An introduction to the central branches of philosophy, such as logic, theory of knowledge, metaphysics, ethics, and political philosophy. Writings from the central figures in the history of Western and non-Western philosophy, as well as contemporary philosophers, may be considered. Note: PHL100Y1 and PHL101Y1 are both broad introductions to philosophy, and each is appropriate for students with no prior experience with the subject.

An introduction to some of the central problems of philosophy. Examples of questions that may be considered include: What is sound reasoning? What can we know? What is ultimately real? Is morality rational? Do humans have free will? Is there a God? What is consciousness? Should we fear death? What is justice? Note: PHL100Y1 and PHL101Y1 are both broad introductions to philosophy, and each is appropriate for students with no prior experience with the subject.

This course will critically examine the role of cinema in relation to selected topics and themes in social and political philosophy; these will vary from year to year, but may include race, ethnic and cultural 'other'-ness, class, social conflict, citizenship, cosmopolitanism, and human rights. Films will be screened in class and discussed against the background of focused critical and philosophical readings. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Philosophical anthropology is the subject that poses the most fundamental questions about human nature and the human condition. Taking as its point of departure the most up-to-date scientific understanding of human nature, from anthropology broadly conceived, it goes on to inquire, in a disciplined fashion, about the implications of these views for perennial philosophical questions about human rationality, morality, the possibility of progress, the existence of god and the meaning of life. This course will examine one or more topics in this domain, as a more general introduction to the discipline. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

The passage of time is a fundamental aspect of human experience: we are born, we grow older, and eventually we pass away. During our lives our experience of the past, present, and future are distinct. We can influence the world in the present and the future, but it does not seem that we can influence the past. We have hopes about the future, memories of the past, and experiences of the present. In this seminar we will explore insights from contemporary philosophy and physics concerning the nature of the passage of time. Questions to be considered may include the following: What does it mean to say that time passes? Does time really pass at all? How do we experience time? Why can we influence the future but not the past? Is it possible to travel backward in time? Is time even real? What is time? Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

The goal of this seminar is to investigate selected ethical questions via works of fiction, considering how, and with what effect, fiction functions as an ethical medium. We will reflect on what fiction can teach us about pressing challenges of the human condition; themes to be discussed will vary from year to year, but may include choice and responsibility, freedom, friendship, empathy, integrity, and our relation to the divine and to death. Genres studied may range over novels, short stories, plays, and narrative poetry. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Central texts of the pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, and post-Aristotelian philosophy.

An introduction to philosophy focusing on the connections among its main branches: logic, theory of knowledge, metaphysics, and ethics. This course is intended for those with little or no philosophy background but who have completed Year 1 in any area of study.

A study of issues such as the relations of reason and faith, the being and the nature of God, and the problem of universals, in the writings of such philosophers as Augustine, Boethius, Anselm and Abelard.

A study of issues such as the relations of reason and faith, the being and the nature of God, and the structure of the universe, in the writings of such philosophers as Aquinas and Ockham.

Central texts of such philosophers as Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant.

An introduction to some of the post-Hegelian thinkers who inspired the various philosophical movements broadly referred to as continental, such as phenomenology, existentialism, deconstruction, and post-modernism. Questions include the will, faith, death, existence, history and politics, rationality and its limits, encountering an other. Authors studied may include: Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Marx, Freud, Heidegger, Sartre.

An introduction to issues in the fundamental branches of philosophy: metaphysics, which considers the overall framework of reality; epistemology, or the theory of knowledge; and related problems in the philosophy of science. Topics in metaphysics may include: mind and body, causality, space and time, God, freedom and determinism; topics in epistemology may include perception, evidence, belief, truth, skepticism.

An introduction to philosophy tailored for students with backgrounds in mathematics and science. Topics include causation, explanation, the relation between scientific and mathematical theories and reality, the role of mathematics in scientific theories, the relevance of scientific and mathematical discoveries to ‘big’ traditional philosophical questions such as the nature of consciousness, whether we have free will, and the meaning of life.

Some central issues in the philosophy of religion such as the nature of religion and religious faith, arguments for the existence of God, the problem of evil, varieties of religious experience, religion and human autonomy.

