Undergraduate Courses
Below is a list of upcoming undergraduate courses with full descriptions (when available) and other specific information. For a full listing of undergraduate-level courses offered by the Department, please see the OSU Course Catalog. For a complete listing of courses offered in recent, current, and upcoming quarters, see the OSU Master Schedule.
To view a list of all courses that will be taught throughout the academic school year please see the course planner. Please note with the new semester system the course planner is subject to modification.
Upcoming Undergraduate Courses
May Semester 2013
2120 Asian Philosophies
Instructor: Matt McCall
Mccall.116@osu.edu
This course is an intensive introduction to central figures and topics in the philosophical traditions of India and East Asia. Emphasis is placed on Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist philosophies and their respective histories. In examining these traditions we address questions such as: What is reality? What is the self? How is social harmony achieved? What is enlightenment? How is enlightenment attained? We will also explore how Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist principles can be applied to the personal and social lives of those living within a contemporary Western context.
2450 Introduction to Aesthetic Theory
Instructor: Robert Kraut
Kraut.1@osu.edu
Our goal is to understand (and evaluate) several theories about the nature and function of art. We will consider such questions as: What is the difference between creative innovation and fraudulence? Is there a "correct interpretation" of a literary text or painting? Is objective criticism possible, or is art criticism merely the expression of subjective preferences? Can artworks be understood in isolation from social-historical forces? Do artworks express emotions? Is it worth theorizing about art? Why?
We will consider these theoretical questions in the context of music, painting, film, architecture, literature, and other artforms.
Summer Semester 2013
1100 Introduction to Philosophy
Instructor: Joe Reich
Reich.41@osu.edu
Traditionally, philosophy has been concerned only with questions we can work on while sitting at the beach—that is, just by thinking about things. Some examples: can we ever really be sure we aren't dreaming? Is free will just an illusion? Is there a God? Is the mind anything more than the brain? Is morality relative to culture? This course will address such questions. In addition to employing traditional methods, we will also consider the merits of recent scientifically-oriented approaches to philosophy.
1300 Introduction to Ethics
Instructor: Christa Johnson
johnson.4597@osu.edu
Ever wonder what makes a life go well? YOLO, right? Does it matter if your partner is faithful so long as you never find out? What about what is right and what is wrong? Does it matter what happens so long as I mean well? Or how about whether all this morality talk is based on anything real? Isn’t it all just subjective? Maybe you are just looking to answer all those moral dilemmas such as the permissibility of torture, euthanasia, and abortion. In this course we will investigate these questions and more through philosophical inquiry and open discussion.
1500 Introduction to logic
Instructor: Teresa Kouri
Kouri.2@osu.edu
The goal of this course will be to understand what it takes to reason well. We will examine arguments, reasoning patterns, and fallacious reasoning. Along the way, students will develop reasoning skills and master techniques of deductive and inductive reasoning. We will discover that distinguishing good arguments from bad arguments if more complicated then it may at first appear. We will make use of examples of good and bad arguments from news sources, advertisements, political campaigns and, if time permits, areas relating to the student’s individual majors.
1520 Probability, Data, and Decision Making
Instructor: Owen King
King.1084@osu.edu
Predicting the future, gambling, decision-making, and interpreting numerical data. Philosophy 1520 will teach students to better understand these and related topics. Students will learn mathematical tools to analyze, interpret, and evaluate reasoning about probabilities and basic statistics. Students will practice critical thinking about arguments that depend on inductive inferences. The course will focus both on theoretical foundations and practical applications.
2120 Asian Philosophy
Instructor: Andrew Kissel
Kissel.23@osu.edu
How much of Eastern philosophy does the West get right? Is karma really supposed to act the way it does in My Name is Earl? Do the teachings of the wizened masters in kung fu movies actually match up with the principles of Daoism? What would Confucius actually say on a fortune cookie? This class will be an overview of the major philosophical traditions of India and East Asia, with special emphasis placed on Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. We will study the major concepts of these traditions—karma, reincarnation, the self, reality, etc.— with a historical awareness, while also exploring how these traditions might apply in a modern Western world.
2500 Sybolic Logic
Instructor: Robert Kraut
kraut.1@osu.edu
A formal presentation of the elements of modern deductive logic; decision and proof procedures in sentential logic and functional logic.
2367 Contemporary Social and Moral Problems in the U.S.-Love and Death
Instructor: Raleigh Miller
Miller.5043@osu.edu
Death, Dying, Killing, and Letting Die
What is the nature of death? Is our death bad for us? What sorts of considerations make an instance of killing morally acceptable? Is there a moral distinction between letting someone die and killing them? Is it permissible to kill the hopelessly suffering? Is it permissible to kill animals for food and clothing? Is an abortion a killing? Is abortion morally acceptable?
