Philosophy

An introduction to the central branches of philosophy, such as logic, theory of knowledge, metaphysics, ethics, and political philosophy. Writings from the central figures in the history of Western and non-Western philosophy, as well as contemporary philosophers, may be considered.

An introduction to some of the central problems of philosophy. Examples of questions that may be considered include: What is sound reasoning? What can we know? What is ultimately real? Is morality rational? Do humans have free will? Is there a God? What is consciousness? Should we fear death? What is justice?

This course will critically examine the role of cinema in the construction and exploration of the figure of the racial, ethnic, cultural and social "other". Our topics will include (1) racial, ethnic and cultural identity and its reciprocal relationship with cinema, (2) the notion of realism in relation to the representation of race and ethnicity in film, (3) the cinematic representation of inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic conflict, (4) the position of cinema in the debate between assimilation and multiculturalism, and (5) the ways in which cinema can help illuminate a cluster of relevant notions in political philosophy including citizenship, communitarianism, cosmopolitanism, and the relation between individual rights and group rights. Films will be screened in class and discussed against the background of focused critical readings. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Philosophical anthropology is the subject that poses the most fundamental questions about human nature and the human condition. Taking as its point of departure the most up-to-date scientific understanding of human nature, from anthropology broadly conceived, it goes on to inquire, in a disciplined fashion, about the implications of these views for perennial philosophical questions about human rationality, morality, the possibility of progress, the existence of god and the meaning of life. This course will examine one or more topics in this domain, as a more general introduction to the discipline. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

The passage of time is a fundamental aspect of human experience: we are born, we grow older, and eventually we pass away. During our lives our experience of the past, present, and future are distinct. We can influence the world in the present and the future, but it does not seem that we can influence the past. We have hopes about the future, memories of the past, and experiences of the present. In this seminar we will explore insights from contemporary philosophy and physics concerning the nature of the passage of time. Questions to be considered may include the following: What does it mean to say that time passes? Does time really pass at all? How do we experience time? Why can we influence the future but not the past? Is it possible to travel backward in time? Is time even real? What is time? Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

The goal of this seminar is to investigate ethical questions via works of fiction, primarily novels. The idea is not to see fiction as a pedantic vehicle for ethical argument, but rather to consider how, and with what effect, fiction functions as an ethical medium. We will not judge characters as ‘likeable’ or ‘relatable’; rather, we will reflect on what fiction can teach us about the pressing challenges of choice and responsibility, and how it can (perhaps) enhance empathy.

The focus is on issues of individual identity and integrity: creating and maintaining oneself as a moral whole within environments hostile or indifferent to that end. All the works considered are novels or plays from the period between about 1900 and 2020—for convenience, the ‘modern’ and ‘postmodern’ ages, though we will query those notions. A running theme in the chosen readings is what is usually called ‘existential’ philosophy, but we will query the validity of that label as well. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Central texts of the pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, and post-Aristotelian philosophy.

An introduction to philosophy focusing on the connections among its main branches: logic, theory of knowledge, metaphysics, and ethics. This course is intended for those with little or no philosophy background but who have completed four FCEs in any subject.

A study of issues such as the relations of reason and faith, the being and the nature of God, and the problem of universals, in the writings of such philosophers as Augustine, Boethius, Anselm and Abelard.

A study of issues such as the relations of reason and faith, the being and the nature of God, and the structure of the universe, in the writings of such philosophers as Aquinas and Ockham.

Central texts of such philosophers as Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant.

An introduction to some of the post-Hegelian thinkers who inspired the various philosophical movements broadly referred to as continental, such as phenomenology, existentialism, deconstruction, and post-modernism. Questions include the will, faith, death, existence, history and politics, rationality and its limits, encountering an other. Authors studied may include: Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Marx, Freud, Heidegger, Sartre.

An introduction to issues in the fundamental branches of philosophy: metaphysics, which considers the overall framework of reality; epistemology, or the theory of knowledge; and related problems in the philosophy of science. Topics in metaphysics may include: mind and body, causality, space and time, God, freedom and determinism; topics in epistemology may include perception, evidence, belief, truth, skepticism.

