.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Schlimm, Dirk (Winter)
Prerequisites: PHIL 210 or the equivalent, and one intermediate course in philosophy
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PHIL 415 Philosophy of Language (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of central notions in the philosophy of language (reference, meaning, and truth, e.g.), the puzzles these notions give rise to, and the relevance of these notions to such questions as: What is language? How is communication possible? What is understanding? Is language rule-governed.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Gillon, Brendan (Fall)
Prerequisites: PHIL 210 or equivalent and one intermediate course in philosophy
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PHIL 419 Epistemology (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A discussion of central topics in the theory of knowledge. The questions addressed in the course may include: What is knowledge? Do we have any knowledge? What is the relation between knowledge and belief? When is belief justified? Is all knowledge conscious knowledge.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Guntoori, Aditya (Fall)
Prerequisite: PHIL 210 or equivalent and one intermediate course in philosophy
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PHIL 421 Metaphysics (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of central questions in metaphysics in their historical and contemporary forms. Topics may be chosen from such issues as: personal identity, the nature of space and time, the nature of events and properties, possible worlds, and the problem of realism.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisites: PHIL 210 or equivalent and one intermediate course in philosophy
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PHIL 441 Philosophy of Science 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An analysis of some key philosophical ideas in science and technology, e.g. problem, explanation, forecast, testability and truth.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Tal, Eran (Winter)
Prerequisite: PHIL 341 or written permission of the instructor
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PHIL 470 Topics in Contemporary Analytic Philosophy (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An advanced discussion of major themes in the analytic tradition.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Group C
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PHIL 375 Existentialism (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : This course will examine the nature of existentialist thought as represented in various philosophical and literary texts. Particular themes to be examined include freedom, alienation, responsibility and choice, and the nature of self.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Buckley, R Philip (Fall)
Prerequisite: one course in philosophy
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PHIL 474 Phenomenology (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A study of phenomenology from a historical and thematic perspective. The course will typically involve the study of central thinkers such as Husserl, Heidegger, or Merleau-Ponty, with an examination of the nature and development of the phenomenological movement.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Buckley, R Philip (Winter)
Prerequisite: one intermediate course in philosophy
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PHIL 475 Topics in Contemporary European Philosophy (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : Advanced discussion of selected themes in contemporary European philosophy.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Lewicki, Riley (Fall)
Prerequisite: one intermediate course in philosophy
Group D
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PHIL 344 Medieval and Renaissance Political Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A study of Medieval and Renaissance political theory.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Muniz-Fraticelli, Victor (Winter)
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PHIL 345 Greek Political Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of the ethical and political theories of ancient Greece, especially those of Plato and Aristotle.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken POLI 333
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PHIL 350 History and Philosophy of Ancient Science (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : Topics in ancient pure mathematics (geometry and number theory), "mixed mathematics" (astronomy, music theory, optics, mechanics), and/or natural science (including medicine), studied with a view to philosophical issues raised by the content of ancient science and/or by the logic of scientific argument.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PHIL 353 The Presocratic Philosophers (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of the surviving fragments of the presocratic philosophers and schools of philosophy, as well as later reports of their views.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Lewis, Eric (Fall)
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PHIL 354 Plato (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of some of the philosophical problems (those in logic, epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics, e.g.) found in a selection of Plato's dialogues.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Menn, Stephen (Winter)
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PHIL 355 Aristotle (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of selected works by Aristotle. The course considers issues in moral philosophy as well as those found in the logical treatises, the Physics and Metaphysics, and in the philosophy of mind.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Laywine, Alison (Fall)
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PHIL 356 Early Medieval Philosophy (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of selected works in the Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions. Topics in moral and political philosophy, logic and metaphysics, philosophical psychology and epistemology, philosophy of science, and philosophical theology may be discussed.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Menn, Stephen (Fall)
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PHIL 452 Later Greek Philosophy (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of some of the major post-Aristotelian schools of philosophy. Texts from the Peripatetic, Stoic, Epicurean, Sceptical, Platonic, and medical traditions may be considered. Problems in logic, ethics, physics, epistemology, and metaphysics will be addressed.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PHIL 453 Ancient Metaphysics and Natural Philosophy (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of central themes of ancient metaphysics and/or natural philosophy as treated by two or more contrasting philosophers or philosophical traditions - probably including Plato and/or Aristotle, and possibly including some Hellenistic or post-Hellenistic schools.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Laywine, Alison (Winter)
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PHIL 454 Ancient Moral Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of central themes of ancient moral theory as treated by two or more contrasting philosophers or philosophical traditions - probably including Plato and/or Aristotle, and possibly some Hellenistic or post-Hellenistic schools.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Fiasse, Gaelle (Winter)
Group E
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PHIL 360 17th Century Philosophy (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of the work of such seventeenth-century philosophers as Descartes, Hobbes, Gassendi, Malebranche, Leibniz, and the Cambridge Platonists.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Laywine, Alison (Fall)
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PHIL 361 18th Century Philosophy (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A survey of eighteenth century philosophy, especially British philosophy. Attention is given to fundamental metaphysical, epistemological, and moral issues as reflected in the work of such philosophers as Locke, Shaftesbury, Berkeley, Hutcheson, Butler, Hume and Reid.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Carson, Emily J (Winter)
- PHIL 366 18th and Early 19th Century German Philosophy (3 credits)
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PHIL 367 19th Century Philosophy (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of the works of such 19th century philosophers as Mach, Helmholtz, Dedekind, Frege, Marx, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Mill and Bradley.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisite: A previous course in philosophy is recommended
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PHIL 444 Early Modern Political Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A survey of political and moral theory from the Reformation to the French Revolution including Luther, Montaigne, Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Smith.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Sharp, Hasana (Fall)
Prerequisite: at least one course in political philosophy
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PHIL 445 19th Century Political Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of various strands of political theory since Rousseau, concentrating on such themes as the understanding of modernity and theories of liberal society.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisite: at least one course in political philosophy
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken POLI 434
