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| Philosophy (School of Humanities and Social Sciences) |
| PHIL-1110 Introduction to Philosophy An introduction to the major areas of philosophy (ethics, theory of knowledge, philosophy of religion, etc.) and to some of the main problems treated within these fields. Selections from contemporary as well as classical authors are studied and discussed. Students are encouraged to develop a disciplined approach to intellectual problems. Emphasis varies with the instructor. Fall and spring terms annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-2130 Introduction to Philosophy of Science How does science stimulate philosophical thinking and how has philosophy influenced science? This broad range of interaction is studied with special attention given to the concepts of theory, observation, and scientific method. Special attention is given to issues basic to psychology, in particular, reductionism, behaviorism, functionalism, and cognitivism. (Cross listed as STSH-2130. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSH-2130.) Fall term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-2140 Introduction to Logic Introduction to first-order logic as a tool to be used in engineering, computer science, philosophy, etc., and as procedural knowledge helpful in puzzle-solving environments (e.g., standardized tests). A hands-on laboratory component is included. No previous logic or math presupposed. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-2150 Inspired Lives: Moral Exemplars and Visionaries We focus on the character and conscience, teaching and deeds of reputed ethical exemplars. Everyday “local heroes” working in obscurity in our communities are highlighted alongside ethical superstars like Mother Teresa, Gandhi, or King. How do exemplars embody and function as models of character development and aspiration? What lessons can we draw from these exemplary lives for our workaday lives and personal reflections. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-2220 Philosophy of Technology How is life within our technosystem different from or similar to other forms of life that humans have lived or are possible? This is the guiding question for the course, with emphasis on environmental ethics and ecology. Readings come from both analytic and existentialist traditions in philosophy as well as current scholarship in psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Alternate years. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-2300 Asian Philosophies An introduction to the major Asian philosophical traditions. Comparisons between different Asian traditions and between Asian and non-Asian traditions as appropriate. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-2500 Bioethics This course involves a philosophical analysis of some of the basic moral issues raised by recent and anticipated developments in the areas of biology and medicine. The general question “What are moral problems, and how does one resolve them?” is examined in the context of concrete cases involving issues such as abortion, euthanasia, organ transplants, experimentation on human patients, cloning, genetic engineering, behavior control and modification. (Cross-listed as STSH-2500.) Spring term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-2600 Moral Development An analysis of psychological research on how our commonsense moral beliefs develop from early childhood through old age and their application to daily problems. A major focus is on the conflict between themes of justice or individual rights and caring compassion and its relation to gender differences (the Kohlberg/Gilligan debate). (Cross listed as PSYC-2600. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and PSYC-2600.) Annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-2710 Sanity, Madness, and Society An examination of the models of a human being associated with various theories of madness (e.g., the psychoanalytic theory), and of the structure of interpersonal relationships in such settings as the family and mental institutions. The social and ethical implications of saying that someone is mentally ill, together with the claim that there is no such fact as mental illness, are also examined. Readings are drawn from the work of such authors as Laing, Szasz, Goffman, Sartre, Bateson, and Freud. (Cross listed as STSH-2710. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSH-2710.) Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-2720 Masculine/Feminine What are our conceptions of being a woman or a man, a daughter or a son, a wife or a husband, a mother or a father? This course attempts to answer this question from a variety of perspectives, including history, biology, social psychology, anthropology, and especially philosophy. Emphasis is placed on the potential for sexual liberation in being friends or lovers, in a marriage or a family, as well as in a career. (Cross listed as STSH-2720. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSH-2720.) Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-2830 Comparative Religion What is religion? What are its origins? What are its essential practices? To answer these questions, different religious traditions-Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto are studied in terms of their concepts of radical defectiveness, the sacred, ways of ultimate transformation, and human perfection. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-2940 Philosophy Studies Independent study of a particular topic. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. 