º£½ÇÉçÇø

We offer a wide variety of courses at the 200 and 300 level every year. Most of these courses survey a specific field or historical period in philosophy, though some also focus on specialized topics such as Healthcare Ethics or Environmental Ethics, Humans and Animals, Computers and Culture, and Biology, Society, and Values.

Most of these courses do not have prerequisites and can be taken at any time during your degree.

For a complete list of Philosophy courses, please consult the .

Click on the left navigation bar to access our current and past lists of courses.

 

---

Fall 2025

PHIL 200 LEC A01 - Metaphysics

Instructor: Philip Corkum
MWF 14:00-14:50

What is metaphysics, as it is done in philosophy departments? Going to the ‘metaphysics’ section of a bookstore won’t help you to answer this question. Philosophical metaphysics isn’t muddy thinking about extraordinary things but rather clear thinking about ordinary things. In this course, we’ll study several central topics in metaphysics, including: universals, particulars, time and persistence. These are all garden variety concepts which we use in our everyday thinking. We probably all think that there’s something that two things share when they are both red, both round or both apples; or that I’m, in some sense, the same person today as I was yesterday. Although these concepts are all quite ordinary, it’s challenging to say clearly and precisely what it is that is shared when two things are both red, or in what sense I’m the same person from day to day. The pedagogical goal of the course it to introduce some of the main topics of metaphysics; the student will also gain skills needed to take further philosophy courses. Although there are no prerequisites, and the reading workload is moderate, it’s unavoidable that many of the readings are difficult.

PHIL 203 LEC A01 - Islamic Philosophy

Instructor: Hassan Masoud
MWF 15:00-15:50

PHIL 205 LEC A01 - Philosophy of Mind

Instructor: Luke Kersten
MWF 12:00-12:50

What is the mind? What is the relation between the mind and body? Is the mind the same as the brain? How can the mind affect the physical world? What is consciousness? Can we explain subjective experience in objective terms? How does the mind represent the world? Can machines think? This course tackles some of the key questions in philosophy of mind, providing a critical survey of core topics and issues using classical and contemporary readings.

PHIL 230 LEC A01 - Ancient Greek Philosophy

Instructor: Philip Corkum
MWF 11:00-11:50

The goal of the course is to introduce some of the themes of ancient Greek philosophy. Students will also gain facility with the skills needed to take further classes in Philosophy generally. The course concerns in part the relation between knowledge and virtue. We’ll examine the interrelations among three strands of Plato’s philosophical views: his views on ethics (addressing such questions as: is it better to be just than unjust? and can virtue be taught?), epistemology (what is knowledge and how does it differ from true belief?) and metaphysics (what is there?). For example, we’ll study Plato’s middle period answers to these questions through a close reading of the Republic and other dialogues. We’ll also study the Presocratics, philosophers working prior to Plato, to understand the context within which Plato proposes his middle period answers to these questions. And we’ll study Aristotle’s criticism of these answers.

PHIL 240 LEC A01 - Descartes to Hume

Instructor: Amy Schmitter 
TR 11:00-12:20

PHIL 250 LEC A01 - Contemporary Ethical Issues

Instructor: Jennifer Welchman 
TR 09:30-10:50

PHIL 265 LEC A01 - Philosophy of Science

Instructor: Luke Kersten 
MWF 10:00-10:50

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the philosophy of science, focusing on a critical examination of scientific practices, methodologies, and claims about reality. We begin with foundational questions about the nature of science, exploring what sets scientific inquiry apart from other forms of understanding. Through an investigation of empiricism, evidence, and induction, we consider various accounts of the scientific method, including Popper's conjecture and refutation, and Kuhn’s paradigm shifts in scientific revolutions. The course delves into the role of theories and frameworks in shaping scientific knowledge and addresses challenges posed by the sociology of science, particularly the social and political nature of scientific endeavours. We also explore naturalistic approaches to the philosophy of science and critically assess the relationship between scientific theories and reality through discussions on scientific realism, the nature of explanation, laws, and causality, and more. We emphasise the significance of examining the actual practices of scientists and the history of science in developing a robust philosophical account of science.

PHIL 272 LEC A01 - Feminist Philosophy

Instructor: Kim Hall 
TR 12:30-13:50

PHIL 301 LEC 800 - Topics in Non-Western and Comparative Philosophy

Instructor: Neil Dalal 
MWF 13:00-13:50

PHIL 325 LEC A01 - Risk, Choice and Rationality

Instructor: Katalin Bimbo 
TR 14:00-15:20

PHIL 350 LEC A01 - Foundations of Ethics

Instructor: Howard Nye 
TR 14:00-15:20

PHIL 355 LEC A01 - Environmental Ethics

Instructor: Neil Dalal 
MWF 10:00-10:50

PHIL 368 LEC A01 - Topics in Social Justice

Instructor: Jorge Sanchez Perez 
MWF 12:00-12:50

PHIL 383 LEC A01 - Film and Philosophy

Instructor: Jennifer Welchman 
TR 12:30-13:50

PHIL 384 LEC A01 - Topics in Practical Ethics

Instructor: Howard Nye 
TR 11:00-12:20

PHIL 386 LEC X01 - Health Care Ethics

Instructor: Edwin Etieyibo
W 18:00-21:00

 

---

Winter 2026

PHIL 215 LEC B01 - Epistemology

Instructor: Philip Corkum 
TR 11:00-12:20

PHIL 220 LEC B1 - Symbolic Logic II

Instructor: Katalin Bimbo 
MWF 15:00-15:50

PHIL 250 LEC B01 - Contemporary Ethical Issues

Instructor: Howard Nye 
MWF 12:00-12:50

PHIL 265 LEC B01 - Philosophy of Science

Instructor: Hassan Masoud 
TR 09:30-10:50

PHIL 270 LEC B01 - Political Philosophy

Instructor: Jorge Sanchez Perez 
TR 14:00-15:20

PHIL 282 LEC B01 - Philosophy of Law

Instructor: Jorge Sanchez Perez 
TR 11:00-12:20

PHIL 291 LEC B1 - Existentialism

Instructor: TBD
MWF 15:00-15:50

PHIL 343 LEC B01 - Kant to Nietzsche

Instructor: TBD
MWF 10:00-10:50

PHIL 357 LEC B01 - Philosophy of Religion

Instructor: John Zupko 
TR 09:30-10:50

PHIL 372 LEC B01 - Philosophy of Sexuality

Instructor: Kim Hall 
TR 12:30-13:50

PHIL 385 LEC B01 - Ethics and Artificial Intelligence

Instructor: Luke Kersten 
TR 14:00-15:20

The rapid advance of artificial intelligence (AI) has raised a host of new philosophical and ethical questions, including: Are AI systems conscious? Do they have rights? Should we give AI systems moral decision making power? How should AI technologies be used in criminal, legal, and healthcare settings? Does AI threaten traditional forms of work and social organisation? This course provides a focused overview of both the empirical and philosophical foundations of AI, as well as the ethical issues and concepts raised by emerging AI technologies.

PHIL 386 LEC B01 - Health Care Ethics

Instructor: TBD
MWF 13:00-13:50