Philosophy
[ graduate program | courses | faculty ]
7002 Humanities and Social Sciences Building
Muir College
http://philosophy.ucsd.edu
All courses, faculty listings, and curricular and degree requirements described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice.
Introduction to the Department
Philosophy addresses some of the most basic questions humans ask about the world. Some questions are very broad, such as how can minds know about the external world, themselves, and other minds? How can we arrive at reasonable answers to ethical questions about right and wrong? What distinguishes science from other kinds of knowledge and are there limits to science? What is the role of moral choice and values in human life? Do standards of truth and logic apply in areas such as religion, art, politics, and law?
Philosophy also seeks answers to particular problems in specific areas of science, medicine, law, ethics, and technology. For example, it explores the ways that modern physics impacts our notions of space, time, causation, and nature itself. It considers the ways that neuroscience and genetics impact the traditional ideas about free will and responsibility. It debates the limits of democratic governments in regulating individuals’ conduct. It wrestles with problems about the right to die and the varied responsibilities of medical professionals. It inquires into the relation between science and religion. Related issues concern privacy, the limits of private property, and who should have access to what information.
Career Guidance
Philosophy is a broad field with diverse subfields. Some students may want to pursue a general course of study for the major, sampling courses across several of these distinct subfields. This strategy develops a solid foundation for graduate work in philosophy and for any career that requires breadth of knowledge, intellectual flexibility, as well as communicative and analytic skills.
Other students may wish to pursue a more specialized program of studies. Below are descriptions of several areas of emphasis within philosophy. These illustrate the possibilities of developing your own coherent and focused set of courses that fulfill the requirements for the major in ways that are tailored to your specific intellectual and career interests. Philosophy is preparation for a wide range of careers—including science, law, medicine, teaching, business, and public policy.
Choosing a philosophy major is an excellent way to follow a disciplined and rigorous course of study that joins the breadth of a traditional college education with specialization in a chosen area.
Undergraduate Program—Major
The Department of Philosophy offers the bachelor of arts (BA) in philosophy for the undergraduate major. A major in philosophy requires a total of fifteen philosophy courses, at least twelve of which must be upper-division (courses numbered 100 and above). Up to two upper-division courses outside of philosophy can count among the twelve required for the major if they are drawn from a related field and contribute to the major’s philosophical program; such credit must be approved by the undergraduate adviser. Honors and directed study courses (PHIL 191–199) may not be used to satisfy the major requirement of fifteen philosophy courses. Major requirements may be met by examination.
There is no required introduction to philosophy or the major. The department offers a variety of lower-division courses and sequences (numbered 1–99), any of which could be a suitable introduction to philosophy. The only required lower-division course for majors is PHIL 10, Introduction to Logic.
At the upper-division level, majors are encouraged to take courses in the central areas of philosophical study:
- Metaphysics and Epistemology
- Law, Ethics, and Politics
- Philosophy of Science and Logic
- History of Philosophy
Though many upper-division courses have no prerequisite, any combination of three lower-division courses would provide a good foundation for taking most upper-division courses.
Core Requirements for the Major
- History of Philosophy. A history of philosophy core sequence PHIL 110, 111, and 112. These courses must be taken in order.
- Logic. PHIL 10 and PHIL 120 are required of all majors. Because PHIL 120 is a prerequisite for a variety of upper-division courses, prospective majors are strongly encouraged to take PHIL 10 and PHIL 120 as early as possible.
- Moral and Political Philosophy. Majors must take at least one upper-division course in moral or political philosophy from among PHIL 160, 161, 166, or 167.
- Metaphysics and Epistemology. Majors must take at least one upper-division course in traditional areas of analytic philosophy—metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, and philosophy of mind—from among PHIL 130, 131, 132, 134, or 136.
- Philosophy of Science. Majors must take at least one upper-division course in philosophy of science from among PHIL 145, 146, 147, 149, 150, 151, or 152.
