Philosophy

Courses numbered 30 or greater are open only to students who have fulfilled the freshman humanities requirement.

Hum/Pl 8. Right and Wrong. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see Humanities.

Hum/Pl 9. Knowledge and Reality. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see Humanities.

Pl 30. Reading in Philosophy. Units to be determined by the instructor. Elective in any term. Reading in philosophy, done either in connection with the regular courses or independently of any course, but under the direction of members of the department. One or more short papers may be required. Graded pass/fail. Not available for credit toward humanities–social science requirement.

Pl 90 ab. Senior Thesis. 9 units (1-0-8). Required of students taking the philosophy option. To be taken in any two consecutive terms of the senior year. Students will research and write a thesis of 10,000–12,000 words on a philosophical topic to be determined in consultation with their thesis adviser. Instructor: Staff.

Pl 102. Selected Topics in Philosophy. 9 units (3-0-6). Offered by announcement. Prerequisite: Hum/Pl 8 or Hum/Pl 9 or instructor’s permission.

HPS/Pl 120. Introduction to Philosophy of Science. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see History and Philosophy of Science.

HPS/Pl 121. Causation and Explanation. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see History and Philosophy of Science.

HPS/Pl 122. Confirmation and Induction. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see History and Philosophy of Science.

HPS/Pl 124. Philosophy of Space and Time. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see History and Philosophy of Science.

HPS/Pl 125. Philosophical Issues in Quantum Physics. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see History and Philosophy of Science.

HPS/Pl 126. Foundations of Probability and Inductive Inference. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see History and Philosophy of Science.

HPS/Pl 129. Introduction to Philosophy of Biology. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see History and Philosophy of Science.

HPS/Pl 130. Philosophy and Biology. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see History and Philosophy of Science.

HPS/Pl 132. Introduction to Philosophy of Mind and Psychology. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see History and Philosophy of Science.

HPS/Pl 133. Philosophy and Neuroscience. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see History and Philosophy of Science.

HPS/Pl 134. Current Issues in Philosophical Psychology. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see History and Philosophy of Science.

HPS/Pl 136. Ethics in Research. 4 units (2-0-2) or 9 units (2-0-7). For course description, see History and Philosophy of Science.

Pl 150. History of Early Modern Philosophy. 9 units (3-0-6); first term. Prerequisite: Hum/Pl 8 or Hum/Pl 9 or instructor’s permission. A study of important figures and ideas in the empiricist and rationalist traditions in the period from Descartes through Kant. Material covered will vary depending on the decision of the instructor, but will include readings from some of the following: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Kant, Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. Instructor: Staff. Not offered 2005–06.

HPS/Pl 169. Selected Topics in Philosophy of Science. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see History and Philosophy of Science.

Pl 185. Moral Philosophy. 9 units (3-0-6); third term. A survey of topics in moral philosophy. The emphasis will be on meta-ethical issues, although some normative questions may be addressed. Meta-ethical topics that may be covered include the fact/value distinction; the nature of right and wrong (consequentialism, deontological theories, rights-based ethical theories, virtue ethics); the status of moral judgments (cognitivism vs. noncognitivism, realism vs. irrealism); morality and psychology; moral relativism; moral skepticism; morality and self-interest; the nature of justice. The implications of these theories for various practical moral problems may also be considered. Not offered 2005–06.

Pl 186. Political Philosophy. 9 units (3-0-6). Offered by announcement. This course will address one or more issues in contemporary political theory and/or the history of political thought. Topics may include the nature of democracy; liberalism; distributive justice; human rights; the moral and legal regulation of warfare; the status of positive law; social choice theory; the relations between the market and the state. The work of figures such as Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Hobbes, Mill, Machiavelli, and Rawls will be discussed. Instructors: Murphy, Woodward.

Pl 187. Natural Justice. 9 units (3-0-6); first term. This course examines the unorthodox view that morality is a natural phenomenon—the product of a combination of biological and cultural evolution. It reviews and criticizes the traditional arguments used to deny both moral naturalism and moral relativism, notably the Naturalistic Fallacy. It assesses the success of the approach advocated by evolutionary biologists and psychologists. It examines the evidence from laboratory experiments on fairness and justice. Finally, it attempts to synthesize all these strands using the theory of games as a unifying framework. Instructor: Binmore.