XII. Course Descriptions
Philosophy
Department of Philosophy
Note:Specific descriptions of all courses to be offered in a given semester will be available from the Department of Philosophy
in each preceding semester. Students are advised to consult these descriptions. Different sections of a course often emphasize
different aspects of that course.
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All 2000 level philosophy courses are open to students who have completed 2.00 credits or who have completed one of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1050.
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Unless otherwise noted, 3000 level philosophy courses are open to students who have completed at least 1.50 credits in philosophy
or 7.50 credits.
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For most 4000 level courses, students are expected to have completed at least 1.00 credits in philosophy at the 3000 level.
Some 4000 level credits have specific prerequisites, e.g. PHIL*4230, PHIL*4360 (see course descriptions in the following pages). If a student is taking several credits with such prerequisites, then the
number of other philosophy credits which need to be completed may exceed the general requirement of 1.00 credits at the 3000
level. PHIL*4310 is designed to be open to seventh and eighth semester students who have no previous philosophy credit. If in doubt about
being well prepared for a particular course, the student should consult with either the instructor or the chair of the department.
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Students may receive credit for PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010 and PHIL*1050, but only one may be counted towards the minimum number of philosophy credits required for a degree in philosophy. Students
intending to proceed in the discipline at the 2000 level are advised to take only 0.50 credits at the 1000 level.
| PHIL*1000 Classic Thinkers F,W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course will deal with enduring philosophical questions through an exploration of primary texts in the history of philosophy.
Topics covered may include the nature of knowledge and the different types of knowledge, the relationship between the mind
and the body, and the nature of good and evil. Texts and topics will vary with the instructor; students are advised to consult
the Philosophy department's website: http://www.uoguelph.ca/philosophy/.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*1010 Introductory Philosophy: Social and Political Issues F,W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course introduces philosophy through an examination of important issues in politics and society, such as punishment,
animal rights, discrimination, war and violence, equality and property. These issues may be introduced through contemporary
or historical philosophical writings.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*1030 Sex, Love, and Friendship F,W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course introduces students to philosophical inquiry through the careful study of the forms of interpersonal relationships.
Issues central to friendship, love, and sexuality which may be addressed include pleasure, happiness, responsibility, power,
and oppression, gender, marriage and morality.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*1050 Ethics, Knowledge, and Reality F,W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course introduces students to philosophy through the exploration of basic perennial philosophical problems and questions,
such as whether there is free will, a God, objective right and wrong, genuine knowledge of the world, and other topics. The
readings for the course will consist primarily of 20th century philosophical writing.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2000 Philosophy of Biology W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course focuses on philosophical issues that arise within biology, such as the explanation of altruism, the question of
whether species are real, and the challenge of how to identify adaptations. The course also examines philosophical issues
that arise at the interface between biology and society, such as the implications of evolutionary theory for traditional views
about human nature, or the proper role for scientists in advocating for environmental policies.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits including 0.50 credits in BIOL |
| Restriction(s): |
This is a Priority Access Course. Some restrictions may apply during some time periods. |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2030 Philosophy of Medicine W (3-0) [0.50] |
| Medicine is a philosophical, not merely a practical, empirical enterprise. This course covers philosophical concepts which
are widely used to evaluate health and health-practices include: autonomy, consent, mind, will, rights, harm, fairness, dignity,
truth and even `health' itself. Issues central to health and health care practice include: the nature of professional-client
relationships, genetic counseling, passive and active euthanasia, pharmacology and behaviour modification, resource allocation,
and the special set of issues raised by reproductive technologies.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits or (1 of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1050)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2060 Philosophy of Feminism I W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course examines metaphysical, epistemological and ethical issues in feminist philosophy, including such topics as the
nature and consequences of patriarchy, human nature, sexual divisions of labour, women's studies, rationalizations of inequalities
and explorations into a contemporary feminist agenda for social, political and economic changes.
|
| Offering(s): |
Also offered through Distance Education format. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits or (1 of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1050)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2070 Philosophy of the Environment W (3-0) [0.50] |
| Environmental Philosophy asks questions such as: How has `nature' been conceptualized in the Western philosophical tradition,
in aesthetics, science, and ethics? What arguments have been offered for the view that humans are superior among creatures?