Optional Areas of Emphasis in the Major
The Department of Philosophy offers four optional areas of emphasis within the major, as described below. Students selecting an optional area of emphasis for the major must take and pass five of the courses listed under that area. Courses taken to complete an area of emphasis are counted toward the fifteen courses required for the major. Particular courses may be applied both to the completion of the area of emphasis and in fulfillment of a core requirement for the major. Students should be aware, as they plan their course of study, that only some of the courses listed for an area of emphasis will be taught in any given year.
The department encourages students considering a philosophy major to consult with the philosophy undergraduate coordinator and the philosophy faculty undergraduate adviser to plan a program of study that is suitable to their particular interests and needs. The department website http://philosophy.ucsd.edu provides additional information about courses falling within each area of emphasis. Areas of emphasis are not noted on transcripts or diplomas. The optional areas of emphasis are:
1. Law, Ethics, and Society
This area targets the nature and source of our moral rights and obligations, the authority of the state and law, the basis of value and goodness. Several courses in this area target ethical issues in medicine, the environment, technological change, economic inequality, and matters concerning race, gender, class, ethnicity, and nationality. In this area, students will learn how moral and legal reasoning can reshape the political debates over abortion, the death penalty, privacy on the internet, genetic testing, religious tolerance, free speech, affirmative action, and other issues.
This area is excellent preparation for law school as well as for postgraduate study and careers in public policy.
PHIL 148. Philosophy and the Environment
PHIL 152. Philosophy of Social Science
PHIL 160. Ethical Theory
PHIL 161. Topics in the History of Ethics
PHIL 162. Contemporary Moral Issues
PHIL 163. Biomedical Ethics
PHIL 164. Technology and Human Values
PHIL 166. Classics in Political Philosophy
PHIL 167. Contemporary Political Philosophy
PHIL 168. Philosophy of Law
PHIL 170. Philosophy and Race
2. Science, Technology, and Medicine
This emphasis focuses on the insights and challenges presented by science. Modern science and technologies affect our view of ourselves and of nature, introducing novel promises and problems. For instance, how do we balance technical, economic, environmental, and ethical values in making decisions concerning which technologies or drugs to develop? Modern science has also changed our understanding of nature. Quantum physics, the genetic revolution, and neuroscience (to name a few) present problems and have important implications for human life. Finally, there are questions about science itself. What are the methods of modern science? Do they vary from one science to another? Can the sciences be value free?
This area will appeal especially to those students interested in pursuing careers in philosophy, science, clinical medicine, medical research, the social sciences, science journalism, and public policy.
PHIL 123. Philosophy of Logic
PHIL 145. Philosophy of Science
PHIL 146. Philosophy of Physics
PHIL 147. Philosophy of Biology
PHIL 148. Philosophy and the Environment
PHIL 149. Philosophy of Psychology
PHIL 150. Philosophy of Cognitive Sciences
PHIL 151. Philosophy of Neuroscience
PHIL 152. Philosophy of Social Science
PHIL 163. Biomedical Ethics
PHIL 164. Technology and Human Values
3. Mind, Brain, and Cognitive Sciences
Traditional epistemology (the theory of how and what we know) and philosophy of mind (the theory of that-which-perceives-and-thinks) have recently been joined by several scientific disciplines in a collective search for illuminating theories. Psychology, cognitive neurobiology, computer science, and sociology have all made explosive contributions to a tradition as old as Plato and Aristotle. For example, our growing understanding of the biological brain has given new life to our traditional attempts to understand the nature of the mind. New accounts of the various mechanisms of cognition—both at the cellular and the social levels—have provided entirely new perspectives on the nature of consciousness, the self, knowledge and free will, and on the nature of science itself.
This area is excellent preparation for careers in cognitive science, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, science journalism, and philosophy.
PHIL 132. Epistemology
PHIL 134. Philosophy of Language
PHIL 136. Philosophy of Mind
PHIL 145. Philosophy of Science
PHIL 147. Philosophy of Biology
PHIL 149. Philosophy of Psychology
PHIL 150. Philosophy of Cognitive Sciences
PHIL 151. Philosophy of Neuroscience
PHIL 180. Phenomenology
4. Historical Perspectives on Philosophy, Science, and Religion
Throughout its history, philosophy has developed in a complex relationship with the natural sciences and religion. Philosophical ideas have both contributed to and challenged our understanding of nature and God, and developments in the sciences and religion have posed new challenges for philosophical thinking. The historical perspectives emphasis focuses on the fertile interplay between philosophy, science, and religion in several key periods: ancient Greece, the Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment Europe. The aim is not simply to document the history of philosophical ideas, but to use this history as a way of better understanding contemporary debates about the basic questions of human life.
