82 courses in the 1988–89 Undergraduate Calendar, read from the scanned original. The text comes from OCR, so check the scanned page before relying on a detail.
PHIL 100JIntroduction to PhilosophyF 3C 0.5
A broad selection of the main problems in philosophy will be considered. For example: How can we know whether anything is right or wrong? How can we know about things we cannot directly observe? Can we .know whether there is a God? Is mind in any sense distinct from matter?
PHIL 102AIntroduction: Knowledge and RealityF,W 3C 0.5
Discussion of the nature of reality. Rival theories concerning mind, matter, freedom, the existence of God, and the place of experience and reason in human knowledge are considered.
PHIL 102BIntroduction to Social and Political PhilosophyF,W 3C 0.5
An introduction to basic concepts and principles in classic and contemporary social and political philosophy. Differing views on basic questions are examined, with applications to such issues as capital punishment, welfare provisions, taxation, natural resource ownership, and terrorism.
"Who am |?” "What can | hope for after death?” "How can | tell what to do?” "What can | know?” are questions that have led many to philosophize. The course will examine what lifestyles and attitudes major philosophers, stoics, skeptics, pleasure-seekers, mystics, pragmatists, etc. have promoted, and why.
PHIL 118) W 3C 05
The Moral Life '
An examination of the importance of virtue in general and of the cardinal virtues in particular for the development of character and the enjoyment of the good life.
Elementary sentence and predicate logic. Translation from English into formalism, decision methods and deductions. This course is a preparation for courses in the foundations of mathematics, scientific methods, and more advanced logic courses.
structure of arguments, critical assessment of information, common fallacies, problems of clarity and meaning.
PHIL. 200A/B
Great Works of Western Philosophy An examination of some of the greatest writings in Western Philosophy. Students will be encouraged to come to a critical appreciation of such masterworks as Plato’s Republic, Descartes’ Discourse on Method, Hobbes’ Leviathan, Hume's Enquiry, Kant’s Prolegomena, Nietzsche's Zarathustra, and an outstanding work in contemporary philosophy.
An introduction to the understanding of how words are used, the formation of propositions, the construction of arguments and the examination of fallacies to help the student argue with order, facility and without error.
A study of issues arising from current relations between men and women: masculinity, femininity and androgyny; love; marriage and its alternatives; sexuality, parenthood, abortion, pornography, rape.
An examination of ancient and modern accounts of the natural world. Problems include whether matter alone can account for change, whether there is more than one cause, whether nature operates by purpose or chance.
A philosophical study of the approaches to the material world used by contemporary physical science. The nature and the value of the experimental method in the writings of scientists past and present will be examined.
Alternative philosophical perspectives on problems raised by scientific and technological developments including moral issues (e.g. privacy and datagathering, “clean” vs. “dirty” energy). Also an examination of the nature and scope of scientific and technical knowledge as it bears on the responsibilities of scientists and engineers.
Philosophical themes (such as alienation, freedom and responsibility) will be explored through appropriate literary works (for example, works by Aeschylus, Dostoevsky, Kafka, and Twain).
PHIL 210) W 3C 0.5
Philosophy of Man
What is Man? What is man’s place among other creatures? Is man an accident of evolution? What are the major views on man as a species? How are love and sex aspects of man’s life?
PHIL 215Professional and Business EthicsF,W 3C 0.5
Study of ethical and moral issues that typically arise in professional and business activity. What responsibilities to society at large do people in such business and professional activities as teaching, engineering, -planning, architecture and accounting have? How far should professional autonomy extend?
PHIL 216Rational Behaviour and Decision-MakingW 3C 0.5
An elementary introduction to the subject of ‘rational’ behaviour and decisionmaking for individuals and groups. ° Emphasis is on the definition and meas-
‘ urement of utility functions and various
criteria employed in models of decisionmaking. This course is intended to help those whose work will involve them in making decisions in either the public or private sectors.
A normative approach, employing several of the classic Western traditions of rational thought, to general ethics. The various schools of ethical thought will be discussed.
This course will discuss the applications of general ethics to more specific areas of human endeavour. Among the topics discussed will be abortion, contraception, sex, obscenity, violence, drugs, egoism, dishonesty, and various forms of human exploitation..
The aim of this course is to improve the student’s understanding of ethical ideas and principles by careful discussion of selected concrete moral issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, and violence. Choice of issues is partly determined by student interest.
This course is intended to be both a history of and an introduction to moral philosophy. Views on the foundations of ethics of the great philosophers from classical antiquity to about 1900 are systematically examined. Writers studied include: Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, Mill and Nietzsche.
A philosophical study of the relationship between mankind and nature: historical and current philosophies of the natural world, including the place and responsibilities of human beings; problems of ecological imbalance and collapse.
An investigation of some critical ethical issues in human research and therapy. Includes discussions of the right to live and the right to die, behaviour control (e.g. psychosurgery, behaviour modification and psychotherapy), human experimentation (including “informed consent” and fetal research) and genetic engineering.
An investigation of several aspects concerning the meaning and existence + of God. Is God-talk possible? Can faith and reason be reconciled? Is religious experience a meaningful argument? A wide range of different views will be considered.
