Philosophy


Faculty List

University Professors Emeriti 
T.M. Hurka, BA, B Phil, D Phil, FRSC 
B.C. Inwood, MA, PhD, FRSC 
L.W. Sumner, MA, PhD, FRSC 

Professors Emeriti 
J.R. Brown, MA, PhD, FRSC 
R.B. DeSousa, BA, PhD, FRSC 
L. Gerson, AM, PhD, FRSC (SM) 
D. Goldstick, BA, D Phil 
P.W. Gooch, MA, PhD (V) 
W.C. Graham, MA, PhD (UTSC) 
C.M.T. Hanly, BA, MS L, D Phil 
W.R.C. Harvey, MA, LL B, PhD (V) 
H.G. Herzberger, AM, PhD 
D.S. Hutchinson, BA, B Phil, D Phil (T) 
R.A. Imlay, MA, PhD (U) 
E.J. Kremer, AB, PhD (SM) 
I. Leman Stefanovic MA, PhD 
J.C. Morrison, MA, PhD (SM) 
J.T. Stevenson, MA (U) 
M.T. Thornton, B Phil, MA, PhD (V) 
R. E. Tully, BA, D Phil (SM) 
A.I.F. Urquhart, MA, PhD 
J.M. Vertin, MA, STL, PhD (SM) 

Associate Professors Emeriti 
B. Brown, BA, MA, PhD (SM) 
R. V. Friedman, BA, MA, PhD (SM) 
J. Hartley B Ph, BA, MA, PhD (SM) 
P. Hess, BA, AM, PhD (V) 
L. Lange, MA, PhD (UTSC) 
A. Wingell, BA, MA, MSL, PhD (SM) 

Professor and Chair 
M. Pickavé, MA, PhD 

Associate Professor and Associate Chair (Graduate) 
 C. Pfeiffer, MA, D. Phil (UTSC)

Associate Professor and Associate Chair (Undergraduate) 
J. John, BA, PhD 

University Professors 
D. Dyzenhaus, BA, LLB, D Phil, FRSC 
C. Misak, MA, D Phil, FRSC 
A. Ripstein, MA, PhD, FRSC 

Professors 
D.C. Ainslie, B Sc, MA, PhD (U) 
J. Allen, PhD (UTM) 
R. Barney, BA, PhD 
D.L. Black, MA, PhD (SM) 
G. Boys-Stones, MA, D Phil 
R. Comay, MA, PhD (V) 
I. Dickie, BA (Hons), B Phil, D Phil 
C.J. Fraser, BA, MA, PhD 
J. Ganeri, MA, M Matt, M Phil, D Phil 
R.B. Gibbs, MA, PhD (U) 
W. Goetschel, Lic Phil, PhD 
J.M. Heath, MA, PhD, FRSC (U) 
B. Hellie, BA, PhD (UTSC) 
B.D. Katz, MA, PhD (UTM) 
P. King, BA, PhD 
M. Kingwell, BA, M Litt, PhD (T) 
P. Kremer, BSc, PhD (UTSC) 
M. Matthen, BSc, MA, PhD (UTM) 
A. Mullin, PhD (UTM)
J. Nagel, MA, PhD (UTM) 
D. Novak, MHL, PhD (U) 
D. Raffman, BA, PhD (UTM) 
G.S. Rattan, BSc, PhD (UTM) 
M. Rosenthal, BA, MA, PhD 
M. Rozemond, Kand., PhD (UTM) 
W.E. Seager, MA, PhD (UTSC) 
S. Tenenbaum, BA, MA, PhD (UTM) 
D. Walsh, BSc, Ph D, BA, M Phil, PhD 
J. Wilson, BA, PhD (UTSC) 
B. Yi, MA, PhD (UTM) 

Associate Professors
M. Caie, BA, PhD 
N. Charlow, BA, MA, PhD (UTM) 
P. Clark, BA, PhD (UTM) 
F. Huber, MA, PhD 
S.A. Sedivy, BA, PhD (UTSC) 
A. Sepielli, AB, JD, PhD (UTM) 
N. Stang, AB, PhD 
J. Weisberg, BA, PhD (UTM) 

Assistant Professors
B. Babic, BA, JD, MS, PhD
D. Barnett, BA, PhD
B. De Kenessey, BA, PhD
T. Dika, BA, MA, PhD
A. Franklin-Hall, BA, PhD
E. Freschi, BA, MA, PhD
J. Gelber, BA, PhD
M. Miller, BA, MA, PhD
J. Nefsky, BA, PhD (UTSC)
W. Paris, BA, MA, PhD
S. Swarup, BA, MA, PhD
T. Teitel, BA, B Phil, PhD
O. Ware, BA, PhD (UTM)

Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream
A. Koo, BA, PhD

Lecturer
J.A. Thomson, BA, PhD

Introduction

The Greek words from which “Philosophy” is formed mean “love of wisdom” and all great philosophers have been moved by an intense devotion to the search for wisdom. Philosophy takes no belief for granted, but examines the grounds for those beliefs which make up people’s fundamental views of the world. Philosophers think about these beliefs as thoroughly and systematically as possible, using methods of conceptual analysis, reasoning, and detailed description.

What distinguishes Philosophy from the physical and social sciences is its concern not only with the truths which are discovered by means of specialized methods of investigation, but with the implications that such discoveries have for human beings in their relations with one another and the world. Moreover, Philosophy has an abiding interest in those basic assumptions about the nature of the physical and social world, and about the nature of enquiry itself, which underlie our scientific and practical endeavours.

The Philosophy Department at the University of Toronto offers courses in most of the main periods and areas of Philosophy, which are listed here with a typical question or the name of one or two central figures: Ancient Philosophy (Plato, Aristotle); Mediaeval Philosophy (Augustine, Aquinas); Early Modern Philosophy (Descartes, Hume, Kant); Nineteenth-Century Philosophy (Hegel, Mill, Marx); Global Philosophy (Chinese, Islamic, Jewish, Sanskrit, South Asian Philosophies), Continental Philosophy and Phenomenology (Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre); Analytic Philosophy (Quine, Russell, Wittgenstein); Epistemology and Metaphysics (What can be known? What is the ultimate nature of reality?); Moral Philosophy (How should we argue rationally about right and wrong?); Philosophy of Mind (What is mind? Is there free will?); Logic and Philosophy of Mathematics (What is sound reasoning? Do numbers exist?); Philosophy of Language (What is the meaning of “meaning”?); Philosophy of Natural Science (What is scientific method?); Social and Political Philosophy (What justifies the state?); Aesthetics (What is art? Must it be beautiful?). In addition, the Department offers Seminars (numbered PHL400H1 – PHL488H1), Individual Studies courses (numbered PHL495H1PHL499H1) and the Socrates Project (PHL489Y1).

Counselling is available in the main departmental office, 170 St. George Street, 4th floor. In particular, students may wish to get advice about how best to combine philosophy programs with other majors or minors, given that various co-specialist programs with other disciplines have been discontinued. In addition, the Department publishes an annual Bulletin. It contains full and up-to-date information on programs and courses, including names of instructors and descriptions of particular course sections. The Bulletin is published in the summer (for the succeeding year) and is available on the Department’s website and at 170 St. George Street.