This area prepares students for postgraduate work in philosophy, and for any career that requires breadth of knowledge, intellectual flexibility, as well as communicative and analytical skills.
PHIL 100. Plato
PHIL 101. Aristotle
PHIL 102. Hellenistic Philosophy
PHIL 104. The Rationalists
PHIL 105. The Empiricists
PHIL 106. Kant
PHIL 107. Hegel
PHIL 108. Nineteenth-Century Philosophy
PHIL 109. History of Analytic Philosophy
PHIL 161. Topics in the History of Ethics
PHIL 166. Classics in Political Philosophy
PHIL 180. Phenomenology
PHIL 181. Existentialism
PHIL 183. Topics in Continental Philosophy
Honors Program
The Department of Philosophy offers an honors program for outstanding students in the major. Majors who have a 3.7 GPA in philosophy (3.25 overall) at the end of their junior year and who have taken at least four upper-division philosophy courses are eligible to apply. Interested students must consult with a faculty sponsor by the last day of classes during the spring term of their junior year. Admission to the honors program requires nomination by a faculty sponsor and approval of the undergraduate adviser. Nominating Petitions can be obtained from the philosophy department.
In addition to the usual major requirements, an honors student is required to complete a senior honors thesis by the end of winter quarter. During the fall and winter quarters, the student will be registered for PHIL 191A and 191B and will be engaged in thesis research that will be supervised and evaluated by the student’s faculty sponsor. A departmental committee will read and assess the completed thesis and determine if philosophy honors are to be awarded. Honors students are expected to maintain an average of 3.7 or better for all work taken in the program. (Qualified students wishing to participate in the honors program according to a different timetable than the one described above can apply to do so by petitioning the undergraduate adviser.)
Transfer Credit
Courses taken at other institutions may be applied toward the major by petition only. Petitions should be submitted to the Department of Philosophy undergraduate coordinator, and must be accompanied by supporting materials (transcripts, syllabi, course work, etc.). Students are required to submit one petition per transfer course.
For specific regulations regarding transfer credit for PHIL 10 (Introduction to Logic), please see the information on the department website: http://philosophy.ucsd.edu.
It is important to note that seven of the twelve upper-division courses in the major must be taken in the Department of Philosophy at UC San Diego.
Note: All courses applied toward the major must be taken for a letter grade.
Undergraduate Program—Minor
The Department of Philosophy offers a minor in philosophy. As with the major, the minor is an attractive option for a wide range of career paths, including medicine, law, research in the natural and social sciences, journalism, education, and government. A minor requires a total of seven philosophy courses, at least five of which must be upper division. If choosing an area of emphasis, at least four upper-division courses must be from the chosen area of emphasis. All courses must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a C– or better.
Undergraduate Program—Bioethics Minor
The Bioethics Minor is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of important ethical questions concerning life in a wide variety of contexts, knowledge of the most promising and influential approaches to such issues, and the skill to apply foundational frameworks and critical reasoning to new issues as they arise. Students will explore pressing questions in a wide variety of contexts, such as medical and clinical ethics, distributive justice in health care, as well as environmental and climate ethics—including questions arising from the latest technological, medical, and scientific innovation in such areas as geo-engineering, human genetic engineering, synthetic biology, health care technologies, and big data, such as: What principles of distributive justice should regulate the allocation of scarce medical resources? Should priority be given to extending lives or to improving their quality? Is it permissible to select the genetic traits of one’s children? What are the goals of regenerative medicine? What is informed consent, and under what conditions is it required? In response to climate change, should “geoengineering” play a role, and should we take a more hands-on approach in environmental conservation when hoping to improve biodiversity? The minor builds on the Philosophy Department’s resources in ethical theory, political philosophy, philosophy of science and values, and interdisciplinary research, and complements and connects with a number of programs across the campus in the natural and social sciences, and engineering.