An introduction to philosophy tailored for students with backgrounds in mathematics and science. Topics include causation, explanation, the relation between scientific and mathematical theories and reality, the role of mathematics in scientific theories, the relevance of scientific and mathematical discoveries to ‘big’ traditional philosophical questions such as the nature of consciousness, whether we have free will, and the meaning of life.

Some central issues in the philosophy of religion such as the nature of religion and religious faith, arguments for the existence of God, the problem of evil, varieties of religious experience, religion and human autonomy.

An historical and systematic introduction to the main phases of Chinese philosophical development, including Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Neo-Confucianism; the challenge of Western thought and the development of modern Chinese Philosophy.

The area of informal logic - the logic of ordinary language, usually non-deductive. Criteria for the critical assessment of arguments as strong or merely persuasive. Different types of arguments and techniques of refutation; their use and abuse.

An introduction to the main schools of Indian philosophical thought (Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta) and other South Asian philosophies and their approaches to fundamental problems of philosophy such as epistemology and ethics.

Consciousness and its relation to the body; personal identity and survival; knowledge of other minds; psychological events and behaviour.

Philosophical issues about sex and sexual identity in the light of biological, psychological and ethical theories of sex and gender; the concept of gender; male and female sex roles; perverse sex; sexual liberation; love and sexuality.

Aspects of human nature, e.g., emotion, instincts, motivation. Theories of human nature, e.g., behaviourism, psychoanalysis.

An introduction to formal deductive logic. Semantics, symbolization, and techniques of natural deduction in sentential logic. Symbolization, natural deduction, and models in monadic predicate logic. Symbolization and natural deduction with polyadic predicates. Introduction to advanced concepts in first-order logic, such as operations, identity, and models.

The elements of axiomatic probability theory and its main interpretations (frequency, logical, and subjective). Reasoning with probabilities in decision-making and science.

The internet and digital technology have had a transformative impact on the economy, society and politics, art and culture, and everyday life. This course explores the fascinating, often urgent, new philosophical questions raised by these changes as well as the way they invite a rethinking of many older philosophical questions. Topics to be addressed may include artificial intelligence and the singularity; identity through social media; digital ownership and privacy; and collective/distributed knowledge its relation to information, among others.

An introduction to central issues in political philosophy, e.g., political and social justice, liberty and the criteria of good government. The writings of contemporary political philosophers, as well as major figures in the history of philosophy, may be considered.

Is the objective of philosophy to understand and interpret the world, or to change it? A study of theorists who have taken philosophy to be a tool for social criticism. Topics studied may include feminism, critical race theory, anti-consumerism, the critique of mass society, and conservative cultural criticism.

Justifications for the legal enforcement of morality; particular ethical issues arising out of the intersection of law and morality, such as punishment, freedom of expression and censorship, autonomy and paternalism, constitutional protection of human rights.

A study of environmental issues raising questions of concern to moral and political philosophers, such as property rights, responsibility for future generations, and the interaction of human beings with the rest of nature. Typical issues: sustainable development, alternative energy, the preservation of wilderness areas, animal rights.

An introduction to central issues in ethics or moral philosophy, such as the objectivity of values, the nature of moral judgements, rights and duties, the virtues, and consequentialism. Readings may be drawn from a variety of contemporary and historical sources.

An introduction to the study of moral and legal problems in medical practice and in biomedical research; the development of health policy. Topics include: concepts of health and disease, patient rights, informed consent, allocation of scarce resources, euthanasia, abortion, genetic and reproductive technologies, human research, and mental health.

An historical and systematic introduction to the main questions in the philosophy of art and beauty from Plato to the present. These include the relation between art and beauty, the nature of aesthetic experience, definitions and theories of art, the criteria of excellence in the arts, and the function of art criticism.

Philosophical issues in ethics, social theory, and theories of human nature insofar as they bear on contemporary conduct of business. Issues include: Does business have moral responsibilities? Can social costs and benefits be calculated? Does modern business life determine human nature or the other way around? Do political ideas and institutions such as democracy have a role within business?

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-opportunities-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

A study of selected Greek philosophers before Plato. Topics may include the Pre-Socratic natural philosophers, Parmenides and the Eleatics, and the so-called sophistic movement.

A study of selected themes in post-Aristotelian philosophy. Topics may include Stoicism, Epicureanism, Neoplatonism, and various forms of scepticism.