What connections might there be between the ways that nature, humankind, and animals have been conceptualized and the ways
that humans have tended to act toward the non-human natural environment? This course may cover such topics as: climate change,
resource extraction and justice, biotechnology, obligations to future generations, risk assessment and discount rates, species
lost, conservation vs. preservation.
|
| Offering(s): |
Also offered through Distance Education format. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits or (1 of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1050)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2100 Critical Thinking F,W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course is designed to develop clarity of thought and method in the analysis and construction of arguments. By contrast
to PHIL*2110, the emphasis here is upon informal principles of critical thinking and arguments stated in terms of ordinary language. Topics
include the nature and methods of arguing, classification, definition and fallacies.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits or (1 of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1050)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2110 Formal Logic W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course studies the basic principles and techniques of formal logic. The analysis of the logical structure of sentences
and arguments is explored, together with the fundamental principles of elementary sentential logic and quantification.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits or (1 of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1050)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2120 Ethics F,W (3-0) [0.50] |
| Philosophical ethics is the attempt to systematize, explain, and justify the standards by which we evaluate our conduct as
persons. The course may include treatment of controversial ethical issues such as abortion, euthanasia, war, and the treatment
of animals and will cover many of the following questions: can we expect to find a single, universal code of ethics that applies
to all human beings, or do such codes vary for each society or even for each individual? What are the roles of reason and
emotion in ethics? Is morality grounded on a principle, and if so, what is it? Are there any traits of character that one
must have to be a good person? Given that traditional ethical codes have been almost universally sexist, how must ethics be
refashioned in order for women to achieve equal recognition?
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| Offering(s): |
Also offered through Distance Education format. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits or (1 of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1050)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2140 Ancient Greek Philosophy F (3-0) [0.50] |
| A survey of the beginnings of Western philosophy, this course will focus on themes such as the nature of reality, the ways
we might come to have knowledge, and the good life for human beings. This course will typically consider such thinkers as
Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Epictetus, although the specific course content will vary with the instructor.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits or (1 of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1030, PHIL*1050)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2160 Early Modern Philosophy: Reason vs. Experience W (3-0) [0.50] |
| Philosophers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries grappled with a central question regarding the foundation of human
knowledge: Does knowledge arise from pure reasoning alone or from sensory experience? This question inspired debates regarding
scepticism, the nature of reality, the connection between mind and body, language and meaning, moral certainty, and the relationship
between religion and science, to name but a few.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits or (1 of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1030, PHIL*1050)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2170 Existentialism F (3-0) [0.50] |
| Existentialism is a philosophy built around the experience of human freedom. This course focuses on the character of the subject
who makes choices, and on the personal and political responsibilities that attach to the making of decisions. The course will
examine this and other themes associated with Existentialism through nineteenth and twentieth century representatives, which
may include Kierkegaard, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Camus and others.
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| Offering(s): |
Offered in odd-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits or (1 of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1050)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2180 Philosophy of Science F (3-0) [0.50] |
| As a system of knowledge pursuit, science develops laws and theories to explain, predict, understand, and control empirical
phenomena. This course introduces students to many of the challenging assumptions, foundations, and implications of science.
Topics include the nature of scientific knowledge, the structure of scientific theories, the distinction between science and
pseudo-science, whether there is a scientific method, and how social and political processes influence the way science develops.
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| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits or (1 of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1050)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2240 Knowledge and Belief F (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course is an introduction to epistemology, which is the study of the nature, scope, and limits of knowledge. This course
will examine a number of the central questions in epistemology, such as: what can we know? What is the nature of knowledge?
