{"id":10189,"date":"2025-10-20T10:16:48","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T14:16:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/philo\/?page_id=10189"},"modified":"2026-02-10T12:02:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T17:02:15","slug":"spring-2025-course-offerings-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/philo\/academics\/course-offerings\/spring-2025-course-offerings-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring 2026 Course Offerings"},"content":{"rendered":"

CAS \u2013 College of Arts & Sciences<\/strong><\/h1>\n

CAS PH 100 A1: Introduction to Philosophy<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor\u00a0Daniel Munro<\/em>
\n<\/em>Monday, Wednesday, Friday<\/em>\u00a012:20\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a01:10\u00a0AM<\/em>
\n<\/em>Introduces the nature of philosophical activity through careful study of major philosophical topics. Topics may include the nature of reality, knowledge, God\u2019s existence, and the significance of human life.
\nBU Hub:<\/strong>\u00a0Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, and Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>CAS PH 100\u00a0B1: Introduction to Philosophy<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor\u00a0Andrew Butler<\/em>
\n<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday, 2:00 PM \u2013\u00a03:15 PM<\/em>
\n<\/em>Introduces the nature of philosophical activity through careful study of major philosophical topics. Topics may include the nature of reality, knowledge, God\u2019s existence, and the significance of human life.
\nBU Hub:<\/strong>\u00a0Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, and Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>CAS PH 150 A1: Introduction to Ethics<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor\u00a0<\/em>Daniel Star<\/em>
\n<\/em>Monday, Wednesday, Friday<\/em>\u00a010<\/em>:<\/em>1<\/em>0 AM \u2013 1<\/em>1<\/em>:<\/em>00<\/em> AM<\/em>
\n<\/em>This course focuses on a set of interrelated questions about morality: What is morality? How should I live? What does morality require of us in our daily lives, if it requires anything at all? Is morality universal? Or, is it relative or subjective? What is the relationship between morality and religion?\u00a0Answering such questions will help us to understand what the most important features of morality are. We will look both at traditional moral theories that attempt to specify what morality requires of us (Utilitarianism, Kantianism, Contractarianism and Virtue Ethics), and at the application of these theories to many specific moral issues.
\nBU Hub:<\/strong>\u00a0Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, and Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 150 B1: Introduction to Ethics<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor\u00a0<\/em>Andrew Butler<\/em>
\n<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday<\/em>\u00a09<\/em>:<\/em>3<\/em>0 AM \u2013 1<\/em>0<\/em>:<\/em>45<\/em> AM<\/em>
\n<\/em>This course focuses on a set of interrelated questions about morality: What is morality? How should I live? What does morality require of us in our daily lives, if it requires anything at all? Is morality universal? Or, is it relative or subjective? What is the relationship between morality and religion?\u00a0Answering such questions will help us to understand what the most important features of morality are. We will look both at traditional moral theories that attempt to specify what morality requires of us (Utilitarianism, Kantianism, Contractarianism and Virtue Ethics), and at the application of these theories to many specific moral issues.
\nBU Hub:<\/strong>\u00a0Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, and Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>CAS PH 155 A1: Politics & Philosophy<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor\u00a0Darien Pollock<\/em>
\n<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday\u00a05:00\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a06:15 PM<\/em>
\n<\/em>What is justice? What are the foundations of property rights, liberty, and equality? Are anarchism and utopianism defensible? This course is an introduction to major themes and questions in political philosophy. It includes a study of classical and modern texts, as well as contemporary political issues.
\nBU Hub:<\/strong>\u00a0Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, and Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>CAS PH 160 A1: Reasoning & Argumentation<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor <\/em>Derek Anderson<\/em>
\n<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday <\/em>2<\/em>:<\/em>0<\/em>0 <\/em>P<\/em>M \u2013 <\/em>3<\/em>:<\/em>1<\/em>5 <\/em>P<\/em>M<\/em>
\n<\/em>An introduction to philosophical methods of inquiry and discourse with three aims. The first\u00a0aim is to understand the nature of reason and argumentation; the course will serve as an introduction to logic, epistemology, and philosophy of language. The second aim is to improve our ability to reason, construct arguments, and identify fallacies. The third aim concerns the social dimension of knowledge and processes of social change. In order to achieve a more just society, we need to reason together and argue with one another in ways that facilitate change of belief in the direction of knowledge and social justice.
\nBU Hub:<\/strong>\u00a0Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>CAS PH 160 <\/strong>B<\/strong>1: Reasoning & Argumentation<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor\u00a0Alisa Bokulich<\/em>
\n<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday 9:30 AM \u2013\u00a010:45 AM<\/em>
\n<\/em>Knowing how to think, reason, and argue well is essential for success in all disciplines and in everyday life.\u00a0 The aim of this course is to strengthen and develop your critical thinking skills; you will learn how to make good arguments and how to critically evaluate the arguments of others.\u00a0 This course will emphasize both real everyday examples, such as those drawn from newspaper articles, and examples drawn from the scientific literature. \u00a0Course will include a\u00a0systematic study of the principles of inductive, deductive and informal reasoning, calculated to enhance students\u2019 actual reasoning and argumentation skills.
\nBU Hub:<\/strong>\u00a0Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>CAS PH 242 A1: Philosophy of Human Nature
<\/strong>Professor Dan Dahlstrom
<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday 9:30 AM <\/em>\u2013\u00a0<\/em>10:45 AM
<\/em>This course examines the way in which philosophers construct and undermine traditional conceptions of human nature. These thinkers teach us to question our ordinary assumptions about religion, human distinctiveness, the conscious mind, the role and status of morality, and the uplifting effects of civilization.
BU Hub:<\/strong> Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

