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Philosophy Department
UC Santa Cruz
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Phone (831) 459-2070
Fax (831) 459-2650
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Lower-Division Courses
Phil 9, Intro to Logic (Fruhling) Class #62077
MWF 8-9:10 AM, Classroom Unit 1
A study of correct reasoning, concentrating on developing the skills necessary to distinguish logically correct from logically incorrect arguments. The emphasis is on modern symbolic logic, although the traditional theory of the syllogism is also covered.
Phil 28, Environmental Ethics (Metcalf) Class #62078
TTh12-1:45 PM, Classroom Unit 1
This course is an introduction to the moral issues raised by our interactions
with nonhuman animals and with the rest of the natural environment. The course
will relate traditional moral theories to contemporary literature on the ethics
of nature conservation and environmental protection. The course is intended as
a first course in philosophy as well as a first course in ethics; therefore,
questions concerning the nature of philosophical inquiry and the ways in which
philosophical inquiry is different from inquiries conducted within other disciplines
will also be addressed.
Phil 80E, Latin American Philosophy (Winther) Class #64615
MWF 11 AM-12:10 PM, Oakes 105
(Also offered as LALS 80E)
History Courses
Phil 94, The Empiricists (Guevara) Class # 63698
MWF 12:30-1:40 PM, Thimann 1
A critical study (based on original texts) of Locke, Berkeley, and especially
Hume on the nature of knowledge, perception, causation, morality, religion,
and political society.
Phil 109, Phenomenology (D. Hoy) Class # 63854
TTh 12-1:45 PM, Cowell 134
Note: The “Phenomenology and Poststructuralism” course has now been divided into two separate courses. This course is the Poststructuralism part of the old Philosophy 109. Next fall Jocelyn Hoy will teach the “Phenomenology” part as Philosophy 108. Students who take 109 this spring may also take 108 next fall.
Topic: This quarter the emphasis will be on the thought of Michel Foucault, with some attention to Jacques Derrida and Gilles Deleuze. We will follow the development of Foucault’s theory of disciplinary power and bio-power by reading the recently published lectures he gave between 1973 and 1982 at the Collège de France. Other topics to be studied are his accounts of truth, subjectivity, normalization, governmentality, counter-conduct, bio-politics, bio-technique, and temporality. In addition, we will examine Jacques Derrida and Gilles Deleuze on the politics of temporality and the control of society.
Download the syllabus here.
(pdf)
Upper-Division Courses
Phil 119, Intermediate Logic (Otte) Class #63855
TuTh 2:00-3:45
PM, Cowell 134
In this course we will focus on meta-theoretic results of first order logic. We will begin by looking at enumerable and non-denumerable sets. We then look at Turing machines and theoretical issues involving computation, such as the proof that certain functions are not computable We will then present the formal semantics of first order logic. After gaining a fuller understanding of the foundations of first order logic, we will prove several meta-theoretic results. These will include the undecidability, soundness, completeness of of
first order logic, and the Lowenheim-Skolem results. If time permits we will take a look at various incompleteness results.
The text for the course is Computability and Logic by Boolos, Burgess, and Jeffrey. Much of the material covered will be given in lecture and is not in the text.
Evaluations will be based on exams, any quizes that may be given, homework, and participation in class.
Students are required to have successfully completed the equivalent of Philosophy 9, Introduction to Logic, with a B or better (preferably better).
Phil 144, Social and Political Philosophy (Koopman) Class #63856
TTh 6-7:45 PM, Porter 148
In this course we will explore: 1) some of the major theoretical and cultural origins of modern liberal theory; 2) some of the foremost work in contemporary liberal theory; and 3) some of the most influential and troubling criticisms of liberalism that have been voiced over the past few decades. We will begin with a brief tour through the most important sections of John Stuart Mill's classic On Liberty. We will then turn to contemporary theory, focusing primarily on John Rawls's egalitarian liberalism, though we will also spend a little time with works representative of Friedrich Hayek's free-market liberalism and Richard Rorty's pragmatist liberalism. This will provide a solid understanding of the breadth of liberal theory as it informs contemporary political discourse across the spectrum from Left to Right.
In the second half of the course we will turn to critics of liberalism. We will consider Michel Foucault's genealogical criticisms of certain assumptions which have been made about liberalism and its historical emergence as well as Iris Marion Young's influential feminist criticisms of certain aspects of liberalism. We will stick mostly to the primary texts: Mill's On Liberty, Rawls's Justice as Fairness, Young's Justice and the Politics of Difference, Foucault's Discipline and Punish, as well as selected articles by Hayek, Rorty, and Nancy Fraser (all books should be available through the Literary Guillotine).
Download the syllabus here. (pdf)
Phil 147, Topics in Feminist Philosophy (J. Hoy) Class #63863
MW 5-6:45 PM, Cowell 131
Also offered as FMST 168
Description: This class will focus on philosophical issues of subject and identity formation and questions of responsibilities and rights within social and political contexts.
Requirements: The course will be conducted as a kind of seminar, with active, textually informed participation in discussion absolutely essential and required. Attendance and participation will be noted in grades and evaluations. More than three unexcused absences will constitute failing the class. Students will be expected to have completed the assigned readings and to come to class prepared to discuss them.
