Courses

Please note that if you need advising you should contact Prof. Nick Pappas ( nickolaspappas60@gmail.com ). Office hours are Mondays 3:30pm-4:30pm or by appointment.

Spring 2027 Philosophy Courses

Questions? Email Prof. Pappas (the current Philosophy Advisor): nickolaspappas60@gmail.com

PHIL 10200 • Introduction to Philosophy • [Various instructors] Numerous sections offered, both in-person & online – check CUNYFirst for details

By studying both classical and contemporary thinkers, this course introduces students to some of the central questions of philosophy – for example: how do we know there exists an external world? What’s the nature of causation? Does God exist? What is consciousness? Are we free? When is an action moral? When is it just?

PHIL 20100 • Logical Reasoning • [Various Instructors] Several sections offered, both in-person & online – check CUNYFirst for details

This course provides students with an introduction to the elements of logical reasoning. Basic rules and methods of assessing validity and proving arguments as they occur in natural language are introduced (such as truth tables and rules of inference). The goal of the course is to enable students to translate and evaluate arguments in natural language using the basic tools of modern logic. The focus of this course enables it to serve as an excellent form of preparation for SATs, LSATs and other standardized tests, as well as an analytic resource for further academic studies.

PHIL 20600 • Philosophy of Science Fiction • Schabner Online Synchronous: F 9:00a – 11:30a • F 12:00p – 2:30p • F 3:00p – 5:30p

An analysis of some of the central questions of philosophy as they are represented in science fiction (and occasionally, science fact). Selections from science fiction works will range over topics such as space and time, infinity and eternity, identity, knowledge of other minds; artificial intelligence; moral dilemmas and technology; the meaning of life. *** Note: this class counts as an Elective for the Philosophy Major/Minor! ***

PHIL 30500 • History of Philosophy I: Ancient • Pigliucci In-person: M/W 9:30a – 10:45a

A survey of early Greek philosophy, centered on the figures of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Some attention is paid to pre-Socratic philosophers (e.g. Heraclitus, Parmenides) and to at least one current of thought after Aristotle (e.g. Stoicism, Skepticism, neo-Platonism, or early Christian theology).

PHIL 30800 • Ethics • Finbloom Online synchronous: Tu 6:00p – 8:30p • W 6:00p – 8:30p

Analysis of the concepts employed in moral reasoning, such as good, right, duty, obligation, virtue, freedom and choice. Critical study of various theories of moral justification-such as utilitarianism, deontological ethics, virtue ethics-and of status of moral judgments-such as subjectivism, objectivism, relativism and skepticism. The relation between morality and religion, moral dilemmas, and some problems in practical ethics (abortion, famine, the environment, etc.).

PHIL 31133 • Philosophy: Cognitive Science • Currie In-person: T/Th 2:00p – 3:15p

The human mind is the most complex system we've ever encountered, yet it's one we carry with us every day. How does this remarkable organ create thoughts, solve problems, or even imagine entire worlds? Despite centuries of study, we are only beginning to uncover the secrets of how minds: human, animal, and artificial work. Cognitive science seeks to answer these profound questions by combining insights from philosophy, psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and computer science, among other disciplines. In this course, you'll examine the philosophical foundations of cognitive science and explore how empirical evidence can bear on our understanding of the mind. Together, we'll investigate questions like: What frameworks best capture the nature of thought? Are humans born with innate knowledge? How does thought relate to language? Can non-human animals think or communicate like us? And what can artificial intelligence teach us about ourselves?

PHIL 31134 • God and Science • Crull In-person: T/Th 9:30a – 10:45a

It is difficult to name two arenas of human thought that have shaped civilization as powerfully as have religion and science. Yet they appear to stand in great tension -- if not outright opposition -- with one another: while religion typically involves faith in a divine creator and belief in supernatural phenomena, science purportedly deals in reason alone, describing objective facts about natural phenomena. But are science and belief in God really at odds? Do they say conflicting things about causation, free will, consciousness, morality, the origin of life and the cosmos? What roles do belief, reason, evidence, truth and objectivity play in religious versus scientific worldviews? This class explores such questions through the lens of history (principally in the West, and with respect to monotheistic traditions) and through critical examination of the nature, practices and aims of contemporary scientific and religious thought.

PHIL 31221 • Philosophy and Evolution • Pigliucci In-person: M/W 11:00a – 12:15p

Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is one of the most consequential ideas in intellectual history and one of the most misunderstood. This course examines evolution as both a scientific framework and a philosophical provocation. We begin with the conceptual foundations of Darwinism, then trace how evolutionary thinking has migrated productively and problematically into epistemology, ethics, philosophy of mind, theories of human nature, and religious thought. Along the way, we distinguish legitimate extensions of evolutionary reasoning from ideological distortions, including Social Darwinism and evolutionary psychology's more speculative claims.

