A look at some central questions in philosophy, including: Does God exist? What is knowledge? Truth? Is every thing in the world a material thing? Do we have free will? How do we distinguish between right and wrong?  What justifies political authority? By what principles should a just society be ordered? Specific topics will include: the ethics of belief, fake news, obligations to future generations, and civil disobedience. Examples and case studies will be drawn from a wide range of disciplines and areas, from the natural and social sciences to art and music.

Antirequisite(s): Philosophy 1000E, Philosophy 1022E, Philosophy 1100E, Philosophy 1250F/G, Philosophy 1300E, Philosophy 1350F/G.

This non-essay course introduces conceptual issues about science: What distinguishes science from non-science? Are there limits to what science can or should explain? What does science tell us about reality? What is the relationship between science and religion? What is the role and value of science in a democratic society?

In our everyday experiences, we are confronted by situations in which we have to decide what is right, and what is wrong. Broadly, we can think of these as ethical “moments”, where we have to make a certain kind of judgment: normative or moral judgment. We ask: what is morally permissible in these circumstances? What is morally obligatory? What is forbidden? The answers that we give are important – they will guide our actions, or we may use them to evaluate the actions of others. Either way, they will determine what counts as a right action, or who is a good person.

Politics and law sometimes generate very similar experiences – we ask ourselves whether an action is legal or illegal, which tax or environmental policy is the best for the country, whether the government has done something to violate our rights, and so on. There are many instances where ethics, law and politics intersect.

An introduction to the basic principles of reasoning and critical thinking designed to enhance the student's ability to evaluate various forms of reasoning found in everyday life as well as in academic disciplines. The course will deal with such topics as inductive and deductive reasoning, the nature and function of definitions, types of fallacies, the use and misuse of statistics, and the rudiments of logic. Primarily for first year students.

Antirequisite(s): Philosophy 1000E, Philosophy 1200.

An introduction to the basic principles of reasoning and critical thinking designed to enhance the student's ability to evaluate various forms of reasoning found in everyday life as well as in academic disciplines. The course will deal with such topics as inductive and deductive reasoning, the nature and function of definitions, types of fallacies, the use and misuse of statistics, and the rudiments of logic. Primarily for first year students.

Antirequisite(s): Philosophy 1000E, Philosophy 1200.

This is an introductory course in formal logic, which may be used to satisfy the logic requirement for the HSP module in Philosophy. The focus of the course is on Modern Symbolic Logic. The first term focuses solely on propositional or sentential logic; the second term is dedicated to first-order predicate logic. A system of natural deduction is introduced for proving statements and assessing natural language arguments. A formal language is introduced along with techniques for translating between this formal system and natural language. Truth tables are used to test for truth-functional properties. A more efficient system of truth trees is then introduced to test for these properties. Time permitting the course will conclude with a brief introduction to modal and other alternative logics.

Antirequisite(s): Philosophy 2250, Philosophy 2252W/X, Computer Science 2209A/B.

Astronauts age more slowly. Time can have a beginning. Space and time are curved. All these surprising claims are consequences of Einstein's revolutionary theories of relativity. This course explains these and related ideas in historical context and explores their philosophical significance. No physics and only grade 11 mathematics required.

Will robots take all our jobs? Will humans become cyborgs? Will nano-technology revolutionize medicine? As we rely more on machines, they are changing how we interact with the world and one another. In this course we will consider the impact of technology on our current lives, and on our future.

An evaluation of sciences attempting to understand the nature of the mind and its place in the physical world. Topics may include: phrenology & localization theory, physiology, neuroanatomy, gestalt psychology, experimental psychology, evolutionary psychology, psychophysics, psychoanalysis, behaviorism, cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, intelligence testing and the nature of consciousness.

Antirequisite(s): Philosophy 2630F/G.

A study of philosophical approaches to evil through the history of Western philosophy. We will consider evil as a theological problem (i.e., the problem of evil), the metaphysical character of evil (i.e, what is it?), and philosophical responses to the fact of evil and suffering, especially pessimism (the view that this is the “worst of all possible worlds”).

