Spring 2026
PHIL 5320: Seminar in the History of Philosophy: Aristotle.
Charlotte Duffee, Tuesdays 11:30 am -2:00 pm
Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics is a foundational text in the history of moral philosophy, and an intimate knowledge of it is essential for understanding later ethical views. This course will focus on Aristotle’s seminal work as well as historically significant commentaries on it, with an eye toward the declines and revivals of virtue ethics in moral philosophy down the ages. We will also trace the broader legacy of a few virtues Aristotle enumerates as they relate to histories of the self.
PHIL 5331: Seminar in Moral Philosophy
Elena del Junco, Thursdays 4:00-6:30
No description.
PHIL 5331: Seminar in Philosophy of Mind
Julian Schlöder, Wednesdays 1:30-4:00 pm
“Who am I?” has one meaning when you have amnesia but another when you are in an identity crisis. Both meanings are expressed with broadly the same terminology, but while the former asks about material identity, the latter asks about something like essential being. The analytic tradition has largely rejected the latter question as meaningless, while the existential tradition has largely dismissed the former as uninteresting. In “The Constitution of Selves”, Marya Schechtman argues that both questions are best dealt with in tandem. In this seminar, we will work through “The Constitution of Selves”, paired with additional readings from the analytic, existentialist, and pragmatist traditions. Our goal will be to give an analytic answer to “Who am I?” that informs both of its meanings while respecting the existentialist insight that there is no such thing as a personal essence.
Phil 5344 Seminar in Philosophical Logic
Keith Simmons, Wednesdays 5:00-7:30 pm
This seminar will be on the nature and logic of truth. We’ll be covering a number of related issues, including the debate between the substantivist and the deflationist, the liar paradox, truth and meaning, truth and assertion, truth and truthmaking, monism and pluralism about truth, truth and ethics — and other topics too. I won’t presuppose prior knowledge of any of these topics. I’m currently finishing up a book on truth, and the readings will include chapters from the book. The readings will also include both classical and contemporary work on truth. Let me know if you’d like further information about the seminar.
PHIL 5350: Seminar in recent Social & Political Philosophy: Historical Women Political Thinkers
Jane Gordon, Wednesdays 1:25 PM – 3: 55 PM
Historical and conceptual analysis of selected political ideas such as justice, liberty, rights, political obligation, or the state; including an examination of one or more major schools or bodies of political thought from ancient to contemporary times.
PHIL 5397: Seminar: John Dewey and American Pragmatism
Michael Patrick Lynch. Mon 11:30 am-2 pm
This seminar will explore the work of John Dewey and the development of American pragmatism. Along with Charles Sanders Peirce and William James, Dewey was one of the founders of the pragmatist movement—and the only one to bring pragmatism into the political and social realm. His theories of epistemology, experience, education and democracy influenced a wide range of intellectuals, including William James, Jane Addams, W.E.B. DuBois, Sydney Hook, Bertrand Russell, Elizabeth Anderson, Kwasi Wiredu, Hilary Putnam. Philip Kitcher and Richard Rorty. Moreover, his impact on the larger American culture was profound. He was, for example, instrumental in founding (and sometimes leading) the ACLU, The New School, The New York Teachers Union, The American Association of University Professors, and the NAACP. Asked recently what he thought about him, right-wing cultural warrior Chris Rufo replied, “it would have been better had he never been born.” That’s a strong reaction to someone largely unknown to the contemporary public and whose work has often been ignored by contemporary philosophers. But it reflects the power of Dewey’s ideas—and their capacity to provoke. Requirements: Students will be required to actively participate in the seminar; give a seminar presentation(s) and write a substantive research paper. The seminar will be in-person only.
PHIL 5484: Proposal, Prospectus, and Dissertation Writing Seminar
Dorit Bar-On, Tuesdays 5:00-7:30 pm
5484 is a graduate writing seminar. It is open to philosophy graduate students (only) who are working on the writing of their Prospectus or MA Proposal. It can also be attended by students working on their dissertation (if approved by their committee). Students will submit drafts of their work for both peer- and instructor- evaluation.