CAS PH 248 A1: Existentialism<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor\u00a0<\/em>Andrew Butler<\/em>
\nTuesday, Thursday<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>5<\/em>:<\/em>0<\/em>0 PM \u2013\u00a0<\/em>6<\/em>:1<\/em>5<\/em> PM<\/em>
\n<\/em>This course examines approaches to central existentialist themes such as anxiety, truth, decision, authenticity, freedom, possibility, and \u201cbad faith.\u201d The first part of the course reviews the historical context of late modern European philosophy and the views of nineteenth century thinkers (Kierkegaard, Nietzsche) whose work set the stage for existentialist thinking in the twentieth century. The second part of the course focuses on writings of those thinkers (Heidegger, Sartre) most responsible for the development of existentialism in the first half of the twentieth century.
\nPrerequisites:<\/strong>\u00a0One philosophy course or sophomore standing.
\nBU Hub:\u00a0<\/strong>Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 251 A1: Medical Ethics<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor Rachell Powell<\/em>
\nMonday, Wednesday, Friday<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>12<\/em>:<\/em>2<\/em>0 <\/em>P<\/em>M\u00a0\u2013\u00a01:<\/em>10<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>P<\/em>M<\/em>
\n<\/em>This course will survey ethical issues that arise in connection with medicine and emerging biotechnologies. It will examine topics such as the right to healthcare, research on human subjects, euthanasia, abortion, cloning, genetic selection, disabilities, and the biomedical enhancement of human capacities. Students can expect to gain not only training in the concepts and methods of moral philosophy and the logic of argumentation, but also the resources needed for assessing ethically difficult questions that healthcare professionals routinely face.
\nPrerequisites:<\/strong>\u00a0One philosophy course or sophomore standing.
\nBU Hub:<\/strong>\u00a0Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, and Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 255 A1:<\/strong> Law, Philosophy, and Society
Professor\u00a0Darien Pollock
<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday 2:00 PM \u2013\u00a03:15 PM
<\/em>Examines issues concerning law and its place in society, such as law’s relation to democracy, the nature of constitutional rights, and legal (especially constitutional) interpretation. Readings include social theory and judicial opinions as well as more narrowly philosophical sources.
BU Hub:<\/strong> Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 256 A1: <\/strong>Philosophy of Gender and Sexuality (Cross-listed as WS 396 and PO 396)
<\/strong>Professor Derek Anderson
<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday 9:30 AM <\/em>\u2013\u00a010:45 AM
<\/em>Philosophizing about gender and sexuality from an intersectional perspective, we explore issues in the metaphysics, semantics, epistemology, and politics of gender and sexuality, engaging with both classic and contemporary readings. We focus on such questions as: What is gender? How is gender constructed and how is it related to sexuality? How must concepts of sexuality change within a non-binary understanding of gender? How do identities and conceptions of gender and sexuality interact with intersecting systems of oppression?
BU Hub:<\/strong> Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 259 A1: <\/strong>Philosophy of The Arts
<\/strong>Professor Dan Dahlstrom
<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday 12:30 PM <\/em>\u2013\u00a01:45 PM
<\/em>The course begins with a review of classic approaches to art and questions for a philosophical aesthetics. These topics are introduced by way of a historical overview, beginning with Plato and Aristotle. Combining lecture with discussion, the course examines central readings on aesthetics by philosophers such as Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Martin Heidegger, Walter Benjamin, R. G. Collingwood, and Theodor Adorno.
Prerequisites:<\/strong> one philosophy course or sophomore standing.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 266 A1: Mind, Brain, and Self<\/strong>
\nProfessor Daniel Munro<\/em>
\n<\/em>Monday, Wednesday, Friday\u00a02:20\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a03:10 PM<\/em>
\n<\/em>This course is devoted to exploring the relationships among consciousness, the mind, and the brain, the nature of the self or person, and other related topics. This course will also examine whether and to what extent these issues can be addressed by contemporary natural science.
\nBU Hub:\u00a0<\/strong>Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, Writing-Intensive Course, Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>CAS PH 270 A1: Philosophy of Science<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor Miguel Ohnesorge<\/em>
