Last updated: February 25, 2020 @ 12:24PM
Philosophy
Chair
Michael Berman
Professors Emeriti
Wing-Cheuk Chan
Professors
Christine Daigle, Rajiv Kaushik, Brian Lightbody, Murray L. Miles, R. Raj Singh
Associate Professors
Michael Berman, Athena V. Colman, R. Dalvi
Undergraduate Officer
Brian Lightbody
Academic Advisor
Liz Hay
General Information
Administrative Assistant
Lauren Stewart
905-688-5550, extension 3315
573 Glenridge 263
brocku.ca/philosophy
Philosophy, defined as the pursuit of wisdom, encompasses the exploration of the nature of reality, consciousness, values, knowledge, reason, argument and evidence. Students study not only the primary texts of the Western philosophical tradition, but also major texts of Indian and Chinese thought. Students are encouraged to investigate critically and dialectically their own views and values.
Program Notes
- All courses numbered 1F90 through 1F96 are introductory PHIL courses. Though different in content and emphasis, PHIL 1F91, 1F93, 1F94, 1F95 and 1F96 are no more advanced than 1F90. A student will not be permitted to take more than one introductory Year 1 course.
- Some Year 4 courses will be offered conjointly with correspondingly numbered year 5 (graduate level) courses.
- Students contemplating Graduate Studies in Philosophy should consider taking at least one second language credit.
- In 20 credit degree programs a maximum of eight credits may be numbered 1(alpha)00 to 1(alpha)99; at least three credits must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above; at least three credits must be numbered 3(alpha)90 or above; and the remaining credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above.
In 15 credit degree programs a maximum of eight credits may be numbered 1(alpha)00 to 1(alpha)99; at least three credits must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above; and the remaining credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above.
In some circumstances, in order to meet university degree and program requirements, more than 15 or 20 credits may be taken.
Honours Program
Year 1
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One of PHIL 1F90, 1F91, 1F93, 1F94, 1F95, 1F96 (see program note 1) |
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one Sciences context credit |
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one Social Sciences context credit |
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two elective credits (see program note 3) |
Year 2
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PHIL 2P25 |
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two and one-half PHIL credits numbered 2(alpha)00 or above |
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two elective credits |
Year 3
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Three PHIL credits numbered 2(alpha)90 or above |
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two elective credits |
Year 4
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Three PHIL credits numbered 3(alpha)90 or above |
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two elective credits |
Pass Program
Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the Honours program entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree.
Combined Major Program
Students may take a combined major in Philosophy and a second discipline. For requirements in the other discipline, the student should consult the relevant department/centre. It should be noted that not all departments/centres provide a combined major option.
Honours
One of PHIL 1F90, 1F91, 1F93, 1F94, 1F95, 1F96 (see program note 1)
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PHIL 2P25 |
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one and one-half PHIL credits numbered 2(alpha)00 or above |
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two PHIL credits numbered 2(alpha)90 or above |
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two PHIL credits numbered 3(alpha)90 or above |
Pass
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One of PHIL 1F90, 1F91, 1F93, 1F94, 1F95, 1F96 (see program note 1) |
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PHIL 2P25 |
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one and one-half PHIL credits numbered 2(alpha)00 or above |
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two PHIL credits numbered 2(alpha)90 or above |
Minor in Philosophy
Students in other disciplines can obtain a Minor in Philosophy within their degree program by completing the following courses with a minimum 60 percent overall average:
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One of PHIL 1F90, 1F91, 1F93, 1F94, 1F95, 1F96 |
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three PHIL credits numbered 2(alpha)00 or above |
Master of Arts (MA) Program
The Department of Philosophy also offers a Master of Arts program, focusing on two areas: recent and contemporary European thought and Asian (especially Indian) thought. Candidates should have an Honours BA in philosophy; those with a Pass BA in philosophy or a degree in another discipline will be required to take additional courses. Students may choose either to complete two credits and write a thesis or to complete three credits and write a major essay.
