Philosophy is an interdisciplinary subject, and students with training in other subjects may be adequately prepared to take on a course even though they lack the formal prerequisites. Students are encouraged to consult with the instructor. Variable credit courses: Most 200-, 300-, and 400-level courses in Philosophy are offered for 3 credits, but may be taken for 4 credits for extra work with the consent of the instructor. Students should consult the instructor if they wish to exercise this option as it may not be available in all sections. For detailed information about courses and topics within courses, see the departmental website (https://philosophy.ubc.ca/).
Basic problems and methods of Philosophy. Topics such as the existence of God, the nature and scope of human knowledge, the relationship between mind and body, personal identity, free will, issues and problems in moral philosophy. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 100 and either or both PHIL 101 or PHIL 102.
Basic problems and methods of philosophy. Topics such as the nature and scope of human knowledge, the existence of God, and the relationship between mind and body. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 100 or PHIL 101.
Basic problems and methods of philosophy. Topics such as morality, personal identity, free will and determinism, and the meaning of life. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 100 or PHIL 102.
Tools for dealing with both everyday and more technical arguments and concepts. Analysis and resolution of confusions, ambiguities, and fallacies. This course is restricted to students with fewer than 90 credits.
Historical and logical analysis of various types of scientific hypotheses and the data that support or undermine them. This course is restricted to students with fewer than 90 credits.
The Pre-Socratics; Socrates; Sophists; Plato. Recommended as preparation for PHIL 310. Credit will only be granted for one of PHIL 211, CLST 211 or AMNE 235. Equivalency: CLST211, AMNE235
Aristotle; selections from Hellenistic and Late Antique Philosophy. Recommended as preparation for PHIL 310. Credit will only be granted for one of PHIL 212, CLST 212 or AMNE 236. Equivalency: CLST212, AMNE236
Sentential and predicate logic. Translation from natural language; truth tables and interpretations; systems of natural deduction up to relational predicate logic with identity; alternative proof methods. Some sections may use computer-based materials and tests. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 220 and PHIL 222. Equivalency: PHIL 222
Naïve set theory, relations and functions, recursion and induction; Propositional and predicate logic; Symbolizations, semantics, and formal proof theory; Metatheory for propositional logic. Recommended for students interested in pursuing upper-level courses in logic or formal philosophy. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 220 and PHIL 222.
Theories of obligation and value; moral reasoning; normative ethics, descriptive ethics and meta-ethics. Readings in classic and contemporary texts.
Moral issues such as life and death decisions, paternalism, markets, animal welfare, technology, and global justice.
Topics in epistemology such as skepticism, truth, justification, a priori and a posteriori knowledge. Readings from classic and contemporary texts.
Philosophical and theoretical issues that pertain to how mental phenomena fit into the material world. Examine questions such as whether a sophisticated enough computer should be deemed a conscious intelligent being. Focus on philosophical literature on consciousness, intelligence, animal minds, and the mind-body relation.
An introduction to the historical development, conceptual foundations, and cultural significance of contemporary science. Themes will vary from year to year. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 260 or HIST 260. Equivalency: HIST 260.
A study of Plato's dialogues and his influence on subsequent philosophy. PHIL/CLST 211 or AMNE 235 and PHIL/CLST 212 or AMNE 236 are recommended.
A study of Aristotle's writings and his influence on subsequent philosophy. Recommended pre-requisite: PHIL 310.
Survey of Western European thought from Augustine to the 14th century. Possible topics and authors include: Augustine; Abelard; the influence of Islam; the rediscovery of Aristotle; Aquinas; Scotus; Ockham. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 313 and RELG 328. Equivalency: RELG 328
Survey of 17th-century philosophy from Bacon to Leibniz, including the writings of Hobbes, Descartes, and Spinoza. The influence of science and religion on philosophy.
Survey of 18th-century philosophy from Locke to Kant, including the writings of Berkeley, Rousseau, and Hume. The influence of science and religion on philosophy.