Selected metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical themes in Plato’s dialogues.

Selected anthropological, ethical and metaphysical themes in the works of Aristotle.

Central themes in St. Augustine's Christian philosophy, such as the problem of evil, the interior way to God, the goal of human life and the meaning of history.

Philosophical innovations that St. Thomas Aquinas made in the course of constructing a systematic theology: essence and existence, the Five Ways, separate intelligences, the human soul and ethics.

Study of a major philosophical figure from the medieval period, such as Anselm, Abelard, Bonaventure, Maimonides, Avicenna, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham; or consideration of a central philosophical topic in a variety of medieval authors, for example, universals, individuation, the existence of God, free will and free choice, eternity and creation.

Central philosophical problems in philosophers such as Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, and their contemporaries.

Central philosophical problems in philosophers such as Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and their contemporaries.

Central philosophical problems arising in the early modern period.

A systematic study of The Critique of Pure Reason.

Central philosophical problems arising in the 19th century.

An examination of Hegel's project of absolute knowing, its philosophical assumptions, and its implications for history, science and experience.

An examination of some of the leading themes in the philosophy of Karl Marx. Developments of Marxist philosophy by later thinkers, and critics of Marxism, may also be considered.

A study of the fundamentals of psychoanalytic theory from a philosophical perspective, focusing on the works of Freud and others. Topics include mind (conscious and unconscious), instinctual drives, mechanisms of defence, the structure of personality, civilization, the nature of conscience, and the status of psychoanalysis.

Phenomenology is a method used in the analysis of human awareness and subjectivity. It has been applied in the social sciences, in the humanities, and in philosophy. Texts studied are from Husserl and later practitioners, e.g., Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Gurwitsch, and Ricoeur.

Some work from the 1920s (either Being and Time or contemporary lectures) and selections from Heideggers later work on poetry, technology, and history are studied. Heidegger's position within phenomenology and within the broader history of thought is charted.

German and French philosophy after World War II, focusing on such topics as: debates about humanism, hermeneutics, critical theory, the structuralist movement, its successors such as deconstruction. Typical authors: Heidegger, Gadamer, Habermas, Levi-Strauss, Foucault, Derrida.

A study of philosophical approaches to understanding various aspects of contemporary culture and/or society. Topics may include theories of modernity, capitalism and consumerism, architecture and design, cultural pluralism, globalization, media and internet.

An examination of some of the classic texts of early analytic philosophy, concentrating on the work of Frege, Russell, and Wittgenstein.

Historical and systematic approaches to topics in metaphysics, such as the nature of reality, substance and existence, necessity and possibility, causality, universals and particulars.

Historical and systematic approaches to topics in the theory of knowledge, such as truth, belief, justification, perception, a priori knowledge, certitude, skepticism, other minds.

Some specific problem(s) in the philosophy of religion, such as the relationship of religious faith and religious belief, the ontological argument for the existence of God, theories about divine transcendence, the philosophical presuppositions of religious doctrines, the modern critique of religion.

An introduction to the major thinkers in classical Islamic philosophy, with emphasis placed on developing a properly philosophical understanding of the issues and arguments. Topics include the existence of God; creation and causality; human nature and knowledge; the nature of ethical obligations; and the constitution of the ideal political state.

An intermediate level treatment of such topics as: human nature; good and evil; the role of emotions; the metaphysical ultimate.

A selection of texts and issues in Jewish philosophy, for example, Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed, Bubers The Prophetic Faith, prophecy and revelation, Divine Command and morality, creation and eternity, the historical dimension of Jewish thought.

An intermediate level study of one or more topics in South Asian Philosophy.

Typical issues include: the mind-brain identity theory; intentionality and the mental; personal identity.

Human action, and the nature of freedom and responsibility in the light of contemporary knowledge concerning the causation of behaviour.

Topics include: philosophical foundations of artificial intelligence theory; the computational theory of the mind; functionalism vs. reductionism; the problems of meaning in the philosophy of mind.

A survey of philosophical topics related to the emotions, from a range of philosophical perspectives. Questions to be considered may include the following: What exactly is an emotion? Are emotions feelings? What emotions are there, and how are they shaped by culture and society? How are emotions related to reason, the brain and the body? What role do -- and should -- the emotions play in decision-making? Can an emotion be morally right or wrong, and what makes it so? 