Graduate credits are to be obtained by completing courses designated at the 5(alpha)00 level. A course previously taken for 4(alpha)00 level credit may not be retaken for graduate credit.
For further information please contact the Graduate Program Director.
Course Descriptions
Note that not all courses are offered in every session. Refer to the applicable term timetable for details.
# Indicates a cross listed course
* Indicates primary offering of a cross listed course
Prerequisites and Restrictions
Students must check to ensure that prerequisites are met. Students may be deregistered, at the request of the instructor, from any course for which prerequisites and/or restrictions have not been met.
PHIL 1F90
Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophical Classics and Contemporary Life
Contemporary problems viewed through a variety of philosophical writings. Students are encouraged to formulate and examine their own beliefs about freedom, knowledge, religion, love and questions of right and wrong.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in PHIL 1F91, 1F93, 1F94, 1F95 and 1F96 except with permission of the department.
PHIL 1F91
Introduction to Philosophy: Human Nature
How do we see ourselves- Who are we- What are we- A critical analysis and evaluation of classical and contemporary views of human nature from a variety of philosophical and religious traditions.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in PHIL 1F90, 1F93, 1F94, 1F95 and 1F96 except with permission of the department.
PHIL 1F93
Introduction to Philosophy: The Foundations of the Present
An attempt to place the philosophical issues which confront the reflective individual today in their historical context by examining the teachings and arguments which shape our views of such matters as body and soul, life after death, truth and knowledge, faith and moral responsibility.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in PHIL 1F90, 1F91,1F94, 1F95 and 1F96 except with permission of the department.
PHIL 1F94
Introduction to Philosophy: Problems
Central problems of philosophy as living questions for reflection, dialogue and debate, including: Is the external world really there- Does God exist- Can I really know anything- What is a person- Is everything permissible- Can my life have meaning-
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in PHIL 1F90, 1F91 and 1F93, 1F95 and 1F96 except with permission of the department.
PHIL 1F95
Introduction to Philosophy: The Meaning of Life
Exploration of theories and strategies (both ancient and contemporary) related to finding meaning in life, combating self-defeating behavior, and optimizing choices and results in dynamic field. Authors may include: Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, Susan Wolf, Michael Bratman, Richard Holton, L.A. Paul, Agnes Callard, and Edward McClennen.
Lectures, Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in PHIL 1F90, 1F91, 1F93 and 1F94 and 1F96 except with permission of the department.
PHIL 1F96
Introduction to Philosophy: Narratives of Reason
Examinations of practical, instrumental and theoretical rationality as expressed in the tensions between self and other, ethics and politics, religion and science, reality and fantasy. Authors may include: Plato, Descartes, Machiavelli, Kant, Freud, Zemyatin, and Asimov.
Lectures, Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in PHIL 1F90, 1F91, 1F93, 1F94 and 1F95 except with permission of the department.
PHIL 2P00
Pre-Socratics to Plato
Survey of Western philosophy from its birth in the Pre-Socratics (sixth century BC) to Plato.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
PHIL 2P01
Growth of Greek Philosophy: Aristotle and Beyond
Survey of Western philosophy from Aristotle, the Hellenistic schools (Epicurean, Stoic, Sceptic) to Plotinus (third century AD).
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
PHIL 2P02
Early Modern Philosophy: The Rationalists
Classical philosophies of Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries as found in the writings of the Continental Rationalists (Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz).
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
PHIL 2P03
Early Modern Philosophy: The Empiricists
Classical philosophies of England, Ireland and Scotland in the 17th and 18th centuries as found in the writings of the British Empiricists (Locke, Berkeley and Hume).
