Courses

Please note that if you need advising you should contact Prof. Elise Crull ( ecrull@ccny.cuny.edu "> ecrull@ccny.cuny.edu ). Office hours are by appointment.

Fall 2024 Philosophy Courses

City College of New York
—Questions? Feel free to reach out to Prof. Elise Crull, Philosophy academic advisor:
ecrull@ccny.cuny.edu "> ecrull@ccny.cuny.edu

PHIL 10200 - Introduction to Philosophy
several sections, please check CUNYFirst for times & instructors—both in person and online
options available

An introduction to some of the central questions of philosophy, concerning our knowledge of the external world, causation, God, mind and body, freedom, justice, and moral judgment, via analysis of classical and contemporary philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Mill, Kant, Russell, Wittgenstein and Rawls.

PHIL 20100 - Logical Reasoning
Several sections, please check CUNYFirst for times & instructors

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 20200 – Introduction to Logic
TuTh 2PM - 3:15PM—In Person—Instructor: Prof. Elise Crull

This course introduces students to the basics of modern logic. Topics covered include truth-tables, the rules of inference for the propositional calculus, and introduction to quantification theory. It focuses both on rules for producing formal proofs, and for translating natural language arguments into logical notation. Primarily designed as a preparation for advanced logic (Philosophy 30600: Symbolic Logic), the course would also be very useful for anyone expecting to deal extensively with complex reasoning. Recommended for philosophy majors interested in graduate school or pursuing the thesis track.

PHIL 20600 - Philosophy of Science Fiction
Three options, all online!
Fr 9:00AM - 11:30AM, 12:00PM - 2:30PM or 3:00PM - 5:30PM— Online-Synchronous —Instructor: Prof. Natallia Schabner

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.

PHIL 30500 - History of Philosophy I: Ancient Philosophy 
Two options, one in person, another online!
MoWe 12:30PM - 1:45PM — In Person — Instructor: Prof. Sergey Trostyanskiy
MoWe 6:30PM - 7:45PM — Online-Synchronous — Instructor: Prof. Sergey Trostyanskiy

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 
Two online options
Tu 6:00PM - 8:30PM & We 6:00PM - 8:30PM — Online-Synchronous — Instructor: Prof. Aaron Finbloom

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 30900 - Social-Political Philosophy
MoWe 9:30AM - 10:45AM — In Person — Instructor: Prof. Jeffrey Blustein 

An analysis of the concepts and principles employed in reasoning about the social and political aspects of human life, such as social structure and function, equality and justice, property and rights, social and political obligation. A critical analysis of theories of the state of society, such as liberalism, Marxism, communitarianism, conservatism, and anarchism.

PHIL 31132 - Mind, Body, and World
TuTh 3:30PM - 4:45PM — In Person — Instructor: Prof. Chad Kidd

In this class, we will study the groundbreaking book The Phenomenology of Perception by Merleau-Ponty. This book established Merleau-Ponty as the leading French phenomenologist of his generation. The unifying theme of the Phenomenology is perception, and the experience of the body as the perceptual organ. It argues that the complex way we exist in our bodies connects us to the world and makes us conscious of the world. It explores existential dimensions including sexuality, language, space, nature, intersubjectivity, time, and freedom. It combines ideas from traditional phenomenology—especially from its founder, Edmund Husserl—with developments in cognitive neuroscience, social science, history, literature, art, and politics. Because of these diverse and fascinating themes, it inspires interdisciplinary work across a wide range of disciplines.

PHIL 31134 - God and Science
TuTh 11:00AM - 12:15PM — In Person — Instructor: Prof. Elise Crull

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 32200 - Philosophy of Science
MoWe 9:30AM - 10:45AM — In Person — Instructor: Prof. Griffin Pion

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 32400 - Philosophy of Language
MoWe 12:30PM - 1:45PM — In Person — Instructor: Prof. Steven Hernandez 

Examination of the relationship between thought, language and the world. The course will cover topics such as meaning, truth, reference, synonymity, necessity, names and descriptions, logical form, and pragmatics.

PHIL 32500 – Aesthetics
MoWe 2:00PM - 3:15PM — In Person — Instructor: Prof. Anna Hotter

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 33100 - Practical Ancient Philosophy
TuTh 9:30AM - 10:45AM — In Person — Instructor: Prof. Massimo Pigliucci

Philosophy was born as a practical guide to living a life worth living. This course examines a number of Greco-Roman philosophies (including Stoicism, Epicureanism, and Aristotelianism) that can be valuable today just as they were two millennia ago. Practical philosophy, then and now, is not an oxymoron. 

PHIL 33200 - Free Will
MoWe 3:30PM - 4:45PM — In Person — Instructor: Prof. Alex Mendez

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 34102 - Philosophy and the Emotions
MoWe 11:00AM - 12:15PM — In Person — Instructor: Prof. Jeffrey Blustein

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 34905 - Biomedical Ethics
Multiple options both online and in person!
Fr 9:00AM - 11:30AM, 12:00PM - 2:30PM & 3:00PM - 5:30PM— Online-Synchronous —Instructor: TBD
TuTh 11:00AM - 12:15PM, 2:00PM - 3:15PM & 3:30PM - 4:45PM — In Person—Instructor: Prof. Christina Weinbaum

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