The minor will require seven courses (twenty-eight units) in all, one from each of five core categories, and two electives. A maximum of two may be lower-division courses.
Core Requirements for the Bioethics Minor
- Ethics: Minors must take either PHIL 13 or PHIL 160.
- Biomedical Ethics: Minors must take PHIL 163. Biomedical Ethics.
- Social Ethics: Minors must take at least one course from among PHIL 26, 27, 162, 164, and 167.
- Philosophy and Science: Minors must take at least one course from among PHIL 12, 145, 147, 137, 149, 150, 151, and 152.
- Topics in Bioethics: Minors must take PHIL 173. Topics in Bioethics.
Electives for the Bioethics Minor
Minors must take two courses from the following:
The courses already listed under the core requirements, (1) - (5)
PHIL 10. Logic
PHIL 120. Symbolic Logic
PHIL 148. Philosophy and the Environment
PHIL 169. Feminism and Philosophy
PHIL 170. Philosophy and Race
HISC 116. History of Bioethics
FPMU 40. Introduction to Public Health
FPMU 50. Primary Care and Public Health
USP 143. The US Health Care System
BILD 36. AIDS, Science, and Society
BILD 38. Dementia, Science, and Society
Undergraduate Program—Philosophy of Cognitive Science Minor
The Philosophy of Cognitive Science Minor is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of important questions at the intersection of philosophy and the contemporary cognitive sciences, knowledge of the most influential approaches to such issues, and the skill to apply foundational frameworks and critical reasoning to new issues arising within the context of scientific discovery. Students will explore longstanding “big questions” about the mind that have long occupied philosophers, such as: What are minds? What are mental states? How are minds related to bodies? What is consciousness? How does perception differ from cognition? How do we form beliefs in response to evidence? This is done with the tools of the contemporary cognitive sciences, and brand new foundational questions that arise specifically within the context of the sciences, such as: What are representations and what explanatory role do they have? In what sense, if any, is the mind composed of modules? Are some mental capacities innate?
The Philosophy of Cognitive Science Minor builds on the Department of Philosophy’s resources in interdisciplinary philosophy of mind, philosophy of perception, philosophy of language, and philosophy of psychology, and connects with a number of programs across the campus in engineering and the social sciences.
The minor will require seven courses (twenty-eight units) in all: four from a list of core upper-division philosophy of cognitive science courses and three elective courses from affiliated departments outside philosophy. A maximum of two elective courses may be lower-division courses. All courses must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a C– or better.
Core Requirements for the Philosophy of Cognitive Science Minor
Core philosophy of cognitive science. Minors must take four upper-division courses from this list:
PHIL 132. Epistemology
PHIL 134. Philosophy of Language
PHIL 136. Philosophy of Mind
PHIL 137. Moral Psychology
PHIL 142. Philosophy of Emotion
PHIL 143. Philosophy of Perception
PHIL 145. Philosophy of Science
PHIL 149. Philosophy of Psychology
PHIL 150. Philosophy of the Cognitive Sciences
PHIL 151. Philosophy of Neuroscience
Electives for the Philosophy of Cognitive Science Minor
Outside elective courses. Minors must take three courses from outside philosophy, drawn from the following list:
Cognitive Science
COGS 1. Introduction to Cognitive Science
COGS 2. Cognitive Neuroeconomics
COGS 11. Minds and Brains
COGS 12. Language, Culture, and Cognition
COGS 17. Neurobiology of Cognition
COGS 100. Cyborgs Now and in the Future
COGS 101A. Sensation and Perception
COGS 101B. Learning, Memory, and Attention
COGS 101C. Language
COGS 102A. Cognitive Perspectives
COGS 102B. Cognitive Ethnography