Love, Sex, Marriage
What is the nature of love? What sorts of moral commitments come along with loving? With
marrying? With having sex? Are some manners of sexual relations morally preferable to others? Are some manners of love morally preferable to others?
In this writing intensive course, we will learn how to apply the rigor of philosophical
dialogue to familiar and controversial topics. We will openly engage with the reasons for
and against holding a wide array of familiar moral beliefs, and we will learn how to
formulate, articulate and criticize those reasons in writing.
Autumn Semester 2013
1100HA Honors Introduction to Philosophy
Instructor: Julia Joráti
This course explores a few intriguing puzzles and problems from each of the three major areas of philosophy, that is, from ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics. Depending on student interest, we will discuss questions such as the following: Is time travel possible? Do we really know for sure that there is an external world? Is capital punishment morally permissible? Would I still be the same person if I lost all my memories? Does the existence of senseless suffering prove that there is no god? Is it ever permissible to kill an innocent person in order to save the lives of several others?
1100HA Honors Introduction to Philosophy
Instructor: Tim Schroeder
Schroeder.404@osu.edu
Philosophy is a big subject, and a semester isn't a long time. So this course will focus on introducing you to how philosophy is done as much as on introducing you to the ideas that are important in philosophy. We will be reading a brilliant book by Aristotle -- the Nicomachean Ethics -- and using it as a jumping-off point to talk about courage, justice, knowledge, friendship, and other philosophical topics. Class will be a mix of lecture and discussion.
1100HA Honors introduction to Philosophy
Instructor: William Taschek
Taschek.1@osu.edu
This course is designed to introduce honors students with little or no background in philosophy to a range of central problems in philosophy—specifically problems in epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics. We will approach these problems as they arise in a selection of historically important texts that have helped to shape the Western philosophical tradition. The course, however, is not designed to provide a whirlwind survey of the history of philosophy. Our aim, rather, is to focus on certain enduring philosophical problems as they are introduced and explored in a selection of original works that are representative of important different approaches to these problems. Philosophers whose work we will likely discuss include Plato, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Mill, and Nietzsche.
2120 Asian Philosophies
Instructor: Tom Kasulis
Kasulis.1@osu.edu
An introduction to philosophical systems from India, China, and Japan. We will survey the development of Hindu and Buddhist philosophies in India, treat Confucianism and Daoism from China, and spend about half the course focusing on readings from Japan. The Japanese philosophy readings are from both traditional thinkers influenced by Indian and Chinese thought as well as modern philosophers who interact with ideas from the western philosophical tradition. Those readings address theories of knowledge, aesthetics, politics, religion, language, feminism, warrior virtues, and bioethics. Thematic questions include: What is the difference between an “Asian philosophy” and an “Asian religion?” How do Indian, Chinese, and Japanese philosophers argue their philosophical positions? How does the context of philosophizing differ in India, China, and Japan? Can philosophers fruitfully engage one another across cultures?
2500 Symbolic Logic
Instructor: Lisa Shabel
Shabel.1@osu.edu
This course introduces the basic concepts and techniques of symbolic logic. We will concentrate on developing and understanding the rules of syntax and semantics for both sentential logic (sometime also called truth-functional logic) and first-order predicate logic (sometimes called first-order quantificational logic). Students will learn to paraphrase ordinary English statements into formal languages explicitly designed to render their logical properties perspicuous. They will also learn certain formal techniques for determining whether or not various logical properties or relations actually hold—for example, whether an argument is valid, whether a set of sentences is inconsistent, whether two sentences are logically equivalent, etc. Students will develop a more sensitive grasp of the structure of deductive arguments and, so will be better equipped to evaluate them.
3000 Gateway Seminar - "Well-Being"
Instructor: Allan Silverman
Silverman.3@osu.edu
This seminar aims to develop skills requisite for a successful major in philosophy: clear-thinking; close reading of a text; how to discern and reconstruct an argument; how to write a philosopher paper. In service to these goals, and for its own sake, We will examine CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTS OF WELL-BEING. Here we are looking at some classic works in the various traditions, Hedonist, Desire-Satisfaction, Objective List, Blended and Virtue Ethics. While I will post some articles to Carmen by, for instance Parfit and Wolf, we will read some or all of: Phillipa Foot'sNatural Goodness, Griffin's Well-Being, Sumner's Welfare, Happiness and Ethics, and Kraut's What is Good and Why?
Course Requirements: Class participation and 15 pages of written work in increments to be determined in consultation with the instructor.
