Dinosaurs, Quarks and Quasars: The Philosophy of Science

Science studies the world, but what discipline studies science itself -- what it is, how it works, and why it works so well? Answer: the philosophy of science. Questions tackled in this course include: how do scientists develop theories, test them, and adjudicate between rival explanations of natural phenomena? Does the careful application of the scientific method lead to truth and certainty? Do unobservable entities, like quarks, really exist, or are they merely useful fictions? And should scientists try to show their theories are false instead of trying to show they are true? The course will be of interest to anyone fascinated by science, its history, its aims, and its methods, and will be value to scientists-in-training in providing a broad perspective on the extraordinary philosophical puzzles and perplexities hovering over all scientific inquiry.

15 points

15 points of Philosophy or 30 points of science coursesAny 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA or the BSc.

PHIL223, PHIL223, PHIL303

The Brain Gym: An Introduction to Logic

This course provides a hands-on introduction to the core ideas of logical reasoning. Learn how to reason deductively and learn how to PROVE your conclusions. It's challenging, it's great exercise for your brain, and it's a valuable life skill.

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, COSC, LING, MATH, or from the BE(Hons), or any 60 points at 100 level from any subject.

PHIL225, PHIL246, PHIL346, PHIL308, MATH208, MATH308

Epistemology and Metaphysics

This course is an introduction to selected topics in the theory of knowledge and of reality. For example: What is a physical object? Are you the same physical object now that you were 10 years ago? What is the difference between reality and dreaming? Is cause-and-effect real, or just a way of looking at things? What is science? What makes the black squiggles you're now reading mean something? Are meanings ideas? Do deep metaphysical statements, such as ‘I am the only conscious being in the universe’ or 'Everything is fated', really say anything? We also investigate philosophy itself: is there a specific philosophical personality and does philosophy have a diversity problem?

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA or the BSc.

Ethics

In this course, we look at concepts and theories in normative ethics and metaethics. Normative ethics deals with the foundations of moral theory. What determines whether an action is right or wrong, good or bad? What principles should we live by? Utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics provide three influential answers. Part I of the course studies these theories in detail, considering the ideas of Mill, Kant and Aristotle along the way. Metaethics deals with second-order questions about ethical thought and talk. Are there moral facts and moral truths? Could moral judgements be objectively true? What is the relation between moral facts and scientific or natural facts? How, if at all, can we acquire moral knowledge? What role do the emotions play in moral judgement? Part II of the course focuses on these and similar questions.

15 points

15 points in PHIL or B average in 60 points of appropriate courses with approval of the Head of Department15 points in PHIL or B average in 60 points of appropriate courses with approval of the Programme Coordinator.Any 15 points at 100 level from PHIL, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA.

PHIL321

Bioethics: Life, Death, and Medicine

Bioethics is the study of ethical problems in healthcare, research, technology and the environment. Bioethical problems arise every day, affecting societies, people and non-human animals. This course covers a wide range of issues, including: research on human and non-human animals; reproductive technologies, such as surrogacy and genetic testing; the use of data to monitor and control human actions; conflicts between privacy and autonomy and the public good, and decisions about protecting, killing and letting die, including healthcare, abortion, and euthanasia. The course includes an introduction to ethical values and principles, ways of dealing with moral disagreements, and reflection on what it means for something to be worth moral consideration.

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, HSRV, HLTH, LAWS, or POLS, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA or the BSc.

PHIL324, POLS225

AI & I: Artificial Intelligence and the Good Life

Do you curate your algorithms - or do your algorithms curate you? As we all know, AI and other digital technologies are reshaping the way we go about our daily lives - they influence what news we see, the music we play and shows we stream, who we date, how we form and maintain friendships, and even how we learn. It can be daunting to know which of these increasingly pervasive technologies are good for us. How should we take advantage of the many opportunities that AI offers, while still doing everything we need to do to flourish as human beings? That’s our central question. As we wrestle with it, you will develop a toolbox of ethical insights and practical skills for mapping a wise path through the challenges AI presents.

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, or COSC; or any 60 points at 100 level from the BA or BSc.

Environmental Ethics

Humanity faces threatening environmental problems, not least climate change. Can science, technology and free markets provide the solutions - or must we reconsider our values and priorities? Is nature inherently valuable? What should be protected for future generations? Do we have moral duties to non-human animals, including endangered species? PHIL249 examines recent philosophical responses to these and other questions in environmental ethics. This course is for students in Arts, Science, Engineering, Business and Law; no background in philosophy is required.

15 points

15 points in PHIL or 30 points in any subject/s. RP: 15 points of 100 level Philosophy, or 30 points or more of humanities, social science, science, engineering, economics, or commerce studies and an interest in reflective critical debate.Any 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA or the BSc.

Turing: From the Computer Revolution to the Philosophy of AI

This course is about Alan Turing, the logical and philosophical foundations of computing, and the philosophy of Artificial Intelligence. It is equally suitable for Arts, Science, Engineering, and Law students.

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, COSC, LING, MATH (except MATH110), or PSYC, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA or the BSc.

COSC260, COSC260, PHIL340

Cognitive Science and AI

This course is an introduction to two vibrant and interrelated subfields of philosophy: the philosophy of cognitive science and the philosophy of artificial intelligence. Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary study of the mind. Its constituent disciplines include psychology, neuroscience, computer science, AI, and philosophy. The philosophy of cognitive science concerns philosophical issues that arise out of the scientific study of the mind. Artificial intelligence is the simulation of certain processes, typically associated with human minds, by machines - especially computer systems. It is an important branch of cognitive science. The philosophy of artificial intelligence concerns itself with those philosophical issues that arise out of reflection upon the possibility of artificial intelligence. Key questions raised in the course include: What is the nature of mind? Are mental processes computational processes? Could a machine have a mind? If a machine were intelligent and conscious, would it have moral significance?

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level in PHIL, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA or the BSc.

PHIL238 (before 2016)