Philosophy

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  • CAS PH 470: Philosophy of Physics
    Philosophical problems concerning the interpretation of physical discoveries. Elementary particles, the anomalies of quantum mechanics, some modern problems of space and time, and the problem of wholes and parts. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Scientific Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
    • Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
    • Scientific Inquiry I
    • Critical Thinking
  • CAS PH 472: Philosophy of Biology
    Conceptual problems in biology; unity or pluralism of science; hierarchy theory; biological explanation; evolutionary theory, teleology and casuality, statistical explanation; the species problem; mind and the brain; and language in animals and humans.
  • CAS PH 476: Philosophy of the Earth Sciences: From Deep Time to the Anthropocene
    Examines philosophical and methodological issues arising in the geosciences, from reconstructing events in deep time, proxy data, and the catastrophism-uniformitarianism debate, to analog and computer simulation modeling, and the Anthropocene debate, drawing examples from geology, archaeology, paleontology, and climate science.
  • CAS PH 477: Philosophy of the Social Sciences
    Topics in the philosophy of the social sciences such as the interpretation of human action and the objectivity of social inquiry. Social consideration of alternative theoretic viewpoints such as naturalism and interpretivism. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.
    • Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
    • Social Inquiry II
    • Critical Thinking
  • CAS PH 482: Topics in Modern and Contemporary Philosophy
    Topics vary from semester to semester; may be repeated for credit as topics change. Topic for Spring 2020: History, Memory, Meaning. Examines central issues in the philosophy of history, from Hegel and Nietzsche to Collingwood, Gadamer, Foucault, Nora, and Danto. Topics include: tensions between history and memory, structure of historical narratives, contrast between interpretation and understanding, does history have a meaning?
  • CAS PH 485: Topics in Philosophy of Value
    Topics vary from year to year. Topic for Spring 2019: Happiness, East and West. What is happiness? How can we achieve a balanced, healthy, fulfilling life? Classical thinkers such as Aristotle, Plato, Chuang Tzu; Stoic, Epicurean, Confucian, Buddhist paths; comparison with contemporary studies of happiness and mindfulness.
  • CAS PH 487: Topics in the Philosophy of Science
    A discussion-based introduction to core issues in the philosophy of science, focusing on the topics of scientific realism, theory change, reductionism, explanation, models, and natural kinds.
  • CAS PH 488: Topics in Aesthetics
    Consideration of selected topics in aesthetics, with particular attention to the relationship between aesthetic experience and analytical accounts of the experience; topics include expression, perception, qualities, the good, the ideal, and the sublime.
  • CAS PH 491: Directed Study
    Individual or small group tutorial instruction and directed research on selected topics.
  • CAS PH 492: Directed Study
    Individual or small group tutorial instruction and directed research on selected topics.
  • CAS PH 494: Hist Fem Theory

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