\n<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday 2:00 PM\u00a0\u2013\u00a03:15 PM<\/em>
\n<\/em>Focuses on the rationality of science, structure and interpretation of scientific theories, central methodological concepts such as \u201cevidence\u201d, \u201cconfirmation\u201d, \u201cmeasurement\u201d, \u201cprobability\u201d and \u201cobjectivity\u201d, and the role of moral and political values in science. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS.
\nPrerequisites:<\/strong>\u00a0one philosophy course or sophomore standing.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>CAS PH 300 A1: History of Ancient Philosophy<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor Cinzia Arruzza<\/em>
\n<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday 12:20 PM \u2013 1:45 PM<\/em>
\n<\/em>A survey of ancient Greek Philosophy, with an emphasis on Plato and Aristotle. Topics will include: the fundamental nature of reality, how we know anything about it, wisdom, virtue, and human happiness.
\nPrerequisites:<\/strong>\u00a0One philosophy course or sophomore standing. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g. WR 100 or WR 120).
\nBU Hub:<\/strong>\u00a0Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Legacy.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>CAS PH 300 B1: History of Ancient Philosophy<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor Allen Speight<\/em>
\n<\/em>Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:05 AM \u2013 9:55 AM<\/em>
\n<\/em>A survey of ancient Greek Philosophy, with an emphasis on Plato and Aristotle. Topics will include: the fundamental nature of reality, how we know anything about it, wisdom, virtue, and human happiness.
\nPrerequisites:<\/strong>\u00a0One philosophy course or sophomore standing. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g. WR 100 or WR 120).
\nBU Hub:<\/strong>\u00a0Writing-Intensive Course, Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Legacy.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>CAS PH 310 A1: History of Modern Philosophy<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor Aaron Garrett<\/em>
\n<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday\u00a011:00\u00a0AM \u2013\u00a012:15 PM<\/em>
\n<\/em>An examination of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century philosophy from Descartes to Kant, with emphasis on the nature and extent of knowledge. Readings include Descartes, Spinoza, Cavendish, Hume, and Kant.
\nPrerequisites:<\/strong>\u00a0One philosophy course or sophomore standing.
\nBU Hub:<\/strong>\u00a0Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>CAS PH 310 B1: History of Modern Philosophy<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor Ben Crowe<\/em>
\n<\/em>Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:10 AM \u2013 11:00 AM<\/em>
\n<\/em>A survey of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century European Philosophy, focusing on epistemology, metaphysics, and natural philosophy.\u00a0 We will read selections from the works of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, and Hume.
Prerequisites<\/strong>:\u00a0 One philosophy course or sophomore standing.
\nBU Hub:<\/strong>\u00a0Historical Consciousness, Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>CAS PH 340 A1: Metaphysics and Epistemology<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Professor Michaela McSweeney<\/em>
\n<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday 3:30 PM \u2013 4:45 PM<\/em>
\n<\/em>This course is about metaphysics (the study of what there is, and how it all relates) and epistemology (the study of knowledge, and how we can know things about the world) and their intersection.
\nPrerequisites:\u00a0<\/strong>One previous Philosophy course.
\nBU Hub:\u00a0<\/strong>Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 350 A1: History of Ethics
<\/strong>Professor Ben Crowe
<\/em>Monday, Wednesday, Friday\u00a012:20\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a01:10 PM
<\/em>Are there fundamental principles for determining the right way to act ethically? How do different eras answer this question’ What is the significance of these differences’ This course addresses these questions by examining classical ethical texts from different historical traditions.
Prerequisites:<\/strong> Either two philosophy classes or one 300-level philosophy class.
BU Hub:<\/strong> Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 422 A1: <\/strong>Analytic Philosophy
<\/strong>Professor Peter Hylton
<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday <\/em>11:00\u00a0AM \u2013\u00a012:15 PM
<\/em>This course will be focused on the work of Quine, with the aim of achieving an understanding of his philosophy as a whole. We will begin, however, by reading and discussing work by Carnap, who was the most important influence on Quine. I anticipate spending about three weeks on Carnap, but the time may be longer or shorter, depending on the interests of the class.
