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Undergraduate Courses Spring 2006Intensive Introductory Courses
V83.0010-001 Central Problems in Philosophy MW 2-3:15 Jim Pryor An introduction to the methods of contemporary philosophy, concentrating on the following questions: (1) The Mind/Body Problem: What is the relation between your mind and your body? Are they made up of different stuffs? Would a computer whose program duplicated the neural structure of your brain be able to think and have the same kinds of self-awareness you have? (2) Personal Identity: What makes you the person you are? Do you have an immortal soul which is able to survive the death of your body? If we made a clone of you, would that be a different person than you? What about if we were able to perfectly record all the neural patterns in your brain right now, could we use that recording to "bring you back" after a fatal accident? (3) Free Will: Is it already settled how the future is going to turn out? If so, does that mean you have no free will? Are your actions and decisions all part of the mechanical chain of causes and effects studied by physicists? Prerequisites: None Requirements: 3 papers and a final exam; some short ungraded exercises; and weekly discussion sections Sections: Sign up for one of the following four sections: V83.0010-002 M 3:30-4:45 V83.0010-003 M4:55-6:10 V83.0010-004 T12:30-1:45 V83.0010-005 T3:30-4:45
V83.0015-001 Minds and Machines TR 9:30-10:45 Elizabeth Vlahos An intensive introduction to the discipline of philosophy, by way of study of conceptual issues in cognitive science, focusing on the conflict between computational and biological approaches to the mind. Topics covered include whether a machine could think, the reduction of the mind to the brain, connectionism and neural nets, mental representation, and whether consciousness can be explained materialistically.
V83.0017-001 Life and Death MW 11:00-12:15 William Ruddick An intensive introduction to various philosophical areas and genres by way of issues of creating, living, and taking life, human and non-human. Topics include scientific, literary, and metaphysical conceptions of life and death; value of life and fear of death; preservation and extinction of species and the biosphere; assisted reproduction, abortion, and dying; state executions and warfare; souls, personal identity, and theories of an after-life; life- narratives and memorials. Brief weekly commentaries, two essays, two exams. Not open to seniors or to students with more than one other completed college course in Philosophy.
Group I: History of Philosophy
V83.0021-001 History of Modern Philosophy MW 12:30-1:45 Don Garrett In seventeenth and eighteenth century Europe, revolutionary developments in science, religion, and culture led to the generation of new philosophical questions, methods, and theories—and to the transformation of old ones. To a remarkable extent, these two centuries of philosophical thought are distinctively responsible for many of the questions, methods, and theoretical approaches that still quite recognizably dominate philosophy today. This course will examine the most important contributions of seven influential and systematic modern philosophers of this period—Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant—to the fields of epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, and ethics.
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. Among the authors to be read will be Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, de Beauvoir, and Merleau-Ponty. We may also look quickly at one or two ‘literary’ presentations of existential ideas, for example by Dostoevsky or Camus. Requirements: two papers and a final exam.
Group II: Ethics, Value, and Society
V83.0040-001 Ethics An examination of some central topics in moral philosophy. We will consider several particular moral issues, such as: Is abortion morally permissible? Is there a moral difference between killing someone and letting her die? How is it permissible to treat animals? We will also consider several general issues about morality, such as: Why be moral? 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? Is there a single true morality, or is moral truth relative to cultures or individuals?
V83.0041-001 Nature of Values MW 3:30-4:45 Sharon Street This course will provide an intensive introduction to metaethics, which is the branch of moral philosophy that centers around questions such as the following: When we use moral language, are we making claims that are capable of being true or false, or are we merely expressing our feelings or giving voice to some other state of mind? Should truth in morals be understood by analogy with truth in the sciences, or must it be understood according to an entirely different model? Are there objective moral truths that hold across all times and cultures, or is some version of moral relativism correct?Readings will be drawn primarily from contemporary sources. Prerequisite: at least one course in philosophy or consent of the instructor.
V83.0050-001 Medical Ethics TR 2-3:15 Ryan Preston Examines moral issues in medical practice and research. Topics include euthanasia and quality of life; deception, hope, and paternalism; malpractice and unpredictability; patient rights, virtues, and vices; animal, fetal, and clinical research; criteria for rationing medical care; ethical principles, professional codes, and case analysis. No prerequisites, but preference is given to juniors and seniors.
V83.0055-001 Philosophical Perspectives on Feminism and Gender MW 3:30-4:45 Anne Barnhill This course is a philosophical examination of sex, gender, and gender oppression. We will read classic feminist texts and consider their philosophical roots. For example, we will read John Stuart Mill’s The Subjection of Women as an expression of political liberalism, and Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex as an expression of existentialism. We will also read recent philosophical writing on sex, gender, and specific feminist issues. For example, we will read Martha Nussbaum on sexual objectification, Ronald Dworkin on pornography and free speech, Virginia Held on feminist ethics, and Susan Bordo on anorexia. No background knowledge of philosophy or feminist theory is required for this course.