This course is focused on understanding and engaging the arguments that scholars have made about death. The specific arguments we consider attempt to answer the following questions: What does it mean to say that a person is dead? What, if anything, survives beyond death? Is death bad? Conversely, is immortality good? Are there any circumstances in which it is morally permissible to bring about the death of another and if so, why?

It is sometimes said that the phrase “business ethics” is an oxymoron. In this course we will attempt to dispel this popular conception. By working our way through many of the moral issues to which the practice of business gives rise, we will show that the interests of business people and moral philosophers converge. Topics include: What is the relation between business and free market capitalism? What is the nature of moral reasoning? Do corporations have social responsibilities? What social responsibilities do corporations have when operating in the global context? Are there universal ethical principles which can guide the conduct of multinational corporations? Do international sweatshops violate human rights? Can the capitalist market economy be justified? What constitutes a just distribution of the goods and services produced by society? Is affirmative action morally justified? How much information about a product is a corporation morally obligated to disclose to consumers, and how and to whom should this information be disclosed? Is business bluffing ethical? When is advertising ethically questionable? What rights and obligations do employees and employers have in the workplace? Do employees have the right to know of work-related safety hazards? Is whistle-blowing morally justified?

We spend a considerable portion of our lives in the digital world. What moral considerations ought to guide our conduct as cyber-citizens, given the possibility that online behaviour is morally distinct from real world behaviour? This class will engage materials that address the philosophical issues raised by these two questions: Specifically: What’s the relationship between our virtual identities and our physical identities? How is online activity changing our interpersonal relationships? What are our rights and responsibilities toward others in the cyberworld? How do we trade between the potentially conflicting values of anonymity and accountability? How do we balance copyright claims against demands for open access? Is piracy always wrong? Does a hacker’s code of ethics make any sense? How should we respond to forms of hate and exclusion in online communities?

We will study the fundamental concepts of law, and the philosophical principles on which they are based. The course is divided into four sections, two each term, as follows: the first term will be spent on tort law and contract law; the second term criminal law and constitutional law. There will also be an introduction to the basic structure of our court system, the difference between statute law and common law, and some basic knowledge of the legal process.

In the study of tort law the main focus will be on the law of negligence, including the expanding areas of liability of product manufacturers, tavern owners, and other public ‑ private entities. We will be reading an essay describing the difference between American and Canadian approaches to tort law, and illustrating themes that are ever present in the law's development.

In the study of contract law, the student will gain an understanding of the basics of contract law by looking at pivotal cases, and applying the principles found in those cases in various other situations. Again, a philosophical essay will lead the way to conceptual underpinnings of contract law.

For criminal law, the questions of culpability, intention, and available defences are considered.

Finally, constitutional law will be studied with the main focus on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and litigation based on that legislation.

While there is no claim that the student will gain knowledge of the most current state of the law, there will be an effort to consider current events and controversial issues that are topical during the study of the course.

In addition, and in conjunction with the cases studied, will be a discussion of the philosophical principles that underlie, justify and inform the law. Controversial areas of the law will be discussed including such topics as the independence of the courts from political influence, freedom of speech, pornography, the tension between legal obligations to accused persons and the rights of victims of crime etc.

A philosophical reflection on food and our current food system. Issues may include food and climate change, food justice, local and global hunger and food insecurity, the industrialization of food and agriculture, the moral and political dimensions of genetically modified food, or the treatment of animals and lab cultured meat.

Antirequisite(s): The former Philosophy 2010F/G, the former Philosophy 3010F/G.

This course will provide students with an introduction to the questions confronted by the main figures of Ancient Greek philosophy (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the Hellenistic Philosophers). We shall examine such questions as: What is philosophy and how should it be practiced? What is the underlying nature of reality? Is the fundamental state of the universe motion or stability? Is knowledge possible? If so, how do we acquire it? Can we have knowledge of a changing world or does knowledge require eternal, unchanging objects (e.g. Plato’s Forms)? What is the nature of happiness and how does one attain it? How many kinds of friendship are there? Is friendship necessary for happiness?

Extra Information: Blended

A critical examination of key works of selected figures of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Can animals speak? Is knowledge of language innate? How do words shape perceptions of the world? Is English in decline? Is it permissible to limit free speech? What should be done to preserve endangered languages? This accessible introduction to philosophy and language addresses such compelling issues, using web-based media.

