PHI111—Introduction to Philosophy

This course requires no previous familiarity with philosophy, and it serves to introduce the subject and philosophical issues through the work of a major figure like Descartes or a group of philosophers like the Ancient Greeks. The work of the central figure/s is used as an entry route to understanding philosophical problems as they were seen at the time and how they feature in contemporary philosophy.
PHI121—Introduction to Moral and Political Philosophy
This module introduces students to a range of central theories on the practical side of philosophy. It focuses on issues around equality and inequality, individual rights and entitlements, and our obligations to the state.
PHI212—Classical and Contemporary Conceptual Problems
The course studies a selection of the main problems of philosophy in such areas as ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, and religion. Topics may cover a wide range including the mind, free will, the self, God, or moral problems with the current central focus on issues in the philosophy of mind.
 

PHI213—Contemporary Critical Reasoning

This is a skills course aimed at improving abilities in identifying and evaluating arguments and in critically analysing concepts.

PHI221—The Problem of Knowledge

The course investigates fundamental issues in the theory of knowledge – the challenge of scepticism, the issue of finding a foundation for knowledge, the nature of perception, knowledge of the world outside of our minds, and the question of how to analyse the concept of knowledge itself. 

PHI222—African Philosophy

This is a survey of the main contributors to disputes around the tradition of African philosophy. You will study the founding texts of African philosophy and investigate a selection of writings from key African philosophers.

PHI311—Currents in Modern Philosophy

The selected current will vary from year to year. The selection will be made from different traditions in philosophy. This year it is focused on questions of legitimacy in political philosophy.
 

PHI312—Metaethics

The course is concerned with questions that currently bother moral philosophers – about what can provide a grounding for moral reasons, and the consequences of the different options for moral issues themselves.
 

PHI321—Issues in Contemporary Philosophy

This module aims at a critical understanding of the key debates around a particular set of problems or a particular text in a currently important area of philosophy. Currently, we study issues concerning the self and personal identity.
 

PHI322—The Philosophy of Race, Culture, and Identity

Philosophy 322 aims at a critical understanding of the debate around the relationship between these three central concepts and the social and political issues created by conflicting notions of race, culture, and identity.