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Undergraduate Courses Fall 2007
Intensive Introductory Courses
V83.0010-001
Central Problems in Philosophy
MW 11-12:15
Dana Evan
An introduction to some of the central topics in philosophy, including: Skepticism about the external world (can I know anything about how the world me?), Personal Identity (what kind of thing am I? Will I live on after my body dies?), Morality (how should I live? What makes something Right or Wrong?), and other topics if time permits.
V83.0017-001
Life and Death
TR 3:30-4:45
Anne Barnhill
In this course, we will consider ethical issues related to the beginning of life, the end of life, and the meaning of life. For example: Is it sometimes better to die than to continue living? Is there anything worth dying for (e.g. religious belief, defense of the motherland, etc.)? Is mercy killing morally wrong? Is abortion morally wrong? Why do we grieve when people die, and what is the nature of grief? Do we have an impulse or desire of some sort to die (e.g. a “death drive”)? Does life have a meaning, and what is it (happiness, achievement, love, raising children, etc.)? Could the meaning of life be different than the purpose of life?
We will read philosophical texts mostly, but will also consider some psychoanalytic theory, literature, and film. No prior experience with philosophy is required.
Group I: History of Philosophy
History of Ancient Philosophy
V83.0020-001
MW 3:30-4:45
Jacob Rosen
Western philosophy owes its birth to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. In their care many of the foundational questions in ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophy of mind were raised for the first time and developed in striking and sophisticated ways. We will try to determine which questions they asked, what their answers were, and whether we should accept their answers as correct even now. There will be mandatory recitations for this course.
Section 002 Tuesday 9:30-10:20
Section 003 Thursday 9:30-10:20
Section 004 Tuesday 3:20-4:20
Section 005 Wednesday 5:20-6:10
V83.0021-001
History of Modern Philosophy
TR 3:30-4:45
Yuval Avnur
In this course, we will read excerpts from the key metaphysical and epistemological texts of the greatest thinkers of what is often called philosophy’s Golden Age: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant.
V83.0036-001
Existentialism and Phenomenology
TR 11-12:15
John Richardson
The course will examine the ideas of several of the most important figures in the existential and phenomenological movements. The course will read material from all or most of the following: Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty, and Levinas. We might also look quickly at one or two literary presentations of existential ideas, for example Dostoevsky or Camus. Requirements: two papers and a final exam. There will be mandatory recitations for this course.
Section 002 Monday 2-2:50
Section 003 Monday 3:30-4:20
Section 004 Tuesday 3:55-4:45
Section 005 Tuesday 4:55-5:45
Group II: Ethics, Value, and Society
V83.0040-001
Ethics
TR 11-12:15
David Velleman
In this course, we will examine some central topics in moral philosophy. Among the questions we will consider are: What reason is there to be moral? Is pleasure the only ultimate good? What makes an action right or wrong, and to what extent is this a matter of the action's consequences? What role should the concept of virtue play in moral theorizing? Are there such things as moral facts, and if so, how should we understand them? Is there a single true morality, or is moral truth relative to culture or the individual? Readings will be drawn from both contemporary and historical sources. There will be mandatory recitations for this course.
Section 002 Monday 12:30-1:20
Section 003 Monday 2:00-2:50
Section 004 Tuesday 2:00-2:50
Section 005 Tuesday 3:30-4:20
Section 006 Wednesday 11:00-11:50
Section 007 Wednesday 4:00-4:50
V83.0053
Ethics and the Environment
TR 2-3:15
Dale Jamieson
Environmental philosophy is a large subject that involves discussions in metaphysics, philosophy of science, and history of philosophy, as well as in such normative areas as ethics, aesthetics, and political philosophy. This class is primarily devoted to these normative areas. Beginning with some basic concepts in value theory, the goal is not to arrive at definite solutions to specific environmental problems, but rather to improve your ability to think critically, read closely, and to argue well about environmental issues, as well as to introduce you to some major controversies in environmental ethics. There will be mandatory recitations for this course.
Section 002 Wednesday 9:30-10:20
Section 003 Wednesday 11-11:50
Section 004 Wednesday 3:30-4:20
Section 005 Wednesday 6:20-7:10
V83.0102-001
Topics in Ethics and Political Philosophy
TR 2-3:15
David Velleman
Prerequisite: Two courses in Philosophy, including either V83.0040, V83.0041, V83.0045, or V83.0052.
We will study various moral issues that involve "future persons" -- either persons who don't yet exist or future life-stages of persons who already do exist. Examples of such issues are: the ethics of procreation; our moral obligations to future generations; the bindingness of medical "advance directives" on one's future selves; social policies that affect the number of people who will be born; whether it matters that the human race survives. (The course may not cover all of the issues on this list, and it may include issues not listed.) Although these issues are in "applied" ethics, we will need to read some theoretical material on personal identity and normative theory.
Assignments will include several short (2-3 page) papers and one medium-sized (5-8 page) paper.
Group III: Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language, and Logic
V83.0070-001
Logic
TR 9:30-10:45
Matt Kotzen
Introduces the techniques, results, and philosophical import of 20th century formal logic. Principal concepts include those of sentence, set, interpretation, validity, consistency, consequence, tautology, derivation, and completeness.