Undergraduate Coordinator:
Professor Jim John, 170 St. George Street, Room 521 (416-978-3314), undergrad.phil@utoronto.ca

Undergraduate Counsellor:
Mr. Eric Correia, 170 St. George Street, Room 403 (416-978-3314), eric.correia@utoronto.ca

Website: https://philosophy.utoronto.ca/

 

Philosophy Programs

Bioethics Specialist (Arts Program) - ASSPE1001

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

10.0 credits, including at least 4.0 credits at the 300+ level, of which 1.0 credit must be at the 400-level

First year (recommended):
PHL100Y1/​ PHL101Y1
BIO120H1, BIO220H1

Higher Years (required):
1. PHL281H1, PHL271H1, PHL275H1
2. PHL245H1/​ PHL246H1
3. 1.5 credits from Group 1 (Advanced Bioethics)
4. 1.0 credit from Group 2 (Value Theory)
5. 0.5 credit from Group 3 (Metaphysics and Epistemology)
6. Additional philosophy courses, to a total of 10.0 credits, or else additional philosophy courses to a total of 9.0 credits and 1.0 credit from Group 4 (Interdisciplinary)

Group 1 - Advanced Bioethics:
PHL380H1, PHL381H1, PHL382H1, PHL383H1, PHL384H1, PHL440H1, PHL470H1

Group 2 - Value Theory:
PHL265H1, PHL295H1, PHL365H1, PHL366H1, PHL370H1, PHL375H1, PHL407H1, PHL412H1, PHL413H1, PHL483H1

Group 3 - Metaphysics and Epistemology:
PHL232H1, PHL233H1, PHL240H1, PHL331H1, PHL332H1, PHL340H1, PHL341H1, PHL342H1, PHL355H1, PHL357H1, HPS250H1

Group 4 - Interdisciplinary:
ANT348H1, GER338H1, GGR340H1, HIS423H1, HIS489H1, HMB201H1, HMB202H1, HPS318H1, HPS319H1, JHE353H1, SOC243H1, SOC309H1, SOC363H1, SOC427H1, WGS367H1

Philosophy Specialist (Arts Program) - ASSPE0231

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

(10.0 credits, including PHL100Y1/​ PHL101Y1 if taken)

First year (recommended):
PHL100Y1/​ PHL101Y1

Higher Years (required):
1. 2.0 credits from the following: PHL200Y1/​( PHL205H1, PHL206H1)/ PHL210Y1
2. 1.0 credit from the following: PHL217H1/​ PHL232H1/​ PHL233H1/​ PHL240H1
3. PHL265H1/​ PHL275H1
4. PHL245H1/​ PHL246H1
5. Additional philosophy courses, to a total of 10.0 credits, including 4.0 PHL credits at the 300+ level, of which 1.0 credit must be at the 400-level.

Physics and Philosophy Specialist (Science Program) - ASSPE2584

Physics has deep historical roots in natural philosophy and many aspects of contemporary Physics raise profound philosophical questions about the nature of reality. The interdisciplinary Physics and Philosophy Program allows the student to engage with both Physics and Philosophy at their deepest levels, and to more fully explore the connections between them.

Consult Associate Chair (Undergraduate Studies), Department of Physics or Philosophy.

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

(15.0 credits, including at least 1.5 credits at the 400-level)

First Year: (2.5 credits)

( MAT135H1, MAT136H1)/ MAT137Y1/​ MAT157Y1, MAT223H1/​ MAT240H1, PHY131H1/​ PHY151H1, PHY132H1/​ PHY152H1 (The courses MAT137Y1, MAT223H1, PHY151H1, PHY152H1 are recommended.)

First or Second Year: (1.5 credits)

1.5 credits of: PHL232H1/​ PHL233H1/​ PHL240H1/​ PHL245H1/​ HPS250H1/​ PHL255H1 ( PHL245H1 may only be counted here if MAT157Y1 is not taken)

Second Year: (3.0 credits)

MAT237Y1/​ MAT257Y1/​ MAT235Y1, MAT244H1/​ MAT267H1, PHY250H1, PHY254H1, PHY256H1 (The courses MAT237Y1, MAT244H1 are recommended.)

Third Year: (2.0 credits)

MAT334H1/​ MAT354H1, PHY252H1, ( PHY350H1/​ PHY354H1), PHY356H1

Fourth Year: (1.0 credit)

PHY456H1, PHY491H1

Any Year: (5.0 credits)

( PHL345H1/​ PHL347H1), PHL355H1, PHL356H1, ( PHL415H1/​ PHL455H1/​ PHL482H1), plus 1.0 credit of ( PHL325H1/​ PHL331H1/​ PHL332H1/​ PHL346H1/​ PHL354H1/​ PHL357H1) plus 2.0 additional PHL credits, at least 0.5 credit of which must be from Course Group 2 - Value Theory (The courses PHL265H1, PHL275H1 are recommended.)

Group 2 - Value Theory:
PHL265H1, PHL295H1, PHL365H1, PHL366H1, PHL370H1, PHL375H1, PHL407H1, PHL412H1, PHL413H1, PHL483H1

Bioethics Major (Arts Program) - ASMAJ1001

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

7.0 credits, including at least 2.0 credits at the 300+ level, of which one 0.5 credit must be at 400-level.

First year (recommended):
PHL100Y1/​ PHL101Y1
BIO120H1, BIO220H1

Higher Years (required):
1. PHL281H1
2. PHL245H1/​ PHL246H1
3. 1.0 credit from Group 1 (Advanced Bioethics)
4. 1.5 credits from PHL271H1 / PHL275H1 / Group 2 (Value Theory)
5. 0.5 credit from Group 3 (Metaphysics and Epistemology)
6. Additional philosophy courses, to a total of 7.0 credits, or else additional philosophy courses to a total of 6.5 credits, plus one 0.5 credit from Group 4 (Interdisciplinary)

Group 1 - Advanced Bioethics:
PHL380H1, PHL381H1, PHL382H1, PHL383H1, PHL384H1, PHL440H1, PHL470H1

Group 2 - Value Theory:
PHL265H1, PHL295H1, PHL365H1, PHL366H1, PHL370H1, PHL375H1, PHL407H1, PHL412H1, PHL413H1, PHL483H1

Group 3 - Metaphysics and Epistemology:
PHL232H1, PHL233H1, PHL240H1, PHL331H1, PHL332H1, PHL340H1, PHL341H1, PHL342H1, PHL355H1, PHL357H1, HPS250H1

Group 4 - Interdisciplinary:
ANT348H1, GER338H1, GGR340H1, HIS423H1, HIS489H1, HMB201H1, HMB202H1, HPS318H1, HPS319H1, JHE353H1, SOC243H1, SOC309H1, SOC363H1, SOC427H1, WGS367H1

Philosophy Major (Arts Program) - ASMAJ0231

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

(7.0 credits, including PHL100Y1/​ PHL101Y1 if taken)

First year (recommended):
PHL100Y1/​ PHL101Y1

Higher Years (required):
1. 1.0 credit from the following: PHL200Y1/​( PHL205H1, PHL206H1)/ PHL210Y1
2. 1.0 credit from the following: PHL217H1/​ PHL232H1/​ PHL233H1/​ PHL240H1
3. PHL265H1/​ PHL275H1
4. PHL245H1/​ PHL246H1
5. Additional philosophy courses, to a total of 7.0 credits, including 2.0 PHL credits at the 300+ level, of which one 0.5 credit must be at the 400-level.

Bioethics Minor (Arts Program) - ASMIN1001

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

(4.0 credits including at least 1.0 credit at the 300+ level)

1. PHL281H1
2. PHL245H1/​ PHL246H1
3. 0.5 credit from Group 1 (Advanced Bioethics)
4. 1.0 credit from PHL271H1 / PHL275H1 / Group 2 (Value Theory)
5. Additional philosophy courses to a total of 4.0 credits

Group 1 - Advanced Bioethics:
PHL380H1, PHL381H1, PHL382H1, PHL383H1, PHL384H1, PHL440H1, PHL470H1

Group 2 - Value Theory:
PHL265H1, PHL295H1, PHL365H1, PHL366H1, PHL370H1, PHL375H1, PHL407H1, PHL412H1, PHL413H1, PHL483H1

Mathematics and Philosophy Specialist (Science Program) - ASSPE1361

The Specialist in Mathematics and Philosophy is directed toward students who are fascinated by the confluence of Mathematical and Philosophical precision.