<\/span><\/strong>Prerequisites: <\/strong>successful completion of CAS PH 360, or equivalent knowledge of quantification theory.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 426 A1: <\/strong>\u00a0Phenomenology
<\/strong>Professor Walter Hopp
<\/em>Monday <\/em>6:30\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a09:15\u00a0PM
<\/em>Rigorous examination of foundations of philosophical phenomenology in Husserl and others.
Prerequisites: two previous PH courses, or consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120)
BU Hub:<\/strong> Oral and\/or Signed Communication, Writing-Intensive Course, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 458 A1: <\/strong>Crime and Punishment: Philosophical Perspectives (Cross-listed as PO 497)
<\/strong>Professor Susanne Sreedhar
<\/em>Tuesday <\/em>6:30\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a09:15\u00a0PM
<\/em>This course will explore philosophical questions about the criminal justice system, both in its ideal form and as it exists today. We will examine historical and contemporary writings on punishment, focusing on concepts of punishment, justifications for punishment, preventative detention, the death penalty, and alternatives to punishment. We will also ask how deep historical and contemporary injustices, including institutionalized racism, affect how we should theorize about institutions of punishment, their possible reform, or perhaps even their abolition.
Undergraduate Prerequisites:<\/strong> two previous PH courses, or consent of instructor. First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120), PH 350, Permission of instructor.
BU Hub:<\/strong> Writing-Intensive Course, The Individual in Community, Social Inquiry II.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 460 A1: Epistemology
<\/strong>Professor Michaela McSweeney
<\/em>Tuesday <\/em>6:30\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a09:15\u00a0PM
<\/em>An examination of some of the central questions concerning the nature, scope, sources, and structure of knowledge.
Prerequisites:<\/strong> Two courses in Philosophy, CASPH360 recommended but not required.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 468 A1: <\/strong>Philosophical Problems of Logic and Mathematics
<\/strong>Professor Juliet Floyd
<\/em>Tuesday <\/em>3:30\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a06:15\u00a0PM
<\/em>A working through of Godel\u2019s famous 1931 paper on the incompleteness of arithmetic, alongside the proof of Turing\u2019s 1936 proof of the undecidability of logic and Tarski\u2019s analysis of the concept of truth for formalized languages. Warren Goldfarb\u2019s \u201cNotes on Metamathematics\u201d are used alongside the original material. Students learn to carry out techniques of arithmetization of syntax and understand the workings in the context of Godel\u2019s proof, including the formalization of proof, consistency, and other metamathematical notions, and the concept of primitive recursivity.
Prerequisites:<\/strong> CASPH 360.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 470 A1: Philosophy of Physics
<\/strong>Professor Miguel Ohnesorge
<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday <\/em>3:30\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a04:45\u00a0PM
<\/em><\/em>Introduction to central philosophical issues in the theoretical and empirical practice of modern physical science from Newton up to the 21st century. These include interpretational problems surrounding specific concepts (space, time, matter, force), methodological problems concerning the use of mathematics, idealizations, measurement, and statistical inference, and ethical problems concerning morally consequential areas of physical research.
Prerequisites:<\/strong>\u00a0two previous PH courses, or consent of instructor.
BU Hub<\/strong>: Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Scientific Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 476 A1: <\/strong>Philosophy of the Earth Sciences: From Deep Time to the Anthropocene
<\/strong>Professor Alisa Bokulich
<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday <\/em>2:00 PM \u2013 3:15 PM
<\/em>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.
Prerequisites:<\/strong> two previous PH courses, or consent of instructor.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 477 A1: Philosophy of the Social Sciences
<\/strong>Professor Allen Speight
<\/em>Friday <\/em>11:15\u00a0AM \u2013\u00a02:00 PM
<\/em>What do we mean by the term \u201cculture\u201d?\u00a0 What counts as cultural identity and how does it shape us?\u00a0 This course will explore a range of historical and contemporary perspectives on the philosophy of culture, from Kant, Herder, Hegel and Freud to contemporary work on cultural evolution, extended cognition and material culture.
BU Hub:<\/strong> Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