And what is the difference between knowledge and true belief?
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits or (1 of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1030, PHIL*1050)
|
| Equate(s): |
PHIL*2250 |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2280 Key Concepts in Political Philosophy F (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course presents an in-depth treatment of one or more key concepts in political philosophy. Among the many possible concepts
that the course may address are those of freedom, equality, power, community, identity, autonomy, justice, rights, political
obligation, representation, authority, legitimacy, exploitation, emancipation, and development. These concepts may be explored
historically or through contemporary political and/or philosophical debates.
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| Prerequisite(s): |
0.50 credits in either Philosophy or Political Science |
| Restriction(s): |
POLS*2000 |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2370 Metaphysics and Mind W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course studies major theories of the nature of reality, and of issues and problems that arise in the investigation of
fundamental features of the world. Texts read may be either historical or contemporary. Among possible topics explored in
the course are materialism, free will, and determinism, the nature of time, and the position of consciousness in the world.
|
| Offering(s): |
Offered in even-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits or (1 of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1030, PHIL*1050)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*2600 Business and Professional Ethics W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course examines ethical and evaluative issues relating to business and professional practices, and is intended for students
registered in a science or professional program, but without a background in philosophy. Topics to be explored include the
nature of values and ethical systems, duties and rights, private and public goods, the consumer movement, social marketing,
corporate social accounting, private right and professional responsibility.
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| Prerequisite(s): |
2.00 credits or (1 of PHIL*1000, PHIL*1010, PHIL*1050)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3020 Pragmatism U (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course is a critical examination of pragmatism. Pragmatism––arguably the only philosophical movement to originate in
North America—was one of the most fruitful philosophical movements of the late nineteenth century and continues to be a significant
influence on major figures in contemporary philosophy. Pragmatism rejects the idea that the function of thought is to mirror
reality and replaces it with the maxim that the content of a hypothesis consists in the practical difference it makes if it
is endorsed. This course covers the implications of this view for our understanding of truth, meaning, scepticism, metaphysics,
science, ethics, religion and aesthetics.
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| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Restriction(s): |
PHIL*3130 |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3040 Philosophy of Law F (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course is an introduction to the main topics in the philosophy of law. It aims to give students a philosophical grounding
in such issues as the purpose and nature of law, the relationship between law and individual freedom and the question of international
law. Thinkers studied may include St. Thomas Aquinas, John Stuart Mill and H.L.A. Hart. The course may also include an examination
of the way in which controversial ethical and social issues are treated under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits or PHIL*2120 |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3050 Philosophy of Art W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course considers various philosophical questions concerning art such as the nature of a work of art, the nature of beauty,
the relationship between the artist and the audience, the task of the art critic, the social function of art.
|
| Offering(s): |
Also offered through Distance Education format. Offered in even-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3060 Medieval Philosophy W (3-0) [0.50] |
| The ideas of central figures in philosophy from the Patristic period (3rd century A.D.) to the early Renaissance (14th century) will be examined through original sources.
|
| Offering(s): |
Offered in even-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3100 Kant and His Legacy W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course offers an in-depth study of the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, one of the most influential figures in the history
of philosophy. The course will include study of one or more of his major works. Kant’s works may be studied on their own,
or in conjunction with the study of works of later philosophers who were significantly influenced by Kant’s philosophical
ideas.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Restriction(s): |
PHIL*3080, PHIL*3090 |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3160 Metaphysics W (3-0) [0.50] |
| A common way of thinking of the world is that it consists of objects with properties that persist through time while changing
in different ways. Yet there are deep puzzles about each of these basic, seemingly indispensable concepts. What does it take
to be an object? How much can an object change without becoming a different object? Are some of an object's properties essential
to it? Metaphysics is the business of proposing and debating answers to these questions and related questions. This course
introduces students to these debates.