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
PHIL 2P05
Reason and Experience
Arguments and debates concerning reason and experience in 17th- and 18th-century philosophy. Key figures may include Descartes, Malebranche, Locke, Spinoza and Hume.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
PHIL 2P09
Ethics: Major Ethical Theories and Philosophies of Life
Examines Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Mill and contemporary thinkers.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
PHIL 2P12
Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Hindu Thought
Hindu thought beginning with the Vedic myths, through the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita to the systems of the Vedanta. Topics include Karma, reincarnation, altered states of consciousness, Maya, the problem of knowledge, the role and nature of God, the theory and practice of yoga.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in INTC 2P12.
PHIL 2P13
Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Buddhist Thought
Buddhist thought from Prince Siddhartha's enlightenment and subsequent Deer Park Sermon (the basis of Hinayana) through the Perfection of Wisdom to Madhyamika Buddhism (the Mahayana representative) to Zen (the silence of the Buddha). Topics include Nirvana, non-self, one-hand clapping.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in INTC 2P13.
PHIL 2P14
The Beginnings of Existential Thinking
The sources of both theistic and atheistic lived philosophy in such figures as Kierkegaard and Nietzsche.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
PHIL 2P15
The Growth of Existential Thinking
The work of such philosophers as Heidegger, Sartre and Camus.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
PHIL 2P16
Existentialism
Origins, growth and development of this lived philosophy from Kierkegaard and Camus.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
PHIL 2P17
Introduction to Chinese Philosophy
Confucian, Taoist and Chinese Buddhist philosophical traditions examined in conjunction with appropriate texts.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in INTC 2P17.
PHIL 2P18
Postmodernism
Philosophical perspectives arising from Nietzche and Heidegger emphasizing ethics, politics, language and ontology. Readings may include Nancy, Baudrillard, Virilio, Lyotard, Foucault, Deleuze and Guattari.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
PHIL 2P20
Abrahamic Religious Thought
Roots of the monotheisms of Judaism, Christianity and Islam: Who and what is God? What is our relationship to God? What are the ethical bases of religion? What is the nature of faith?
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor
PHIL 2P25
Introduction to Logic
Modern deductive logic. Development of the ability to analyse arguments in order to determine their worth. Arguments will be symbolized in order to clarify their form and to determine their validity or invalidity.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
PHIL 2P50
Creatures, Cyborgs and Carnality
Engaging critical issues such as human nature, self-identity, religion, society, ethics, politics, economics, science and technology in classic, contemporary and award-winning science fiction stories and novels.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 2P91
Philosophical Psychology
Thinkers and the philosophical debates which inform psycho-analytic/psychological theory, including Brentano, Freud, Sartre, Ricoeur, Lacan, as well as more contemporary thinkers such as Nancy, Lacoue-Labarthe.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL or PSYC credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 2P93
Mass Media and Philosophy
Different philosophical reactions to various types of mass media and computer-mediated communication that challenge the traditional concepts of identity, freedom and human nature, including critical theory (Adorno/Horkheimer), media theory (McLuhan), postmodernism (Baudrillard) and systems theory (Niklas Luhmann).
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in INTC 2P93.
PHIL 2P95
Bioethics
(also offered as BIOL 2P95)
Value conflicts and moral dilemmas in biology and medicine. Emphasis on specific case studies in reproductive interventions, medical experimentation, concepts of "health" and "disease", modification of behaviour, lifestyle choices, allocation of scarce or expensive medical resources, and death and dying.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL or BIOL credit or permission of the instructor.
Note: may count as an elective, but not as a major credit in an Honours BIOL (single or combined) program.