Students in this program have the option to complete the Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP) stream.

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Students are encouraged to take their introductory analysis and algebra required for the program ( MAT157Y1, MAT240H1, MAT247H1) as well as PHL100Y1/​ PHL101Y1, which is recommended preparation for the program, in their first year of study.

Arts & Science Internship Program

Students in this program have the option to request enrolment in the Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP) stream. Students can apply for the ASIP stream after Year 1 (Year 2 entry) or after Year 2 (Year 3 entry, starting Fall 2024). Full details about ASIP, including student eligibility, selection and enrolment, are available in the ASIP section of the Arts & Science Academic Calendar. Please note that the majority of students enter ASIP in Fall term of Year 2. Space is more limited for Year 3 entry and students applying for Year 3 entry must have been admitted to the Mathematics and Philosophy Specialist in the Summer after Year 2.


Completion Requirements:

12.0 credits including at least 1.0 credit at the 400-level

Mathematics and Philosophy Fundamentals

1. Analysis: MAT157Y1, MAT257Y1
2. Algebra: MAT240H1, MAT247H1
3. Philosophy related to science: 0.5 credit from PHL232H1/​ PHL233H1/​ PHL255H1

Further Studies in Philosophy

4. History of Philosophy: 1.0 credit from PHL200Y1/​ PHL205H1/​ PHL206H1/​ PHL210Y1
5. Logic: 1.0 credit from MAT309H1/​​ PHL348H1, PHL345H1
6. Politics and Ethics: PHL265H1/​​ PHL275H1
7. Topics: 2.0 credits further from PHL325H1/​ PHL331H1/​ PHL332H1/​ PHL346H1/​​ PHL354H1/​ PHL347H1/​ PHL349H1/​ PHL355H1/​ PHL451H1/​ PHL480H1

Further Studies in Mathematics

8. Topology: MAT327H1
9. Groups, Rings and Fields: MAT347Y1
10. Complex or Real Analysis: MAT354H1/​ MAT357H1
11. Topics: 2.0 credits further of PHL/APM/MAT courses at the 300+ level

Notes:

  • Not all courses listed have priority enrolment for students enrolled in this program. Students are responsible for checking priority of courses and meeting course prerequisites for courses they wish to take.
  • Each course can count toward only one requirement, even if listed as options to multiple requisites of the program.
  • Students in their last year of study with a cGPA of 3.5 or higher may be permitted to take up to 1.5 credits of Math graduate courses. These courses may count toward specialist program requirements, where relevant (e.g., as courses “at the 400-level”). To review eligibility criteria and apply for graduate courses as an undergraduate student, find more information on the A&S Math website.

Philosophy Minor (Arts Program) - ASMIN0231

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

(4.0 credits, including PHL100Y1/​ PHL101Y1 if taken)

1. 1.0 credit from the following: PHL200Y1/​ PHL205H1/​ PHL206H1/​ PHL210Y1/​ PHL217H1/​ PHL232H1/​ PHL233H1/​ PHL240H1/​ PHL265H1/​ PHL275H1
2. Additional philosophy courses, to a total of 4.0 credits, including 1.0 credit at the 300+ level.


 

Environmental Ethics (Arts Program): see School of the Environment

 

Regarding Philosophy Courses

The following courses do not have PHL prefixes but may still be counted towards a philosophy program. Students should consult the primary listings for their course descriptions: COG250Y1, COG401H1, HPS250H1, TRN200Y1.

300-LEVEL COURSES

All 300-level courses have a prerequisite of 1.5 credits (or equivalent) in philosophy, with the exception of PHL345H1 through PHL349H1 and PHL356H1. There is also a general prerequisite of 7.5 credits (in any field). Only specific courses required or recommended are listed below. Students who do not meet the prerequisite for a particular course but believe that they have adequate preparation must obtain the permission of the instructor to gain entry to the course.

400-LEVEL COURSES

  1. The general prerequisite for ALL 400-level courses is 4.0 credits in philosophy. Most courses also have specific prerequisites. Students who do not meet the prerequisite for a particular course but believe that they have adequate preparation must obtain the permission of the instructor in order to gain entry to the course.
  2. PHL400H1 through PHL451H1 are undergraduate-level courses. PHL470H1 through PHL488H1 are cross-listed graduate courses, available to undergraduates as well. Enrolment in cross-listed graduate courses requires the permission of the instructor and the Department in addition to the completion of the prerequisites indicated below.
  3. Students in 400-level courses must attend the first class, or contact the instructor to explain their absence. Failure to do so may result in removal from the course.
  4. Individual Studies courses (PHL495H1/ PHL496H1/ PHL497H1), which involve directed study and research, are available to advanced students. Arrangements must be made with a faculty supervisor, and approval of the Undergraduate Coordinator obtained before registration.
  5. No more than one individual studies credit can be counted towards any philosophy program and normally, no more than one individual studies half credit can be counted towards the 400-level course requirement for any Specialist or Combined Specialist Philosophy program.
  6. The Socrates Project (PHL489Y1) is a special enrolment course. If you are interested in this course, please contact the department. 

Philosophy Courses

PHL100Y1 - Introduction to Philosophy (Historical)

Hours: 48L/24T

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.

Exclusion: PHL101Y1, PHL201H1, PHLA10H3, PHLA11H3, PHL101H5, PHL102H5, PHL105Y5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL101Y1 - Introduction to Philosophy (Thematic)

Hours: 48L/24T

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?

Exclusion: PHL100Y1, PHL201H1, PHLA10H3, PHLA11H3, PHL101H5, PHL102H5, PHL105Y5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL196H1 - Philosophy, Film, and Social Criticism

Hours: 48S

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.


Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

PHL197H1 - Introduction to Philosophical Anthropology

Hours: 24S

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.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL198H1 - Philosophy of Time

Hours: 24S

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.

Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)

PHL199H1 - Ethics and Fiction

Hours: 24S

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.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL200Y1 - Ancient Philosophy

Hours: 72L

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

Exclusion: PHLB31H3, PHL202H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL201H1 - Introductory Philosophy

Hours: 36L

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.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits in any subject
Exclusion: PHL100Y1, PHL101Y1, or more than 1.0 PHL course
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL205H1 - Early Medieval Philosophy

Hours: 36L

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.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL206H1 - Later Medieval Philosophy

Hours: 36L

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.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL210Y1 - 17th-and 18th-Century Philosophy

Hours: 72L

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

Exclusion: PHLB35H3, PHL210Y5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL217H1 - Introduction to Continental Philosophy

Hours: 36L

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.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL232H1 - Knowledge and Reality

Hours: 36L

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.

Exclusion: PHLB20H3, PHLB60H3
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL233H1 - Philosophy for Scientists

Hours: 24L/12T

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.

Corequisite: 1.0 credit in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, or Computer Science
Recommended Preparation: Background in science and/or mathematics will be presupposed.
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL235H1 - Philosophy of Religion

Hours: 36L

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.

Exclusion: PHL235H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL236H1 - Buddhist Philosophy

Hours: 36L

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.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL237H1 - Introduction to Chinese Philosophy

Hours: 36L

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.

Exclusion: EAS241H1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL238H1 - Reason and Irrationality

Previous Course Number: PHL247H1

Hours: 36L

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.

Exclusion: TRN200Y1, PHL247H1, PHL145H5, PHL238H5, PHL247H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL239H1 - Introduction to South Asian Philosophy

Hours: 36L

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.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL240H1 - Persons, Minds and Bodies

Hours: 36L

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

Exclusion: PHLB81H3
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL243H1 - Philosophy of Human Sexuality

Hours: 36L

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.

