Spring 2027 Philosophy Courses
IMPORTANT NOTICE: 100 and 200-level courses are without prerequisites and open to first year students. 300-level courses presume some previous exposure to philosophy or a related field of study. If there is any question in your mind about whether you have the right background for any particular philosophy course, talk to the instructor before you enroll.
PHIL 101 – Introduction to Philosophy
Five sections: MW 9:00-10:15 am; 3:00-4:15pm – Welchance; MW 10:30-11:45 am; 1:30-2:45 pm – McCormick; TR 9:00-10:15am – McDaniel
This course is intended as an introduction to a number of related problems in philosophy. Can I know anything? Does God exist? What is the relationship between the mind and the body? Am I the same person now as I was in the past? Am I free? In discussing these questions, we will examine a variety of responses, ranging from those given by Descartes and his early modern critics to 20th and 21st-century responses to these philosophical problems. Throughout the course, special attention will be paid (a) to extracting precise arguments from the authors we read and (b) to evaluating these arguments. This procedure will reveal ambiguities and other flaws in many arguments that appear convincing at first; other times and it will show that often an “obvious” assumption stands in need of outside justification and/or has questionable implications. Satisfies the IF-Written Communication (IFWC), and AI-Literary & Textual Analysis (AILT) Requirements. (1 unit)
PHIL 120 – Contemporary Moral Issues
Two sections: TR 9:00-10:15 am; 1:30-2:45 pm – Welchance
This is an introductory level course concerned with contemporary, controversial, moral issues. We will examine and evaluate a variety of views about such issues as abortion, CEO compensation, genetic enhancement, and generative AI. No previous background in philosophy is required, but participants should have an interest in thinking critically about how we live. Satisfies the IF-Power/Equity/Identity/Cult (IFPE) Requirement. (1 unit)
PHIL 251 – Elementary Symbolic Logic
Two sections: MWF 9:00-9:50 am; 10:30-11:20 am – Goddu
This course is an introduction to symbolic (or mathematical) logic. The focus is on the formal structure of arguments, their logical properties and the formulation and evaluation of proofs. We will be studying structure at different levels, beginning with sentential logic and then advancing to monadic and polyadic predicate logic. In each case, we will familiarize ourselves with the relevant logical grammar and (truth-functional) semantics and use these to provide translations of English sentences. We will also learn how to construct proofs of valid arguments and how to provide counterexamples to invalid arguments. In the study of sentential logic, truth-tables will be used to test for validity and other logical properties such as contingency and equivalence. Satisfies the AI-Symbolic Reasoning (AISR) Requirement. (1 unit)
PHIL 260 – Philosophical Problems in Law & Society
Two sections: TR 10:30-11:45 am; 12:00-1:15 pm – Schauber
This course will examine the purpose and justification for legal limits on individual liberty, with special attention to problems of liability and punishment. Topics include strict liability, good Samaritan law, and capital punishment. (1 unit)
PHIL 265 – Bioethics
Two sections: MW 9:00-10:15 am; 12:00-1:15 pm – Canfield
This course examines ethical questions that arise in contemporary medical practice and in related areas, including biology, technology, and healthcare. We will use philosophical concepts and methods to wrestle with contemporary topics including organ donation, end-of-life care, resource allocation, surrogacy, human enhancement, and informed consent. Students will consider and evaluate both well-established principles in medical ethics and alternative ethical frameworks. (1 unit)
PHIL 269 – Environmental Ethics
Two sections: MW 10:30-11:45 am; 12:00-1:15 pm – Platz
This course is about how we human beings ought to relate to our environment – to animals, plants, species, the climate, ecosystems, the universe. Which of these are of direct moral concern? Why are they of moral concern? How should we regard and treat them? Why? Satisfies the IF-Power/Equity/Identity/Cult (IFPE) Requirement. Cross-listed with ENVR 269. (1 unit)
PHIL 272 – Modern European Philosophy
Two sections: TR 9:00-10:15 am; 10:30-11:45 am – Englert
This course offers an overview of European philosophical thought in the 17th and 18th centuries, focusing on fundamental questions in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and theology. We will investigate the thought of philosophers such as, Descartes, Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia, Samuel Clarke, Leibniz, Anne Conway, Maria von Herbert, and Kant. Topics of interest will be, for example, the nature of the soul, personal identity, free will, knowledge of the external world, the nature of space-time, the value of humanity, and arguments for God’s existence and nature. Satisfies the AI-Historical Inquiry (AIHS) Requirement. (1 unit)
PHIL 280– Buddhist Philosophy
TR 1:30-2:45 pm – Englert
We will study philosophical texts at the heart of various Buddhist traditions, as well as incorporate experimental exercises that constitute avenues towards insight through meditation. Thematically, we will be exploring Buddhist approaches to understanding the nature of mind and reality, with a focus on the teachings of no-self and the interdependent arising of phenomena. Regarding the incorporation of meditation mentioned above, it will be expected that students come with an openness to devote themselves to playful exploration of Buddhist practices in contemplation (both individually and in groups). Rather than a study of the history of the religion, this course will focus mostly on the philosophical arguments and philosophical practices that reveal the general contours of this worldview. (1 unit)
PHIL 353 – Philosophical Methods
TR 12:00-1:15 pm – McDaniel
This course is required of all philosophy majors and limited to philosophy majors, minors, and concentrators. Its main purpose is the development of philosophical skills related to critical reading, writing, and evaluation. For example, we will work on extracting the author's goal, overall strategy for achieving that goal, and specific arguments, from a wide variety of philosophical texts. In general, we will closely read, discuss, and argue the merits of numerous writings with a wide array of content, including the very nature of philosophy itself. Seminar format. Permission of instructor required. (1 unit)
PHIL 366 – Agency: Puzzles and Problems
T 3:00-5:40 pm – Schauber
Questions concerning human agency. Questions may include: What makes us agents? In virtue of what can individuals be said to lead lives? What makes our conduct ours, rather than something that just occurs? We normally take ourselves to be responsible to one another and to ourselves; what makes us responsible? To what extent, if any, is choice necessary for moral responsibility?
One previous philosophy course or permission of instructor required. (1 unit)
PHIL 381 – Science Fiction and Metaphysics
MW 12:00-1:15 pm – Goddu
This course is a selective survey of current metaphysics via numerous contemporary works of philosophy and science fiction. Questions to be addressed may include--What is a person? Are you the same person as the person you were yesterday? Can you exist in two, or more place at once? What is an object? What is causation? What is time? Do objects endure through time? Is time travel possible? Could you prevent yourself from ever existing? One previous philosophy course or permission of instructor required.
(1 unit)
PHIL 382 – Authority, Knowledge, and Trust
R 3:00-5:40 pm – McCormick
Who should we trust when trying to figure out what to believe, especially in matters where there is much disagreement? When, if ever, should we defer to the judgment of experts, elected officials, or political institutions and when should we think for ourselves? When can we gain knowledge by relying on others? How do we identify experts or other reliable sources? These questions are central to political epistemology which we will be exploring in the class. To do so we will be reading the work of many contemporary philosophers working on these issues. A number of them will be convening at an international conference discussing these topics being held in April at UR and students in the class will be centrally involved in it. One previous philosophy course or permission of instructor required. (1 unit)
PHIL 390 – Independent Study
TBD
Limited to philosophy majors and minors. Permission of instructor required. (1 unit)