|
| Offering(s): |
Offered in odd-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3170 Topics in the Philosophy of Science W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course studies specialized questions about science within a broad intellectual and social context. Contested issues regarding
the nature of science, its aims and methods, and science's relation to society will be critically examined. Past offerings
of the course have examined such topics as realism and antirealism, naturalized explanations, the unity/disunity of science,
and feminist approaches to science.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1 of (1.50 credits in Philosophy, 7.50 credits, PHIL*2180)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3180 Philosophy of Mind F (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course is a survey of central issues and positions in contemporary philosophy of mind. Topics may include: the nature
of the mind and its relation with the brain; the puzzle of conscious experience; and the problem of mental content.
|
| Offering(s): |
Offered in odd-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3190 Epistemology F (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course is an advanced introduction to the central issues in epistemology, such as the nature of knowledge and how it
differs from mere true belief. Possible topics include skepticism, theories of justification and rationality, self-knowledge
and the sources of belief.
|
| Offering(s): |
Offered in odd-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3200 Continental Philosophy F (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course focuses on 20th century French and German philosophy and the influences that shaped it. The course will be part historical, part contemporary.
The historical part may survey touchstones of current Continental thought in ancient and modern philosophy. The contemporary
part of this course may focus on any of the hundred or so key figures in 20th or 21st century Continental thought, or groupings thereof according to particular thematic.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3210 Women in the History of Philosophy F (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course will examine selected works of women philosophers and their contributions to the major philosophical debates of
their day. The philosophers covered may be drawn from any period in the history of philosophy, up to, and including, the 20th century and topics covered have ranged across feminist issues, epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics. Because texts and topics
will vary with the instructor, students are advised to consult the departmental website: http://www.uoguelph.ca/philosophy/.
|
| Offering(s): |
Offered in odd-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3230 Theories of Justice W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This is a course in social and political philosophy is the area of philosophy concerned with the morality of major social
institutions such as the state, the economy, and the family. This course may engage in the detailed examination of one or
more of the following questions: what justifies the state's claim to authority? What are the proper dimensions of individual
liberty? What levels of material and social equality are required for a society to be just? These questions will be pursued
through reading historical and/or contemporary philosophical texts.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3250 Philosophy of Language F (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course will explore the relationship between human beings and language, and between language and the world. In particular,
it may address such fundamental questions as: What is it about the way in which we use words that gives them the meanings
they have? And what is the relationship between words and objects to which they refer? Authors studied may include representatives
from the analytic and/or continental traditions in philosophy.
|
| Offering(s): |
Offered in even-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3260 Set Theory and Modal Logic U (3-0) [0.50] |
| Both set theory and modal logic are important tools in contemporary philosophy. Set theory is about relationships among collections
of things. Modal logic elaborates the notions of necessity and possibility in formal models of different possible worlds.
Students will explore these topics by producing and understanding informal proofs of important facts, and by doing exercises
developing understanding of the semantics of modal logic.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
PHIL*2110 |
| Restriction(s): |
PHIL*4110 |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3280 21st Century Philosophy F (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course is an introduction to the most current philosophical texts and movements developed since the beginning of the
21st Century. Students will be taught to understand and work creatively with the most recent ideas in the discipline. Material
covered will focus almost exclusively on the philosophical texts written in or after the year 2000.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3290 Advanced Ethical Theory F (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course focuses on the theoretical foundations of morality. Ethical theory comprises metaethics, which is primarily concerned
with the objectivity of moral judgments; normative ethics, which is concerned with the principles of sound moral judgment,
and moral psychology, which is concerned with moral motivation and moral reasoning.
|
| Offering(s): |
First offering - Fall 2018 |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3300 Democracy and Its Critics F (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course will review classical and contemporary positions on the nature and value of democracy, including arguments for
and against it from a variety of stances in political philosophy. It will also examine the merits of competing models of democracy,
issues dealing with limitations on majority rule in pluralistic societies, and the applicability of democracy in international
contexts.
|
| Offering(s): |
Offered in odd-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3350 Selected Topics in Philosophy U (3-0) [0.50] |
| The topics for this course will vary from one offering to the next, and will deal with material, such as Philosophy of History,
Philosophy of Social Science and advanced Philosophy of Religion generally arising from the instructor's current research
interests. This course gives students a chance to explore topics and texts not usually covered in other courses. Students
are encouraged to consult the departmental website for course content and availability: http://www.uoguelph.ca/philosophy/.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3360 Nineteenth Century Philosophy F (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course provides a survey of 19th century philosophy, a period of extreme change and upheaval, championed mainly by German
thinkers. The course will engage with topics such as the nature of individual freedom; historical approaches to understanding
concepts of reality and moral norms; proposed radical revisions to traditional moral and social order; and confronting the
possible meaninglessness or absurdity of human life.
|
| Offering(s): |
First offering - Fall 2018 Offered in even-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Restriction(s): |
PHIL*3080, PHIL*3090 |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3410 Major Texts in the History of Philosophy W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course will consider central and continuing philosophical issues through an exploration of primary texts in the history
of philosophy. The readings and periods stressed will vary from year to year, but could cover significant and enduring texts
from the ancient period right up to the 21st century. Texts and topics will vary with the instructor; students are advised to consult the Philosophy department's website:
http://www.uoguelph.ca/philosophy/.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3450 Ethics in the Life Sciences W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course is an advanced introduction to the ethical implications of values and practices guiding research in the life sciences.
Fields of discussion may include ethics in health care, genetics and human reproduction, environmental sciences, agriculture,
animal husbandry, animal welfare, and food technologies. Material covered will be drawn from current books and articles by
philosophers in this rapidly expanding area.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits. PHIL*2120, PHIL*2180 are recommended.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3710 Directed Reading F,W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course is intended as an intensive course of reading chosen by the student in consultation with the faculty member. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Restriction(s): |
Instructor consent required. |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3910 Indian Philosophy F (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course provides an analysis of selected primary sources of Indian philosophy in translation, from the Vedic Upanishads
to the "integral yoga" of Sri Aurobindo. Emphasis will be on the basic inspirational works of Hinduism and Buddhism, and their
respective views on the ultimate nature of reality, the self, suffering, freedom, ignorance and enlightenment.
|
| Offering(s): |
Offered in even-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3920 Chinese Philosophy W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course analyzes selected primary sources of Chinese philosophy, in translation, from the Ching to Mao Tse-tung. Emphasis
will be on the foundational works of Confucianism, Taoism, Ch'an (or Zen) Buddhism, and Neo-Confucianism, concerning such
issues as the ultimate nature of being, non-being and human destiny, proper government of the self, the family and society,
and the principles and practice of enlightenment.
|
| Offering(s): |
Offered in odd-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*3930 African Philosophy F (3-0) [0.50] |
| An introduction to the philosophical traditions of Africa, part historical and part contemporary. The shorter historical section
will cover some themes from the thought of ancient Egypt, early Christian and Islamic philosophy in North Africa and precolonial
traditions from West Africa. The greater section of the course will deal with philosophical movements in Africa since the
1960's, as well as their implications for African American thought and philosophy generally.
