This course begins with Plato and Aristotle on the nature and value of philosophy and then moves to cover a range of issues across the discipline. Topics covered include pleasure and the good life, the freedom of the will, the Problem of Evil, and the existence of God.
This course covers important foundational debates in the Philosophy of Language. It begins with the relation between words and the world (with an emphasis on proper names) before moving to the connection between meaning and social conventions and ending with the relation between meaning and intentions. Readings are drawn from Frege, Russell, Kripke, Burge, Davidson, and Grice, among others.
This course is focused on the nature and concept of law. It begins with Aquinas and works through the positivism of Austin and Hart, the defense of natural law theory given by Finnis, legal realism, and Dworkin's conception of Law as Integrity. The course ends with readings on punishment and the legislation of morals.