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.

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)

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

Explores the nature of justice, and how apparently conflicting ideals, such as freedom and equality, are to be balanced within a just society.

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.

Explores philosophical questions about the human mind and consciousness, and how they relate to the brain and to the physical world more generally.

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

Focusing on selected paradoxes in science and philosophy calling into question common views of infinity, space and time, causation and rational belief and action.

Exploration of the philosophical and religious implications of major scientific revolutions, such as those of Copernicus, Galileo, and Darwin. (Duplicates credit in former PHIL 220g)

Introduces and explores philosophical and ethical questions and theories related to technology, including biomedical technologies, internet applications and artificial intelligence.

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.

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

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

A study of Stoicism, the ancient Greek and Roman Stoics' theories about the cosmos, psychology, knowledge, ethics, fate and philosophy as "medicine for the soul."

Intensive study of the philosophical works of Kant.

The rise of analytic philosophy; major ethical, metaphysical, epistemological, views; Frege, Moore, Russell, early and late Wittgenstein and Quine.

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.

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

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

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.

Topics of current interest at the crossroads of philosophy of language, philosophy of mind and linguistics.

Examination of contemporary accounts of the nature, scope, sources--and value--of human knowledge and justified belief.

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.

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 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.

Advanced topics in the philosophy of science.

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.