|
| Offering(s): |
Offered in even-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.50 credits in Philosophy or 7.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*4040 Advanced Philosophy of the Environment U (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course is an exploration in detail of central debates in environmental philosophy. Possible topics include: genetic modification
of plants and animals, duties to future generations, obligations to distant global others, the ethics of encounters, animal
welfare, trans-species communication, restoration and conservation projects, aesthetics, virtue ethics and stewardship.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.00 credits in Philosophy at the 3000 level. PHIL*2070 recommended
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*4060 Philosophy of Feminism II U (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course is an advanced study of problems in feminist philosophy. The course may cover specific topics or the work of one
or more feminist philosophers. Topics may be drawn from feminist ethics, epistemology, and/or postmodernism. Texts and topics
will vary with the instructor; students are advised to consult the Philosophy department's website: http://www.uoguelph.ca/philosophy/.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.00 credits in Philosophy at the 3000 level or PHIL*2060 |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*4120 Current Debates in Language and Mind U (3-0) [0.50] |
| Each offering of this course will focus on a specific issue or set of related issues that are now being debated in Philosophy
of mind and Philosophy of language. Readings will be contemporary works.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.00 credits in Philosophy at the 3000 level or 12.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*4130 Current Debates in Continental Philosophy U (3-0) [0.50] |
| Each offering of this course will focus on close study of either one or two figures of contemporary relevance in discussions
of Continental European philosophy, or a specific issue or set of related issues that are now being debated in that field.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.00 credits in Philosophy at the 3000 level or 12.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*4140 Current Debates in Philosophy of Science U (3-0) [0.50] |
| Each offering of this course will focus on a specific issue or set of related issues that are now being debated in Philosophy
of Science. Readings will be contemporary works.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.00 credits in Philosophy at the 3000 level or 12.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*4160 Philosophy Field Course F (3-0) [1.00] |
| This variable content course addresses an issue which is relevant to the contemporary world from a range of philosophical
perspectives. The course is built on research into the issue, including material gathered during a 1-2 week field trip which
is held in the summer immediately preceding the semester in which the student takes the course. The field trip is a mandatory
component of the course, one for which the student assumes the costs of transportation, food and lodging.
|
| Offering(s): |
Offered in even-numbered years. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
13.00 credits and a minimum cumulative average of 70%. |
| Restriction(s): |
Restricted to students in Philosophy major or minor. Instructor consent required. |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*4310 Applied Ethics U (3-0) [0.50] |
| An advanced study of specific problems in applied ethics. This is an intensive course designed for philosophy majors as well
as for seventh and eighth semester students who have had no previous philosophy course.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*4340 Current Debates in Ethics U (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course offers an advanced study of problems in ethical theory. This course will examine contemporary and perennial issues
in ethics through recent or historical texts. Texts and topics will vary with the instructor; students are advised to consult
the Philosophy department's website: http://www.uoguelph.ca/philosophy/.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.00 credits in Philosophy at the 3000 level or 12.50 credits |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*4360 Current Debates in Epistemology U (3-0) [0.50] |
| An examination of central problems concerning the nature of knowledge. In some offerings the selection will emphasize problems
in the Philosophy of Language.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1 of (1.00 credits in Philosophy at the 3000 level, 12.50 credits, PHIL*3190)
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*4710 Directed Reading F,W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course is intended as an intensive course of reading chosen by the student in consultation with the faculty member. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.00 credits in Philosophy at the 3000-level |
| Restriction(s): |
Instructor consent required. |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*4720 Directed Reading F,W (3-0) [0.50] |
| This course is intended as an intensive course of reading chosen by the student in consultation with the faculty member. |
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.00 credits in Philosophy at the 3000-level |
| Restriction(s): |
Instructor consent required. |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*4800 Honours Philosophy Research Paper I U (3-0) [0.50] |
| The preparation of a major research paper under the supervision of a faculty member. Normally open only to 7th semester honours philosophy students.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
1.00 credits in Philosophy at the 3000 level |
| Restriction(s): |
Instructor consent required. |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
| PHIL*4820 Philosophy Research Presentation F,W (3-0) [0.50] |
| The focus of this course is mastering the oral presentation of a philosophical argument, and engaging in respectful, intellectually
honest discussion with one’s audience. Students will develop and present a philosophical claim which they will explain and
defend during a question period after the presentation. Students are expected to have topic for their presentation at the
beginning of the course.
|
| Prerequisite(s): |
14.00 credits including 1.00 credits in Philosophy at the 3000-level |
| Restriction(s): |
Restricted to students in Philosophy major. |
| Department(s): |
Department of Philosophy |