Exclusion: PHLB12H3, PHL243H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL244H1 - Human Nature

Hours: 36L

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

Exclusion: PHLB91H3, PHL244H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL245H1 - Modern Symbolic Logic

Hours: 36L

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.

Exclusion: PHLB50H3, PHL245H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL246H1 - Probability and Inductive Logic

Hours: 36L

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

Exclusion: PHL246H5
Recommended Preparation: PHL245H1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL255H1 - Philosophy of Science

Hours: 24L/12T

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.

Exclusion: HPS250H1
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)

PHL256H1 - Philosophy of the Internet

Hours: 36L

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.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL265H1 - Introduction to Political Philosophy

Hours: 36L

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.

Exclusion: PHLB17H3, PHL265H5
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

PHL268H1 - Philosophy and Social Criticism

Hours: 36L

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.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

PHL269H1 - Philosophy of Race

Hours: 24L/12T

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.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

PHL271H1 - Law and Morality

Hours: 36L

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.

Exclusion: PHLB11H3, PHL271H5
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

PHL273H1 - Environmental Ethics

Hours: 36L

A study of environmental issues raising questions of concern to moral and political philosophers, such as property rights, responsibility for future generations, and the interaction of human beings with the rest of nature. Typical issues: sustainable development, alternative energy, the preservation of wilderness areas, animal rights.

Exclusion: PHLB02H3, PHL273H5
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

PHL275H1 - Introduction to Ethics

Hours: 36L

An introduction to central issues in ethics or moral philosophy, such as the objectivity of values, the nature of moral judgements, rights and duties, the virtues, and consequentialism. Readings may be drawn from a variety of contemporary and historical sources.

Exclusion: PHLB07H3, PHL275H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL276H1 - Philosophy of Sports

Hours: 24L/12T

Sports play a complex role in contemporary society. They offer recreational participants a source of meaning in life and professional participants a livelihood. They inspire intense devotion from fans. They are a crucible for debates about fair play, medical enhancement, sex, gender, race, and sexuality. This course will explore the nature and ethics of sports.

Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

PHL277H1 - Ethics and Data

Hours: 24L/12T

An introduction to fundamental ethical problems raised by “Big Data.” Topics may include: fairness in data collection; algorithmic discrimination; data privacy; and moral puzzles stemming from the application of machine learning to everyday decision-making.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL281H1 - Bioethics

Hours: 36L

An introduction to the study of moral and legal problems in medical practice and in biomedical research; the development of health policy. Topics include: concepts of health and disease, patient rights, informed consent, allocation of scarce resources, euthanasia, abortion, genetic and reproductive technologies, human research, and mental health.

Exclusion: PHLB09H3, PHL283H5
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

PHL285H1 - Aesthetics

Hours: 36L

An historical and systematic introduction to the main questions in the philosophy of art and beauty from Plato to the present. These include the relation between art and beauty, the nature of aesthetic experience, definitions and theories of art, the criteria of excellence in the arts, and the function of art criticism.

Exclusion: PHLB03H3, PHL285H5
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

PHL295H1 - Business Ethics

Hours: 36L

Philosophical issues in ethics, social theory, and theories of human nature insofar as they bear on contemporary conduct of business. Issues include: Does business have moral responsibilities? Can social costs and benefits be calculated? Does modern business life determine human nature or the other way around? Do political ideas and institutions such as democracy have a role within business?

Exclusion: PHLB06H3, PHL295H5
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

PHL299Y1 - Research Opportunity Program

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-opportunities-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

PHL301H1 - Early Greek Philosophy

Hours: 36L

A study of selected Greek philosophers before Plato. Topics may include the Pre-Socratic natural philosophers, Parmenides and the Eleatics, and the so-called sophistic movement.

Prerequisite: PHL200Y1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL302H1 - Ancient Philosophy After Aristotle

Hours: 36L

A study of selected themes in post-Aristotelian philosophy. Topics may include Stoicism, Epicureanism, Neoplatonism, and various forms of scepticism.

Prerequisite: PHL200Y1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL303H1 - Plato

Hours: 36L

Selected metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical themes in Plato’s dialogues.

Prerequisite: PHL200Y1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHL301H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL304H1 - Aristotle

Hours: 36L

Selected anthropological, ethical and metaphysical themes in the works of Aristotle.

Prerequisite: PHL200Y1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHL302H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL305H1 - Classical Islamic Philosophy

Previous Course Number: PHL336H1

Hours: 36L

An introduction to the major thinkers in classical Islamic philosophy, with emphasis placed on developing a properly philosophical understanding of the issues and arguments. Topics include the existence of God; creation and causality; human nature and knowledge; the nature of ethical obligations; and the constitution of the ideal political state.

Prerequisite: PHL200Y1, 7.5 credits with at least 1.5 credits in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL306H1 - Post-Classical Islamic Philosophy

Hours: 36L

An advanced introduction to philosophical movements in the Islamic world in the wake of Avicenna. Topics include developments in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, value theory, and philosophical methodology from the 12th to the 17th century that arose in response to new social, political, religious, and scientific currents.

Prerequisite: 7.5 credits with at least 1.5 credits in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL307H1 - Augustine

Hours: 36L

Central themes in St. Augustine's Christian philosophy, such as the problem of evil, the interior way to God, the goal of human life and the meaning of history.

Prerequisite: PHL200Y1/ PHL205H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL308H1 - Aquinas

Hours: 36L

Philosophical innovations that St. Thomas Aquinas made in the course of constructing a systematic theology: essence and existence, the Five Ways, separate intelligences, the human soul and ethics.

Prerequisite: PHL200Y1/ PHL205H1/ PHL206H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL309H1 - Topics in Medieval Philosophy

Hours: 36L

Study of a major philosophical figure from the medieval period, such as Anselm, Abelard, Bonaventure, Maimonides, Avicenna, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham; or consideration of a central philosophical topic in a variety of medieval authors, for example, universals, individuation, the existence of God, free will and free choice, eternity and creation.

Prerequisite: PHL200Y1/ PHL205H1/ PHL206H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL310H1 - The Rationalists

Hours: 36L

Central philosophical problems in philosophers such as Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, and their contemporaries.

Prerequisite: PHL210Y1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHLC35H3
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL311H1 - The Empiricists

Hours: 36L

Central philosophical problems in philosophers such as Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and their contemporaries.

Prerequisite: PHL210Y1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHLC36H3
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL313H1 - Topics in 17th and 18th Century Philosophy

Hours: 36L

Central philosophical problems arising in the early modern period.

Prerequisite: PHL210Y1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHL313H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL314H1 - Kant

Hours: 36L

A systematic study of The Critique of Pure Reason.

Prerequisite: PHL210Y1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHLC37H3, PHL314H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL315H1 - Topics in 19th-Century Philosophy

Hours: 36L

Central philosophical problems arising in the 19th century.

Prerequisite: PHL210Y1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHL315H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL316H1 - Hegel

Hours: 36L

An examination of Hegel's project of absolute knowing, its philosophical assumptions, and its implications for history, science and experience.

Prerequisite: PHL210Y1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL317H1 - Marx and Marxism

Hours: 36L

An examination of some of the leading themes in the philosophy of Karl Marx. Developments of Marxist philosophy by later thinkers, and critics of Marxism, may also be considered.

Prerequisite: 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Recommended Preparation: PHL265H1/ POL200Y1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL319H1 - Philosophy and Psychoanalytic Theory

Hours: 36L

A study of the fundamentals of psychoanalytic theory from a philosophical perspective, focusing on the works of Freud and others. Topics include mind (conscious and unconscious), instinctual drives, mechanisms of defence, the structure of personality, civilization, the nature of conscience, and the status of psychoanalysis.

Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL320H1 - Phenomenology

Hours: 36L

Phenomenology is a method used in the analysis of human awareness and subjectivity. It has been applied in the social sciences, in the humanities, and in philosophy. Texts studied are from Husserl and later practitioners, e.g., Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Gurwitsch, and Ricoeur.

Prerequisite: PHL210Y1/ PHL217H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL321H1 - Heidegger

Hours: 36L

Some work from the 1920s (either Being and Time or contemporary lectures) and selections from Heidegger's later work on poetry, technology, and history are studied. Heidegger's position within phenomenology and within the broader history of thought is charted.

Prerequisite: PHL217H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL323H1 - Social and Cultural Theory

Hours: 36L

A study of philosophical approaches to understanding various aspects of contemporary culture and/or society. Topics may include theories of modernity, capitalism and consumerism, architecture and design, cultural pluralism, globalization, media and internet.

Prerequisite: 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

PHL325H1 - Early Analytic Philosophy

Hours: 36L

An examination of some of the classic texts of early analytic philosophy, concentrating on the work of Frege, Russell, and Wittgenstein.

Prerequisite: PHL245H1/ MAT157Y1 and one of PHL232H1/ PHL233H1/ PHL240H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHLC43H3, PHL325H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL327H1 - Ethics and Religion in Sanskrit Philosophy

Hours: 36L

This course covers topics in Sanskrit philosophy, with a special focus on ethics and/or philosophy of religion. Students will investigate specific primary texts (in translation) and will learn how to recognize and analyze the philosophical arguments they contain. Example texts and ideas include: theology and atheism in various Sanskrit schools (with selected readings from Dharmakīrti, Udayana, Rāmānuja etc.); the place of ethics in Sanskrit philosophy and beyond (with selected readings from Śāntideva, B.K. Matilal and epic and juridical texts).

Prerequisite: 7.5 credits with 1.5 credits in PHL
Recommended Preparation: PHL239H1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL328H1 - Metaphysics and Epistemology in Sanskrit Philosophy

Hours: 36L

This course covers topics in Sanskrit philosophy, with a special focus on metaphysics and epistemology (and related issues in philosophy of language and logic). Students will investigate specific primary texts (in translation) and will learn how to recognize and analyze the philosophical arguments they contain. Example texts and ideas include: the Upaniṣads, the Mahābhārata, the Buddhist dialogues, the Nyāya- and Vaiśeṣika-sūtra, the works of Dignāga, and others.

Prerequisite: 7.5 credits (in any field) with at least 1.5 credits in Philosophy
Recommended Preparation: PHL239H1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL329H1 - Topics in 20th Century Continental Philosophy

Previous Course Number: PHL322H1

Hours: 36L

Selected topics and themes in continental philosophy of the 20th century, drawing on such approaches as hermeneutics, phenomenology, critical theory, structuralism, deconstruction, feminism, psychoanalysis, and post-colonial theory. Authors and texts will vary, but may include such authors as: Adorno, Arendt, Benjamin, Bloch, Deleuze, Derrida, Fanon, Foucault, Freud, Gadamer, Habermas, Heidegger, Irigaray, Kristeva, Lacan, Levi-Strauss, Levinas, Merleau-Ponty.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits, including PHL217H1 and an additional 1.5 PHL credits
Exclusion: PHL322H1, PHL324H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL330H1 - Contemporary Continental Philosophy

Hours: 36L

A discussion of selected problems and debates in recent Continental philosophy. Authors and texts will vary, but may include such authors as: Giorgio Agamben, Alain Badiou, Étienne Balibar, Judith Butler, Jacques Derrida, Catherine Malabou, Achille Mbembe, Quentin Meillassoux, Jean-Luc Nancy, Jacques Rancière, Gayatri Spivak, Slavoj Žižek, Sylvia Wynter.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits, including PHL217H1 and an additional 1.5 PHL credits
Recommended Preparation: PHL329H1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL331H1 - Metaphysics

Hours: 36L

Historical and systematic approaches to topics in metaphysics, such as the nature of reality, substance and existence, necessity and possibility, causality, universals and particulars.

Prerequisite: 7.5 credits with at least 1.5 PHL credits, including ( PHL245H1/ MAT157Y1), ( PHL232H1/ PHL233H1/ PHL240H1)
Exclusion: PHLC60H3, PHL332H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL332H1 - Epistemology

Hours: 36L

Historical and systematic approaches to topics in the theory of knowledge, such as truth, belief, justification, perception, a priori knowledge, certitude, skepticism, other minds.

Prerequisite: PHL232H1/ PHL233H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHLC20H3, PHL333H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL333H1 - Puzzles and Paradoxes

Hours: 36L

Time travel, truth, infinity, rational decision making: each of these topics gives rise to philosophical puzzles and paradoxes. In this class we'll consider a variety of such paradoxes. Using logic and other philosophical tools, we'll show how these paradoxes can lead to deep and important philosophical conclusions.

Prerequisite: 7.5 credits, with at least 1.5 credits in philosophy, PHL245H1/​ MAT157Y1
Exclusion: PHLB55H3
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL334H1 - Mind and Language in Chinese Thought

Issues in the philosophy of mind and language played a crucial role in the philosophical discourse of classical China. This course will guide students in reconstructing this role and exploring its philosophical significance by interpreting and critically evaluating selected early Chinese philosophical texts that treat mind, language, and interrelated aspects of psychology. Topics to be discussed include the nature and functions of names and speech; the role of “correcting names”; semantic theory and argumentation; perception and knowledge; the role of language in knowledge and action; and the ontological grounds of linguistic distinctions. Texts to be discussed include the Analects, Guǎnzǐ, Mòzǐ, Mèngzǐ, Dàodéjīng, Xúnzǐ, Zhuāngzǐ, and Annals of Mr. Lǚ.

Prerequisite: 7.5 credits, with at least 1.5 PHL credits including PHL237H1
Exclusion: EAS338H1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL335H1 - Issues in Philosophy of Religion

Hours: 36L

Some specific problem(s) in the philosophy of religion, such as the relationship of religious faith and religious belief, the ontological argument for the existence of God, theories about divine transcendence, the philosophical presuppositions of religious doctrines, the modern critique of religion.

Prerequisite: 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL337H1 - Classical Chinese Ethics

Hours: 36L

This course explores and critiques personal and social ethical ideals as presented in early Chinese Confucian, Mohist, and Daoist writings and considers their relevance to issues in contemporary ethics. Major texts discussed include the Analects, Mèngzǐ, Xúnzǐ, Mòzǐ, Dàodéjīng, and Zhuāngzǐ. Central questions examined include: What is the way (dào)? What standards can guide us in following the way? What grounds can we have for confidence that these are the correct standards? What kind of person should we strive to be? What is virtue (dé)? What values take priority in a life of virtue? How does the person of virtue act?

Prerequisite: 7.5 credits, with at least 1.5 PHL credits including PHL237H1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL338H1 - Jewish Philosophy

Hours: 36L

A selection of texts and issues in Jewish philosophy, for example, Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed, Buber's The Prophetic Faith, prophecy and revelation, Divine Command and morality, creation and eternity, the historical dimension of Jewish thought.

Prerequisite: 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL340H1 - Issues in Philosophy of Mind

Hours: 36L

Typical issues include: the mind-brain identity theory; intentionality and the mental; personal identity.

Prerequisite: One of COG250Y1/ PHL240H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHLC95H3, PHL340H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL341H1 - Freedom, Responsibility, and Human Action

Hours: 36L

Human action, and the nature of freedom and responsibility in the light of contemporary knowledge concerning the causation of behaviour.