A continuation of PHL245H1, requiring no other prior knowledge of philosophy or mathematics. First-order logic, including basic metalogical results such as soundness and completeness. An introduction to basic set theory and metalogic. Topics may include the Loewenheim-Skolem theorems for first-order logic, Goedel’s incompleteness theorems.

Formal study of the concepts of necessity and possibility, modal, propositional and quantificational logic, possible-worlds semantics, and the metaphysics of modality. Other topics may include counterfactuals, truth, vagueness, epistemic logic, temporal logic, or non-classical logic.

Topics will include Kurt Gödel's celebrated incompleteness theorems, the technical ideas and methods involved in proving them, their relation to the abstract theory of computation, and their philosophical implications. Are there mathematical truths that cannot be known? Are mathematical concepts such as number and set indeterminate to some extent? Are there limits to what can be modeled formally?

An introduction to set theory emphasizing its philosophical relevance as a unifying framework for mathematics and logic. Topics examined may include the paradoxes of the 'naïve' conception of sets and their resolution through axiomatization, the construction of natural numbers and real numbers in set theory, equivalents of the axiom of choice, and model theory.

The nature of language as a system of human communication, theories of meaning and meaningfulness, the relation of language to the world and to the human mind.

Platonism versus nominalism, the relation between logic and mathematics, implications of Gödel's theorem, formalism and intuitionism.

The structure and methods of science: explanation, methodology, realism and instrumentalism.

Introduction to philosophical issues which arise in modern physics, especially in Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. Topics include: the nature of spacetime, conventionality in geometry, determinism, and the relation between observation and existence.

Philosophical issues in the foundations of biology, e.g., the nature of life, evolutionary theory; controversies about natural selection; competing mechanisms, units of selection; the place of teleology in biology; biological puzzles about sex and sexual reproduction; the problem of species; genetics and reductionism; sociobiology; natural and artificial life.

Typical questions include: Has history any meaning? Can there be general theories of history? How are the findings of historians related to the theories of metaphysics and of science? Is history deterministic? Must the historian make value judgements? Is history science or an art? Are there historical forces or spirits of an epoch?

A study of some of the central problems of political philosophy, addressed by historical and contemporary political theorists.

A focused examination of a selected issue in political philosophy.

Selected issues and topics in the philosophy of feminism.

Major issues in philosophy of law, such as legal positivism and its critics, law and liberalism, feminist critiques of law, punishment and responsibility.

An intermediate-level examination of key issues in environmental philosophy, such as the ethics of animal welfare, duties to future generations, deep ecology, ecofeminism, sustainable development and international justice.

An intermediate-level study of selected issues in moral philosophy, or of influential contemporary or historical works in ethical theory.

A focused examination of a selected issue in moral philosophy.

Moral and political issues concerning warfare: the theory of the just war, pacifism, moral constraints on the conduct of war, war as an instrument of foreign policy, the strategy of deterrence. Special attention to the implications of nuclear weapons.

An intermediate-level study of moral problems that arise in international contexts, including issues of special interest in bioethics: moral universalism and relativism; global distributive justice; poverty relief and international aid; international health disparities; globalization and health; HIV/AIDS; intellectual property and access to essential medicines; clinical trials in developing countries; exploitation and the 10/90 gap.

An intermediate-level study of problems in biomedical and behavioural research with human subjects: informed voluntary consent, risk and benefit, experimental therapy, randomized clinical trials, research codes and legal issues, dependent groups (human embryos, children, the aged, hospital patients, the dying, prisoners, the mentally ill.

An intermediate-level study of moral and legal problems, including the philosophical significance of death, the high-tech prolongation of life, definition and determination of death, suicide, active and passive euthanasia, the withholding of treatment, palliative care and the control of pain, living wills; recent judicial decisions.

An intermediate-level study of moral and legal problems, including the concepts of mental health and illness, mental competence, dangerousness and psychiatric confidentiality, mental institutionalization, involuntary treatment and behaviour control, controversial therapies; legal issues: the Mental Health Act, involuntary commitment, the insanity defence.

