USC Schedule of Classes

Explores questions about human beings and their place in nature, including questions about knowledge, mind and body, freedom and determinism, and the existence of God.

Introduces formal tools for distinguishing between good and bad arguments or inferences. Covers both propositional logic and predicate logic. (Duplicates Credit in former PHIL-250ab)

Techniques for constructing good arguments and for assessing and criticizing the arguments of others. (Duplicates credit in former PHIL 250a)

Techniques for constructing good arguments and for assessing and criticizing the arguments of others. (Duplicates credit in former PHIL 250b)

Exploration of basic questions about the nature of reality. Topics may include personal identity, freedom and determinism, causation and laws of nature.

Critical study of controversial social issues such as abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, war and terrorism, sexual morality, affirmative action and economic justice.

Explores philosophical treatments of the problem of the meaning or purpose of human life. (Duplicates credit in former PHIL 155)

Philosophical theories of law and applications to controversies of importance to society and our legal system, such as free speech, civil disobedience, and selfdefense.

Introduces symbolic logic and explores its application to the philosophy of language, plus meta-logical and philosophical results about its scope and limits.

Introduction to research in interdisciplinary cognitive science, highlighting ideas and methods from philosophy, psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and computer science.

How does science differ from pseudo-science? When is it rational to accept a scientific theory? And do such theories provide genuine knowledge of reality?

Explores formal tools for thinking about uncertainty. In an uncertain world, how is it rational to form our beliefs, make decisions, and interact with others?

The trials of Socrates, Joan of Arc, the Salem witches, Galileo, Scopes and the Nuremberg and Eichmann trials; their social and cultural consequences.

Major figures in the history of Western philosophical thought from the presocratics to the Hellenistic period; emphasis on Plato and Aristotle.

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

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

Philosophical theories about the nature of law, relations between law and morality, and analysis of normative concepts central to law, such as responsibility, punishment, negligence.

An historical and critical study of the great moral philosophers, including Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, and the British moralists.

The evaluation of individual and social ends; consideration of such topics as values and rational choice, the good of a person, hedonism, welfare, ideals and utopias.

Systematic study of the formal limits on what can be counted, expressed in language, systematically computed or rigorously proved, including Goedel's Incompleteness Theorems.

Examination of contemporary theories of mind and its place in the natural world.

A comprehensive introduction to two of the central areas of modern philosophy of physics: the philosophy of spacetime, and the philosophy of quantum mechanics.

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.

In-depth study synthesizing important recent developments in one or more central areas of philosophy pursued at a beginning graduate level.

Contemporary philosophical issues and literature.

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

Applications of logical theory to contemporary philosophical research. Elements of model theory, recursion theory; Goedel's Incompleteness results; modal logic and its interpretations. Recommended preparation: PHIL-350.

Problems in research in selected portions of modern philosophy.

Advanced topics and literature in ethical theory.

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.

Basic principles of philosophical pedagogy, with emphasis on practical applications and the importance of career-long skill development. Required for first-semester teaching assistants in philosophy.

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.