3000 Gateway Seminar
Instructor: Sigrún Svavarsdóttir
Svavardottir.1@osu.edu
The primary purpose of the gateway seminar is to give newly declared majors in philosophy intensive training in reading, researching, discussing and writing about philosophy. The aim is to prepare philosophy majors for rigorous upper division courses in philosophy. We will read together a selection of influential papers from various areas of contemporary philosophy, including philosophy of language and mind, metaphysics, epistemology, action theory and ethics. Emphasis will be placed on the analytic reconstruction and critical evaluation of arguments as well as the development of the skills needed for writing a good philosophy paper. Students will be required to complete a number of short writing exercises, related to the reading assignments, as well as to write a term paper.
3210 History of Ancient Philosophy
Instructor: Allan Silverman
Silverman.3@osu.edu
This course is an introduction to the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. Roughly, the semester will be divided in half: the first 7 weeks will be devoted to Plato; the second 7 to Aristotle. We will discuss the metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics of these seminal thinkers. Readings will include the Republic, Phaedo, and Timaeus, the De Anima, and Nichomachean Ethics. Course requirements are attendance, class participation and at least one paper.
3230 History of 17th Century Philosophy
Instructor: Lisa Shabel
Shabel.1@osu.edu
This course will focus on the metaphysical and epistemological ideas of three major philosophers of the Early Modern Period: Descartes, Locke, and Berkeley. Topics to be discussed include the nature of substance, the connection of mind and body, the existence of God, and the possibility of knowledge. We will also address the relation between Rationalism and Empiricism in the Early Modern period.
3530 Philosophy of Logic
Instructor: Stewart Shapiro
Shaprio.4@osu.edu
We will study philosophical issues concerning logic. We will focus on such topics as the nature of logical consequence and its relation to inference, the logic of paradoxes, the nature of reference, the logic of vague discourse, and the validity of some controversial argument forms, such as the law of excluded middle (Pw¬P) and ex falso quodlibet (P,¬P G Q).
Evaluation will be based on a series of short essays, discussion exercises, discussion notes presented to the class (depending on enrollment), and an all-essay final examination.
3650 Philosophy of Science
Instructor: Chris Pincock
Pincock.1@osu.edu
Philosophical questions are raised by scientific theories and scientific practice is shaped by philosophical assumptions. In this class we will trace the interactions between philosophy and science with respect to the vexing notion of space. Space initially seems like one of the most familiar things: we experience it everyday as we look and move around. But philosophers and scientists have struggled to answer some basic questions about space: what kind of thing is space, how can we come to know anything about space and in what way do space and ordinary things interact? We will read discussions of these issues by philosophers like Plato and Kant as well as scientists like Newton and Mach. We will see how philosophical reflections on space paved the way for Einstein’s revolutionary theories.
Note: No prior knowledge of mathematics or science is assumed in this class.
Text: Nick Huggett (ed.), Space from Zeno to Einstein: Classic Readings with a Contemporary Commentary, MIT Press, 1999. ISBN 987-0-262-58169-1.
Prerequisite: 2500 and either a major in Philos or 9 cr hrs of Philos course work exclusive of 1500; or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 455.
3750 Introduction to Theory of Knowledge
Instructor: Declan Smithies
Smithies.2@osu.edu
This course is an introduction to epistemology: the theory of knowledge. We begin with the ancient problem of skepticism, which says that we know nothing at all. Skepticism is hard to believe. After all, it is common sense that we know a lot about the world, not only through science, but also through ordinary observation. As G. E. Moore once argued, I know that I have hands because I can see them. However, there are some powerful arguments for skepticism, which threaten to undermine this commonsense assumption. What if I am dreaming, or being deceived by an evil demon, or being fed experiences by a neuroscientist in a laboratory, or imprisoned in the Matrix? These skeptical scenarios may seem far fetched, but how can I know that they do not obtain? And if I can’t know this, then how can I know that I have hands?
5230 Studies in 17th Century Philosophy
Instructor: Julia Joráti
This course focuses on Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, the last of the great rationalists. One interesting fact about Leibniz is that many of his philosophical projects consisted in ambitious reconciliations: he attempted to reconcile not only the Catholic Church with the Protestant Church, but also medieval metaphysics with modern physics, freedom with determinism, and divine goodness with a world containing evils. We will explore these and other central aspects of Leibniz’s enormously rich and fascinating system, particularly his theories of substance, causation, the mind, the physical world, relations, truth, modality, freedom, and evil.