COGS 102C. Cognitive Design Studio
COGS 107A. Neuroanatomy and Physiology
COGS 107B. Systems Neuroscience
COGS 107C. Cognitive Neuroscience
COGS 110. The Developing Mind
COGS 115. Neurological Development and Cognitive Change
COGS 118A. Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms
COGS 118B. Introduction to Machine Learning II
COGS 118C. Neural Signal Processing
COGS 123. Social Computing
COGS 126. Human-Computer Interaction
COGS 143. Animal Cognition
COGS 144. Social Cognition: A Developmental and Evolutionary Perspective
COGS 151. Analogy and Conceptual Systems
COGS 152. Cognitive Foundations of Mathematics
COGS 153. Language Comprehension
COGS 154. Communication Disorders in Children and Adults
COGS 155. Gesture and Cognition
COGS 156. Language Development
COGS 157. Music and the Mind
COGS 163. Metabolic Disorders of the Brain
COGS 164. Neurobiology of Motivation
COGS 169. Genetic Information for Behavior: From Single Cells to Mammals
COGS 170. Brain Waves Across Scales
COGS 171. Mirror Neuron System
COGS 172. Brain Disorders and Cognition
COGS 174. Drugs: Brain, Mind, and Culture
COGS 175. The Neuropsychological Basis of Alternate States of Consciousness
COGS 176. From Sleep to Attention
COGS 177. Space and Time in the Brain
COGS 178. Genes, Brains, and Behavior
COGS 179. Electrophysiology of Cognition
COGS 180. Decision-Making in the Brain
COGS 181. Neural Networks and Deep Learning
COGS 184. Modeling the Evolution of Cognition
COGS 185. Advanced Machine Learning Methods
COGS 188. Artificial Intelligence Algorithms
COGS 189. Brain Computer Interfaces
Communication
COMM 10. Introduction to Communication
COMM 102D. MMPP: Practicum in Child Development
COMM 108D. POB: Disability
COMM 110G. LLC: Communication in Organizations
COMM 110M. LLC: Communication and Community
COMM 110P. LLC: Language and Human Communication
COMM 110T. LLC: Language, Thought, and Media
COMM 112C. IM: The Idea of Childhood
COMM 112G. IM: Language and Globalization
COMM 168. Bilingual Communication
Computer Science and Engineering
CSE 100. Advanced Data Structures
CSE 101. Design and Analysis of Algorithms
CSE 103. A Practical Introduction to Probability and Statistics
CSE 105. Theory of Computability
CSE 106. Discrete and Continuous Optimization
CSE 118. Ubiquitous Computing
CSE 145. Embedded System Design Project
CSE 150A. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Probabilistic Reasoning and Decision-Making
CSE 150B. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Search and Reasoning
CSE 151A. Introduction to Machine Learning
CSE 151B. Deep Learning
CSE 152. Introduction to Computer Vision
CSE 152A. Introduction to Computer Vision I
CSE 152B. Introduction to Computer Vision II
CSE 156. Statistical Natural Language Processing
CSE 165. 3-D User Interaction
CSE 166. Image Processing
CSE 170. Interaction Design
CSE 180. Biology Meets Computing
CSE 180R. Biology Meets Computing
Linguistics
LIGN 4. Language as a Cognitive System
LIGN 6. Computers and Language
LIGN 101. Introduction to the Study of Language
LIGN 110. Phonetics
LIGN 111. Phonology
LIGN 112. Speech Sounds and Speech Disorders
LIGN 113. Hearing Science and Hearing Disorders
LIGN 119. First and Second Language Learning: From Childhood through Adolescence
LIGN 120. Morphology
LIGN 121. Syntax I
LIGN 130. Semantics
LIGN 144. Discourse Analysis: American Sign Language and Performing Arts
LIGN 146. Sociolinguistics in Deaf Communities
LIGN 148. Psycholinguistics of Sign Language
LIGN 150. Historical Linguistics
LIGN 154. Language and Consciousness
LIGN 155. Evolution of Language
LIGN 160. Pragmatics
LIGN 165. Computational Linguistics
LIGN 167. Deep Learning for Natural Language Understanding
LIGN 170. Psycholinguistics
LIGN 171. Child Language Acquisition
LIGN 174. Gender and Language in Society
LIGN 175. Sociolinguistics
LIGN 177. Multilingualism
LIGN 180. Language Representation in the Brain