A discussion of conceptual problems which fall between science and philosophy, as well as broader epistemological issues concerning theory change and the concept of progress in science.

This course explores philosophical issues related to climate change, including problems of knowledge in climate science; making choices when outcomes are deeply uncertain; international justice in climate policy; weighing harms to future generations and to non-human nature; the moral significance of risk of human extinction; and revision of cultural values.

Controversies about the moral status of animals, embryos and PVS patients, not to mention the possibility of life beyond the grave, often trace back to a more fundamental controversy in the philosophy of mind: What are minds? This course is about this latter controversy. UNIT 1 begins by discussing two strikingly different pictures of the human mind that go back to the ancient world, viz., materialism and dualism. It then explores how these views were modified and contested in early modern Europe. UNIT 2 examines some more recent, i.e., 20th century, theories of mind and some difficulties they have faced (mostly having to do with pain, zombies, colours and/or bats). UNIT 3 surveys a variety of contemporary topics, including AI, simulated worlds and extended cognition.

All areas of philosophy, and of human knowledge in general, depend on assumptions about the nature of knowledge: assumptions about how we come to know what we know, what we can know about the world, and how we come to trust the knowledge claims of other people as well as our own. The theory of knowledge thus has metaphysical, psychological, and social dimensions as well as directly epistemological ones. This course considers some of the most important problems in the theory of knowledge, from a selection of classical and contemporary viewpoints. In this way we will gain some insight into the origins, motivations, and evolution of these problems as well as their implications for contemporary thought. Topics will include the nature of perception, the relation between sense and reason, scepticism and certainty, trust in the testimony others, deductive and non-deductive inference, and the role of a priori principles in our common sense and scientific knowledge. Although there are no formal prerequisites, some prior familiarity with philosophical texts will be assumed.

This course focuses on five philosophers of the existentialist movement, including Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre and de Beauvoiur. A variety of themes will be investigated; most importantly, why these philosophers call into question the traditional view of the subject as detached from the world in a relation that is epistemic, and how, in doing so, they emphasize our existence as living individuals, that is, as always already situated in a world and as open to future possibilities. These two aspects come together in the idea that human existence involves having to create meaning out of the conditions in which we find ourselves—thus giving rise to related themes including: alienation, authenticity, freedom, and being with others. Accordingly, our investigation will include questions such as: What is our relation to the world and how does the world take on meaning in our everyday lives? What is freedom? To what extent is our freedom shaped by the world and others? What might it mean to live authentically? Who is the other and what role do others play in our lives?

This course introduces students to the attempts by scholars to understand whether, and the degree to which, humans can/should be held responsible for their actions. Do humans have ethical duties and responsibilities toward one another or themselves? If so, what are the foundations of those ethical duties, and what do they demand? Our survey of the scholarly responses to these questions will be separated in two parts: First a review of prominent positions on meta-ethics, followed by a survey of the five dominant ethical theories.

Antirequisite(s): Governance, Leadership and Ethics 2002F/G.

Antirequisite(s): Health Sciences 2610F/G.

This course is an introduction to various political and ethical issues that arise when considering the function and practice of the media. These include: What is ethical theory and what are the duties and responsibilities of those engaged in disseminating information? What is the relation between the media and the market? Is the news a mere commodity? Is the mass media a “propaganda machine” representing the commercial interests of the property class? Or, is the media an instrument of democracy, a “fourth estate” fostering the pursuit of truth and objectivity? What are the foundations and limits of freedom of the press in a liberal society? What is the role of the media in the formation of social, civic and moral space? Do we live in a post-truth world and how is this related to the phenomenon of fake news? What might it mean to say that our experiences are mediated and how in a globalized world do such mediations construct and make possible the appearance of distant others? What risks and promises do these mediations pose for the other? What, for instance, is the connection between the media and political violence or between the media and minorities? What role can the media play in the construction of a just moral order? Should journalists be considered professionals, and how have new communication technologies shaped the practice of journalism?