PHIL 2P97
Philosophy of Religion
Traditional issues, such as the proofs for the existence of God, the problem of evil, the relationship of faith to reason and the nature of religious knowledge.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one credit in PHIL or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 2P98
Philosophy in Literature
Philosophical issues in literature, such as writing, phenomenology of language, the nature of meaning, the role of the reader, literary work of art, problems of freedom, determinism and values.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 2P99
Gender Ethics and Sexuality
Application of ethics to questions of human sexuality. Topics include sexual values, the semantics of sex, the concepts of the romantic and eternal-feminine, respect for the personhood of women, censorship, pornography, legal enforcement of morality, sex in advertising, prostitution and AIDS.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 2Q90
Indigenous Ways of Knowing
Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies. Topics may include relational ontologies, holism, rethinking the secular/sacred distinction and experiential forms of intergenerational learning.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
PHIL 2Q98
The Philosophy of Art
(also offered as VISA 2Q98)
Classical theories of art through analysis of painting, photography, video, film, music and drama examining such concepts as beauty, creativity, artistic intention, perception, interpretation, and the nature and possible role of art.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit, VISA 1Q98 and 1Q99, or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3M50-3M59
Selected Topics in Philosophy
Selected issues on the basis of faculty expertise.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one credit in PHIL or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3P01
Theory of Knowledge
Fundamental distinctions in the theory of knowledge, such as knowledge and belief, the empirical and the a priori, analytic/synthetic, scientific versus metaphysical knowledge.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3P02
Metaphysics
Major problems of metaphysics, considering the question of what there is. Topics may include the nature of space and time, the mind-body relation, substance and property, universals and particulars, causation, identity and personal identity.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3P19
The Rise of Christian Philosophy
(also offered as MARS 3P19)
Philosophy from the patristic period through Erigena and Anselm up to and including the 12th-century Renaissance.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3P63
Contemporary Feminist Philosophy
(also offered as WGST 3P63)
Feminist thinkers and the philosophical debates which inform contemporary feminist theory including, but not limited to, questions of race, class, gender/sex, power and post-colonialism. Thinkers include Alcoff, Butler, de Beauvoir, Code, Chodorow, Fraser, Gilligan, Harding, Hartsock, Irigaray, Kristeva, MacKinnon and Spivak.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit, one WGST credit, or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3P80
Environmental Philosophy
Ethical and conceptual problems in connection with humanity's relations to nature, in terms of survival and future social organization. What are the costs of progress and development- What kind of ethical responsibilities do we have for future generations and for non-human living creatures- Examination of economic, political, human-ecological and eco-philosophical theories.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3P90
Critical Study of a Classical Philosophy: Plato
In-depth examination of the works of Plato.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): PHIL 2P00 or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3P91
Critical Study of a Classical Philosophy: Aristotle
In-depth examination of the works of Aristotle.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): PHIL 2P01 or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3P92
Hermeneutics
Philosophical theory of interpretation and understanding, with special reference to the methods employed in the humanities (history, literary criticism); the problems of hermeneutics in the works of such thinkers as Gadamer, Ricoeur, Heidegger and Habermas.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit, or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3P93
Phenomenology
The work of such philosophers as Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Scheler and others.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit, or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3P94
Gandhi and Non-Violence
Gandhi as an original philosopher contributing to contemporary ontology. Implications of his thought for applied philosophy of personal, social and international reform, especially in light of its encounters with the forces of violence. Universal relevance of his thought to our technological times, and the relation between his ideas and the Indian tradition.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): PHIL 2P12, 2P13 or permission of the instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in INTC 3P94.
PHIL 3P95
Issues in 17th-Century Philosophy
Special issue or a particular thinker of central importance in the classical period of modern philosophy. Where it does not focus upon one individual (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz), the course will trace the development of an issue (causality, mind-body union, the doctrine of substance) through its classical origins.
Seminar, 3 hours per week
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit, or permission of the instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in PHIL 3V95.
PHIL 3P96
Studies in 19th- and 20th-Century Continental Philosophy I
Critical examination of a key figure of central importance in modern and contemporary philosophy such as Marx, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Foucault, Habermas, Derrida.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit, or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3P97
Studies in 19th- and 20th-Century Continental Philosophy II
Critical examination of a key figure of central importance in modern and contemporary philosophy such as Marx, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Foucault, Habermas, Derrida.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit, or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3P99
Issues in 18th-Century Philosophy
Special issue or a particular thinker of central importance in the classical period of modern philosophy. Where it does not focus upon one individual (Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant), the course will trace the development of an issue (substance, causality) or debate (realism vs. empirical and transcendental idealism, empiricism vs. rationalism and Kantian criticism) through its classical origins.