CAS PH 485 A1: Topics in Philosophy of Value: <\/strong>Reasons, Value, and Normativity
<\/strong>Professor Daniel Star
<\/em>Monday <\/em>2:30\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a05:15\u00a0PM
<\/em>In this course we will focus on contemporary work on reasons and normativity, across ethics, epistemology and aesthetics.
Prerequisites:<\/strong> Major or minor in Philosophy, or consent of the instructor.<\/span><\/p>\n

CAS PH 488 A1: Topics in Aesthetics
<\/strong>Professor Aaron Garrett
<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday <\/em>2:00\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a03:15\u00a0PM
<\/em>This course treats issues in the philosophy of film through examining the work of Yasujiro Ozu, widely considered one the greatest film directors. Topics treated will include how to evaluate and read a cinematic corpus, auteur theories, shots, sound, and the distinctiveness of cinema as a medium. Most Tuesdays, PH 488 will meet jointly with a course on Ozu being taught in the Modern Foreign Languages department.
Prerequisites:<\/strong> Sophomore standing.<\/p>\n

GRS \u2013 GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES<\/strong><\/h1>\n

GRS PH 622 A1: <\/strong>Analytic Philosophy
<\/strong>Professor Peter Hylton
<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday <\/em>11:00\u00a0AM \u2013\u00a012:15 PM
<\/em>This course will be focused on the work of Quine, with the aim of achieving an understanding of his philosophy as a whole. We will begin, however, by reading and discussing work by Carnap, who was the most important influence on Quine. I anticipate spending about three weeks on Carnap, but the time may be longer or shorter, depending on the interests of the class.<\/span><\/p>\n

GRS PH 626 A1: <\/strong>Phenomenology
<\/strong>Professor Walter Hopp
<\/em>Monday <\/em>6:30\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a09:15\u00a0PM
<\/em>Rigorous examination of foundations of philosophical phenomenology in Husserl and others.
BU Hub:<\/strong> Oral and\/or Signed Communication, Writing-Intensive Course, Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings.<\/p>\n

GRS PH 660 A1: Epistemology
<\/strong>Professor Michaela McSweeney
<\/em>Tuesday <\/em>6:30\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a09:15\u00a0PM
<\/em>An examination of some of the central questions concerning the nature, scope, sources, and structure of knowledge.<\/p>\n

GRS PH 668 A1: <\/strong>Philosophical Problems of Logic and Mathematics
<\/strong>Professor Juliet Floyd
<\/em>Tuesday <\/em>3:30\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a06:15\u00a0PM
<\/em>A working through of Godel\u2019s famous 1931 paper on the incompleteness of arithmetic, alongside the proof of Turing\u2019s 1936 proof of the undecidability of logic and Tarski\u2019s analysis of the concept of truth for formalized languages. Warren Goldfarb\u2019s \u201cNotes on Metamathematics\u201d are used alongside the original material. Students learn to carry out techniques of arithmetization of syntax and understand the workings in the context of Godel\u2019s proof, including the formalization of proof, consistency, and other metamathematical notions, and the concept of primitive recursivity.<\/p>\n

