FALL 201 5 PHILOSOPHY COURS

FALL 2015 PHILOSOPHY COURSES
Learn to think analytically, discuss intelligently, argue logically
1100 Introduction to Philosophy
MW 10:10 - 11:00 am + discussion section (Staff)
A general introduction to some of the main topics, texts, and methods of philosophy. Topics may include the existence of God, the nature of mind and its relation to the body, causation, free will, knowledge and skepticism, and justice and moral obligation. Readings may
be drawn from the history of philosophy and contemporary philosophical literature.
1450 Contemporary Moral Issues
TR 12:20 - 1:10 pm + discussion section (Kate Manne)
An introduction to some of the main contemporary moral issues. Topics may, for example,
include animal rights, abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, sexual morality, genetic
engineering, and questions of welfare and social justice.
1900 Bethe Ansatz: Building a Life Worth Living
W 7:30 - 8:30 pm (Scott MacDonald)
On a weekly basis, Bethe Ansatz brings together students, Cornell faculty, and other
distinguished guests for informal, substantive engagement around a wide range of issues and endeavors: intellectual, cultural, artistic, scientific, moral, social, and political.
Weekly seminar meetings, chaired by the instructor, will feature a guest who is typically
a member of the Cornell faculty, a visiting professor, or other visiting scientist, scholar,
artist, or public figure. The conversational format, which encourages discussion and
interaction, allows students to discover for themselves the intrinsic interest and reward
of a life characterized by broad, vital intellectual curiosity and engagement.
1950 Controversies About Inequality
TR 1:25 - 2:40 pm (A. Haskins)
This course introduces students to ongoing social scientific debates about the sources
and consequences of inequality, as well as the types of public policy that might appropriately be pursued to reduce (or increase) inequality. These topics will be addressed
in related units, some of which include guest lectures by faculty from other universities (funded by the Center for the Study of Inequality). Each unit culminates with a
highly spirited class discussion and debate.
2200 Ancient Philosophy
TR 11:40 am - 12:55 pm + discussion section (Tad Brennan)
An introductory survey of ancient Greek philosophy from the so-called Presocratics
(6th century BCE) through the Hellenistic period (1st century BCE) with special emphasis on the thought of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
2310 Introduction to Logic
MWF 1:25 - 2:15 pm + discussion section (Harold Hodes)
Covers sentential languages, the truth-functional connectives, and their logic; firstorder languages, the quantifiers “every” and “some,” and their logic.
2430 Moral Dilemmas in the Law
TR 10:10 - 11:25 am (Andrei Marmor)
The course concerns the principles and philosophical arguments underlying conflicts and
moral dilemmas of central and ongoing concern to society as they arise within legal contexts. We consider questions such as what justifies using state power to punish people for
wrongdoing, what kinds of conduct are rightly criminalized, what justifies the Supreme
Court’s power to strike down Congressional legislation, what justifies the right to private
property and its boundaries, what is the right to privacy and why it is important, what are
human rights, and what is the morality and law of war. Throughout we will be reading legal
cases and philosophical commentaries that engage with the deep issues that the cases pose.
COURSES
OPEN TO
Undergraduate
STUDENTS
ONLY
FALL 2015 PHILOSOPHY COURSES
Develop career and life skills at the Sage School of Philosophy
2455 Introduction to Bioethics
MW 2:55 - 4:10 pm + discussion section (Julia Markovits)
Bioethics is the study of ethical questions raised by advances in the medical field.
Questions we’ll discuss may include: Is it morally permissible to advance a patient’s
death, at his or her request, to reduce suffering? Is there a moral difference between
killing someone and letting someone die? What ethical issues are raised by advance
care planning?
How should the rights of pregnant women be balanced against those of the fetus?
What constitutes informed consent? Should medical treatment ever be compulsory?
Should parents be given control over the genetic make-up of their children? Are some
forms of human enhancement morally troubling? Should we aim to be better than
well? How should scarce health care resources or costly therapies be allocated to those
in need? Should organ sales be permitted? Should doctors or hospitals be permitted to
refuse to provide certain medical services that violate their consciences?
2460 Ethics and the Environment
TR 10:10 - 11:25 am + discussion section (S. Pritchard)
Politicians, scientists, and citizens worldwide face many environmental issues today,
but they are neither simple nor straightforward. Moreover, there are many ways to
understand how we have, do, and could value the environment from animal rights
and wise use to deep ecology and ecofeminism.
This class acquaints students with some of the challenging moral issues that arise in
the context of environmental management and policy-making, both in the past and
the present. Environmental concerns also highlight important economic, epistemological, legal, political, and social issues in assessing our moral obligations to nature
as well as other humans. This course examines various perspectives expressed in both
contemporary and historical debates over environmental ethics by exploring four
central questions: What is nature? Who counts in environmental ethics? How do we
know nature? Whose nature?
2525 Introduction to African Philosophy
MWF 11:15 am - 12:05 pm (O. Taiwo)
The central questions of philosophy are perennial and universal. But the answers that
are given to them are always historical and idiomatic. This course aims to introduce
its enrollees to how these questions have been answered in the global African world
made up of, specifically Africans, African Americans, and peoples of African descent
in the African Diaspora; how they have thought about and sought to make sense of or
solve some of the same philosophical problems that have remained at the core of the
“Western” tradition.