PHIL 31222 • Revolutionary Nonviolence • Kidd In-person: T/Th 3:30p – 4:45p

Revolutionary nonviolence aims to produce radical social and political change through nonviolent means. This course explores philosophical perspectives on this seemingly paradoxical combination (revolution and nonviolence). It aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of revolutionary nonviolence and to examine its potential as an approach to contemporary challenges. Drawing on a wide range of theorists and activists as our guides (such as Gandhi, King, Fanon, Malcolm X, Judith Butler, and Lara Sheehi), we will explore questions such as: Can revolution be nonviolent in a militarized society?. What are nonviolent forms of militancy (psychic, spiritual, communal)?, and What ethical challenges arise in building nonviolent revolutionary movements?

PHIL 31911 • Philosophy of Technology• Sweet In-person: M/W 3:30p – 4:45p

From the first controlled fires to nuclear power and global digital networks, technology has continually transformed how human beings inhabit the world, extending our reach while reshaping our societies and ways of thinking. This course examines questions about the nature of technology and its relationship to science, economics, politics, and culture. Are technologies neutral tools, or do they embody values and forms of power? Topics may include surveillance and privacy, technology in education, and diminishing opportunities for human judgment in work and social organization. Emphasis is placed on careful analysis of philosophical arguments and their application to contemporary life.

PHIL 31912 • Epistemology• Weissman In-person: M/W 2:00p – 3:15p

This course examines philosophical questions about knowledge, belief, truth, and inquiry. What distinguishes knowledge from opinion or belief? How do perception, experience, reason, and testimony enable us to understand ourselves and an independent world? What are the sources and limits of human knowledge, and how are errors discovered and corrected? The course may consider skepticism, competing accounts of truth and justification, the relation between inquiry and interpretation, and the ways knowledge develops through criticism, experience, and scientific investigation. Readings may draw on major historical figures as well as contemporary debates in epistemology.

PHIL 31913 • Indian Philosophy• Marinoff Online Synchronous: T/Th 6:30p – 7:45p

This course introduces the major traditions of Indian philosophy through close reading of canonical texts such as the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Yoga Sutras. It examines central philosophical ideas about self, reality, knowledge, and liberation, as well as the emergence of Buddhist thought from within the Hindu intellectual tradition. The course situates these ideas within broader historical and cultural contexts and considers their continuing significance in a global setting. Emphasis is placed on philosophical analysis of primary sources and on understanding Indian philosophy as a systematic intellectual tradition.

PHIL 32200 • Philosophy of Science• Crull In-person: T/Th 11:00a – 12:15p

A critical survey of philosophical theories of scientific explanation and development. The course will focus on topics such as inductive and hypothetico-deductive accounts of scientific method; confirmation and falsification of scientific theories; the logic of scientific explanation; theories and models; the structure of scientific revolutions.

PHIL 32600 • Philosophy of Law • Vilhauer In-person: T/Th 11:00a – 12:15p

A critical analysis of some central concepts employed in legal reasoning and judgment, such as justice, crime, evidence, responsibility, legal and civil rights, punishment, civil disobedience, and constitutional interpretation. Examination of major theories of law such as natural law theory, legal positivism and social realism, and of the relation between the law and morality.

PHIL 34600 • Feminist Philosophy • Bowers In-person: M/W 12:30p – 1:45p

Charts the historical evolution of the feminist approach to philosophy, and the contribution of feminists to topics in epistemology, philosophy of mind and moral, social and political philosophy.

PHIL 34905 • Biomedical Ethics • [Various instructors] Numerous sections offered, both in-person & online – check CUNYFirst for details

Biomedical Ethics is a philosophical overview of leading theories, principles, and problems in the field of bioethics. Ethical theories and principles are examined to provide a theoretical structure for analysis of concrete ethical problems. The course considers the ethics of the doctor-patient relationship, including paternalism, informed consent, confidentiality, and truth telling, as well as larger systemic issues of social justice and access to health care. Topics in reproductive ethics, end-of-life ethics, and some of the newest developments in the field arising from genetics and neuroscience are also discussed. Extensive use is made of case studies.

Philosophy Department, North Academic Building (NAC 5/144C)
160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031
Phone: (212) 650-7291
E-mail: philosophy@ccny.cuny.edu