Written work:
Five two-page response papers
Two five-page papers
(Tentative: One inclass exam in 6th or 7th week of class)
Required readings, available at The Literary Guillotine, Locust Street downtown SC:
Linda Martin Alcoff, Visible Identities: Race, Gender and the Self (Oxford, 2006)
Robin Fiore and Hilde Lindemann Nelson, eds. Recognition, Responsibility and
Rights: Feminist Ethics and Social Theory (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003)
Constance Mui and Julien S. Murphy, eds. Gender Struggles: Practical Approaches
to Contemporary Feminism (Rowman & Littlefield, 2002)
Phil 170, Interpretation of Religion (Sampath) Class #64512
MWF 9:30-10:40 AM, Crown 208
This class will explore themes in modern European philosophies of religion: the compatibility and incompatibility of faith and reason, critique of the existence of God, the dependence of religious dogma on certain moral assumptions, the possibility and impossibility of naming and representing God, and the possibility of experiencing divinity and the holy in postmodern times. We will read passages from Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Levinas, Ricoeur and Scholem.
Download the syllabus here. (pdf)
Seminar Courses
Phil 190F, Philosophy of Biology (Winther) Class #64262
M 2-5:00 PM, Stevenson 217
Also offered as Phil 290F
The philosophy of biology is an exciting and growing field within
philosophy. This is not surprising given the critically important and
pressing going concerns arising in the contexts of (1) biotechnology,
(2) global climate change, and (3) cognitive science/consciousness
studies. We will explore key philosophical questions of each of these
fields in turn:
(1) What is a gene? How much manipulative power can we
legitimately hope to gain from genomics, or even proteomics? What are
the strengths and weaknesses of *reductionistic* and *systemic*
biotechnological research programs?
(2) How could we possibly use mathematical models to
represent and manage the *complexity* of global climate change
dynamics? How are mathematical models tested and evaluated? Should we
aim to unify diverse models or should we remain content with model
"clusters"?
(3) What, if any, are the biological bases of consciousness
and language? How did consciousness and language *evolve*? Will we
ever have enough data to adequately evaluate different theories of
their evolution?
Careful reading of a few select texts will be emphasized in this
discussion-intensive seminar. Technical concepts and methods will be
explained on a per-need basis. Ethical questions will not be ignored.
The hope is that the student will learn to apply her philosophical
skills to serious biological issues impacting all of us as global
citizens.
Phil 190K, Philosophical Matters of Scientific Practice (Barad) Class #63864
W 2-5:00 PM, Stevenson 217
Also offered as Phil 290K
Considers the relevance of philosophical matters to the practice of science. Using quantum physics as a case study, we will explore historical and contemporary perspectives on issues such as those raised by Schrodinger cat paradox, Bell's inequalities, and quantum erasers.
Phil 190S, Philosophy of Science (Otte) Class #63865
T 8:30-11:30 AM, Stevenson 217
This class will be a study of empiricism and philosophy of science as developed by Bas van Fraassen. The course will focus on two works by van Fraassen: The Scientific Image and The Empirical Stance. In addition, we will read several critiques of van Fraassen and his responses.
This is a writing intensive course so students will be expected to write several short papers that will be graded, handed back in class, and used as a basis for class discussion.
Evaluations will be based on these short papers, a class presentation, and participation in class. If students are absent for more than two classes (including parts of classes) they may fail the class based on inadequate attendance.
Graduate Courses
Phil 232, Advanced Value Theory (Guevara) Class # 63866
The seminar will cover the first ten chapters or so of John Mc Dowell's collection of essays, Mind, Value and Reality (Harvard UP). This will be supplemented by work from Bernard Williams, David Wiggins, Philippa Foot, and others who have worked broadly along the same lines in moral philosophy. The Harvard University Press web site has a table of contents of Mc Dowell's book, if you want to get a more specific look at the topics we'll be covering. Auditors welcome. The book is available at the Literary Guillotine.
Phil 252, Poststructuralism (D. Hoy) Class # 63867
F 2:00-5:00 PM, Humanities I, room 420
Topics to be announced at the beginning of the quarter.
Phil 280, Philosophy Colloquia (Roth) Class #63868
TBA
Phil 290F, Philosophy of Biology (Winther) Class #64261
M 2-5:00 PM, Stevenson 217
Also offered as Phil 190F
The philosophy of biology is an exciting and growing field within
philosophy. This is not surprising given the critically important and
pressing going concerns arising in the contexts of (1) biotechnology,
(2) global climate change, and (3) cognitive science/consciousness
studies. We will explore key philosophical questions of each of these
fields in turn:
(1) What is a gene? How much manipulative power can we
legitimately hope to gain from genomics, or even proteomics? What are
the strengths and weaknesses of *reductionistic* and *systemic*
biotechnological research programs?
(2) How could we possibly use mathematical models to
represent and manage the *complexity* of global climate change
dynamics? How are mathematical models tested and evaluated? Should we
aim to unify diverse models or should we remain content with model
"clusters"?
(3) What, if any, are the biological bases of consciousness
and language? How did consciousness and language *evolve*? Will we
ever have enough data to adequately evaluate different theories of
their evolution?
Careful reading of a few select texts will be emphasized in this
discussion-intensive seminar. Technical concepts and methods will be
explained on a per-need basis. Ethical questions will not be ignored.
The hope is that the student will learn to apply her philosophical
skills to serious biological issues impacting all of us as global
citizens.
Phil 290K, Philosophical Matters of Scientific Practice (Barad) Class #
W 2-5:00 PM, Stevenson 217
Also offered as Phil 190K
Considers the relevance of philosophical matters to the practice of science. Using quantum physics as a case study, we will explore historical and contemporary perspectives on issues such as those raised by Schrodinger cat paradox, Bell's inequalities, and quantum erasers.
3/4/08 ljm
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