USC Schedule of Classes

Critical study of controversial social issues such as abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, war & terrorism, pornography, and economic justice.

The study of the nature and role of professionals in life and society, forces that shape and direct them, foundations and applications of professional ethics.

Modern philosophical teatments of the problem of the meaning orpurpose of human life; special attention to Existentialism.

Key works that have shaped the European and American cultural inheritance, with a special focus on the nature of love (and marriage and domesticity).

Critical reasoning skills and their many everyday applications; theory of logically correct reasoning and its associated formal techniques.

Critical reasoning skills and their many everyday applications; theory of logically correct reasoning and its associated formal techniques.

Philosophical problems about the nature of mind associated withthe rise of modern science; topics include the mind/body relation,personal identity, rationality and freedom.

Examining the nature of space and time, how they relate, and how material objects relate to them. Some included topics: substantivalism, temporal directionality, persistence, hyperspace.

Study of major philosophical theories of moral right and wrong, such as utilitarianism, Kantianism, egoism, virtue ethics, and theological ethics.

Introduction to basic techniques of propositional and quantificational logic, and elements of probability. Especially useful to philosophy, mathematics, science, and engineering majors.

Introduction to modern symbolic logic, with applications to the philosophy of language, plus meta-logical and philosophical results about its scope and limits.

Examination of problems in metaphysics and/or epistemology. Conducted at the intermediate level.

The existence of God; mysticism, miracles and the possibility of disembodied existence; the problem of evil; religion and morality; the meaning of religious language.

Introduction to possible worlds as a tool for asking and answering questions about what might be, what must be, and what can never be.

Examination of the rationality of the scientific enterprise, and of the relation between science and human values.

Development of philosophy on the continent from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries; emphasis on the philosophical works of Descartes, Leibniz, and Spinoza.

The maturing of the analytic tradition from the later Wittgenstein through Ryle, Strawson, Hare, Austin, Grice, Quine, Davidson, Kripke, and beyond.

The nature of man and society, the nature and justification of state and government, political rights and political obligation, justice and equality.

Ethical theories in the 20th century; contemporary theories of value and obligation; metaethical theories; intuitionism, naturalism, and non-cognitivism; concepts of justice, human right, and freedom.

Systematic introduction to basic concepts, including identity, difference, existence, individuals, substance, quality, and relation; emphasis on idealism, materialism, and the ontology of intentionality.

Systematic investigation of action, the mental states involved in action, the reasoning processes that lead to action, and related concepts including intentionality and free will.

The nature of communication, meaning, reference, truth, necessity, speech acts, convention, and language.

Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.

Independent studies for philosophy majors, and guidance in the preparation of the senior thesis for students who wish to graduate with honors in philosophy. Not open to graduate students.

Analysis of selected philosophical problems and theses of current interest; explication of major contemporary papers and/ or books is emphasized.

Advanced literature on selected topics in social and political philosophy, including the nature of law, man, and society; ideals such as justice and freedom.

Advanced topics in logic and/or philosophy of logic.

Contemporary approaches to a variety of questions about the nature of mental states and our knowledge of them.

Philosophical issues in the empirical study of language concerning the relationship between linguistic meaning and the use of sentences to assert and convey information.

Intensive writing seminar in which students read cutting-edge philosophy and take supervised steps towards crafting critical essays for publication.

Research leading to the master's degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

A focused environment in which to present and evaluate dissertation work-in-progress. Focus on peer and faculty feedback, developing professional presentation skills, improving critical communication skills. Graded CR/NC. Open only to Philosophy doctoral students.

Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.