An intermediate survey of the works of Plato. While some themes or works may be focused on to the exclusion of others, this course aims to give students a strong, foundational understanding of Plato's thought on a range of topics.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

This course looks at Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, which is one of his most influential works in philosophy. It examines questions in meta- and normative ethics, and also serves as the foundation for contemporary virtue ethics. Suitable for philosophy majors as well as students with no philosophy background at all.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

An intermediate survey of the works of Leibniz. While some themes or works may be focused on to the exclusion of others, this course aims to give students a strong foundational understanding of Leibniz's thought on a range of topics.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

Schopenhauer’s philosophy is notable for its distinctive metaphysics of the will, its theory of redemption through art, its compassion-based ethics, and its innovative comparative methodology. This course will survey all aspects of Schopenhauer’s philosophy, focusing on his opus, The World as Will and Representation.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

Advanced topics in the philosophy of mind. Topics may include: the metaphysics of mind -- from Cartesian Dualism, through Behaviorism and Identity Theory, to modern functionalist theories; connections between metaphysics of mind and topics such as mental causation, mental content, and consciousness. Emphasis will be given to contemporary readings.

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

Introduction to philosophy of neuroscience. Questions may include: What does neuroscience tell us about the mind-brain relationship, free will and moral responsibility, or the mechanisms of learning and memory? Is consciousness a mental, behavioral or brain state? What is the structure of explanation in neuroscience? Is psychology reducible to neuroscience?

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

A survey of accounts of the foundations and limits of rights in property, from Aristotle to Marx. Other philosophers we will read include Grotius, Hobbes, Locke, Pufendorf and Kant.  Questions we will ask include:  Are rights in property natural or conventional? Should property be held privately or in common (or some combination)?  What limits, if any, are placed on individuals’ property rights by the transient or enduring needs of others?

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

To be announced

Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in 1.0 Philosophy course at the 2000-2999 level, or permission of the department.

This seminar will introduce students to contemporary philosophical research. Students will read and present on material recently published in the instructor's areas of expertise. Students will be guided through the process of identifying paper topics that could contribute to active research in philosophy.

Prerequisite(s):  Third or Fourth year standing in the Honours Specialization in Philosophy. 

An introductory overview of key concepts and arguments in philosophy of language from a historical perspective. Students will not be expected to have a strong background in either contemporary philosophy of language or its history. Familiarity specifically with Ancient or Medieval philosophy would, however, be especially advantageous. Topics will range across metaphysics, foundational semantics and epistemology, and will likely include: the source of linguistic facts (e.g., conventional, natural or divine); the relationships between language and ontology (e.g., essences and existential commitment); truth, falsity and paradox; the ontological categories of linguistic contents (mental, concrete and abstract); varieties of meanings (e.g., of names, predicates and syncategoremata); language and communication (e.g., metaphor, rhetoric and the “defects” of ordinary languages). Texts this year will be drawn from the Ancient and Medieval period. (A future course will focus on philosophers from the Early Modern period and the 19th Century.) That said, connections between our focal Ancient and Medieval thinkers and later philosophers, up to the present day, will be drawn throughout the course.

What is love and what does it demand of us? What is intimacy and how does it shape our lives and persons? Why do our interpersonal relationships matter so deeply to us? How can we act well in these relationships, and what can philosophy reveal about the ways in which we can act poorly? How might novel technologies change how we understand love, intimacy, and relationships? In this course, we’ll survey such questions and try to develop new answers to some of them. We’ll begin our explorations by looking at longstanding debates about the nature of love and friendship. We’ll then turn to emerging topics in the philosophy of interpersonal relationships, such as intimacy, abuse, parasocial relationships, stalking, online dating, polyamory, AI companions, and related topics of student interest.

To be announced

A close look at the key elements and doctrines in Hume's moral and political philosophy.  Hume was a very systematic philosopher, so we will begin at the beginning, with his general account of (as he said) human nature.  We will also consider his famous sceptical account of causation.  We will then work through his distinctive treatments of series of topics in moral and political philosophy: free will and determinism, virtue, duties, conventions, justice, property, contracts, and political authority.  Most readings will be from his Treatise of Human Nature, but we will also read selections from both Enquiries and an essay or two.