V83.0072-001
Advanced Logic
MW 12:30-1:45
Seunghyun Song
This course is an introduction to metatheory of sentential and predicate logics. It will cover a rigorous account of syntax and semantics of axiomatic systems, up to and including such classical topics as soundness proof, completeness proof, decidability, Skolem-Lowenheim theorem.
V83.0076-001
Belief, Truth and Knowledge
MW 9:30-10:45
Anna-Sara Malmgren
This course is an inquiry into the nature of inquiry. We often seek answers to questions—e.g., Who was responsible for the Sept 11 attacks? Will the Knicks win tonight? 837+655=?—and take ourselves to know the answers, or have rational opinions, or to have good evidence for our views. Rather than answer these questions, we will step back and ask, What is the nature of evidence? and, What it is to know something or to be rational? In answering these questions, we will examine versions of, and responses to Skepticism: that there is very little we can know or have reason to believe.
V83.0081
Consciousness
TR 4:55-6:10
Ned Block
The philosophy and science of consciousness. Topics covered may include: Concepts of consciousness, the relation between the brain and conscious experience, what exactly a neural correlate of consciousness is, how consciousness can be studied empirically, the relation between consciousness and cognitive accessibility, the relation between consciousness and intentionality, the function of consciousness, the unity of conscious experience, the inverted spectrum hypothesis, the relation between consciousness and agency, zombie thought experiments, Jackson’s “Mary” argument, arguments for mind/body dualism, the nature of phenomenal concepts, higher order theories of consciousness vs. “same order” theories of consciousness, representational theories of consciousness, whether the representational contents of perception involve more than “observational” properties, what is in common between a veridical perception and an indistinguishable hallucination, the stream of consciousness.
No prerequisites.
There will be mandatory recitations for this course.
Section 002 Monday 9:30-10:45
Section 003 Monday 11-12:15
Section 004 Wednesday 3:30-4:45
Section 005 Wednesday 4:55-6:10
V83.0103-001
Topics in Metaphysics and Epistemology
MW 4:55-6:10
Nishi Shah
The Ethics of Belief:
Tom has mounting evidence that he has incurable cancer, but he also believes that he would be happier, regardless of the truth, were he to believe that he is healthy. W.K.Clifford, who famously claimed, “It is wrong, always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence,” would, depending upon the sufficiency of the Tom’s evidence, direct him to believe that he has incurable cancer, regardless of the results for his happiness. The legendary pragmatist William James, on the other hand, might deem this one of those situations in which it is permissible to follow one’s passions, and therefore might advise Tom to trust in his health in the face of the evidence to the contrary. Which one is right: the evidentialist or the pragmatist? Other questions we will examine are whether (and in what sense) our beliefs are up to us, and whether it is rational to believe something just because someone tells it to you.
V83.0201-001
Honors Seminar
Friday 1-3
Tom Nagel
Philosophy Department – New York University
5 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003-6688. (212) 998-8320. FAX: (212) 995-4179.
DIRECTOR OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES:
Professor John Richardson
Room 304, 5 Washington Place Spring office hours:
Email: jr8@nyu.edu Tu 12:30-1:30, Th 9:00-10:50
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF:
Matt Perry; matt.perry@nyu.edu; 998-3546
Debbie Bula: db7@nyu.edu ; 998-8325
Anupum Mehrotra: aqm4735@nyu.edu ; 998-8320
Melissa Makhmaltchi: mfm304@nyu.edu; 998-9056
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR:
The Department changed the major requirements in Spring 2005, by increasing the number of courses needed from 9 to 10. However, the new requirements will only apply to students entering NYU in September 2005 and after.
Requirements for students who began at NYU before September 2005:
A major in philosophy requires nine 4-point courses in the department, with numbers higher than V83.0009 (so that Introduction to Philosophy and Ethics & Society do not count). These nine courses must include (1) Logic, V83.0070; (2) History of Ancient Philosophy, V83.0020; (3) History of Modern Philosophy, V83.0021; (4) Ethics, V83.0040; or Nature of Values, V83.0041; or Political Philosophy, V83.0045; (5) Belief, Truth, and Knowledge, V83.0076; or Metaphysics, V83.0078; (6) Minds and Machines, V83.0015; or Philosophy of Mind, V83.0080; or Philosophy of Language, V83.0085; and (7) Topics in the History of Philosophy, V83.0101; or Topics in Ethics and Political Philosophy, V83.0102; or Topics in Metaphysics and Epistemology, V83.0103; or Topics in Language and Mind, V83.0104. No credit toward the major is awarded for a course with a grade lower than C.