A critical philosophical discussion of reports of several kinds of extraordinary experiences, such as magic, extrasensory perception, mysticism, and divination will lead us to discussion of such concepts as insanity, irrationality, the supernatural, and the miraculous.
PHIL 237Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion3C 0.5
A critical discussion of basic religious concepts. Among the topics covered will be faith, miracles, religious experience, immortality, and arguments for the existence of God.
PHIL 242Extensions and Applications of Elementary LogicW 3C 0.5
The classical logic introduced in PHIL 140 will be extended to form systems of modal logic, including logics of obligation, belief and knowledge, necessity, and temporal order. Essentialism, future contingencies, proofs for the existence of God will be discussed.
Basic concepts of game and decision theory are introduced and applied to ethical theory and problems in social philosophy. : Prereq: PHIL 140, 145 or consent of instructor.
PHIL 258Introduction to the Philosophy of Science3C 0.5
A discussion of the fundamental concepts on which science is based. Consideration is given to such topics as scientific theories, the nature of lawlikeness, the grounds for scientific confirmation, and the debate between rationalism and empiricism in science.
An introduction to the existentialist view of man using both literary and philosophical texts from such authors as Kierkegaard, Unamuno, Nietzsche, Ortega y Gasset, Camus, Sartre, Heidegger and others.
PHIL 300XSources of Twentieth-Century ThoughtW 3C 0.5
An examination of major writings that have shaped present-day consciousness. Works by such thinkers as Marx, Darwin, Freud, Nietzsche and Mill will be included.
PHIL 301) W 3C 0.5 The Western Philosophical Tradition (1600 to present) Descartes to Existentialism. Prereq: Second-year standing
A philosophical analysis of classical and contemporary theories of education, with a view to formulating a clear workable concept of education, its aims and methods.
Prereq: At least second year standing or consent of instructor
An introduction to current work in the field. Issues to be considered may include: the desirability and content of a core curriculum, methods of moral development, the problem of indoctrination, gender and education, computers and education, and peace education.
PHIL 315Ethics and the Engineering ProfessionW 3C 0.5
An analysis from the standpoint of philosophical ethics of moral issues arising in professional engineering practice. Issues include the social responsibility of engineers, conflict of interest and obligation, morally acceptable levels of risk, and moral implications of technology. Cross-listed.as GEN E 412
Continues the history and discussion of ethics begun in PHIL 221 with writings from 1900 to the present. Theories such as intuitionism, emotivism, utilitarianism, and relativism are examined via the writings of such people as Moore, Hare and Warnock.
An investigation of alternative views of law and legal reasoning forms the core of this course. Law's relations to morality, social practice, and politics are considered. Important legal judgments as well as leading philosophers of law will be considered.
This is a required course for the Legal Studies Option.
An examination of areas within the law in which philosophical problems and methods are featured prominently. Topics such as liberty, responsibility and liability, punishment, rights and possessions are considered.
An intensive study of the moral issues involved in war and armed revolution. Critical evaluation of “just war” theories and international rules of warfare is pursued as well as the moral arguments for and against pacifism and conscientious objection.
Philosophical consideration of works of art and the problems of beauty using selected readings to enable the student to recognize and formulate his own views in a philosophic manner.
Prereq: Two term courses in Philos- -ophy or consent of instructor
A study of philosophical problems concerning mathematics. Topics discussed include formalism, intuitionism, logicism, the mathematical paradoxes, and other topics in foundations and metamathematics.
Prereq: At least second-year standing or consent of instructor
Problems about the fundamental methods and aims of the social sciences generally, and problems specific to Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, etc., and their relations to one another will be considered.
A study of a particular philosopher or problem, as announced by the Department.
Prereq: Consent of instructor
PHIL 440A/B Logical Theory A rigorous and general development of the propositional and predicate calculus within which alternative calculi are examined. Study of such concepts as completeness, consistency, extensionality, and modality from both formal and philosophical points of view. Intended primarily for those interested in philosophical issues connected with logic. Prereq: At least one term course in formal logic, or consent of instructor
An advanced course for the serious student, delving into the notions of reality, being, essence, existence, analogy, etc. The techniques of linguistic analysis will be employed. Also, the very Possibility of any kind of metaphysics will be discussed.
Prereq: Third-year standing or consent of instructor
An in depth study of the thoughts of a major figure such as Kierkegaard, Unamuno, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, Camus, Marcel, Jaspers, Ortega y Gasset.
A critical examination of the issues and methods of phenomenology, including the attempts to understand the uses and ramifications of phenomenological methods through the working out of particular analyses. The basic writings of phenomenologists such as Husserl and Merleau-Ponty will be used.
Prereq: Two term courses in Philosophy or consent of instructor
PHIL 499ASenior Seminar and Honours Essay/B 0.5/0.5
All senior honours students attend this seminar in which a selection of major philosophical problems is discussed. They will also prepare a senior essay and discuss it with this group.
A letter grade for PHIL 499A will be submitted only after the completion of PHIL 499B or PHIL 4994.