Fall 2026

Undergraduate courses

2  Individual Morality and Social Justice. Wallace. MWF 3-4, Li Ka Shing 245.

An introduction to some issues in moral and political philosophy guided by two overarching questions: What is the relationship between acting morally and living a good life? And: What makes a society just?

3  The Nature of Mind. Campbell. MWF 10-11, Li Ka Shing 245.

In this introductory course we will be looking at the relation of psychological states, such as desires or memories, to the physical world. There are five sections in the course: Foundations (Dualism, Behaviorism and Central-State Materialism), Functionalism, Consciousness, Intentionality, and Personal Identity. What is the mind? Are mental states, such as beliefs and desires, memories and hopes, characteristics of a non-physical substance, or are they configurations of the physical world? And if we think that mental states are entirely physical, should we think of them as relating to the ways in which a person tends to behave, or are they rather states of the person’s brain? Can a mental state be explained by its potential for causal relations with other mental states and with behavior? What is the relation between conscious experience and the brain? Is consciousness something over and above the ordinary biological functioning of the brain, or can it somehow be explained in biological terms? How can we explain our ability to think about the world? What is a person? These questions will be explored in the course of beginning to understand the nature of the mind.

7  Existentialism in Literature and Film. Novakovic. MWF 1-2, Cory 247.

TBA

25A  Ancient Philosophy. Staff. MWF 11-12, Li Ka Shing 245.

This course is an introduction to ancient Greek philosophy–and, for the uninitiated, to philosophy itself. We will spend almost all of our time on the three most important Greek philosophers–Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle–with a passing glance at pre-Socratic and Hellenistic philosophers. Our primary goal will be to understand these philosophers’ characteristic methods and views, and (more importantly) their reasons for holding these views. It is often said that we should study ancient Greek philosophy because it is the intellectual basis for all later western philosophy and natural science. That is true, but it is only half the story. We should also study ancient Greek philosophy to become familiar with a worldview so alien that it throws our own into sharp relief. As you are outraged by some of the things these philosophers say, you will come to see more clearly what your own views are, and you will be forced to ask what justifies them. You will not just be studying the history of philosophy; you will be doing philosophy. Prerequisite: None.

Graduate seminars

200  First-Year Graduate Seminar. Frick/MacFarlane. W 2-4, Philosophy 234.

290-1  Graduate Seminar: Preferences: Changing, Adaptive, and Manipulated. Kolodny. Tu 10-12, Philosophy 234.

Preferences: Changing, Adaptive, and Manipulated

What you prefer is thought to be variously relevant to what you should do, what contributes to your well-being, and what others may do to you or on your behalf, among other things. But what if your preferences change: that is, what if what you prefer today to happen tomorrow is not what you prefer tomorrow to happen tomorrow? Which preference should take precedence? What if your preferences adapt to your unfortunate circumstances: that is, what if, like the fox in Aesop’s fable, you stop preferring the “sour grapes” that you realize you will never obtain? What if your preferences are engineered by others? What makes a preference “adaptive” or “manipulated,” and when, if ever, should such preferences be discounted?

290-2  Graduate Seminar: Knowledge and belief. Gómez Sánchez/Zhang. Tu 2-4, Philosophy 234.

This course explores the epistemology and metaphysics of knowledge, belief and credence. We will examine questions such as: How do knowledge and belief relate to evidence? Is knowledge the aim of belief? What about credence? What are credal/belief norms for non-introspective agents? Can beliefs be reduced to credences—and, conversely, can credences be reduced to beliefs?

290-3  Graduate Seminar. Bailey. Tu 4-6, Philosophy 234.

290-4  Graduate Seminar. Rubenstein. W 10-12, Philosophy 234.

290-5  Graduate Seminar: Kadish Workshop on Economic, Social, and Political Implications of AI. Holliday/Cohen. F 12-3, TBD.

295  Dissertation Seminar. Dasgupta. W 4-6, Philosophy 234.

375  Teaching Seminar. Noë. Th 2-4, Philosophy 234.