1 to 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-2960 Topics in Philosophy Experimental courses on subjects to be announced in advance. 1 to 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-2990 Senior Thesis 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4220 Social and Political Philosophy An exploration of such concepts as freedom, rights, and consent and their interrelationship; and a consideration of their bearing on questions of justice, law, and human welfare. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4240 Ethics A critical examination of traditional and contemporary works in ethical theory by considering what these theories have to say about how we should live, what rights and obligations we have, what things are intrinsically valuable. Typically this includes such topics as ethical and cultural relativism, egoism, freedom, and responsibility. Often the focus will be on contemporary issues such as war, abortion, equality, or punishment. Fall or spring term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4260 Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence This course may be roughly divided into two general areas: philosophical problems in AI and philosophical issues that arise because of AI. An example from the first area is the Knower Paradox, a paradox in which an apparently desirable formalism for handling an agent’s knowledge leads to inconsistency; an example from the second area is John Searle’s attack on so-called “Strong” AI by way of his Chinese Room argument, wherein he claims that because a computer at bottom just manipulates symbols it cannot genuinely understand. Prerequisite: PHIL-2140. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4300 Environmental Philosophy While concepts such as quality of life, environment, nature, global ecology, and the like figure heavily in contemporary discussions, they are seldom integrated into an environmental philosophy. The course tries to achieve this integration by understanding some of the religious, mythic-poetic, and scientific dimensions of the man-nature matrix. Some specific environmental problems are examined in order to illustrate the system of values implied by various solutions. (Cross listed as STSH-4300. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSH-4300.) Prerequisite: junior or senior standing or permission of instructor. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4310 Scientific Revolutions What is progress in science? How has our concept of progress been influenced by science? Are there significant differences between scientific and technological revolutions? These questions are explored in order to shed light on the complex dynamics of academic and industrial research. (Cross listed as STSH-4310. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSH-4310.) Prerequisite: PHIL-1110 or PHIL-2130/STSH-2130. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4360 Philosophical Problems of Space and Time Relevant aspects of the work of Kant, Leibniz, and Newton; Gauss, Riemann, and Poincare; Faraday, Maxwell, and Einstein. Special attention is given to the historical development of non-Euclidean geometries and the distinction between mathematical and physical geometry. Ultimately, the aim is to clarify the conceptual structure of special and general relativity by showing the problem context in which they evolved. Prerequisite: PHIL-2130 or permission of instructor. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4380 Philosophy of Mathematics Basic schools of thought about the nature of mathematical reality are described and critically analyzed. Special topics include artificial intelligence, randomness, and the work of George Cantor on transfinite numbers. Prerequisite: PHIL-1110 or PHIL-2130. Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4420 Computability and Logic A team-based, project-oriented, hands-on introduction to the great concepts and discoveries in logic and computability, including Turing Machines, first-order logic, the limitations of computing machines, Godel’s incompleteness results, and so forth. A hands-on laboratory component is included. Prerequisite: PHIL-2140. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4440 Knowledge, Belief, and Cognition or Theory of Knowledge An exploration of what it means to know something, of the difference between knowing and believing, and of the relation between a knowledge claim and the evidence on which the claim is based. Students attempt to find philosophical counters to skepticism in respect to memory, knowledge, truth, knowledge of the physical world, of the self, and of other minds. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4520 Existentialism An examination of the works of such writers as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, and Jaspers. Attention is also given to the thought of Husserl and to the phenomenological movement. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or permission of instructor. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4570 Buddhism A study of the conditions of human suffering and human perfection according to Buddhism. The course ranges from the original teaching of Buddha to the development of Buddhism throughout Asia, including China, Tibet, and Japan. Buddhist, Chinese, and Western views of the nature of causation, freedom, existence, and human nature are compared. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy or senior standing. Alternate years. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4650, PHIL-4660 Study of a Philosophic Problem I, II Devoted to intensive study of a major philosophic issue, examining the problem as it has been treated by both contemporary and traditional philosophers. The problem to be studied during a particular semester is announced at the time of registration. Among the problems studied are personal identity, meaning and representation, the concept of nature. Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours each |
