Courses

Please note that if you need advising you should contact Prof. Elise Crull ( [email protected] "> [email protected] ). Office hours are by appointment.

Fall 2026 Philosophy Courses

Questions? Email Prof. Crull (the current Philosophy Advisor): [email protected]

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 course serves as excellent preparation for
SATs, LSATs and other standardized tests, as well as an analytic resource for further
academic studies in any domain.

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 • Pappas
In-person: M/W 11:00a – 12:15p • M/W 2:00p –3:15p
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: M 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 31145 • Moral Psychology • Blustein
In-person: M/W 11:00a – 12:15p
This course examines ethical questions that depend on substantive assumptions about
human psychology, and asks whether those assumptions are supported by empirical
research. Topics at the intersection of ethics, psychology, and philosophy of mind will
be examined, including moral motivation, moral reasoning, moral responsibility, and
moral character. Psychologists studied include Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg, Carol
Gilligan and more recently, Jonathan Haidt and Joshua Greene. Philosophers studied
include John Doris, Joshua Knobe, Shaun Nichols, and Thomas Nagel.

PHIL 31146 • Philosophy of Emotion • Blustein
In-person: M/W 9:30a – 10:45a
This course is an introduction to philosophical and psychological theories of the nature
of emotions. Classic and contemporary philosophical accounts and leading theories
from psychology and biology will be discussed. Topics to be discussed include the
relationship between emotion and reason, cognitive vs non-cognitive theories of the
emotions, the role of emotions in morality, and emotion regulation.

PHIL 31147 • Buddhist Philosophy • Marinoff
Online Synchronous: T/Th 6:30p – 7:45p
This course surveys the origins, evolution and growth of Buddhism, and Buddhism’s
current position in the global village. We revisit Siddhartha Gautama’s reformation of
orthodox Indian philosophy, and Buddhism’s re-absorption by the Vedic tradition. We
examine the Theravada- Mahayana bifurcation, and the development of Tibetan,
Chinese and Japanese traditions. Our survey of contemporary Buddhism traces its
migration to Western civilization, its reception and rooting in the West, and its role in
21st century world affairs. Readings will be assigned from both classical and
contemporary sources. Buddhist practices or exercises are optional, and not required in
this course.

PHIL 31148 • Existentialism: Origins and Development• Kidd
In-person: T/Th 3:30p – 4:45p
Existentialism is a widely influential philosophical view. However, perhaps because of
its popularity, it is also widely misunderstood. This class aims to counter this by
examining five historical phases of the development of existentialism. First, its earliest
development in ancient Greek philosophy, in the contrast between the metaphysical
outlooks of Plato and Aristotle. Second, the prioritizing of existence over essence in the
philosophies of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard. Third, the development of a philosophy
that first called itself existentialist in the Christian philosophers Nikolai Berdyaev,
Gabriel Marcel, and Jacques Maritain. Fourth, the most famous form of existentialist
thought today in Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. And fifth, the often overlooked Arab existenti

PHIL 31158 • The Nature of Mind• Apparicio
In-person: M/W 12:30p – 1:45p
This course will introduce students to some of the core issues in philosophy of mind,
such as the mind/body problem, the nature of consciousness, intentionality,
embodiment, enactivism, the self, and the relationship between mental phenomena and
the physical world. We’ll ask questions like: What does it mean to have a mind? Could
there be minds without physical bodies? How are our minds and brains related?
Throughout the course we will examine some of the central issues in philosophy of
mind, including dualism, philosophical behaviorism, physicalism, functionalism, and
eliminative materialism. We’ll explore some non-western theories of mind, such as the
Buddhist belief that there is no self and that the mind is an ever-changing, non-physical
stream of awareness.

PHIL 31159 • Political Philosophy and Economic Justice• Sweet
In-person: M/W 2:00p – 3:15p
This course investigates key philosophical questions and debates related to politics,
economics, and social justice. We will begin by examining major political traditions,
Liberalism, Libertarianism, Conservatism, and Socialism, assessing and comparing their
core principles. From there, we will delve into essential topics in political philosophy,
including social contract theory, distributive justice, freedom, and equality. The course
will then turn to philosophical issues in political economy, exploring property rights,
markets, and public choice theory, along with critiques of capitalism. Finally, we will
confront debates on contemporary political challenges, such as reparations for slavery,
immigration, and the status of democracy. By the end of the course, students will gain a
deeper understanding of the methods and subject matter of philosophy with respect to
politics and economics, hone their ability to formulate and critique political=philosophical arguments, 
and be better equipped to analyze and evaluate socioeconomic systems, structures, institutions, and policies.

PHIL 31210 • Introduction to Formal Logic• Crull
In-person: T/Th 2:00p – 3:15p
In this course students will become “fluent” in several logical languages by learning the
rules and meanings of their symbols, by solving puzzles and contemplating logical
paradoxes they give rise to, by constructing and assessing proofs, and by translating
everyday sentences into/out of logical form. This course is an excellent way to sharpen
one’s analytic reasoning – a useful thing in many arenas of life, not least preparation for
exams like the LSAT or building computer science and mathematics skills.

PHIL 32200 • Philosophy of Science• Crull
In-person: T/Th 11:00a – 12:15p
This course examines, from a philosophical perspective and using philosophical tools,
the nature of scientific theories, practices, explanations & laws, what counts as ``good"
science, who gets to participate in science, and how science progresses. The course also
introduces students to contemporary philosophical issues emerging from science and
technology's evolving, complex relationship with various aspects of society including
politics, gender and religion.

PHIL 32500 • Aesthetics: The Philosophy of Art• Mendez
In-person: M/W 3:30p – 4:45p
The philosophical study of art, and of our judgment of art, through classical readings
and contemporary developments. Includes topics such as representation, taste, artist
intention, and mechanization. Special attention is paid to the problem of trying to speak
generally about art in the face of the differences among specific arts.

PHIL 33200 • Free Will • Vilhauer
In-person: T/Th 11:00a – 12:15p
What is free will? Do we have it? If not, then what are the implications for justice,
morality, and the meaning of life? Other issues discussed include: determinism, laws of
nature, fate, divine foreknowledge, quantum indeterminacy, agent causation vs. event
causation, moral responsibility, blame, praise, vengeance, and punishment.

PHIL 33400 • Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence• [Instructor t.b.a.]
In person: T/Th 9:30a – 10:45a
Addresses philosophical issues raised by computers and other machines capable of
performing tasks indicative of intelligence (e.g. multiplication, logical reasoning,
playing chess, learning a language). The course will focus on topics such as the Turing
test; strong and weak AI; concepts of representation, memory and understanding; the
frame problem; symbolic versus connectionist approaches to cognitive processing.

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: [email protected]