The readings for the course are chosen from a global African perspective. This does
not mean that we will not read any of the ‘traditional’ texts. What it means is that we
will be yielding the pride of place to much maligned and characteristically absent from
the “mainstream” philosophical traditions and the ideas of people that are not normally considered worthy of study in the American academy. We wish to broaden our
repertoire so that, at the end of the class, our knowledge will reflect the comparative
perspectives that studying different traditions can offer while at the same time giving
FALL 2015 PHILOSOPHY COURSES
Learn to think analytically, discuss intelligently, argue logically
3202 Plato
TR 2:55 - 4:10 pm (G. Fine)
We will study several of Plato’s major dialogues, including the Apology, the Meno, Phaedo,
and Republic. Topics include knowledge and reality; morality and happiness; and the nature of the soul.
3221 Modern Empiricism
MW 10:10 am - 11:25 am (Daniel Smyth)
A mid-level look at the epistemology and metaphysics of the early modern empiricists
and their critics. Topics include: ideas, skepticism, belief, knowledge, science, bodies,
minds, God, causation, natural laws, afterlife, and personal identity. Readings from John
Locke, Mary Astell, George Berkeley, David Hume, and Thomas Reid. Prerequisites: At
least one previous course in philosophy at the 2000-level or above, or permission of the
instructor. Ideally the course would have been in metaphysics, epistemology, ancient
philosophy, medieval philosophy, Rationalism, or Kant.
3460 Modern Political Philosophy
TR 2:55 - 4:10 pm (Richard Miller)
An investigation of the leading current controversies over standards of justice. Topics
include the moral significance of economic inequality, the nature and basis of civil
and political liberties, property rights, the proper political role of moral and religious
values, the nature and implications of democratic values, and ideals of community.
These topics will mainly be investigated through discussion of major works in political philosophy over the last half-century.
3510 Aesthetics
TR 1:25 - 2:40 pm (Nico Silins)
Charles is watching Paranormal Activity and he’s freaking out. His palms are sweaty,
his heart is racing, but he doesn’t run away. What exactly is going on in his mind? If he
feels fear, why does he want to watch? This course will look deeply into Charles’ mind
as well as into our own to understand how we interact with art. How is it possible to
enjoy horror? What is it like to look at a picture? What role do our responses play in
determining the value of art? You will evaluate answers to these questions offered by
philosophers from the past and present, as well as by contemporary scientists.
3640 Metaphysics
MW 2:55 - 4:10 pm (Karen Bennett)
This course will cover various topics in metaphysics at an intermediate to advanced
level. Likely topics include laws of nature (do they merely describe how the world
happens to be, or do they prescribe how the world has to be?), causation (what is it?),
and properties (what is it for something to be a circle or an electron? Do two things
that “are the same shape” literally share something in common?). Prerequisites: two
previous philosophy courses.
3810 Philosophy of Science
M 7:30 - 9:55 pm + discussion section (Richard Boyd)
This course will cover various topics in the philosophy of science.
3900 Independent Study
(Staff)
To be taken only in exceptional circumstances. Must be arranged by the student
with his or her advisor and the faculty member who has agreed to direct the study.
COURSES
OPEN TO BOTH
Undergraduate
& Graduate
STUDENTS
FALL 2015 PHILOSOPHY COURSES
Develop career and life skills at the Sage School of Philosophy
4002/6020 Latin Philosophical Texts
TBD (Scott MacDonald)
Reading and translation of Latin philosophical texts. PHIL 4002 & 6020 co-meet.
4110/6010 Greek Philosophical Texts
F 1:30 - 4:00 pm (Tad Brennan)
Reading and translation of Greek philosophical texts. Knowledge of Greek is essential.
PHIL 4110 & 6010 co-meet.
4200/6200 Topics in Ancient Philosophy
W 1:25 - 4:25 pm (Tad Brennan)
Advanced discussion in ancient philosophy. PHIL 4200 & 6200 co-meet.
4311 Topics in Logic and the Foundations of Mathematics
TR 1:25 - 2:40 (Harold Hodes)
This course will focus on formal theories of truth, including these things: Tarski’s theorem on the undefinability of truth for first-order arithmetic in first-order arithmetic;
the Tarski (levels-of-truth) hierarchy; truth and higher-order languages; various proposals for approximating a “type-free” theory of truth.
4710/6710 Topics in the Philosophy of Language
M 2:30 - 4:25 pm (Will Starr)
An investigation of varying topics in the philosophy of language including reference, meaning, the relationship between language and thought, communication, modality, logic and
pragmatics. Topic: Signalling Games, Language, and Society. PHIL 4710 & 6710 co-meet
4900/4901 Informal Study for Honors I and II
(Staff)
Enrollment limited to senior honors students.
6100 Pro Seminar
T 4:30 - 6:30 pm (Will Starr)
Seminar for first-year Philosophy graduate students.
6410 Seminar in Ethics and Value Theory
T 2:30 - 4:25 pm (Kate Manne, Julia Markovits)
Graduate seminar covering a topic in ethics and value theory.
6810 Topics in the Philosophy of Science
W 7:30 - 10 pm (Richard Boyd)
Advanced discussion of some problem or problems in the philosophy of science.
7000 Informal Study
(Staff)
Independent study for graduate students only.
COURSES
OPEN TO
Graduate
STUDENTS
ONLY