An intermediate-level study of moral and legal problems, including the ontological and moral status of the human embryo and fetus; human newborn, carrier and prenatal genetic screening for genetic defect, genetic therapy; the reproductive technologies (e.g., artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization); recent legislative proposals and judicial decisions.

Selected topics in the philosophy of art. Such issues as the following are discussed: whether different arts require different aesthetic principles; relations between art and language; the adequacy of traditional aesthetics to recent developments in the arts; art as an institution.

The literary expression of philosophical ideas and the interplay between literature and philosophy. Such philosophical issues as the nature and origin of good and evil in human beings, the nature and extent of human freedom and responsibility, and the diverse forms of linguistic expression. Such authors as Wordsworth, Mill, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Miller, Camus, and Lawrence are studied.

A study of the standards that can be used to judge the performance of economic systems, e.g., efficiency, fairness, maximization, along with the different institutional mechanisms that can be used to organize economic activity, e.g., markets or hierarchies, public or private ownership.

A focused examination of moral issues that arise in the conduct of business, in areas such as accounting and finance, corporate governance, human resources, environmental conduct, business lobbying and regulatory compliance.

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-excursions-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-excursions-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-opportunities-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Advanced discussion of the principal figures and themes in ancient and/or medieval philosophy.

Advanced study of some of the principal figures in a particular historical, philosophical tradition.

Advanced discussion of the principal figures and themes in the philosophy of the 17th and/or 18th centuries.

Advanced discussion of some principal figures and themes in 19th century philosophy.

Typical problems include the nature of knowledge and belief; perception; theories of truth and necessity; skepticism.

Advanced study of a problem in the philosophy of mind.

Typical problems include causality and determinism; ontological categories; mind and body; the objectivity of space and time.

Advanced discussion of issues in moral philosophy, including issues of applied ethics.

Topics vary but bridge two or more areas or traditions of philosophy.

Advanced study of key philosophical works published within the last five years.

Advanced study of recent philosophical discussions within the continental tradition.

Advanced study of some topic of current philosophical interest within the analytic tradition.

Advanced study of some topic in social or political philosophy.

Advanced study of some topic in an area of applied ethics, including bioethics, environmental ethics, and so on.

Advanced study of topics in the philosophy of religion.

Advanced discussion of issues in the philosophy of law.

Advanced study of a figure or topic from the history of analytic philosophy.

Advanced study of one or more topics in South Asian Philosophy.

Advanced study of topics in bioethics, taught in conjunction with clinical bioethicists associated with the health care organization partners of the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics.

A continuation of PHL345H1, this is a course in the mathematical study of logic, also known as metalogic. We will investigate and prove theorems about logical systems. Topics covered may include: important results in metalogic, second and higher-order logic, or lambda-calculus.

Decision theory studies what one ought to do when some more or less desirable outcomes of one’s actions depend on external facts about which one is uncertain. Uncertainty is characterized in terms of probabilities, desires are characterized in terms of utilities, and together they determine the expected utility of one’s actions. This course introduces these notions and their mathematical representations, as well as critically reflects on philosophical questions such as whether one should always take the action that maximize one’s expected utility, whether uncertainty is subjective or objective, and why uncertainty does, or ought to, obey the laws of probability.

Advanced discussion of some topic in philosophical logic.

Advanced study of some topic in the philosophy of language.

Advanced study of some area or problem in the philosophy of science.

Philosophical exploration of the foundations and methodology of bioethics. Offered jointly with PHL2145H.

Advanced Topics in Greek Philosophy

Advanced Topics in Medieval Philosophy

Advanced Topics in Modern Philosophy

Advanced Topics in Moral Philosophy

Advanced Topics in Epistemology

Advanced Topics in Metaphysics

Advanced Topics in Philosophy of Religion

Advanced Topics in Philosophy of Mind

Advanced Topics in Logic

Advanced Topics in the Philosophy of Language

Advanced Topics in Philosophy of Natural Science

Advanced Topics in Social and Political Philosophy

Advanced Topics in the Philosophy of Law

Advanced Topics in Aesthetics

Advanced Topics in Philosophy of History

Advanced Topics in Philosophy

Advanced Topics in Philosophy

Advanced Topics in Philosophy

Individual Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Individual Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Individual Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Individual Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Individual Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Individual Studies. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.