This course is an introduction to topics, schools, and figures in Buddhist philosophy. Texts to be read (in English translation) will range from the Pāli Canon (attributed directly to the Buddha) via Sanskrit and Tibetan Buddhist schools to contemporary Buddhist reflections. Themes and topics will be selected from those prominent in Buddhist texts: emptiness, impermanence, and non-selfhood; the theory of inference; perception and epistemology; philosophy of language; and philosophy of action. Texts and authors to be studied will standardly include the Pāli Canon, and one or more among Nāgārjuna, Vasubandhu, Dharmakīrti, Milarepa and contemporary Buddhist thinkers.

A historical introduction to Chinese philosophy, covering selected figures and texts from the Warring States period through the Qīng dynasty. Schools of thought covered include Confucianism, Mohism, Daoism, Legalism, "Profound Learning," Neo-Confucianism, and "Evidential Learning." Texts and thinkers include the Confucian Analects, Mòzǐ, Mèngzǐ, Xúnzǐ, Dàodéjīng, Zhuāngzǐ, Hán Fēi, Guō Xiàng, Zhū Xī, Wáng Yángmíng, and Dài Zhèn.

How does one live one’s life without falling victim to various forms of irrationality? This course offers theoretical insight and practical guidance regarding norms of rationality and how we can live by them. Topics to be addressed include: informal logic; criteria for the assessment of arguments; common fallacies; truth and noncontradiction as norms; cognitive biases; “thinking fast and slow” and behavioral economics; conspiracy theories; and media ethics.

An introduction to the main schools, thinkers, and topics in the philosophical thought of the Sanskrit world, covering various topics, from epistemology to philosophy of religion. Students will get acquainted with one of the world's richest philosophical traditions and its challenges.

Consciousness and its relation to the body; personal identity and survival; knowledge of other minds; psychological events and behaviour.

Philosophical issues about sex and sexual identity in the light of biological, psychological and ethical theories of sex and gender; the concept of gender; male and female sex roles; perverse sex; sexual liberation; love and sexuality.

Aspects of human nature, e.g., emotion, instincts, motivation. Theories of human nature, e.g., behaviourism, psychoanalysis.

An introduction to formal deductive logic. Semantics, symbolization, and techniques of natural deduction in sentential logic. Symbolization, natural deduction, and models in monadic predicate logic. Symbolization and natural deduction with polyadic predicates. Introduction to advanced concepts in first-order logic, such as operations, identity, and models.

The elements of axiomatic probability theory and its main interpretations (frequency, logical, and subjective). Reasoning with probabilities in decision-making and science.

This course is an introduction to contemporary topics in the philosophy of science which serves as preparation for more advanced study in general philosophy of science and philosophy of the particular sciences. Topics may include the rise and fall of logical positivism, the problem of demarcation, falsificationism, confirmation, the connection between theory and observation, the value free ideal, and the epistemic authority of scientists.

The internet and digital technology have had a transformative impact on the economy, society and politics, art and culture, and everyday life. This course explores the fascinating, often urgent, new philosophical questions raised by these changes as well as the way they invite a rethinking of many older philosophical questions. Topics to be addressed may include ethical problems relating to artificial intelligence and algorithms; identity through social media; digital ownership and privacy; and collective/distributed knowledge in its relation to information, among others.

An introduction to central issues in political philosophy, e.g., political and social justice, liberty and the criteria of good government. The writings of contemporary political philosophers, as well as major figures in the history of philosophy, may be considered.

Is the objective of philosophy to understand and interpret the world, or to change it? A study of theorists who have taken philosophy to be a tool for social criticism. Topics studied may include feminism, critical race theory, anti-consumerism, the critique of mass society, new social movements and conservative cultural criticism.

What is the meaning of race? How does it affect political philosophy? Is there an ethics of race? These are some of the questions that will be covered in this course on the critical philosophy of race. Students will be introduced to problems concerning the metaphysics of race, race and political injustice, ethics and recognition, race and aesthetic critique, and others.

Justifications for the legal enforcement of morality; particular ethical issues arising out of the intersection of law and morality, such as punishment, freedom of expression and censorship, autonomy and paternalism, constitutional protection of human rights.