Submitted by Meera Roy
on
There are three great winter quarter introductory level PHILOSOPHY classes that still have seats in them. No previous background required - but students should be ready to grapple with some big questions. All three are SSc and one of those is A&H/SSc (PHIL 243). Two are also W credit (PHIL 100 and PHIL 243), and one is a course we should all take (PHIL 118).
PHIL 100: Intro to Philosophy
5 credits (SSc) W course
MW lectures: 1:00-2:20
TTh quiz sections: afternoon quiz sections are open
sln : 19103
Prof Rose Novick
From Philosophy:
Philosophy, in its most basic form, involves stopping to reflect on what one is doing: Why am I doing it? Should I be doing it? Could I be doing it better? Philosophical reflection is occasioned when something we normally take for granted breaks down—at this point, we can no longer take it for granted, but must reflect on it. In this sense, everyone does philosophy sometimes, but not everyone does it consciously, regularly, or rigorously. This class, as in introduction to philosophy, aims to help you recognize the philosophical issues that will inevitably arise in your lives, and to equip you to address them. To this end, we will spend the quarter considering three concepts that we all rely on in our lives, but which are more complex than we often realize: ‘freedom’, ‘death’, and ‘love’. We will consider these complexities by reading and discussing primary texts from various of the world’s philosophical traditions.
PHIL 118: The Ethics and Psychology of Persuasion
5 credits (SSc)
MW lectures: 10:00 -11:20
F quiz sections
sln : 19111
Prof Colin Marshall
How can we change people's minds without being sneaky, slimy, manipulative, or dishonest? This class tackles the ethics of persuasion, helping you become a better persuader. Our readings combine philosophy and psychology, and assignments focus on honing your skills at swaying people with respect - even when talking about divisive issues. No background in philosophy or psychology is required.
PHIL/ENVIR 243: Environmental Ethics
5 credits (A&H/SSc) W course
TTh lectures: 1:00-2:20
WF quiz sections
sln : 19133
Prof. Steve Gardiner
In this course, we will explore how to identify, articulate and think critically about the ethical dimensions of environmental challenges. We will learn about various general theories in environmental ethics, and also about how philosophical skills and concepts might be applied to specific environmental issues, such as global climate change. Potential topics include: the value of the natural environment to humans; the value of nonhuman animals, plants, and ecosystems; the structure of environmental problems; and the relevance of concepts such as justice to solutions. The course focuses partly on the contributions of standard philosophical theories to environmental debates, and partly on the challenges that environmental issues raise to common theoretical approaches.