Survey of 19th and 20th century philosophy. May include Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Mill, Meinong, Brentano, the British Idealists, Russell, and Moore. Social and political currents in 19th century philosophical thought.
Continuation of PHIL 220. A system of deduction for predicate logic is selected for further study. Completeness of this system and other metatheoretic results are proved. Other topics include computability, recursive function theory, incompleteness and decidability. Recommended pre-requisite: one of PHIL 220, PHIL 222. PHIL 222 is recommended.
Formal methods relevant to probabilistic and inductive reasoning. Decision theory, game theory, axiomatic probability theory and its interpretations, belief dynamics, simulation and modelling. Recommended pre-requisite: one of PHIL125, PHIL 220, PHIL 222 or instructor permission.
Logic of the modal operators It is necessary that and It is possible that. Possible-world semantics and a method of derivation for this logic. Recommended pre-requisite: one of PHIL 220, PHIL 222. PHIL 222 is recommended.
One or more of conditional logic, deontic logic, epistemic logic, many-valued logic, systems of belief dynamics. Recommended pre-requisite: one of PHIL 220, PHIL 222. PHIL 222 is recommended.
Fundamental concepts and methods of logic; the logistic method, syntax and semantics; the conditional; entailment; consequence; modal logic; problems concerning extensionality and intentionality. Frege's distinction between sense and reference; Russell's theory of definite descriptions; Tarski's definition of truth. Recommended pre-requisite: one of PHIL 220, PHIL 222. PHIL 222 is recommended.
Philosophical discussion of language, meaning, and communication. Prerequisite: At least one of LING 201/PHIL 220/PHIL 222, plus 6 additional credits of PHIL/LING at the 200-level or above.
Theories of political and legal obligation and authority, legal reasoning, society and the state. Readings in classic and contemporary texts. Prerequisite: PHIL 230 is strongly recommended.
Moral problems in contemporary business and professional practice, general moral theory, the law, and policy formation. Corporate social and environmental responsibility, employee rights, preferential hiring and affirmative action programs, conflicts of interest, advertising, whistle blowing and self-regulation.
Moral problems arising in the context of human relationships to nature and to non-human living things, considered in terms of both general moral theory and policy formation. Topics include moral standing, animal rights, obligations to future generations, pollution, hazardous materials, the depletion of natural resources and the treatment of non-human living things.
Moral problems arising in the health sciences, especially in medicine but also in biology, psychology, and social work. Topics include abortion, death and euthanasia, genetic engineering, behaviour modification, compulsory treatment, experimentation with human beings and animals, and the relationship between professionals and their patients, subjects or clients. No philosophical background is required.
Relationship between sex, gender, and philosophy. Topics may include ethics, epistemology, science, social relations, law, and personhood.
Philosophical approaches to historical problems of inequality and social harm, with readings drawn from historical and contemporary sources. Topics to be studied may include slavery, colonialism, labour, and the position of women in society.
Philosophical exploration of ethical issues in the non-medical sciences, including topics such as intellectual integrity, responsible conduct of research, protection of human subjects, ethics of animal experimentation, and the social responsibilities of scientists. Credit will be granted for only one of ISCI 433 or PHIL 337.
Concepts of law, constitution and sovereignty; law and morality; natural law theories and legal positivism; obligation, responsibility, and punishment. Prerequisite: Restricted to second- or higher-year standing.
Topics include art and perception, art and reality, imagination, expression, censorship, and the role of art in human life.
Topics in metaphysics such as the nature of physical reality, personal identity, the mind/body problem, free will, causation and action theory. Readings from classic and contemporary texts. Prerequisite: PHIL 240 is recommended.
A critical and analytical examination of arguments for and arguments against the existence of God, and other related topics.
Major themes and figures in the Continental philosophy tradition; possible topics include 19th century precursors, 20th century philosophers, and comparisons between analytic and continental philosophy.