Prerequisite: PHL210Y1/ PHL232H1/ PHL233H1/ PHL240H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHL341H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL342H1 - Minds and Machines

Hours: 36L

An investigation of philosophical questions raised by contemporary cognitive science and artificial intelligence (AI). Possible topics to be addressed: whether machines could think and be conscious; the computational theory of mind; embodied cognition and the extended mind hypothesis; the “singularity”; and moral and political implications of machine learning research.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits, including COG250Y1 or 1.5 credits in PHL
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL344H1 - Philosophy of Emotions

Hours: 36L

A survey of philosophical topics related to the emotions, from a range of philosophical perspectives. Questions to be considered may include the following: What exactly is an emotion? Are emotions feelings? What emotions are there, and how are they shaped by culture and society? How are emotions related to reason, the brain and the body? What role do -- and should -- the emotions play in decision-making? Can an emotion be morally right or wrong, and what makes it so? 

Prerequisite: PHL240H1/ PHL244H1/ PHL342H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL345H1 - Intermediate Logic

Hours: 36L

A continuation of PHL245H1, requiring no other prior knowledge of philosophy or mathematics. First-order logic, including basic metalogical results such as soundness and completeness. An introduction to basic set theory and metalogic. Topics may include the Loewenheim-Skolem theorems for first-order logic, Goedel’s incompleteness theorems.

Prerequisite: PHL245H1/ MAT157Y1 and a full course in PHL/CSC/MAT
Exclusion: PHLC51H3, PHL345H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL347H1 - Modal Logic and Philosophical Applications of Logic

Hours: 36L

Formal study of the concepts of necessity and possibility, modal, propositional and quantificational logic, possible-worlds semantics, and the metaphysics of modality. Other topics may include counterfactuals, truth, vagueness, epistemic logic, temporal logic, or non-classical logic.

Prerequisite: PHL245H1/ MAT157Y1 and a full course in PHL/CSC/MAT
Exclusion: PHL347H5
Recommended Preparation: PHL345H1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL348H1 - Logic and Computation

Hours: 36L

Topics will include Kurt Gödel's celebrated incompleteness theorems, the technical ideas and methods involved in proving them, their relation to the abstract theory of computation, and their philosophical implications. Are there mathematical truths that cannot be known? Are mathematical concepts such as number and set indeterminate to some extent? Are there limits to what can be modeled formally?

Prerequisite: PHL245H1/ MAT157Y1 and a full course in PHL/CSC/MAT
Exclusion: MAT309H1/ CSC438H1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL349H1 - Set Theory

Hours: 36L

An introduction to set theory emphasizing its philosophical relevance as a unifying framework for mathematics and logic. Topics examined may include the paradoxes of the 'naïve' conception of sets and their resolution through axiomatization, the construction of natural numbers and real numbers in set theory, equivalents of the axiom of choice, and model theory.

Prerequisite: PHL245H1/ MAT157Y1 and a full course in PHL/CSC/MAT
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL351H1 - Philosophy of Language

Hours: 36L

The nature of language as a system of human communication, theories of meaning and meaningfulness, the relation of language to the world and to the human mind.

Prerequisite: PHL245H1/ MAT157Y1 and one of PHL232H1/ PHL233H1/ PHL240H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHLC80H3, PHL350H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL354H1 - Philosophy of Mathematics

Previous Course Number: PHL346H1

Hours: 36L

Platonism versus nominalism, the relation between logic and mathematics, implications of Gödel's theorem, formalism and intuitionism.

Prerequisite: PHL245H1/ MAT157Y1 and a full course in PHL/CSC/MAT
Exclusion: PHL346H1, PHL346H5, PHL344H5, PHL354H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL355H1 - Philosophy of Natural Science

Hours: 36L

The structure and methods of science: explanation, methodology, realism and instrumentalism.

Prerequisite: 7.5 credits which include one of the following combinations: (1) PHL255H1 and an additional 1.0 PHL credit or (2) 1.5 PHL credits and HPS250H1
Exclusion: PHL355H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL356H1 - Philosophy of Physics

Hours: 36L

Introduction to philosophical issues which arise in modern physics, especially in relativity and quantum mechanics. This course will be accessible to students without a significant background in physics, but with an interest in the philosophical challenges that modern physics poses.

Prerequisite: One full course in MAT/PHY; two full courses are recommended.
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)

PHL357H1 - Philosophy of Biology

Hours: 36L

Philosophical issues in the foundations of biology, e.g., the nature of life, evolutionary theory; controversies about natural selection; competing mechanisms, units of selection; the place of teleology in biology; biological puzzles about sex and sexual reproduction; the problem of species; genetics and reductionism; sociobiology; natural and artificial life.

Prerequisite: 7.5 credits which include one of the following: (1) PHL255H1 and an additional 1.0 PHL credit, (2) 1.5 PHL credits and HPS250H1, or (3) 1.5 credits in BCH/ BIO/ CSB/ EEB/ HMB/ IMM/ LMP/ MGY/ NFS/ PHC/ PCL/ PSL/ PSY.
Exclusion: PHL357H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL358H1 - Philosophy of Psychiatry

Hours: 36L

An advanced introduction to topics at the intersection of philosophy and psychiatry. Topics may include: what makes something a psychiatric disease? What can psychiatric syndromes tell us about the nature of moods and decision-making? Do some psychiatric patients act with less agency, and should they have less moral or criminal responsibility?

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits including 1.5 PHL credits or 1.0 PHL credit and PSY240H1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL362H1 - Philosophy of History

Hours: 36L

Typical questions include: Has history any meaning? Can there be general theories of history? How are the findings of historians related to the theories of metaphysics and of science? Is history deterministic? Must the historian make value judgements? Is history science or an art? Are there historical forces or spirits of an epoch?

Prerequisite: 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL365H1 - Political Philosophy

Hours: 36L

A study of some of the central problems of political philosophy, addressed by historical and contemporary political theorists.

Prerequisite: PHL265H1/ POL200Y1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHLC92H3
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL366H1 - Topics in Political Philosophy

Hours: 39L

A focused examination of a selected issue in political philosophy.

Prerequisite: PHL265H1/ POL200Y1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL367H1 - Philosophy of Feminism

Hours: 36L

Selected issues and topics in the philosophy of feminism.

Prerequisite: PHL265H1/ PHL268H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHLC13H3, PHL367H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL369H1 - Philosophy of Race, Gender, and Capitalism

Hours: 36L

How should our understanding of capitalism be shaped by the realities of racial domination and gender oppression? What are the different accounts of justice and injustice that would emerge from trying to think through these three phenomena together? Or are they really one phenomenon? This course will survey the complex philosophical debates, both historical and contemporary, concerning the specificities and interrelationships between race, gender, and capitalism.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits, including PHL265H1/ PHL268H1/ PHL269H1 and 1.5 credits in PHL
Exclusion: PHLC13H3, PHL367H5
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL370H1 - Issues in Philosophy of Law

Hours: 36L

Major issues in philosophy of law, such as legal positivism and its critics, law and liberalism, feminist critiques of law, punishment and responsibility.

Prerequisite: PHL271H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHL370H5
Recommended Preparation: PHL265H1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL373H1 - Issues in Environmental Ethics

Hours: 36L

An intermediate-level examination of key issues in environmental philosophy, such as the ethics of animal welfare, duties to future generations, deep ecology, ecofeminism, sustainable development and international justice.

Prerequisite: PHL273H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL375H1 - Ethics

Hours: 36L

An intermediate-level study of selected issues in moral philosophy, or of influential contemporary or historical works in ethical theory.

Prerequisite: PHL275H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHLC05H3
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL376H1 - Topics in Moral Philosophy

Hours: 36L

A focused examination of a selected issue in moral philosophy.