V83.0102-001 Topics in Ethics and Political Philosophy MW 11-12:15 Peter Unger The course will revolve around two central questions in basic ethics, with related discussion of several topics in applied ethics. The first central question is, what is it that determines the moral status of a particular being? If we can save one human baby or else two elephants, in a world with plenty of each, what is it about the human baby that determines it's she alone that we should save, rather than both elephants, each (suppose) mentally more advanced than she? And, here's the second central question: Is there a morally significant distinction, even anywhere in the neighborhood of the (probably insignificant) distinction between causing and letting happen - between killing and letting die, for instance, and, for another instance, between inflicting pain and letting pain happen? On the second question, I'll unconfidently argue that there really isn't any important distinction. And, so, it's terribly wrong to for us to allow distant little children, in the poorest regions, to suffer and die young. But, now turning back to the first question, there's this: If we can't find good reason to accord the human babies enormously higher moral status than almost all other mammals, will we then be required, on pain of behaving very badly, to provide them also, all over the world, with whatever aid they need to flourish? For many centuries, that may be enormously costly. So, there'll be important interplay between our two central questions. Our discussion of these questions will have implications for issues of discrimination, abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and other "hot topics" in applied ethics. Far from being a series of lectures, the course should consist mainly of lively discussion with, and among, its students, where the students think hard about ethical issues. Since there won't be an attempt to impart a "body of ethical knowledge," there won't be any exams. But, students must write two lucid short papers, or possibly three, each on a different issue discussed in class.
Group III: Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language, and Logic
V83.0070-001 Logic TR 3:30-4:45 Ray Buchanan 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.
V83.0073-001 Set Theory TR 2-3:15 Kit Fine -- The Axioms of Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory -- Development of the axioms (Boolean operations, Power-set, functions, close relations, etc.) -- Development of the number-systems (for natural numbers, integers, rationals, reals) from the axioms -- Theory of ordinal numbers (including definition and proof by transfinite induction) -- Theory of cardinal numbers (including the Schroeder-Bernstein theorem, cardinal arithmetic, the alephs) -- The axiom of choice and its equivalents (Well-ordering, Zorn’s Lemma) -- The independence results of Goedel and Cohen with a sketch of the proofs.
V83.0076-001 Belief, Truth & Knowledge MW 9:30-10:45 Roger White 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.
V83.0090-001 Philosophy of Science MW 4:55-6:10 Jill North We will look at some central questions about the nature of scientific theory and practice. What makes a discipline a science? Do we have reason to believe that science discovers the objective truth about the world? How and why do scientific theories change over time? To what extent do observation and experiment determine which theories we accept? What is a good scientific explanation? What are laws of nature? Does physics have a special status compared to other sciences?
V83.0103-001 Topics in Metaphysics and Epistemology TR 11-12:15 Hartry Field Prerequisite: Two courses in Philosophy, including either V83.0076 or V83.0078. Topic: Induction and Probability We’ll consider different philosophical views of the nature of probability, and their relevance to questions about rational belief. MAIN TEXTS: Wesley Salmon, The Foundations of Scientific Inference Donald Gillies, Philosophical Theories of Probability John Earman, Bayes or Bust? RECOMMENDED: Ian Hacking, Probability and Inductive Logic
V83.0200-001 Junior Honors Pro-Seminar Thursday 12:30-2:30 Matt Evans See description under Honors Program, below.
V83.0202-001 Senior Honors Research TBA Elizabeth Harman See description under Honors Program, below.
SILVERCENTER,100 WASHINGTON SQUARE EAST, ROOM 503,NEW YORK,NY10003-6688. (212) 998-8320. FAX: (212) 995-4179. DIRECTOR OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES: Professor John Richardson 503CSilverCenter Fall office hours: Email: jr8@nyu.edu M10:30-12, Tu 11-12:30, Th 12-1
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF: 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 last spring, 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). WHY STUDY PHILOSOPHY? Philosophy has a reputation for being otherworldly and impractical – some say, “philosophy butters no bread”, but it doesn’t really deserve this label. The purpose of philosophy is controversial, but at least one that it involves is the construction and evaluation of arguments. The study of philosophy is a training of expressing thoughts clearly and precisely, in defending one’s ideas and evaluating the positions of others. Quite simply, philosophy gives a training in thinking. And this is a skill valuable in any professional field. Philosophy has a special affinity with the legal profession in which arguments, and the application of general rules to cases, play central roles. Many law schools recognize this connection and are especially receptive to philosophy majors. But philosophical skills are valuable elsewhere as well. In business, you must formulate and clarify problems, analyze potential solutions, and defend your approach in a clear and rational way. All these abilities are improved by exercising in philosophical argument. And finally, medical schools and professionals place increasing importance on the ability to reflect on the ethical issues that arise in their practice – and these are of course problems treated in moral philosophy. Some of these practical beliefs seem reflected in the exceptional performance by philosophy majors on graduate admissions exams. They show that philosophy majors scored higher than any other group on the verbal section of the GRE, and much higher than any other humanities majors on the quantitative section. Philosophy majors are second only to math majors on the GMAT, and third only to math and economics majors on the LSAT. Of course, training in philosophy majors may not be wholly responsible for these results – it may also be that brighter students are entering the field to begin with. But in either case, the report suggests you’re not stupid if you join them. But this still doesn’t touch on what surely remain the most important reasons for studying philosophy. College years shouldn’t just be a professional training. They are a best chance to think about basic human questions – about personal and social values, about the nature of reality and yourselves. Studying philosophy can bring into view questions of lifelong relevance and interest. It can acquaint you with the issues in debates that will always recur, and can help you toward argued positions on such issues. In a very rare case, it might even help determine your direction through life. | |