LIGN 181. Language Processing in the Brain
Psychology
PSYC 1. Psychology
PSYC 2. General Psychology: Biological Foundations
PSYC 3. General Psychology: Cognitive Foundations
PSYC 4. General Psychology: Behavioral Foundations
PSYC 6. General Psychology: Social Foundations
PSYC 7. General Psychology: Developmental Foundations
PSYC 101. Developmental Psychology
PSYC 102. Sensory Neuroscience
PSYC 104. Social Psychology
PSYC 105. Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 106. Behavioral Neuroscience
PSYC 108. Cognitive Neuroscience
PSYC 113. Electroencephalogram (EEG) Lab
PSYC 114. Psychophysiological Perspectives on the Social Mind Laboratory
PSYC 115A. Laboratory in Cognitive Psychology I
PSYC 115B. Laboratory in Cognitive Psychology II
PSYC 118. Laboratory in Animal Behavior
PSYC 120. Learning and Motivation
PSYC 121. Laboratory in Operant Psychology
PSYC 122. Mechanisms of Animal Behavior
PSYC 123. Cognitive Control and Frontal Lobe Function
PSYC 128. Psychology of Reading
PSYC 129. Logic of Perception
PSYC 130. Delay of Gratification
PSYC 131. Scientific Racism: Genetics, Intelligence, and Race
PSYC 132. Hormones and Behavior
PSYC 133. Circadian Rhythms—Biological Clocks
PSYC 136. Cognitive Development
PSYC 137. Social Cognition
PSYC 138. Sound and Music Perception
PSYC 139. The Social Psychology of Sport
PSYC 140. Human Behavior Laboratory
PSYC 141. Evolution and Human Nature
PSYC 142. Psychology of Consciousness
PSYC 143. Control and Analysis of Human Behavior
PSYC 144. Memory and Amnesia
PSYC 145. Psychology of Language
PSYC 146. Language and Conceptual Development
PSYC 147. Gender
PSYC 148. Psychology of Judgment and Decision
PSYC 150. Cognitive Neuroscience of Vision
PSYC 152. Conceptions of Intelligence
PSYC 153. Psychology of Emotion
PSYC 154. Behavior Modification
PSYC 155. Social Psychology and Medicine
PSYC 156. Cognitive Development in Infancy
PSYC 157. Happiness
PSYC 158. Interpersonal Relationships
PSYC 159. Physiological Basis of Perception
PSYC 166. History of Psychology
PSYC 167. Science of Imagination
PSYC 168. Psychological Disorders of Childhood
PSYC 169. Brain Damage and Mental Function
PSYC 170. Cognitive Neuropsychology
PSYC 171. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
PSYC 172. Psychology of Human Sexuality
PSYC 173. Psychology of Food and Behavior
PSYC 174. Visual Cognition
PSYC 175. Science of Mindfulness
PSYC 176. Creativity
PSYC 179. Drugs, Addiction, and Mental Disorders
PSYC 180. Adolescence
PSYC 182. Illusions and the Brain
PSYC 184. Choice and Self-Control
PSYC 186. Evolutionary Psychology
PSYC 187. Development of Social Cognition
PSYC 188. Impulse Control Disorders
PSYC 189. Brain, Behavior, and Evolution
PSYC 190. Science of Parenting
PSYC 191. Psychology of Sleep
Enrollment in these courses is subject to the normal prerequisites and requirements in place in these departments. Outside elective courses need not be from any single department, though students are encouraged to consult with affiliated faculty in philosophy for assistance selecting a coherent group of courses in this category.
Grade rules for majors/minors: All courses applied toward the major and minors must be completed with a grade of C– or better. Further, a GPA of 2.0 must be maintained in courses applied toward the major or minor. It should be noted that courses taken under the Pass/Not Pass (P/NP) grading option cannot be applied toward the major or minors.
Grade Rules for Majors/Minors
All courses applied toward the major or minor must be completed with a grade of C– or better. Further, a GPA of 2.0 must be maintained in courses applied toward the major or minor. It should be noted that courses taken under the Pass/Not Pass (P/NP) grading option cannot be applied toward the major or minor.
Advising Office
Students who desire additional information concerning our course offerings or program should contact the undergraduate coordinator at H&SS 7030, or call (858) 534-3077.