In this course, students engage in advanced study and research in selected topics in philosophy. The goal of the course is for each student to create a high-quality piece of philosophy and present this piece in both written and oral form.

A focused exploration of more advanced logical systems and the philosophical assumptions of such systems. Issues covered include translations and natural deduction in first-order predicate logic, an introduction to non-standard logical systems, modal logic, Bayesian theory, and selected topics in metalogic.

This course examines epistemological and metaphysical issues raised by science. Topics include the difference between scientific and non-scientific understanding, scientific method, the limits of scientific explanation, realist and instrumentalist interpretations of scientific theories. We consider historical and social critiques of the objectivity of science. Special attention is paid to problems raised by contemporary physics.

This course examines the nature of art and aesthetic experience. Topics include the distinction between art and non-art objects, the functions of art, the interpretation of artworks, and the features of aesthetic experience. We also consider the unique aspects of distinct genres of art, such as literature, painting, music, architecture, dance, and film.

This course investigates the origins of Chinese philosophy in the classical period and follows the development of the major traditions through later centuries. Emphasis is on Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. We explore and evaluate the theories of human nature, knowledge, and reality embraced by these philosophies, as well as their conceptions of ethics and political philosophy.

This course explores the nature and extent of our knowledge of the world, raising fundamental questions about justification and truth. The skeptical denial of knowledge is confronted; defenses of knowledge are essayed. The course surveys empirical studies of how our thinking often goes wrong and how we can guard against these widespread and largely unconscious errors.

This is the second in a three course sequence in the history of philosophy covering the period of 1600-1800 CE. The bulk of the course is spent in a careful reading and discussion of primary sources from the major thinkers of the Enlightenment like Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Voltaire, Locke, Hume, Reid, Berkeley, Rousseau, and Kant.

This course explores philosophical problems raised by ethics: Are there ethical facts? If so, are those facts relative to God or cultures or individuals? How can we know about ethical facts? Does evolution give us a reason to think that ethics are a mistake? Does disagreement about ethics provide a reason to be a skeptic about ethics?

This course explores philosophical problems raised by religion: Is there a supernatural reality? If so, how do we know about it? Is it reasonable to have religious faith? Does God exist? If God knows the future, can humans act freely? Does the existence of evil disprove the existence of God? Can all religions be equally true?

This course explores the mystery of consciousness in a physical world, surveying theories of the relation of mind to body, the nature of consciousness, the possibility of artificial intelligence, and the relationship between thought and language. The problem of how minds represent reality and whether those representations are accurate is addressed through a study of theories of linguistic meaning.