Prerequisite: PHL275H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHLC06H3
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL377H1 - Ethical Issues in Big Data

Hours: 36L

An intermediate-level treatment of fundamental ethical problems arising in “Big Data” and artificial intelligence. Formal tools from economics and statistics will be applied to emerging ethical technology issues such as model transparency, data bias, and privacy. Broader political issues such as the geopolitics of AI may also be covered.

Prerequisite: 9.0 credits in any field, with at least 1.5 in PHL including 0.5 from PHL273H1/ PHL275H1/ PHL281H1/ PHL295H1
Recommended Preparation: 0.5 credit from STA220H1/ STA237H1/ STA247H1/ STA257H1/ ECO220Y1/ ECO227Y1/ EEB225H1/ GGR270H1/ IRW220H1/ PSY201H1/ SOC300Y1/ STA288H1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL378H1 - War and Morality

Hours: 36L

Moral and political issues concerning warfare: the theory of the just war, pacifism, moral constraints on the conduct of war, war as an instrument of foreign policy, the strategy of deterrence. Special attention to the implications of nuclear weapons.

Prerequisite: PHL265H1/ PHL275H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL380H1 - Global Bioethics

Hours: 36L

An intermediate-level study of moral problems that arise in international contexts, including issues of special interest in bioethics: moral universalism and relativism; global distributive justice; poverty relief and international aid; international health disparities; globalization and health; HIV/AIDS; intellectual property and access to essential medicines; clinical trials in developing countries; exploitation and the 10/90 gap.

Prerequisite: PHL281H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL381H1 - Ethics and Medical Research

Hours: 36L

An intermediate-level study of problems in biomedical and behavioural research with human subjects: informed voluntary consent, risk and benefit, experimental therapy, randomized clinical trials, research codes and legal issues, dependent groups (human embryos, children, the aged, hospital patients, the dying, prisoners, the mentally ill.

Prerequisite: PHL281H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL382H1 - Ethics: Death and Dying

Hours: 36L

An intermediate-level study of moral and legal problems, including the philosophical significance of death, the high-tech prolongation of life, definition and determination of death, suicide, active and passive euthanasia, the withholding of treatment, palliative care and the control of pain, living wills; recent judicial decisions.

Prerequisite: PHL281H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL383H1 - Ethics and Mental Health

Hours: 36L

An intermediate-level study of moral and legal problems, including the concepts of mental health and illness, mental competence, dangerousness and psychiatric confidentiality, mental institutionalization, involuntary treatment and behaviour control, controversial therapies; legal issues: the Mental Health Act, involuntary commitment, the insanity defence.

Prerequisite: PHL281H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL384H1 - Ethics, Genetics and Reproduction

Hours: 36L

An intermediate-level study of moral and legal problems, including the ontological and moral status of the human embryo and fetus; human newborn, carrier and prenatal genetic screening for genetic defect, genetic therapy; the reproductive technologies (e.g., artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization); recent legislative proposals and judicial decisions.

Prerequisite: PHL281H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL385H1 - Issues in Aesthetics

Hours: 36L

Selected topics in the philosophy of art. Such issues as the following are discussed: whether different arts require different aesthetic principles; relations between art and language; the adequacy of traditional aesthetics to recent developments in the arts; art as an institution.

Prerequisite: 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Exclusion: PHLC03H3
Recommended Preparation: PHL285H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

PHL388H1 - Literature and Philosophy

Hours: 36L

An examination of the interplays and tensions between literature and philosophy. Possible themes include: the 'literary' expression of philosophical ideas; the ancient 'quarrel of the poets and philosophers'; the relation of form to content in philosophical writing, and the immense variety of philosophical genres (e.g. aphorism, essai, confession, treatise, dialogue, manifesto, meditation, etc.); the philosophical content and significance of certain 'literary' works and forms; and philosophical problems regarding translation, adaptation, and interpretation. Topics and texts will vary according to instructor.

Prerequisite: 8.0 credits, including 1.5 credits in PHL
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

PHL394H1 - Markets and Morals

Hours: 36L

A study of the standards that can be used to judge the performance of economic systems, e.g., efficiency, fairness, maximization, along with the different institutional mechanisms that can be used to organize economic activity, e.g., markets or hierarchies, public or private ownership.

Prerequisite: One of PHL265H1/ PHL275H1/ POL200Y1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

PHL395H1 - Issues in Business Ethics

Hours: 36L

A focused examination of moral issues that arise in the conduct of business, in areas such as accounting and finance, corporate governance, human resources, environmental conduct, business lobbying and regulatory compliance.

Prerequisite: PHL295H1, 7.5 courses (in any field) with at least 1.5 in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Society and its Institutions (3)

PHL398H0 - Research Excursions

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-excursions-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

PHL398Y0 - Research Excursions

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-excursions-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

PHL399Y1 - Research Opportunity Program

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-opportunities-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

PHL400H1 - Seminar in Ancient/Medieval Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced discussion of the principal figures and themes in ancient and/or medieval philosophy.

Prerequisite: PHL200Y1, 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL401H1 - Seminar in the History of Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced study of some of the principal figures in a particular historical, philosophical tradition.

Prerequisite: PHL200Y1/ PHL210Y1

PHL402H1 - Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced discussion of the principal figures and themes in the philosophy of the 17th and/or 18th centuries.

Prerequisite: PHL210Y1, 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL403H1 - Seminar in 19th-Century Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced discussion of some principal figures and themes in 19th century philosophy.

Prerequisite: PHL210Y1/ PHL217H1/ PHL315H1/ PHL316H1, 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL404H1 - Seminar in Epistemology

Hours: 36S

Typical problems include the nature of knowledge and belief; perception; theories of truth and necessity; skepticism.

Prerequisite: PHL232H1/ PHL233H1, 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL405H1 - Seminar in Philosophy of Mind

Hours: 36S

Advanced study of a problem in the philosophy of mind.

Prerequisite: PHL240H1/ PHL342H1/ COG250Y1, 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL406H1 - Seminar in Metaphysics

Hours: 36S

Typical problems include causality and determinism; ontological categories; mind and body; the objectivity of space and time.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits in Philosophy including (one of PHL245H1/ MAT157Y1) and ( PHL232H1/ PHL233H1/ PHL240H1)

PHL407H1 - Seminar in Ethics

Hours: 36S

Advanced discussion of issues in moral philosophy, including issues of applied ethics.

Prerequisite: PHL275H1, 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL408H1 - Seminar in Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Topics vary but bridge two or more areas or traditions of philosophy.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL409H1 - New Books Seminar

Hours: 36S

Advanced study of key philosophical works published within the last five years.

Prerequisite: 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL410H1 - Seminar in Continental Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced study of recent philosophical discussions within the continental tradition.

Prerequisite: PHL217H1/ PHL315H1/ PHL316H1/ PHL319H1/ PHL320H1/ PHL321H1/ PHL322H1, 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL411H1 - Seminar in Analytic Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced study of some topic of current philosophical interest within the analytic tradition.

Prerequisite: PHL245H1/ MAT157Y1 and one of PHL232H1/ PHL233H1/ PHL240H1, 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL412H1 - Seminar in Political Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced study of some topic in social or political philosophy.

Prerequisite: PHL265H1/ PHL271H1, 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL413H1 - Seminar in Applied Ethics

Hours: 36S

Advanced study of some topic in an area of applied ethics, including bioethics, environmental ethics, and so on.

Prerequisite: PHL271H1/ PHL273H1/ PHL275H1/ PHL281H1, 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL414H1 - Seminar in Philosophy of Religion

Hours: 36S

Advanced study of topics in the philosophy of religion.