Philosophical exploration of questions and theories arising from research into the mind, as conducted in psychology, linguistics, and computer science. Prerequisite: 3 credits selected from any of PHIL 211, 212, 220, 222, 230, 235, 240, 250, 260, or COGS 200
An examination of historical, conceptual and methodological conditions of scientific knowledge through detailed consideration of important episodes in the history of science. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 360 or HIST 393. Equivalency: HIST 393
The development of economic thought from Aristotle to Adam Smith, focusing primarily on the conceptual foundations of economics, particularly the problems of value, distribution, and economic growth. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 362 or ECON 318. Equivalency: ECON 318
The development of economic thought from David Ricardo up to the present, including such figures as Mill, Jevons, and Keynes, focusing primarily on the conceptual foundations of economics, particularly the problems of value, distribution and growth. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 363 or ECON 319. Equivalency: ECON 319
Darwin and the science of evolution in nineteenth and early twentieth century. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 364 or HIST 394. Equivalency: HIST 394
Issues common to all sciences. Philosophical questions including the character of scientific laws, theories and revolutions, the nature of scientific confirmation, causality, explanation and prediction, and the use of logic and probability. Difficulties in the interpretation of atomic physics and questions about relationships between biology and psychology. No philosophical background is assumed.
Early (pre 221 BCE) Chinese thought (Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism, Legalism), its contemporary implications, and the role of philosophy and religion in human flourishing./ Credit will only be granted for one of PHIL 371 or ASIA 371. Equivalency: ASIA371
Philosophical issues in works of literature or arising from theories of literary interpretation. Topics include issues relating to relativism, the nature of morality, free will, personal identity, the nature of the emotions.
Epistemological and ontological thought from the Vedic Period to the period of the rise of philosophical schools or systems. Philosophy in the Mahabharata, Gita; early Buddhist and Jain views on knowledge and reality; views on language. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 378 or ASIA 378. Equivalency: ASIA 378
Meaning, identity and alienation as explored in the works for example of Kierkegaard, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Sartre, and Camus.
Debates on issues of epistemology, language and ontology among the philosophical traditions of classical South Asia. PHIL 378/ASIA 378 is recommended. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 388 or ASIA 388. Equivalency: ASIA 388
For students in third-year Honours. The credit value for this course will be determined in consultation with the student prior to the registration.
Introduction to major themes in moral and political philosophy. Primarily for fourth-year and graduate students who have had no previous course in Philosophy. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 400, PHIL 100 or PHIL 101 and 102.
Introduction to major themes in epistemology and metaphysics. Primarily for fourth-year and graduate students who have had no previous course in Philosophy. Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 401, PHIL 100 or PHIL 101 and 102.
Advanced study of the Presocratics, or of a philosopher such as Plato, or of a school such as the Sceptics or Stoics. Topics vary from year to year. Recommended pre-requisite: PHIL 311.
Advanced study of a medieval philosopher such as Aquinas, or school. Recommended pre-requisite: PHIL 313.
Intensive study of a major philosopher or school such as Descartes, Hume, Empiricism, Rationalism, or the British utilitarians. Recommended pre-requisites: one of PHIL 314, PHIL 315, PHIL 316.
Study of Kant's critical philosophy. Recommended pre-requisite: one of PHIL 314, PHIL 315, PHIL 340
Study of a major 19th-century philosopher such as Hegel, Mill or Nietzsche, or school, such as German Idealism. Recommended pre-requisites: one of PHIL 314, PHIL 315, PHIL 316, PHIL 340.
Intensive study of a major philosopher such as Wittgenstein, Russell, or Heidegger, or school, such as pragmatism or logical empiricism. Recommended pre-requisite: PHIL 340.
Concepts of history and historical explanation, historical progress, purpose, necessity, law and causation. Hegel, Marx, Vico, Spengler, Pareto, Collingwood, Croce, and Toynbee, as well as contemporary figures. Students will be expected to have an adequate knowledge of ancient or modern history.