5250 Studies in 19th Century Philosophy-Mill’s Theoretical Philosophy
Instructor: Chris Pincock
Pincock.1@osu.edu
John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) is now often read as a moral and political philosopher. But in the nineteenth century Mill’s revolutionary program for epistemology and metaphysics provoked just as much controversy as his utilitarianism and liberalism. In this course we will investigate the main features of Mill’s philosophy as they are presented in his System of Logic (1843) and Examination of Hamilton’s Philosophy (1865). In the Logic Mill argues for an extreme form of empiricism: even logic and mathematics are said to be justified by our sensory experience. A central question for the Logic is whether or not Mill’s empiricism is adequate for scientific knowledge. In the Examination Mill aims to undermine the views of Sir William Hamilton (1788-1856), an influential Scottish philosopher who combined the views of Thomas Reid and Kant. It is here that Mill’s naturalistic metaphysics comes to the fore. Physical things are nothing but possibilities of sensations and physical causes are nothing but regularities in the patterns of these possibilities. We will consider the extent to which Mill’s empiricist epistemology can be reconciled with his naturalistic metaphysics, especially in connection with the self. Later reactions to Mill charged him with confusing scientific and philosophical questions. The course will conclude by considering how appropriate this objection is.
Readings will be supplied by the instructor through Carmen.
Prerequisite: 3250 and 6 cr hrs of Philos course work at the 2000 level or above; or Grad standing in Philos; or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 9 cr hrs.
Note: As 3250 has not been taught recently, the instructor is happy to waive this requirement. Please contact the instructor if you have questions about the background necessary for this class.
5261 Phenomenology and Existentialism
Instructor: Tamar Rudavsky
Rudavsky.1@osu.edu
This course will focus on the philosophical existentialist tradition. While much of the semester will be focused on the writings of J.P. SARTRE and SIMONE de BEAUVOIR, we will spend the first few weeks studying their intellectual predecessors and teachers HUSSERL and HEIDEGGER. Attention will be paid to the nature of the self, being, time and nothingness, moral theory, and language.
Our primary text will be Sartre’s Being and Nothingness, although selections will be drawn from Heidegger’s Being and Time, as well as Husserl’s Cartesian Meditations. Students will be expected to write a term paper, as well as a final exam. Depending upon the size of the class, there may be the opportunity for oral presentations as well.
Prereq: Phil 3261 or consent of the instructor.
5300 Advanced Moral Philosophy
Instructor: Sigrún Svavarsdóttir
Svavardottir.1@osu.edu
This is an advanced course in metaethics, open to both undergraduate and graduate students. In metaethics, we address questions such as: What are we doing when engaging in moral thinking or in moral discussion? What is the nature of moral and other value judgments? Are there moral facts? If so, what is the nature of these facts? Are there objective values? What would it be for values to be objective? We will undertake a rigorous study of the most influential 20th century analytic literature on these issues, starting with the work of G. E. Moore.
5510 Non-Classical Logic
Instructor: Stewart Shapiro
Shaprio.4@osu.edu
We will study selected systems of modal logic, the logic of possibility and necessity. We will cover various deductive systems, model-theoretic semantics and, where appropriate, soundness and completeness theorems. We will pay particular attention to various applications of modal logic, such as intuitionism, epistemic logic, temporal logic, and conditional logic.
Evaluation will be based on a mix of problem sets, take-home examinations, short essays, discussion exercises, and discussion notes presented to the class (depending on enrollment).
A version of this course is available (once) for graduate seminar credit.
5530 Philosophy of Logic and Mathematics
Instructor: Neil Tennant
Tenant.9@osu.edu
We shall address a range of ontological and epistemological questions about Logic and Mathematics.
What is Logic? Is there just one correct Logic? Is Mathematics reducible to Logic? Can the logician cast any light on the ways that various branches of Mathematics (algebra; topology; geometry; calculus; set theory) differ from one another and are related to one another? Could our Mathematics have been very different?
What kind of knowledge is provided by Logic and Mathematics? Is it a priori? Is it analytic? Or do these epistemological categories fail to illuminate what is special about this kind of knowledge? Is all logical and mathematical truth knowable?
What justifies our mathematical knowledge? Is it the role it plays in the formulation of our scientific theories about the natural world? Or is it something completely different? What is the role of Mathematics in Natural Science? What are we to make of branches of pure Mathematics that do not yet enjoy any application in natural science?
What sorts of objects are Logic and Mathematics 'about'? Do they exist independently of human intellects and their activity?
5840 Advance Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Instructor: Richard Samuels
Samuels.58@osu.edu
Cognitive science is an exciting interdisciplinary approach to the mind that draws on research from a variety of disciplines, including anthropology, computer science, linguistics, neuroscience, and psychology. The resulting theories and data have also exerted a profound influence on how philosophers approach fundamental issues about the nature of mind. This course focuses on such issues, including: Is the mind a computer? How much of the mind is innate and how much is learned? Is the mind a unitary general-purpose mechanism, or is it divided into specialized subsystems or modules? How do we represent the world in thought? Are human beings rational?