Prerequisite: PHL235H1/ PHL335H1, 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL416H1 - Seminar in Philosophy of Law

Hours: 36S

Advanced discussion of issues in the philosophy of law.

Prerequisite: PHL265H1/ PHL271H1, one of PHL365H1/ PHL370H1/ PHL375H1, 4.0 credits in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL417H1 - Seminar in History of Analytic Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced study of a figure or topic from the history of analytic philosophy.

Prerequisite: PHL325H1, 4.0 credits in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL418H1 - Seminar in Sanskrit Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced study of one or more topics in Sanskrit Philosophy.

Prerequisite: 4.0 PHL credits or permission of the instructor
Recommended Preparation: PHL339H1
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL440H1 - Clinical Bioethics

Hours: 36S

Advanced study of topics in bioethics, taught in conjunction with clinical bioethicists associated with the health care organization partners of the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics.

Prerequisite: PHL281H1, 4.0 credits in philosophy. Limited to students enrolled in the Bioethics Specialist or Bioethics Major programs.

PHL445H1 - Metalogic

Hours: 36S

A continuation of PHL345H1, this is a course in the mathematical study of logic, also known as metalogic. We will investigate and prove theorems about logical systems. Topics covered may include: important results in metalogic, second and higher-order logic, or lambda-calculus.

Prerequisite: PHL345H1/ MAT309H1; 4.0 credits in philosophy
Exclusion: PHL445H5; PHLD51H3
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL446H1 - Seminar in Decision Theory

Hours: 36S

Decision theory studies what one ought to do when some more or less desirable outcomes of one’s actions depend on external facts about which one is uncertain. Uncertainty is characterized in terms of probabilities, desires are characterized in terms of utilities, and together they determine the expected utility of one’s actions. This course introduces these notions and their mathematical representations, as well as critically reflects on philosophical questions such as whether one should always take the action that maximize one’s expected utility, whether uncertainty is subjective or objective, and why uncertainty does, or ought to, obey the laws of probability.

Prerequisite: PHL246H1, 4.0 Credits in Philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL447H1 - Seminar in Philosophical Logic

Hours: 36S

Advanced discussion of some topic in philosophical logic.

Prerequisite: PHL245H1/ MAT157Y1; one of PHL246H1/ PHL345H1/ PHL347H1/ PHL445H1/ MAT309H1; 4.0 credits in philosophy
Breadth Requirements: Thought, Belief and Behaviour (2)

PHL451H1 - Seminar in Philosophy of Language

Hours: 36S

Advanced study of some topic in the philosophy of language.

Prerequisite: 4.0 PHL credits, including ( PHL245H1/ MAT157Y1), ( PHL232H1/ PHL233H1/ PHL240H1)

PHL455H1 - Seminar in Philosophy of Science

Previous Course Number: PHL415H1

Hours: 36S

Advanced study of some area or problem in the philosophy of science.

Prerequisite: One of PHL355H1, PHL357H1 or HPS250H1, 4.0 credits in philosophy

PHL470H1 - Advanced Bioethics

Hours: 36S

Philosophical exploration of the foundations and methodology of bioethics. Offered jointly with PHL2145H.

Prerequisite: PHL281H1 and one of PHL380H1/ PHL381H1/ PHL382H1/ PHL383H1/ PHL384H1, and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot). Limited to students enrolled in the Bioethics Specialist or Bioethics Major programs.

PHL471H1 - Advanced Topics in Greek Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in Greek Philosophy

Prerequisite: PHL200Y1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL472H1 - Advanced Topics in Medieval Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in Medieval Philosophy

Prerequisite: PHL200Y1/ PHL205H1/ PHL206H1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL473H1 - Advanced Topics in Modern Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in Modern Philosophy

Prerequisite: PHL210Y1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL475H1 - Advanced Topics in Moral Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in Moral Philosophy

Prerequisite: PHL275H1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL476H1 - Advanced Topics in Epistemology

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in Epistemology

Prerequisite: PHL232H1/ PHL233H1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL477H1 - Advanced Topics in Metaphysics

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in Metaphysics

Prerequisite: PHL232H1/ PHL233H1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL478H1 - Advanced Topics in Philosophy of Religion

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in Philosophy of Religion

Prerequisite: PHL235H1/ PHL335H1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL479H1 - Advanced Topics in Philosophy of Mind

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in Philosophy of Mind

Prerequisite: COG250Y1/ PHL240H1/ PHL340H1/ PHL341H1/ PHL342H1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL480H1 - Advanced Topics in Logic

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in Logic

Prerequisite: Two of PHL344H1 - PHL349H1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL481H1 - Advanced Topics in the Philosophy of Language

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in the Philosophy of Language

Prerequisite: PHL351H1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL482H1 - Advanced Topics in Philosophy of Natural Science

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in Philosophy of Natural Science

Prerequisite: One of PHL355H1, PHL357H1 or HPS250H1, and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL483H1 - Advanced Topics in Social and Political Philosophy

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in Social and Political Philosophy

Prerequisite: PHL265H1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL484H1 - Advanced Topics in the Philosophy of Law

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in the Philosophy of Law

Prerequisite: PHL271H1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL485H1 - Advanced Topics in Aesthetics

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in Aesthetics

Prerequisite: PHL285H1/ PHL385H1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL486H1 - Advanced Topics in Philosophy of History

Hours: 36S

Advanced Topics in Philosophy of History

Prerequisite: PHL362H1 and permission of the instructor and Department (by ballot)

PHL487H1 - Advanced Topics in Philosophy

Advanced Topics in Philosophy

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and Department

PHL488H1 - Advanced Topics in Philosophy

Advanced Topics in Philosophy

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and Department

PHL489Y1 - Advanced Topics in Philosophy: Socrates Project

Socrates Project Seminar. The Socrates Project Seminar allows exceptional senior undergraduate students to become teaching assistants for a 1st year PHL course. In addition to grading and leading tutorials, Socrates Project students enroll in PHL489Y1 as a condition of their employment. Students are expected to apply for the Socrates Project in March prior to the start of the Fall/Winter term. Admission to the Socrates Project is limited to students enrolled in a Philosophy or Bioethics program. A minimum of 80% in PHL courses is required. Information about the Socrates Project including the application form can be found at https://philosophy.utoronto.ca/st-george/undergraduate-at-st-george/socrates-project-undergraduate-tas/

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and Department

PHL490Y1 - Individual Studies

Individual Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option. Students must complete an Individual Study application form (found on the Department of Philosophy website) in consultation with their proposed faculty supervisor. The application form must be submitted to the Undergraduate Administrator by the first day of classes.

PHL495H1 - Individual Studies

Individual Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option. Students must complete an Individual Study application form (found on the Department of Philosophy website) in consultation with their proposed faculty supervisor. The application form must be submitted to the Undergraduate Administrator by the first day of classes.

PHL496H1 - Individual Studies

Individual Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option. Students must complete an Individual Study application form (found on the Department of Philosophy website) in consultation with their proposed faculty supervisor. The application form must be submitted to the Undergraduate Administrator by the first day of classes.

PHL497H1 - Individual Studies

Individual Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option. Students must complete an Individual Study application form (found on the Department of Philosophy website) in consultation with their proposed faculty supervisor. The application form must be submitted to the Undergraduate Administrator by the first day of classes.

PHL498H1 - Individual Studies

Individual Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option. Students must complete an Individual Study application form (found on the Department of Philosophy website) in consultation with their proposed faculty supervisor. The application form must be submitted to the Undergraduate Administrator by the first day of classes.

PHL499H1 - Individual Studies

Individual Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option. Students must complete an Individual Study application form (found on the Department of Philosophy website) in consultation with their proposed faculty supervisor. The application form must be submitted to the Undergraduate Administrator by the first day of classes.

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