Seminar, 3 hours per week
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit, or permission of the instructor.
Completion of this course will replace previous assigned grade and credit obtained in PHIL 3V99.
PHIL 3Q98
Transhumanism
Technological and intellectual trends in human hybridity and self-directed evolution, as well as critical examination of posthumanism and pseudo-religious attitudes about the so-called singularity. Key figures may include T. de Chardin, H. Morevec, M. Minsky and R. Kurzweil.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3V90-3V94
Comparative Studies in Philosophy
Historical and systematic study of one or more important themes as developed in ancient Greek, modern and contemporary philosophy and/or Eastern thought.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 3V95-3V99
Issues in 17th- and 18th-Century Philosophy
Special issue or a particular thinker of central importance in the classical period of modern philosophy. Where it does not focus upon one individual (e.g., Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant), the course will trace the development of an issue (e.g., causality, mind-body union, the doctrine of substance, personal identity) through its classical origins.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit, or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 4P02
Sartre
Study of the existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre as discussed in his literary and philosophical works.
Lectures, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor
PHIL 4P05
Nietzsche
Study of the philosophical ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche.
Seminar, 3 hours per week
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 4P20
Kant and the 18th Century
Historical study of the thought of Immanuel Kant in the context of the 18th-century enlightenment, normally focusing on Kant's critical philosophy.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 4P21
Hegel and the 19th Century
Historical study of the thought of Georg W. F. Hegel in the context of the 19th century.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 4P22
Nineteenth-Century Philosophy
Historical study of the thought of a 19th-century thinker or thinkers, such as Marx, Feuerbach, Kierkegaard, Mill, Bradley or Bentham.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of the instructor.
PHIL 4P97
Honours Tutorial I
Directed intensive and individual study in an area in which a student has developed and displayed a particular interest.
Restriction: open to PHIL (single or combined) majors with a minimum 70 percent major average, a minimum of 10.0 overall credits and permission of the Chair.
Note: requires consultation, in advance of registration, with a faculty member able to supervise the study. Proposals for a tutorial course must be approved by the Chair of the department by the last day for late registration.
PHIL 4P98
Honours Tutorial II
Directed intensive and individual study in an area in which a student has developed and displayed a particular interest.
Restriction: open to PHIL (single or combined) majors with a minimum 70 percent major average, a minimum of 10.0 overall credits and permission of the Chair.
Note: requires consultation, in advance of registration, with a faculty member able to supervise that study. Proposals for a tutorial course must be approved by the Chair of the department by the last day for late registration.
PHIL 4V06-4V14
Contemporary Studies in European Philosophy
The work of one or more thinkers prominent in recent Continental thought.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): One PHIL credit or permission of instructor.
PHIL 4V07
2019-2020: Posthumanism, New Materialism, Object-oriented Ontology
The new focus on materiality and human entanglement offered by contemporary post human theorists such as Ian Bogost, Rosi Braidotti, Graham Harman, Timothy Morton, Cary Wolfe.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of instructor.
PHIL 4V15-4V29
Modern Philosophical Studies
Advanced course devoted to one or more of the major thinkers of the tradition from Descartes to the present day.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of instructor.
PHIL 4V30-4V45
Advanced Studies in Eastern Philosophy
Concentrated critical and interpretative study of selected texts in the areas of Advaita, Vedanta, Yoga, etc., Madhyamika and Yogacara schools of Buddhism, Daoism, or Confucianism.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of instructor.
PHIL 4V33
2020-2021: Advanced Buddhism
Standpoints of Madhyamika and Yogachara schools studied through a reading of the major texts and early discourses.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
PHIL 4V46-4V60
Advanced Studies in Comparative Philosophy
Selected issues on the basis of faculty expertise.
Seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite(s): one PHIL credit or permission of instructor.