| PHIL-4720 Metaphysics A study of how to talk about what there is. This course is concerned with the philosophical claims that have been made about existence, being, and reality, and the problem of evaluating such claims, especially in the context of the claims made by science about the same issues. Some traditional philosophical and scientific texts are discussed, but recent sources will also be important. (Cross listed as STSH-4720. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSH-4720.) Prerequisite: one philosophy or STS course or permission of instructor. Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4740 Philosophy of Law The course examines the following questions: What is law? What is the relationship between law and morality? Is there a moral obligation not to break the law? Detailed examination is given to the concepts of liberty, justice, responsibility, and punishment. (Cross listed as STSH-4740. Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and STSH-4740.) Prerequisite: one philosophy or STS course or permission of instructor. Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4750 Cognition and Education We think of ourselves pre-scientifically, as “floating observers” in a theater of experience, mentally directing deliberations and willing actions. Educators approach our “aptitudes” in this way. But suppose we are primarily brains, operating as decentralized, parallel processing computational systems? How should we think of ourselves then? If we have multiple (unconscious) intelligences–not a single understanding–how should education be tailored to serve? We address such questions through cognitive science and philosophy of mind. Prerequisite: one previous course in philosophy or psychology. Annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4800 Comparative Cognition What are the fundamental assumptions of cognitive science? Using a comparative approach, this course examines assumptions about the nature of mind, knowledge, self, and reality that underlie contemporary cognitive science from the perspective of traditional Buddhist mind science. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy. Alternate years. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4810 Great Philosophers What makes a thinker “great”? Why do some works continue to guide and inspire? Students read original texts from the great philosophers from Plato to Sartre and seek to discover what themes are of lasting value and why. Emphasis is placed upon the application of philosophical thought to real life. Prerequisite: one previous course in philosophy. Fall term alternate years. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-4940 Topics in Philosophy Experimental courses on subjects to be announced in advance. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. 1 to 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-6240 Logic and Artificial Intelligence This course is about the connection between logic and artificial intelligence (AI). It may be partitioned into three general sections: (1) the straightforward application of first-order logic (FOL) in AI; (2) the broadening of FOL to enable a robot to reason in a commonsense way (nonmonotonic reasoning, induction, etc.) and to formalize a robot agent’s belief and knowledge system (modal logics, etc.); and (3) using a logical approach to the Frame Problem and to building a planner. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-6360 Foundations of Science This seminar explores the issues of confirmation, semantics, and interpretations of scientific theories. Positivism, realism, and the logic of scientific discovery are discussed with special attention given to foundational problems in physics and psychology. Students should have some background in philosophy of science. Annually. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-6740 Philosophy of Mind A study of some current issues in philosophical psychology and philosophy of psychology. The following are representative of the questions discussed: Is a person identical with his body? Is consciousness a brain process? Can computers think? Do avowals have truth-value? Is psychology possible? Occasionally additional topics are selected from such areas as phenomenology (Merleau-Ponty, Sartre) and structuralism (Levi-Strauss, Barthes). Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-6810, PHIL-6820 Graduate Seminar I, II This course is reserved for intensive study of some area of philosophy of mutual interest to graduate students and faculty. Offered on availability of instructor. 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-6940 Philosophy Studies Independent study of a particular topic. Fall and spring terms annually. 1 to 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-6960 Topics in Philosophy Fall and spring terms annually. 1 to 4 credit hours |
| PHIL-6990 Master’s Thesis Active participation in research, under the supervision of a faculty adviser, leading to a master’s thesis. Grades of IP are assigned until the thesis has been approved by the faculty adviser and accepted by the Office of Graduate Education to be archived in a standard format in the library. Grades will then be listed as S. 1 to 9 credit hours |
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 110 8th St., Troy, NY 12180. (518) 276-6000 Please direct questions regarding this site to catalog@rpi.edu. |