100-level

PHIL110
Science: Good, Bad, and Bogus
Description
This course is a critical thinker's toolkit. It will teach you 20 principles you can use to tell science from pseudo-science, truth from falsehood, logic from rhetoric, sound reasoning from wishful thinking, effective medicine from quackery, and good evidence from lies, fraud and fakery. The critical thinking skills you learn in this course will be vital if you go on to do more philosophy. They are also readily applicable to other disciplines, and should help you steer clear of scam-artists, charlatans, confidence-tricksters and get-rich-quick-schemes in the world outside of academia. Topics covered include the fallibility of the senses, the fallibility of memory, the placebo effect, the tricks of the cold reader’s trade, confirmation bias, the Barnum effect, relativism, mind viruses, the basics of logic, formal and informal fallacies, and the scientific evaluation of competing hypotheses.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Semester One 2026 (Distance)
Points
15 points
Restrictions
HAPS110
PHIL133
Philosophy and Human Nature
Description
The human record is full of contradictions. We are capable all at once of selfless love and murderous depravity; of sublime rational insight and base stupidity; of soul-baring honesty and habitual duplicity; of principled rebellion and obsequious deference to authority; of generosity and jealousy. What, then, is our true nature? Are we rational creatures or are we enslaved by our passions? Are we moral creatures or are we fundamentally selfish? Can we improve the human situation either individually or collectively? Does it all depend on our evolutionary history? This course is an introduction to Western philosophy through the ideas of Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Hume, Kant, Marx, Nietzsche, Darwin, and other influential thinkers as they puzzle over the riddles of human nature.
Occurrences
Semester One 2026
Points
15 points
PHIL137
The Philosophy and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
Description
Computing technology has already revolutionized our lives and shows no signs of stopping. Algorithms are everywhere. Artificial Intelligence powered by our data is increasingly determining our lives. The implementation of this technology has leapt ahead of our understanding of its ethical, societal, legal, and political significance. From self-driving cars to autonomous weapons, data-brokers to the metaverse, no aspects of our lives will be the same again. In this course, you will learn about cutting edge work from both within and outside academic philosophy concerning the challenges posed by the ever-increasing use of computing technology and AI. Questions raised in the course include: Do tech companies violate our right to privacy when they harvest our data? Can automated algorithmic decision-making deliver us a future free of human bias? Could an Artificial Intelligence possess freewill?
Occurrences
Semester Two 2026
Semester Two 2026 (Distance)
Points
15 points
Restrictions
POLS137, DIGI102
PHIL138
Logic and Critical Thinking
Description
Thinking rationally involves many skills. This course will help students acquire and develop those skills.
Occurrences
Summer Jan 2026
Summer Jan 2026 (Distance)
Points
15 points
Restrictions
PHIL132 (prior to 2006), MATH130, PHIL134/MATH134
PHIL139
Ethics, Politics and Justice
Description
How we should live our lives is the most important question of all. What makes our actions right or wrong? Is it our culture, our emotions, facts about the world, or God's commands? Are pleasure and happiness all that really matters? What should we do when justice and freedom conflict with happiness or with each other? Should we always obey the law? Is taxation legalised theft? This course introduces students to moral and political philosophy by examining ideas and arguments about how we should live our personal, social and political lives.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2026
Semester Two 2026 (Distance)
Special non-calendar-based Two 2026 (UC Online)
Special non-calendar-based Four 2026 (UC Online)
Points
15 points

Not Offered Courses in 2026

100-level

PHIL111
Philosophy, Sex, and Thinking
Description
Does being born female or male determine a person’s capacity to think well? Are women less rational than men? Is it true that all the great philosophers of the past were male? This course introduces you to philosophical thought about the relationship between sex and reason.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026
For further information see PHIL111 course details
Points
15 points
PHIL132
God, Mind, and Freedom
Description
If God created the universe, who created God? Are the colours you see inside your head or outside? Could a computer be conscious? You cannot change the past - why do you think you can change the future? This course tackles these and other fundamental questions in Philosophy. Learn to question assumptions and think outside the box. There are no prerequisites for this course - all welcome.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026, offered in 2022
For further information see PHIL132 course details
Points
15 points
PHIL136
Ethics Today
Occurrences
Not offered 2026, offered in 2020 , 2021 , 2022 , 2023 , 2024
For further information see PHIL136 course details
Points
15 points
PHIL145
Political and Social Philosophy
Description
This course is designed to give the student the basic tools with which to analyse both principles and ideologies in politics. Under the first of these, there will be a discussion of the principles of freedom, liberalism, rights, and democracy. Under the second, there will be an examination of ideologies such as socialism, anarchism, conservatism, and nationalism. While both principles and ideologies are necessary for the discussion of politics, only principles raise ethical considerations. The discussion of ideologies is not normally about ethics, but instead, is focussed upon a scientific or empirical analysis of politics.
Occurrences
Not offered 2026, offered in 2012 , 2013 , 2014 , 2015 , 2016
For further information see PHIL145 course details
Points
15 points