Requirements for students who began at NYU in September 2005 and thereafter:
A major in philosophy requires ten 4-point courses in the department, with numbers higher than V83.0009 (so that Introduction to Philosophy and Ethics & Society do not count). These ten courses must include (1) Logic, V83.0070; (2) History of Ancient Philosophy, V83.0020; (3) History of Modern Philosophy, V83.0021; (4) Ethics, V83.0040; or Nature of Values, V83.0041; or Political Philosophy, V83.0045; (5) Belief, Truth, and Knowledge, V83.0076; or Metaphysics, V83.0078; (6) Minds and Machines, V83.0015; or Philosophy of Mind, V83.0080; or Philosophy of Language, V83.0085; and (7) Topics in the History of Philosophy, V83.0101; or Topics in Ethics and Political Philosophy, V83.0102; or Topics in Metaphysics and Epistemology, V83.0103; or Topics in Language and Mind, V83.0104. Of the three honors courses, only the first two—the Junior Honors Proseminar and the Senior Honors Seminar—may be counted towards the ten courses required. No credit toward the major is awarded for a course with a grade lower than C.
Recommendations on course sequence:
Students considering a major in philosophy are encouraged to begin with one of the Intensive Introductory Courses, or with one of the following: History of Ancient Philosophy, V83.0020; History of Modern Philosophy, V83.0021; Ethics, V83.0040; or Belief, Truth, and Knowledge, V83.0076. Logic, V83.0070, should be taken as soon as possible. The Topics courses are the most advanced undergraduate courses, and presuppose coursework in their areas.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MINOR:
A minor in philosophy requires four 4-point courses, at least three beyond the Introductory Courses. One course must be History of Ancient Philosophy, V83.0020, or History of Modern Philosophy, V83.0021; one course each must come from Group 2 (Ethics, Value, and Society) and Group 3 (Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language, and Logic). (Consult the Bulletin or the Department’s on-line course-list for the classification of courses in these Groups.) No credit toward the minor is awarded for a course with a grade lower than C.
JOINT MAJOR IN LANGUAGE AND MIND:
This major, intended as an introduction to cognitive science, is administered by the Departments of Linguistics, Philosophy, and Psychology. Eleven courses are required (four in linguistics, one in philosophy, five in psychology, and one additional course) to be constituted as follows. The linguistics component consists of Language, V61.0001; Grammatical Analysis, V61.0013; Introduction to Cognitive Science, V61.0028; and one more course chosen from Computational Models of Sentence Construction, V61.0024; Phonological Analysis, V61.0012; and Introduction to Semantics, V61.0004. The philosophy component consists of one course, chosen from Minds and Machines, V83.0015; Philosophy of Language, V83.0085; and Logic, V83.0070. The psychology component consists of four required courses: Introduction to Psychology, A89.0001; Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, V89.0010; The Psychology of Language, V89.0056; and Cognition, V89.0029; in addition, one course, chosen from Seminar in Thinking, V89.0026; Language Acquisition and Cognitive Development, V89.0300; and Laboratory in Human Cognition, V89.0028. The eleventh course will be one of the above-listed courses that has not already been chosen to satisfy the departmental components.
INDEPENDENT STUDY:
A student may sign up for an independent study course if he or she obtains the consent of a faculty member who approves the study project and agrees to serve as adviser. The student must also obtain the approval of either the department chair or the director of undergraduate studies. The student may take no more than one such course in any given semester and no more than two such courses in total, unless granted special permission by either the department chair or the director of undergraduate studies.
HONORS PROGRAM:
The Department has also made changes in its Honors Program, in particular by a) changing the credits for the senior honors courses from 2 to 4 points (per course), b) adding a third course, the Junior Honors Proseminar, and c) raising the grade point requirement (both overall and in philosophy courses) from 3.5 to 3.65. (Note: only the first of these changes applies to students who are seniors in 2005-6.) Here is the description of the new program:
Honors in philosophy will be awarded to majors who (1) have an overall grade point average of 3.65 and an average in philosophy courses of 3.65, and (2) successfully complete the honors program. This program consists in the following 3 courses. (Note: of these courses, only the first two may be counted towards the 10 courses required for the major.)
1. The Junior Honors Proseminar, to be taken in spring semester of junior year. This course will play the dual roles of introducing students to core readings in some of the main areas of current philosophy, and of giving them an intensive training in writing philosophy. Admission to this course usually requires a GPA, both overall and in philosophy courses, of at least 3.65, as well as the permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The Department will try to make alternative arrangements for students who wish to participate in the Honors Program but who will be studying abroad in this semester of their junior year.
2. The Senior Honors Seminar, to be taken in fall semester of senior year. Here students begin to develop their thesis projects, meeting weekly as a group under the direction of a faculty member, and presenting and discussing their thesis arguments. Students will also select, and begin to meet separately with, their individual thesis advisors—faculty who work in the areas of their thesis projects. Entry to this seminar depends on satisfactory completion of the Junior Honors Proseminar—or on the special approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. It also usually requires a GPA of at least 3.65.
3. Senior Honors Research, to be taken in spring semester of senior year. The seminar no longer meets, but each student continues to meet separately with his/her individual thesis advisor, producing and discussing a series of rough drafts of the thesis. The final version must be submitted by a deadline to be determined, in April. It must be approved by the thesis advisor, as well as by a second faculty reader, for honors to be awarded. The student must also finish with a GPA of at least 3.65—and here no exceptions will be made. In addition, the thesis advisors will meet after the decisions by readers have been made, and award some students highest or high honors, based on thesis quality and other factors (including GPA in philosophy courses).
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