GRS PH 670 A1: Philosophy of Physics
<\/strong>Professor Miguel Ohnesorge
<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday <\/em>3:30\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a04:45\u00a0PM
<\/em>An introductory survey of fascinating problems in contemporary philosophy of physics. The basic ideas and main features of physical theories, which touch upon nature at its most fundamental level and interact most crucially with philosophy in general, are outlined, so that students will have a road map of the central problems in the field. Throughout, the driving theme is the entanglement of a radical revision in our conceptualization of the world (which is forced upon us by the changes in the physical picture of the world due to major developments in modern physics) with central philosophical.
Prerequisites:<\/strong> two previous PH courses, or consent of instructor.
BU Hub: <\/strong>Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Scientific Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

GRS PH 676 A1:<\/strong> Philosophy of the Earth Sciences: From Deep Time to the Anthropocene
<\/strong>Professor Alisa Bokulich
<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday <\/em>2:00\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a03:30\u00a0PM
<\/em>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.<\/p>\n

GRS PH 677 A1: Philosophy of the Social Sciences
<\/strong>Professor Allen Speight
<\/em>Friday <\/em>11:15\u00a0AM \u2013\u00a02:00 PM
<\/em>What do we mean by the term \u201cculture\u201d?\u00a0 What counts as cultural identity and how does it shape us?\u00a0 This course will explore a range of historical and contemporary perspectives on the philosophy of culture, from Kant, Herder, Hegel and Freud to contemporary work on cultural evolution, extended cognition and material culture.
BU Hub:<\/strong> Philosophical Inquiry and Life’s Meanings, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking.<\/p>\n

GRS PH 685 A1: Topics in Philosophy of Value: <\/strong>Reasons, Value, and Normativity
<\/strong>Professor Daniel Star
<\/em>Monday <\/em>2:30\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a05:15\u00a0PM
<\/em>In this course we will focus on contemporary work on reasons and normativity, across ethics, epistemology and aesthetics.<\/p>\n

GRS PH 688 A1: Topics in Aesthetics
<\/strong>Professor Aaron Garrett
<\/em>Tuesday, Thursday <\/em>2:00\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a03:15\u00a0PM
<\/em>This course treats issues in the philosophy of film through examining the work of Yasujiro Ozu, widely considered one the greatest film directors. Topics treated will include how to evaluate and read a cinematic corpus, auteur theories, shots, sound, and the distinctiveness of cinema as a medium. Most Tuesdays, PH 488 will meet jointly with a course on Ozu being taught in the Modern Foreign Languages department.<\/p>\n

GRS PH 801 A1: Ancient Philosophy I
<\/strong>Professor Cinzia Arruzza
<\/em>Thursday <\/em>6:30\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a09:15\u00a0PM
<\/em>An advanced study of works by either Plato or Aristotle. In Spring 2026, we will read Aristotle\u2019s Nicomachean Ethics.<\/p>\n

GRS PH 991 A1: Dissertation Workshop
<\/strong>Professor Paul Katsafanas
<\/em>Monday <\/em>2:30\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a05:15\u00a0PM<\/em><\/p>\n

GRS PH 994 A1: Placement Seminar
<\/strong><\/em>Professor Victor Kumar
<\/em>Friday <\/em>11:15\u00a0AM \u2013\u00a02:00 PM<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CAS \u2013 College of Arts & Sciences CAS PH 100 A1: Introduction to Philosophy Professor\u00a0Daniel Munro Monday, Wednesday, Friday\u00a012:20\u00a0PM \u2013\u00a01:10\u00a0AM Introduces the nature of philosophical activity through careful study of major philosophical topics. Topics may include the nature of reality, knowledge, God\u2019s existence, and the significance of human life. BU Hub:\u00a0Philosophical Inquiry and Life\u2019s Meanings, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23543,"featured_media":0,"parent":8910,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/philo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10189"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/philo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/philo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/philo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23543"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/philo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10189"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/philo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10264,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/philo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10189\/revisions\/10264"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/philo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/philo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}