Formal semantics, proof theory, incompleteness and decidability, axiomatic set theory, independence results. Consult the Department as to which topics are offered in a given year. Recommended pre-requisite: one of PHIL 220, PHIL 222. PHIL 222 is recommended.
Advanced topics in the philosophy of language. Recommended pre-requisite: PHIL 326 and 6 credits of PHIL/LING at the 200-level or above.
Logicism, formalism and constructivism, implications of metatheorems such as those of Gödel and Church, mathematical truth, mathematics and mental construction, mathematics and the physical world. Prerequisite: Philosophy or mathematics courses totaling 9 credits at the 200-level or above.
Central concepts and problems in political life and thought including obligation, citizenship, representation, justice; equality; civil rights and liberty; disobedience. Prerequisite: 9 credits of PHIL/POLI at the 200-level or above.
Classic or contemporary works in ethical theory. Prerequisite: PHIL 230. 9 credits of PHIL at the 200-level or above
Analysis of the concept of knowledge; problems of justifying ordinary and basic empirical beliefs. Recommended pre-requisite: PHIL 240.
The contribution of the senses to knowledge of the external world; the nature of perception and its contribution to empirical knowledge. Recommended pre-requisites: Either (a) PHIL 240 or (b) COGS 200. If COGS 200, accompanied by 3 credits in PHIL at the 200-level or above.
A study of European philosophers from amongst Husserl, Heidegger, Habermas, Foucault, Derrida, Lacan, Levinas, and others.
Topics including ontology, universals and particulars, substance, determinism and indeterminism, identity over time, and theories of truth. Prerequisite: 9 credits in PHIL at the 200-level or above. PHIL 340 is recommended.
The nature of the mental and physical; the relation between minds and bodies; the character of psychological explanation. Recommended pre-requisites: Either (a) PHIL 240 or (b) COGS 200. If COGS 200, accompanied by 3 credits of PHIL at the 200-level or above.
Explanation of human actions; the conditions of responsibility; freedom of the will; the domains of rational and moral appraisal; the category of action and the individuation of actions. Recommended pre-requisite: PHIL 340.
Philosophical topics in the cognitive sciences, such as empiricism vs. nativism, consciousness, mental representation, cognitive architecture, language & thought, and situated cognition. Prerequisite: One of PHIL 441, PHIL 451. Or any 6 credits of Philosophy at the 200-level or above (except PHIL 220, PHIL 222, PHIL 320).
Topics in the philosophy of science of special concern to the social sciences: the problem of objectivity, the use of models and evidence, causation and causal reasoning, formal methods, the status of social kinds and norms, scientific explanation, laws. Prerequisite: 9 credits at the 200-level or above from philosophy, anthropology, geography, economics, history, political science, psychology or sociology.
Such topics as: Are space and time continuous? Is motion always relative to another body? Does time flow? Is time irreversible? Recommended pre-requisites: PHIL 340 or 12 credits of mathematics or science.
Methodological, historical, philosophical and social science questions about biology. Prerequisite: Fourth-year standing in any degree program or 9 credits of philosophy.
Topics such as probability and induction; foundations of measurement; theory construction. Recommended pre-requisite: PHIL 369.
Ways in which the 'self' has been portrayed in eastern and western religious traditions. Thinkers to be considered include Aristotle, Mencius, Freud, Xunzi (Hsün-tzu), Nietzche, and Zhuangzi (Chuang-tzu). Credit will be granted for only one of PHIL 470 or ASIA 470. Equivalency: ASIA 470
Same as PHIL 486-9.
For students in fourth-year Honours. The credit value for this course will be determined in consultation with the student prior to the registration.
Selected problems in philosophy, with attention to methods of research. Check with the department for specific topics. Primarily for fourth-year Philosophy Major students, but also open to Philosophy Honours.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
Advanced seminar on a theme or topic of interest to both STS and Philosophy. This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.