PHIL 105 - Philosophical Questions

Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)

Topic for 2025/26a: Minds and Machines. This course is an introduction to analytic philosophy focused on the relationship between minds and machines. We examine philosophical questions about external world skepticism, mind-body dualism, the nature of consciousness, and machine intelligence. Particular focus is placed on the relevance of recent developments in AI to perennial debates in philosophy. Jamie Kelly.

Topic for 2025/26b: What is a Good Life? In this course, we explore the fundamental question “What is a good life?” by drawing on Western and Asian (Indian and Chinese) philosophical traditions. Students engage with diverse perspectives on human flourishing, happiness, and meaning, examining how different cultural and historical contexts shape our understanding of what constitutes a good life. By critically engaging with thinkers from different philosophical traditions, students develop skills to evaluate what constitutes a good life, as well as to examine their own assumptions and beliefs about the nature of a good life. By the end of the semester, students have gained a broad perspective on this timeless question and developed the analytical tools to continue exploring it throughout their lives. Lee Ling Ting.

Topic for 2025/26b: Mind and World. Is the world just someone’s dream? Or is it something that exists independently? Is the world only atoms and void? Perhaps it is something stranger. These questions have been asked all over the world in both ancient times and our own. People have also thought that there are incorporeal spirits, magic, action at a distance, and other phenomena. Maybe even the categories of natural science are constructed by minds and not already in the world. Where does the mind end and the world begin? In this course we explore this topic at an introductory level from a globally minded reading list, including Latin American, indigenous, Africana, South Asian, and East Asian sources. Topics vary, but they might include ancient cosmology, philosophy of religion, identity across time, social construction, social justice, or environmentalism. We focus on building class discussion skills and college level writing through short essays. Sofia Ortiz-Hinojosa.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS