Modules
Overview of All Modules
Our students read modules from 6 major categories listed below. Click on an LumiNUS link to see historical course details, or access the following document for a full list of courses. Note that some modules are listed under more than one category.
History of Philosophy
PH2204/SN2273 Introduction to Indian Thought
Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-2-5; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2027 & SN2273; Cross-listing(s): GEK2027 & SN2273
Description:
This course is designed to survey the history of Indian philosophy both classical and modern. The course will begin with lectures on the Rig Veda and the Upanishads. It will proceed with the presentation of the main metaphysical and epistemological doctrines of some of the major schools of classical Indian philosophy such as Vedanta, Samkhya, Nyaya, Jainism and Buddhism. The course will conclude by considering the philosophical contributions of some of the architects of modern India such as Rammohan Ray, Rabindrananth Tagore and Mohandas Gandhi. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Asian, Comparative
PH2206 Founders of Modern Philosophy
Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2028; Cross-listing(s): GEK2028
Description:
This course looks at the beginnings of modern Western philosophy in the seventeenth century, when philosophers conceived of themselves as breaking away from authority and tradition. It will deal with central themes from the thought of Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Leibniz and Spinoza; in particular, the attempt to provide foundations for knowledge and science. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
PH2207 Hume and Kant
Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Two major philosophers are studied in this module: David Hume, in the first half, and Immanuel Kant, in the second. We will try to determine what each philosopher’s fundamental approach to philosophy consists in, and how it gives rise to his views on the nature of causation, the external world, the self, and the limits of knowledge. As Kant’s first Critique was a response to Hume’s philosophical scepticism, we will pay close attention to his diagnoses of Hume’s difficulties and his proposed solutions. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
PH2212 Introduction to Continental Philosophy
Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-2-5; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): EU2214 & GEK2030; Cross-listing(s): EU2214 & GEK2030
Description:
An introduction to some of the main figures and movements of Continental European Philosophy. The purpose is to provide a broad synoptic view of the Continental tradition with special attention paid to historical development. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy
PH2219 Critical Theory and Hermeneutics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-2-5; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): EU2222; Cross-listing(s): EU2222
Description:
This course attempts to trace an intellectual dialogue between two central traditions in twentieth-century European philosophy: the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory and post-Heideggerian Hermeneutics. The module will provide an introduction to the main thinkers of both traditions: we will examine essays of Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, Herbert Marcuse for the Frankfurt School and excerpts from Martin Heidegger, Hans Georg Gadamer and Paul Riceour for the Hermeneuticists. We will also examine different conceptualisations of reason and how both schools are shaped by their attempts to grapple with and respond to the implications of understanding reason as a practice conditioned by particular histories and forms of life. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy
PH2222 Greek Philosophy (Socrates and Plato)
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-3-4; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2036 & PH3209; Cross-listing(s): GEK2036
Description:
Socrates and Plato stand at the source of the Western Philosophical tradition. Alfred Whitehead said that “the safest general characterisation of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.” Through a close reading and analysis of several representative Platonic dialogues, this module introduces the student to the philosophy of Plato and Socrates (Plato’s teacher and main interlocutor in his dialogues), and prepares him/her for PH 3222 on Aristotle’s philosophy and the Honours seminar on Greek Thinkers. The module may include material on earlier Philosophy forming the background to Socrates and Plato. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy
PH2301 Classical Chinese Philosophy I
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-3-4; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2038 & PH2205; Cross-listing(s): GEK2038
Description:
This is the first half of a two-part course which offers an introduction to philosophical debate in the Warring States period of ancient China, the Classical Age of Chinese Philosophy and the seedbed from which grew all of the native currents of thought that survived from traditional China. It will begin by considering the intellectual-historical background to the ancient philosophies and focus primarily on the Confucius (the Analects), Mozi, Yang Zhu, Mencius and Laozi, closing with a brief introduction to some of the later developments that will be covered more fully in Part II. The approach of the course will be both historical and critical, and we will attempt to both situate Classical Chinese philosophical discourse in its intellectual-historical context and to bring out its continuing relevance. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Asian, Comparative
PH2302 Chinese Philosophical Traditions I: Medieval Chinese Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-3-4; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2039; Cross-listing(s): GEK2039
Description:
This is the first half of a two-part course on Chinese Philosophy. This module surveys the philosophical discourse of the period from early Han dynasty up to the close of the Tang dynasty. We begin by considering the philosophical developments in Confucianism and Xuan Xue thought. Then, we turn to the arrival of Buddhism in China and survey the transformations in Chinese Buddhist philosophy through the Tang. We will treat these thinkers and their ideas in their proper historical contexts and evaluate their philosophies critically. We will also address and assess the relevance of these ideas to contemporary philosophical debates. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Asian, Comparative
PH3207 Continental European Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-1-6; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): EU3227; Cross-listing(s): EU3227
Description:
Using Existentialism as a springboard, the module discusses recent movements in Continental Philosophy. Objectives: (i) Introduce major movements in Continental Philosophy; (ii) Promote understanding of the characteristics of Continental Philosophy; (iii) Encourage further study in Continental Philosophy. Topics include existentialism, structuralism and post-structuralism. Target students include all those wanting to major in philosophy and those wanting to have some knowledge of European philosophy. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy
PH3217 Feminist in Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): One PH module; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course deals with philosophy by women (e.g. Christine de Pisan, Hildegaard von Bingen, Mary Wollstonecraft, Ban Zhao, Iris Murdoch, Martha Nussbaum) and philosophy about women, to counter the perceived neglect of these in many philosophical discourses. Students are encouraged to reflect critically about their own experiences as men and women who live in a gendered world, to think through the implications of gender: how women’s experience may challenge some fundamental assumptions regarding human nature, femininity and masculinity, sexuality and the body, public and private life, subjectivity and representation. We will explore how these challenges to philosophy may be met. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy
PH3222 Greek Philosophy (Aristotle)
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-3-4; Prerequisite(s): PH2222; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Aristotle is one of the two most important ancient Greek philosophers. This module complements the Level-2000 module, PH 2222 Greek Philosophy (Socrates and Plato), and adds to the preparation for the Honours seminar on Greek Thinkers. Readings will be selected from various works representing the wide range of Aristotle’s philosophical interests and achievements. In-depth exploration of a specific area (e.g. metaphysics, or ethics) or topic (e.g. theory of the soul or practical wisdom) will focus on one or two key texts. The module may include later Hellenistic philosophy (e.g. Epicureanism, stoicism, or scepticism) or contemporary development of Aristotle’s philosophy. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy
PH3301 Classical Chinese Philosophy II
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-3-4; Prerequisite(s): PH2301; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This is the second part of a two part course which offers an introduction to philosophical debate in the Warring States period of ancient China, the Classical Age of Chinese Philosophy and the seedbed from which grew all of the native currents of thought that survived from traditional China. Continuing from Part I, we will be discussing Later Mohist Logic, Gongsun Long and other ‘Sophists’, Zhuangzi, Xunzi and Hanfeizi in this module. The approach of the course will be both historical and critical, and we will attempt to both situate Classical Chinese philosophical discourse in its intellectual-historical context and to bring out its continuing relevance. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Asian, Comparative
PH4209 Greek Thinkers
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2012-2014: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German)/recognized modules or 28 MCs in GL/GL recognized non-language modules, with a minimum CAP of 3.2 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2015 onwards: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German/Spanish)/recognized modules or 28 MCs in GL/GL recognized non-language modules, with a minimum CAP of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
An examination of selected texts from the pre-Socratic philosophers, Plato, Aristotle, as well as philosophers of the Stoic, Epicurean and Sceptic schools of thought. The emphasis may vary from year to year, and may focus on ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, logic, or philosophy of mind. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy
PH4217 History of Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course aims to examine specific philosophical topics or issues (e.g. causation, the nature of mind, moral motivation) from a historical perspective. The topics or issues in question may be examined within the framework of different philosophical traditions (e.g. Chinese, Indian and Western), or across traditions. It is aimed at providing philosophy students with an understanding and appreciation of the history of the discipline, so that they gain a wider perspective, and can better locate current philosophical debates in the context of broader movements in intellectual history. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy
PH5650 Topics in Continental Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Offered to Graduate students only and admission of others by permission of instructor; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
The module will intensively study a major movement in twentieth century Continental Philosophy. The module will consider phenomenology, hermeneutics, deconstruction or postmodernism. Other topics from the Continental tradition or a combination of more than one topic may also be considered under exceptional circumstances. Focus will be on the historical development and contemporary uses of the movement under consideration. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy
PH6210 Advanced Topics In Western Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Offered to Graduate students only and admission of others by permission of instructor.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course deals with specific topics of current interest and controversy in Western philosophy. The topics to be discussed may be in, but are not limited to, philosophy of science, philosophy of language, philosophy of psychology, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, or social and political philosophy.
PH6217 Advanced Topics In History of Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Offered to Graduate students only and admission of others by permission of instructor.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will intensively examine a historical period in Philosophy. Historical traditions that may be studied may include (but are not restricted to) Greek Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy, Early Modern Philosophy, Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy, Twentieth Century Continental Philosophy, and Non-Western Philosophy. The course will especially attend to major philosophical problems that define each of these historical frameworks. The relations between the major thinkers of the period under consideration will be profiled.
PH6320 Traditions in Asian Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Offered to Graduate students only and admission of others by permission of instructor. ; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
The course will intensively examine philosophical traditions from the histories of Chinese or Indian Philosophy. Traditions may include (but is not restricted to) Confucianism, Taoism, neo-Confucianism, Legalism from Chinese Philosophy and Vedanta, Indian Buddhism, Nyaya, modern Indian philosophy from the Indian tradition. The emphasis will be on the building of a solid foundation in the philosophical grammar of a non-Western philosophical tradition. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Asian, Comparative
Value Theory
PH2202 Introduction to Political Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will introduce students to a number of foundational topics in political philosophy, such as the nature and basis of justice, its relation to equality and liberty, the justification of the state, and the basis of political obligation. Readings may include classic works, contemporary works, or both.
PH2203 Major Moral Philosophers
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Description: This course will introduce students to some of the major moral philosophers in the Western tradition by examining their different approaches to the question of what we should do or how we should be, including deontological, consequentialist and virtue-based approaches. We will critically analyze these philosophers’ approaches using historical and contemporary sources. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH2208 Applied Ethics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2029; Cross-listing(s): GEK2029
Description:
This course considers some of the significant normative ethical theories in the history of moral philosophy and examines how their principles may be applied to ethical issues of practical concern. There is a wide range of topics that are typically understood to come under the category of applied ethics. These include ethical issues pertaining to the family, food, race relations, poverty, punishment, conduct in war, professional conduct in general, and so on. The specific topics to be dealt with may vary from semester to semester, and the selection will be announced at the start of the semester in which the module is offered. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH2209 Philosophy of Art
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2002; Cross-listing(s): GEK2002
Description:
Art and aesthetics raises deep philosophical puzzles. Sunsets are beautiful because they’re pleasing. But they seem pleasing because they’re beautiful. Gallaries display some things because they’re art. But some things are art because gallaries display them. Just as the Mona Lisa resembles Lisa, she resembles it. But she does not represent it as it represents her. When one watches a horror film one feels fear, but one does not run away. When one listens to instrumental music one feels sad, but there’s nothing one is sad about. This course addresses the central philosophical questions with which these puzzles are entangled.
PH2216 Environmental Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2031 & UPI2205; Cross-listing(s): GEK2031
Description:
This module will provide an introduction to some standard accounts of how humans ought to relate to the natural environment. We begin by examining the issue of whether only humans are entitled to moral consideration, and go on to consider what other objects might be deserving of such consideration. We then explore how our attitude towards the natural world is shaped by what we take to be morally considerable. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH2218 Business Ethics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2033; Cross-listing(s): GEK2033
Description:
This course will help students identify and think critically about the ethical dimensions of markets and business organizations and provide tools for making informed and ethically responsible decisions relating to workplace issues. Specific topics may include justifications for free markets and government intervention, corporate governance and economic democracy, managerial compensation, price discrimination, hiring discrimination, employment at will, privacy and safety in the workplace, advertising, product liability, the environment, whistle-blowing, and international business. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH2221 Medical Ethics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2035 & PH2208 (only semester 1, AY2008/09); Cross-listing(s): GEK2035
Description:
This course will help students identify and think critically about the ethical dimensions of the medical profession and the provision of medical care and provide tools for making informed and ethically responsible decisions relating to healthcare issues. Specific topics may include the ethics of abortion, euthanasia, physician assisted suicide, physician-patient relationships, organ procurement, bio-medical research, etc. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH2224 Philosophy and Film
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-2-1-4; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2040 & PH2880A; Cross-listing(s): GEK2040
Description:
“Philosophy and Film” means, in part, philosophy of film, in part, philosophy in film. Philosophy of film is a sub-branch of aesthetics; many questions and puzzles about the nature and value of art have filmic analogues. (Plato’s parable of the cave is, in effect, the world’s first philosophy of film.) Philosophy in film concerns films that may be said to express abstract ideas, even arguments. (Certain films may even be thought-experiments, in effect.) Questions: are philosophical films good films? Are they good philosophy? The module is intended for majors but – film being a popular medium – will predictably appeal to non-majors as well. (This module is offered as special topics only) Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH3202 Philosophy of Law
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): LL4639E, LL4404 or an equivalent course; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course examines the relationship between law and morality. Is there a necessary connection between law and morality? Must a valid law, or legal system, satisfy certain minimal moral requirements? Is there a moral obligation to obey a valid law, irrespective of its content, or is there a significant difference between moral obligation and legal obligation? How should a judge decide hard cases where no legal rule applies? Should these decisions be based on sound moral considerations? The module will discuss these issues in the light of contemporary debates in legal and political theory, and in the context of some important texts. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH3203 Moral Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course is concerned with an area in Moral Philosophy called ‘meta-ethics’. Meta-ethics is a discussion of the nature of ethics. It is a second-order, reflective activity about ethics, and not a first-order discussion of the rights and wrongs of particular issues within ethics. Beginning with non-naturalism, the module proceeds to discuss emotivism, prescriptivism, descriptivism or naturalism, culminating in current discussion of moral realism. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH3213 Knowledge, Modernity and Global Change
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course focuses on the ways in which modern science and technology impact on the forms-of-life which cultures and societies have built up for their collective self-understanding and biological survival. Issues in epistemology and how changes in the concept of “reason” have contributed to the project of modernity will be explored. The role of technology in its simultaneous creation and destruction of social-material wealth will also be considered. This discussion will be tied to an examination of certain key issues in environmental ethics, social theory, and cultural studies. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH3214 Philosophy and Literature
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
The course will consider, side by side, certain `philosophical’ works of literature and more orthodox philosophical works. The idea is to explore the ways and degrees to which it makes sense – also, the ways and degrees to which it does not make sense – to say that this work of fiction (a novel, say) is really about the same thing that this philosophical text is about. Turning the point around: when philosophers – like Plato or Nietzsche – employ literary techniques more characteristic of fiction, what philosophical work is hereby done? Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH3230 Normative Ethical Theory
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course is a study of the main contending contemporary views about goodness and virtue, principles of moral evaluation, and moral decision-making. These include deontological, consequentialist, and contemporary virtue-based and contractarian theories. Emphasis will be placed on securing a thorough understanding the arguments used to derive fundamental moral principles and to justify claims about our moral obligations. Such study aims to reveal the kinds of issues that are involved in analyzing what constitutes rational considerations for moral action, and the strengths and weaknesses of the rival theories. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH4202 Political Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in PS, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will discuss some of the central issues in political philosophy such as the basis and limits of toleration and individual liberty, the importance of a shared morality, and the role of the state in meeting the claims of different conceptions of what a worthwhile life should be. In plural societies, with a diversity of different values, what would be a fair basis for social co-operation? Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH4203 Issues in Moral Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in NM, or 28MCs in PS, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course examines different issues in meta-ethics or normative ethics. It asks questions such as: Can ought be derived from is? Are there natural laws? Is morality about an agent’s character or actions? Are actions morally justified by consequences or compliance with moral laws or principles? It may also examine and assess different schools of moral philosophy, such as utilitarianism, Kantian ethics or virtue ethics, or a current debate among moral philosophers, for example, the nature and role of intuition, or emotions, in acting morally. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH4216 Topics in Environmental Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will involve a critical and thorough discussion of specific topics in environmental philosophy. These may include topics in both Eastern and Western environmental traditions. Examples of topics that may be discussed are: the ethical problem of future generations, intrinsic values in nature, varieties of eco-feminism, and ecology in Neo-Confucian thought. Environmental issues are now in the forefront of global attention. Our current environmental problems may arguably be said to ultimately trace their roots to (implicit) metaphysical assumptions, to cultural or religious attitudes towards the natural world, to ethical perspectives that do not accord moral consideration to non-humans. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH4243 Issues in Aesthetics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will explore in depth an advanced topic in aesthetics. Possible topics are the ontology of art, the nature of the imagination, the definition of art, subjectivism about beauty, relativism about taste, or the appreciation of nature. Alternatively, we may consider the aesthetics of a particular artform, such as music, film, fiction, painting or dance, or of a particular philosopher, such as Immanuel Kant or Nelson Goodman. Finally, we may consider issues that arise at the intersection of aesthetics and other areas in philosophy, such as the debate over fictionalism in metaphysics.
PH5420 Advanced Political Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course invites students to engage in normative thinking about a range of issues related to politics, most of which have to do with questions about the legitimate exercise of political power. We will consider liberal views of political legitimacy and various criticisms of these views. These debates concern issues such as liberty, equality, moral values, and rights. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH5430 Ethics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Offered to Graduate students only and admission of others by permission of instructor; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
The course will focus on the sustained study of ethical theory involving one or more of the following four theoretical approaches to ethics: Utilitarianism, Deontology, Virtue Theory and Contractarianism. If necessary, the module may additionally study applications of the theory/ theories to a variety of applied issues. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH6216 Advanced Environmental Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil (Those who are not graduate students in NUS’s Dept. of Phil. must obtain instructor’s approval.); Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course involves an advanced examination of some key ethical positions in environmental philosophy. It will focus on the meta-ethical questions raised in respect of the different ethical positions. Coverage of these positions will be both wide and deep. Sub-area(s): Value Theory
PH6243 Advanced Aesthetics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Offered to Graduate students only and admission of others by permission of instructor.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will explore in depth an advanced topic in aesthetics. Possible topics are the ontology of art, the nature of the imagination, the definition of art, subjectivism about beauty, relativism about taste, or the appreciation of nature. Alternatively, we may consider the aesthetics of a particular artform, such as music, film, fiction, painting or dance, or of a particular philosopher, such as Immanuel Kant or Nelson Goodman. Finally, we may consider issues that arise at the intersection of aesthetics and other areas in philosophy, such as the debate over fictionalism in metaphysics.
Metaphysics, Epistemology, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Language
GEX1011/GET1025 Science Fiction and Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-2-1-4; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): PH2225; Cross-listing(s): GET1025
Description:
This course considers science fiction as a mode of philosophical inquiry. Science fiction stories are used to examine fundamental questions of metaphysics, epistemology and ethics. Topics include the nature of time, space, religion, nature, mind, and the future. Specific topics may include such issues as genetic enhancement, environmental ethics, and implications of encounters with non-human life forms.
Sub-area(s): Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
PH2206 Founders of Modern Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2028; Cross-listing(s): GEK2028
Description:
This module looks at the beginnings of modern Western philosophy in the seventeenth century, when philosophers conceived of themselves as breaking away from authority and tradition. It will deal with central themes from the thought of Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Leibniz and Spinoza; in particular, the attempt to provide foundations for knowledge and science. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
PH2207 Hume and Kant
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Two major philosophers are studied in this module: David Hume, in the first half, and Immanuel Kant, in the second. We will try to determine what each philosopher’s fundamental approach to philosophy consists in, and how it gives rise to his views on the nature of causation, the external world, the self, and the limits of knowledge. As Kant’s first Critique was a response to Hume’s philosophical scepticism, we will pay close attention to his diagnoses of Hume’s difficulties and his proposed solutions. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
PH2211 Philosophy of Religion
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will introduce students to the main issues in contemporary philosophy of religion. Topics covered will be selected from the following (other topics may also be considered): arguments for the existence of God (cosmological, ontological, teleological), argument for atheism (problem of evil), religious pluralism, nature of mystical experiences, the nature of miracles, the nature of religious language. Sub-area(s): Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
PH2213 Metaphysics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Broadly speaking, Metaphysics is the study of fundamental conceptual categories, including that of space and time, appearance and reality, mind and body, substance and existence, objects and their properties, and God. These concepts pertain to the structure of “ultimate reality” and generate perplexing philosophical issues, a sample of which will be discussed in this course. Some topics: the problem of universals, paradoxes of the infinite, the concept of God, paradoxes of time travel, problems of cause and effect, free will, fatalism and determinism, the mind-body problem, realism and idealism, existence, identity, and individuation, essentialism, the relation between logic and metaphysics. Sub-area(s): Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
PH2241 Philosophy of Mind
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): PH3212; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
What is the nature of mind and its relation to physical body? The mental realm is among the last great unknowns in the modern view of sentient beings and their place in the Universe and is a fertile field of philosophical inquiry. This module examines central conceptual issues surrounding the idea of mind and its relation to physical body. These include the distinction between the mental and the physical, the nature of consciousness, personal identity, disembodied existence, mental representation, and the attempt to tame the mental in purely physical terms. Sub-area(s): Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
PH2242 Philosophy of Language
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Topics in the philosophy of language, especially concerning truth, meaning and reference. In particular, we will consider questions such as but not limited to whether language is mediated by convention or intention, whether understanding a language is tacitly knowing a theory of that language, whether the meaning of a name is simply its referent, whether mathematical and moral statements are true in virtue of meaning and whether sentences such as “breaking promises is wrong” are statements of moral fact or simply expressions of emotion.
PH2243 Epistemology
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): PH3211; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Epistemology is the study of knowledge. Epistemologists want to know what knowledge is, how we acquire it, and how we should respond to arguments for philosophical scepticism, according to which there is very little that we know. We shall read the works of philosophers who have grappled with such perennial issues in philosophy, and explore and discuss various theories of knowledge. Along the way, we shall also discuss related issues having to do with justification, rationality, and the reliability of memory, testimony, intuition, sensory perception, and inductive reasoning.
PH3206 Recent Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course looks at the development of twentieth century analytic philosophy through the works of some of its major exponents. These include Frege, Russell, Wittgenstein, Moore, Austin and Quine. The fundamental assumption in analytic philosophy is the idea that all philosophical problems are really problems of language and may be solved either by reformulating them in a perfect language or by a better understanding of the language that we actually speak. One of the aims of this course is to show how certain problems in ethics, metaphysics and epistemology may be solved (or dissolved) through the careful analysis of language and meaning. Sub-area(s): Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
PH3311 Applied Epistemology
Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Epistemologists have recently been applying the tools of their trade to issues of practical import. Some examples include the issue of how to define fake news, of who to believe when purported experts disagree, of whether or why it is good to have a diversity of views, of whether stereotyping or profiling is ever epistemically beneficial when making medical diagnoses or designing algorithms, and of how we should balance any potential epistemic benefits against ethical costs in such cases. This course aims to equip students with the epistemological tools required to understand, discuss, and analyse such issues in depth.
PH3241 Consciousness
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): PH2241 or PH2242 or PH3210; Preclusion(s): PH3212; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
One of the main problems of consciousness concerns whether consciousness can be explained solely in terms of brain activity and the like. Some philosophers think so. After all, science has successfully explained various cognitive functions in such terms, and it’s natural to think that its success will eventually extend to consciousness. Other philosophers disagree, find it hard to fathom how consciousness can arise from the purely physical. To help us decide which answer is correct, we shall examine various important positions on the nature of consciousness including physicalism, dualism, eliminativism, and idealism.
PH3244 Appearance and Reality
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): PH2113 or PH2241 or PH2242; Preclusion(s): ; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Plato holds that the world of sensible objects is a mere shadow of an ideal realm that transcends experience. Locke maintains that sensible objects have intrinsic natures that are exhausted by a small number of basic spatial and temporal properties. Kant argues that we can never know the natures of things in themselves, beyond the fact that they give us certain sense-impressions. Mill construes a physical object as a bare propensity for sensations to occur in certain patterns. In this module, students engage with the major metaphysical systems of Western philosophy, examining how each coordinates subjective experience with objective reality.
PH3245 Language and Thought
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): PH2241/PH3212 or PH2242/PH3210.; Preclusion(s): ; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Description: Topics at the intersection of philosophy of mind and language, such as whether thought depends on talk or vice versa, whether we think in words or images, whether those words are words of English or a sui generis mental language just for thinking, whether animals which can’t talk can think and whether the mind is like a computer. These questions are central to contemporary philosophy and language and are also an important case study in the relationship between the methods of analysis, experiment and introspection in philosophical psychology.
PH4207 Phenomenology
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2012-2014: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German)/recognised modules, with a minimum CAP of 3.2 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2015 onwards: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German/Spanish)/recognised modules, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will deal with the thought of the four major classical phenomenologists: Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Jean Paul Sartre. Readings will be selected from Husserl’s Ideas and Cartesian Meditations, Heidegger’s Being and Time, Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology of Perception and Sartre’s Being and Nothingness. Sub-area(s): Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
PH4211 Issues in Epistemology
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will explore an advanced topic in epistemology in depth. Some possible topics are the problem of scepticism, including realist and anti-realist responses to it, the nature of certainty and the relationship of knowledge to chance and credence, the internalism versus externalism debate about the nature of knowledge and justification, and the definability of knowledge in terms of truth, belief, justification and their cognates. The module may also explore a problem from formal epistemology, such as the lottery paradox, the problem of logical omniscience, or probabilistic approaches to the problem of induction. Sub-area(s): Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
PH4212 Issues in Philosophy of Mind
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will explore in depth an advanced topic in the philosophy of mind. Possible topics are the unity of consciousness, the relationship between consciousness and time and the relationship between phenomenology and intentionality. The course may also focus on alternative conceptions of the mind to physicalism, such as dualism, panpsychism, or phenomenalism, issues from the philosophy of perception, such as the problems of illusion, hallucination, and the inverted spectra, or issues from philosophical psychology and cognitive science, such as the modularity of mind, the nature of tacit knowledge, or the relationship between neural states and mental states. Sub-area(s): Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
PH4240 Issues in Metaphysics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will explore in depth some advanced topics in metaphysics. Some possible topics include whether similar things have universals in common, whether time flows, whether past and future exist, whether a whole is something over and above the sum of its parts, whether chance is objective, whether there are other possible worlds, and whether numbers, gods, or chairs and tables exist.
PH4242 Issues in Philosophy of Language
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2012-2014: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, with a minimum CAP of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2015 onwards: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in EL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will explore in depth some advanced topics in philosophy of language. Possible topics are the nature of truth, Dummettian anti-realism, contextualism, relativism, or two-dimensionalism. We may also consider the application of philosophy of language to issues in other areas of philosophy, such as the debate between cognitivists and non-cognitivists in metaethics, or the question of whether metaphysical disputes are merely verbal.
PH6211 Advanced Epistemology
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This module will explore an advanced topic in epistemology in depth. Some possible topics are the problem of scepticism, including realist and anti‐realist responses to it, the nature of certainty and the relationship of knowledge to chance and credence, the internalism versus externalism debate about the nature of knowledge and justification, and the definability of knowledge in terms of truth, belief, justification and their cognates. The module may also explore a problem from formal epistemology, such as the lottery paradox, the problem of logical omniscience, or probabilistic approaches to the problem of induction.te between cognitivists and non-cognitivists in metaethics, or the question of whether metaphysical disputes are merely verbal.
PH6212 Advanced Philosophy of Mind
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will explore in depth an advanced topic in the philosophy of mind. Possible topics are the unity of consciousness, the relationship between consciousness and time and the relationship between phenomenology and intentionality. The course may also focus on alternative conceptions of the mind to physicalism, such as dualism, panpsychism, or phenomenalism, issues from the philosophy of perception, such as the problems of illusion, hallucination, and the inverted spectra, or issues from philosophical psychology and cognitive science, such as the modularity of mind, the nature of tacit knowledge, or the relationship between neural states and mental states.
PH6240 Advanced Metaphysics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will explore in depth some advanced topics in metaphysics. Some possible topics include whether similar things have universals in common, whether time flows, whether past and future exist, whether a whole is something over and above the sum of its parts, whether chance is objective, whether there are other possible worlds, and whether numbers, gods, or chairs and tables exist.
PH6242 Advanced Philosophy of Language
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will explore in depth some advanced topics in philosophy of language. Possible topics are the nature of truth, Dummettian anti‐realism, contextualism, relativism, or two‐dimensionalism. We may also consider the application of philosophy of language to issues in other areas of philosophy, such as the debate between cognitivists and noncognitivists in metaethics, or the question of whether metaphysical disputes are merely verbal.
PH6540 Topics in Analytic Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Offered to Graduate students only and admission of others by permission of instructor; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
The course is designed to provide an intensive grounding in one of the major areas in contemporary Analytic Philosophy. The module will consider philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, epistemology, or metaphysics. Other topics from the analytic tradition or a combination of more than one topic may also be considered under exceptional circumstances. Focus will be on contemporary issues and problems currently engaging the philosophers belonging to the analytic tradition. Sub-area(s): Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
Asian and Comparative Philosophy
PH2204/SN2273 Introduction to Indian Thought
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-2-5; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2027 & SN2273; Cross-listing(s): GEK2027 & SN2273
Description:
This course is designed to survey the history of Indian philosophy both classical and modern. The course will begin with lectures on the Rig Veda and the Upanishads. It will proceed with the presentation of the main metaphysical and epistemological doctrines of some of the major schools of classical Indian philosophy such as Vedanta, Samkhya, Nyaya, Jainism and Buddhism. The course will conclude by considering the philosophical contributions of some of the architects of modern India such as Rammohan Ray, Rabindrananth Tagore and Mohandas Gandhi. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Asian, Comparative
PH2301 Classical Chinese Philosophy I
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-3-4; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2038 & PH2205; Cross-listing(s): GEK2038
Description:
This is the first half of a two-part course which offers an introduction to philosophical debate in the Warring States period of ancient China, the Classical Age of Chinese Philosophy and the seedbed from which grew all of the native currents of thought that survived from traditional China. It will begin by considering the intellectual-historical background to the ancient philosophies and focus primarily on the Confucius (the Analects), Mozi, Yang Zhu, Mencius and Laozi, closing with a brief introduction to some of the later developments that will be covered more fully in Part II. The approach of the course will be both historical and critical, and we will attempt to both situate Classical Chinese philosophical discourse in its intellectual-historical context and to bring out its continuing relevance. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Asian, Comparative
PH2302 Chinese Philosophical Traditions I: Medieval Chinese Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-3-4; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2039; Cross-listing(s): GEK2039
Description:
This is the first half of a two-part course on Chinese Philosophy. This module surveys the philosophical discourse of the period from early Han dynasty up to the close of the Tang dynasty. We begin by considering the philosophical developments in Confucianism and Xuan Xue thought. Then, we turn to the arrival of Buddhism in China and survey the transformations in Chinese Buddhist philosophy through the Tang. We will treat these thinkers and their ideas in their proper historical contexts and evaluate their philosophies critically. We will also address and assess the relevance of these ideas to contemporary philosophical debates. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Asian, Comparative
PH3208 Buddhist Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
As Buddhist philosophical issues and logic were only established in the course of Mahayanic development, we will study Mahayanic issues such as icchantika and the Mahayanic theory of knowledge. Under the latter, topics such as the concept of Buddha nature, reality, sources of knowledge, sensations, reflexes, conceptions, judgement, inferences, etc. will be examined. Sub-area(s): Asian, Comparative
PH3218 Introduction to Comparative Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): (PH2205 or PH2301 or PH2302 or PH3205) and (PH2206 or PH2207 or PH3209); Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This module, designed for students with some philosophical training in both western and non-western philosophy, brings together traditions of philosophy that have developed in relative isolation from one another for the purpose of comparing how different cultures have approached and thematised major issues such as knowledge, truth, values (ethical, religious, social, political and aesthetic) and the practices they inform, language and the place of the human. It aims to elucidate the assumptions implicit in different ways of thinking about these issues and investigate how issues may be related in the light of these assumptions. Sub-area(s): Asian, Comparative
PH3301 Classical Chinese Philosophy II
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-3-4; Prerequisite(s): PH2301; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This is the second part of a two part course which offers an introduction to philosophical debate in the Warring States period of ancient China, the Classical Age of Chinese Philosophy and the seedbed from which grew all of the native currents of thought that survived from traditional China. Continuing from Part I, we will be discussing Later Mohist Logic, Gongsun Long and other ‘Sophists’, Zhuangzi, Xunzi and Hanfeizi in this module. The approach of the course will be both historical and critical, and we will attempt to both situate Classical Chinese philosophical discourse in its intellectual-historical context and to bring out its continuing relevance. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Asian, Comparative
PH4204 Topics in Indian Philosophy
Modular Credits: 5; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in GL/GL recognized non-language modules, with a minimum CAP of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
An in-depth study of a major topic in Indian philosophy. We may study a particular philosopher such as Sankara or Nagarjuna. We may concentrate on a particular school of Indian Philosophy such as Advaita Vedanta or Madhyamika. We may also consider modern Indian thought within the context of contemporary cultural theory by considering figures such as Tagore or Gandhi. Sub-area(s): Asian, Comparative
PH4208 Topics in Buddhism
Modular Credits: 5; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in GL/GL recognized non-language modules, with a minimum CAP of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
A study of the work of a major figure in philosophy. The philosopher studied may be from the Asian or Western tradition, from any period up to the present day. The philosopher selected may be someone important who has not been given much coverage in other courses. This module deals with specific Buddhist thinkers and philosophical schools. Topics chosen vary from year to year, and could include the philosophy of Madhyamaka, Zen Buddhism, the Three Treatise School, Vasubandhu, Nagarjuna, and major figures in Chinese Buddhism. Sub-area(s): Asian, Comparative
PH4213 Comparative Philosophy
Modular Credits: 5; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2012-2014: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German)/recognised modules, with a minimum CAP of 3.2 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2015 onwards: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German/Spanish)/recognised modules, with a minimum CAP of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This module identifies and compares the philosophical traditions generally labelled Eastern and Western. Aspects of comparative analysis include philosophical reasoning, linguistic style, logic of arguments, and substantive content. Comparison between traditions is cross-cultural and can result in dialogues across boundaries of space and time, and can also provide a forum to demonstrate the universality of human thought. Possible topics include, for example, Wittgenstein and Daoist philosophy, Nietzsche and Buddhism. Sub-area(s): Asian, Comparative
PH5510 Comparative Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-3-4; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This module will explore the aims and methods of comparative philosophy that crosses cultural boundaries through critical readings of samples of such philosophical endeavours. Each student will develop and defend a way of doing comparative philosophy and put it into practice by writing a research paper on a philosophical topic of their choice that compares thinkers or schools from different cultural traditions. Sub-area(s): Asian, Comparative
PH6320 Traditions in Asian Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Offered to Graduate students only and admission of others by permission of instructor. ; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
The module will intensively examine philosophical traditions from the histories of Chinese or Indian Philosophy. Traditions may include (but is not restricted to) Confucianism, Taoism, neo-Confucianism, Legalism from Chinese Philosophy and Vedanta, Indian Buddhism, Nyaya, modern Indian philosophy from the Indian tradition. The emphasis will be on the building of a solid foundation in the philosophical grammar of a non-Western philosophical tradition. Sub-area(s): History of Philosophy, Asian, Comparative
Logic and Philosophy of Science
GEX1012/GET1026 Effective Reasoning
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): PH2111; Cross-listing(s): GET1026
Description:
What is good reasoning? We will try to answer this question by studying the mechanics of reasoning. Students will learn what an argument is, what the difference between validity and soundness is, and what it means to say that an argument is valid in virtue of its form. They will also be introduced to various strategies and pitfalls in reasoning. In addition, to hone their analytical skills, students will be given arguments—drawn from philosophy and other areas—to unpack and evaluate. It is hoped that in the process of learning what counts as good reasoning, one will become a better reasoner.
Sub-area(s): Metaphysics, Epistemology, Mind, Language
GEX1014/GET1028 Logic
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): PH2110; Cross-listing(s): GET1028
Description:
An introduction to classical logic. The first half of the course introduces propositional logic, using the techniques of truth-tables and linear proof by contradiction. The second half of the course extends the use of linear proof by contradiction to predicate logic. Emphasis is placed on applying the techniques to philosophical arguments.
PH2201 Introduction to Philosophy of Science
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEM2025; Cross-listing(s): GEM2025
Description:
This module provides a broad overview of the major philosophical issues related to natural science to students of both science and humanities without a background in philosophy. It introduces the views on the distinctive features of science and scientific progress espoused by influential contemporary philosophers of science such as Popper and Kuhn. There is also a topical treatment of core issues in philosophy of science, including causation, confirmation, explanation, scientific inference, scientific realism, and laws of nature.
PH2112 Non-Classical Logic
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): GET1028 Logic; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Non-classical logic builds on classical logic in two ways. First, classical logic can be extended with modal operators, to reason about necessity and possibility, obligation and permission, and past and future. Classical logic can also be weakened, to accommodate vagueness, paradox, failures of relevance and circular reasoning. In this course, non-classical logic is explored in both these directions.
PH2113 Computation and Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-5-0-2; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This module introduces students to the basic principles of computation, particularly as they pertain to philosophy and related fields. Along the way, students will develop fluency with Python, a popular and easyto-learn programming language. Although the course will contain philosophical themes, it may serve as a general introduction to computation for students in all disciplines.
PH2114 Logic and its Limits
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): GEM2006/GET1028/GEX1014; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This is a module on the metatheory of first-order predicate logic. It focuses on the strengths and limits of first-order languages, their semantics, and the calculi for first-order logic, along with some first-order theories, such as Peano Arithmetic and Zermerlo-Fraenkel set theory. It also explores these strengths and limitations, and their consequences, from a philosophical point of view.
PH2223 Technology and Society
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEK2037; Cross-listing(s): GEK2037
Description:
This module looks at the philosophical problems arising from technology and its relation to nature and human values. In doing so, it draws on a number of philosophical approaches and traditions. Among the topics to be discussed are the relation between science and technology, the way technology has shaped our perception of nature and human experience, and the ethical challenges posed by technological progress. Potential topics to be discussed will include the concept of risk, issues in environmental ethics, and social-epistemological problems arising from communication technology. Sub-area(s): Logic, Science
PH3246 Paradoxes
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): PH2110/GEM2006; Preclusion(s): ; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This module is a survey of classic paradoxes, ancient and modern. No mere brain-teasers, these riddles have exercised some of history’s best minds, often with startling results. How is motion possible? What is a gamble at given odds worth? is time travel possible? Why do nations honour their treaty obligations? What are numbers? The contemplation of paradoxes drives the search for answers to these questions and more, and by grappling with the paradoxes, students gain familiarity with key techniques and concepts of decision theory and logical analysis which are useful both in philosophy and other fields of inquiry.
PH3247 Philosophical Logic
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): GEM2006/PH2110 or GET1028; Preclusion(s): PH2214; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course considers topics in philosophical logic. Consider, for example: 'This sentence is false'. If it is true, it is false. But if it is false, it is true. Resolving the paradox is extremely difficult, requiring revision to classical logic or the theory of truth. The course will cover this and other topics in philosophical logic such as vagueness and the sorites paradox, the paradoxes of material implication, essentialism and necessity, and probability and induction, all of which turn out to be deeply entangled with hard philosophical questions.
PH3250 Quantification and Modality
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): PH2112 Non-Classical Logic; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
According to classical logic all names refer to existing things, and it’s a tautology that something exists. Moreover, the simplest combination of propositional modal logic with classical predicate logic is constant domain modal logic, according to which everything which in fact exists necessarily exists. This course investigates free logics, which relax the assumptions of classical predicate logic, and variable domain modal logics, which allow different things to exist in different possibilities. Finally, it covers quantification in intuitionist, many-valued and relevant logics.
PH3252 Introduction to Philosophy of Mathematics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-0-0-3-7; Prerequisite(s): GET1028/GEX1014; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This module investigates some of the deep and puzzling philosophical issues arising from mathematics. Some are metaphysical and semantic: What is mathematics about? Are there such things as mathematical objects (numbers, functions, sets, etc), and if so, do they exist in the same way as more familiar entities such as tables and chairs? Others are epistemological: How do we obtain mathematical knowledge? Does it arise from pure reason alone, or does the empirical world play a role? In the course of addressing such questions, we will examine a number of influential views, including logicism, constructivism, platonism, fictionalism, and structuralism.
PH4201 Philosophy of Science
Modular Credits: 5; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, with a minimum CAP of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This module addresses important issues concerning the structure and development of scientific knowledge. These involve questions regarding the character of scientific method, the demarcation of scientific theories from other types of theories, whether the growth of science can be characterised as cumulative and progressive, the role of socio-cultural factors in shaping the content of scientific theories, the criteria deployed to determine which of a number of competing theories are scientifically acceptable, and the extent to which scientific theories can be said to give a realistic description of the world. Sub-area(s): Logic, Science
PH4241 Issues in Philosophical Logic
Modular Credits: 5; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, with a minimum CAP of 3.2 or be on the Honours track. PH2110/GEM2006; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This module will explore in depth some advanced topics in philosophical logic. Possible topics include extensions to classical logic, such as modal logics and higher order logics, non-classical logics, such as intuitionistic, many-valued and relevant logics, or philosophical questions about logic.
PH4244 Issues in Philosophy of Mathematics
Modular Credits: 5; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, with a minimum CAP of 3.2 or be on the Honours track. PH2110/GEM2006; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This module will explore advanced issues in philosophy of mathematics. The purpose of the course is to examine a small number of advanced topics at the forefront of contemporary philosophy of mathematics. While the topics may vary from year to year, possibilities include logicism and neo-logicism, set theory and the search for new axioms, structuralism, the applicability of mathematics, determinacy and categoricity, informal provability and the mechanism vs anti-mechanism debate. The literature considered will raise and discuss fundamental philosophical questions concerning the ontology, metaphysics, epistemology, and semantics of mathematics and mathematical discourse.
PH5423 Philosophy of Science and Technology
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 3-0-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
The module is intended to provide a framework for discussing thematically related questions arising in contemporary philosophy of science and technology. The focus will be on an in-depth study of a specific debate within general philosophy of science (e.g., scientific realism), or on a close examination of a branch within the philosophy of special sciences (e.g., philosophy of biology, philosophy of physics). In exceptional cases, the module may be structured around a suitable recent monograph or collection of papers. Sub-area(s): Logic, Science
PH6241 Advanced Philosophical Logic
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Offered to Graduate students only and admission of others by permission of instructor.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This module will explore in depth some advanced topics in philosophical logic. Possible topics include extensions to classical logic, such as modal logics and higher order logics, non-classical logics, such as intuitionistic, many-valued and relevant logics, or philosophical questions about logic.
Variable / Others
GEX1015/GET1029 Life, the Universe, and Everything
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): PH1102E; Cross-listing(s): GET1029
Description:
GEK1067/GET1029 offers an opportunity to grapple with some of the most enduring challenges to human thought. Our starting point is a conception of ourselves as free and conscious beings equipped with bodies that allow us to observe and explore a familiar external world. Successive lectures investigate alternative conceptions of the human condition, such as ones in which we are unfree, or non-spirituous, or inhabit a world whose fundamental nature is hidden from our view. Different conceptions bear differently on the further question of what we should value and why. Discussion is both argument-driven and historically informed.
*GEK20167/GET2019 replaces PH1102E as the essential introductory module for the PH major and minor from AY2016-17.
GEX1013/GET1027 Reason and Persuasion
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 3-1-0-2-4; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GEM1004, PH1101E, [Students majoring in Philosophy can still take the module, as our exposure module is now numbered GET2018.]; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
For the first six weeks, students read three dialogues by the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato: Euthyphro, Meno, and Republic, Book I. These readings touch on a wide range of topics: mind and morals; politics and psychology; metaphysics and science. For the second six weeks, students will meet with the same problems, ideas and arguments, but as they manifest in the writings of various contemporary figures – philosophers and non-philosophers: psychologists, political scientists, public policy experts.
‘Reason and Persuasion’ is a generic title. But it indicates a specific concern. Reason without persuasion is useless; persuasion without reason is dangerous. Plato worried about this; so will we.
GESS1029/GES1041 Everyday Ethics in Singapore
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-2.5-4.5; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This module examines the ethical dimensions of everyday life in Singapore. It focuses on moral dilemmas that arise in the nation’s pursuit of ‘happiness, prosperity, and progress’. We will explore how moral reasoning from multiple perspectives applies to local concerns such as equality, meritocracy, multiculturalism, immigration, and marriage. This will challenge us to identify moral problems created by social and technological changes, combine ethical principles with practical constraints, and balance the interests of individuals and communities. We will also consider how moral dialogue can be cultivated in Singapore’s multicultural society, so as to manage diverse traditions and divergent values.
GEI1001/GET1050 Computational Reasoning
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-4-3; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): GET1050/GEI1001, NPS2001, DAO1704, DAO2702; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Through a series of engaging activities, this course will equip students with the ability to thoughtfully apply computational tools when solving complex real-world problems. Students will develop the ability to evaluate their application of these tools and learn how to reason effectively using them. They will identify problems and design solutions, whilst also developing an awareness of the merits and limits of their methods. This will empower them to make better decisions and articulate justifications for those decisions. They will also contrast their ideas with experts and think about the societal implications of the use of algorithms.
PH1201 AI, Algorithms, and Ethics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-3-0-4; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): NIL; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Algorithms influence decisions about credit, employment, policing, healthcare, and more. This course examines when algorithmic decisions are fair, whether data collection violates privacy, how algorithms can be held accountable, and how to curb online misinformation. It covers philosophical, computer scientific, and ethical foundations of fairness, privacy, and accountability, including formal metrics like predictive parity and equalized odds, taught through probabilistic models and real-world cases such as facial-recognition bias and AI hiring. No prior background in computer science or philosophy is required. Readings span computer science, philosophy, and law.
PH2227 Games and Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): NIL; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Games can and do serve as a medium for communicating philosophical ideas. For instance, what is freedom? Are moral dilemmas possible? What is reality? Equally, philosophy can shed light on the nature of games. For instance, can games be art? What is skill and luck? What is the nature of artificial intelligence? This course will serve to explore some of these issues, using games and philosophical texts in tandem to explore various issues about what it is to be a human, and what it is to be a gamer.
PH2880 Topics in Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
‘Topics’ designates a category of module, not a specific module. The category exists to allow the occasional teaching of specialised subjects outside of the department’s set of standard offerings. Sub-area(s): Variable
PH3401 AI Safety and Alignment
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-5-0-2; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
AI safety and AI alignment are fields aiming to improve the safety and steerability of AI systems. This course will cover a variety of topics in AI safety and alignment. We begin with a primer on machine learning and deep neural networks. We then consider 4 key challenges to safety and alignment: reward misspecification, goal misgeneralization, deceptive alignment, and opacity. We end by evaluating proposed responses to those challenges, addressing topics like scalable oversight, interpretability, corrigibility, debate, activation steering, and AI control.
PH4206 A Major Philosopher
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2012-2014: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German)/recognised modules, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2015 onwards: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German/Spanish)/recognised modules, with a minimum CAP of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
A study of the work of a major figure in philosophy. The philosopher studied may be from the Asian or Western tradition, from any period up to the present day. The philosopher selected may be someone important who has not been given much coverage in other courses. Sub-area(s): Variable
PH4210 Topics in Western Philosophy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2012-2014: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, or 28MCs in PS, or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German)/recognised modules, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2015 onwards: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, or 28 MCs in PS, or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German/Spanish)/recognised modules, with a minimum CAP of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course deals with specific topics of current interest and controversy in Western philosophy. The topics to be discussed may be in, but are not limited to, philosophy of science, philosophy of language, philosophy of psychology, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, or social and political philosophy. Sub-area(s): Variable
PH4261 Kant
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-9.5; Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2012-2014: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German)/recognised modules, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2015 onwards: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German/Spanish)/recognised modules, with a minimum CAP of 3.2 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Immanuel Kant is one of the most important philosophers and his major works are influential in many areas of contemporary philosophy. This course allows students to study the philosophy of Kant with some depth. Each offering of this course will select a key body of works from Kant’s philosophical corpus, such as (i) his Critique of Pure Reason or (ii) his main texts in Moral Philosophy or (iii) his philosophy of the natural and/or human sciences. It may also include the study of major contemporary scholarship on Kant. Sub-area(s): Variable
PH4262 Nietzsche
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-3-6.5; Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2012-2014: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, or 28MCs in PS, or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German)/recognised modules, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2015 onwards: Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, or 28MCs in PS, or 28 MCs in EU/LA(French/German/Spanish)/recognised modules, with a minimum CAP of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will focus on the philosophy of the 19th Century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. It will proceed chronologically through Nietzsche’s most significant writings, such as The Gay Science; Thus Spoke Zarathustra; Beyond Good and Evil; On the Genealogy of Morality. Most of the attention will be on primary sources. All materials will be in English. Sub-area(s): Variable
PH4401 Honours Thesis
Modular Credits: 15; Workload: 0-1-0-0-36.5; Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2015 and before: Completed 110 MCs including 60 MCs of PH major requirements with a minimum CAP of 3.5. Cohort 2016 onwards: Completed 110 MCs including 44 MCs of PH major requirements with a minimum CAP of 3.5.; Preclusion(s): PH4660; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
A dissertation on an approved research topic not exceeding twelve thousand words. Please register PH4401 manually with the Department. Please refer to http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/philo/academic_requirements.html for more information on the PH major requirement. Sub-area(s): NA
PH4550 Internship: Philosophy for Teaching
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 3-3-2-1-3.5; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 MCs, including 28 MCs in PH, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 or be on the Honours track. (students will apply to Department to read this module and qualified applicants will be selected through an interview).; Preclusion(s): Any other internship module.; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
Students will intern in an educational organisation approved by the Department. (e.g. Logic Mills, which specialises in courses on analytical thinking skills to schools and other educational organisations). During the internship, they will learn to use their philosophical skills to teach, and through practice, reflect on the usefulness of Philosophy in education practice and intellectual development. Sub-area(s): NA
PH4660 Independent Study
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-0-0-0-12.5; Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2015 and before: To be offered subject to the agreement of the Supervisor and Department. Completed 100 MCs, including 60 MCs in PH, with a minimum GPA of 3.2. Cohort 2016 onwards: To be offered subject to the agreement of the Supervisor and Department. Completed 100 MCs, including 44 MCs inPH, with a minimum CAP of 3.2.; Preclusion(s): PH4401; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
The Independent Study course is designed to enable the student to explore an approved topic within the discipline in depth. The student should approach a lecturer to work out an agreed topic, readings, and assignments for the module. A formal, written agreement is to be drawn up, giving a clear account of the topic, programme of study, assignments, evaluation, and other pertinent details. Head’s and/or Honours Coordinator’s approval of the written agreement is required. Regular meetings and reports are expected. Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment and must be worked out between the student and the lecturer prior to seeking departmental approval. Please register PH4660 manually with the Department. Sub-area(s): NA
PH5660 Independent Study
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-0-0-0-10; Prerequisite(s): ; Preclusion(s): ; Cross-listing(s):
Description:
Independent research plays an important role in graduate education. The Independent Study Module is designed to enable the student to explore an approved topic in Philosophy in depth. The student should approach a lecturer to work out an agreed topic, readings, and assignments for the module. A formal, written agreement is to be drawn up, giving a clear account of the topic, programme of study, assignments, evaluation, and other pertinent details. Head's and/or Graduate Coordinator's approval of the written agreement is required. Regular meetings and reports are expected. Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment and must be worked out between the student and the lecturer prior to seeking departmental approval. Sub-area(s): NA
PH6660 Independent Study
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-0-0-0-10; Prerequisite(s): Offered to Graduate students only and admission of others by permission of instructor; Preclusion(s): ; Cross-listing(s):
Description:
Independent research plays an important role in graduate education. The Independent Study Module is designed to enable the student to explore an approved topic in Philosophy in depth. The student should approach a lecturer to work out an agreed topic, readings, and assignments for the module. A formal, written agreement is to be drawn up, giving a clear account of the topic, programme of study, assignments, evaluation, and other pertinent details. Head's and/or Graduate Coordinator's approval of the written agreement is required. Regular meetings and reports are expected. Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment and must be worked out between the student and the lecturer prior to seeking departmental approval. Sub-area(s): NA
PH6760 Philosophical Topics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Offered to Graduate students only and admission of others by permission of instructor; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
The course will study a topic in various areas of philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, aesthetics, political philosophy, a topic that crosses area boundaries. An example might be “Theories of Human Nature”. The module might approach the topic from within the perspective of one philosophical school or from a comparative perspective that examines the views of more than one philosophical school, eastern or western. Sub-area(s): Variable
PH6770 Graduate Research Seminar
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-3-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Offered to Graduate students only and admission of others by permission of instructor; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This is a required course for all research Masters and PhD students admitted from AY2004/2005. The course provides a forum for students and faculty to share their research and to engage one another critically in discussion of their current research projects. The course will include presentations by faculty on research ethics and dissertation writing. Each student is required to present a formal research paper. Active participation in all research presentations is expected. The course may be spread over two semesters and will be graded "Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory" on the basis of student presentation and participation.
PE2101P Introduction to Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): Nil; Preclusion(s): Nil; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course will introduce students to PPE as a multidisciplinary endeavour, by showing them how social and political philosophy can be done in a way that is strongly informed by the findings of social science. The course will be organized around discussing a few specific issues – such as inequality, nudging, climate change, and the formation of the state. Analysing these issues will introduce students to the methods and results of philosophy, political science, and economics, and show how they could be integrated to better understand and tackle social and political phenomena.
PE3101P Decision Theory and Social Choice
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 2-1-0-0-7; Prerequisite(s): GEM2006/GET1028; Preclusion(s): PH3249; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Description:
This course is an introduction to decision and social choice theory. The first half introduces the theory of expected utility, according to which rational actions maximise the probability of desirable consequences. The second half introduces utilitarianism, according to which the right action is one which maximises the satisfaction of desire for the population at large. Both theories are controversial for their highly quantitative nature, their demanding conception of rationality and rightness, their insensitivity to risk and inequality, their prioritization of ends over means, and their tenuous relationship to actual human behaviour and morality. These controversies are discussed.
PE4101P The Ethics and Politics of Public Policy
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-0-0-3-7; Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2020 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in PH, PS, EC, PE or PE-recognised courses. Achieve a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. PE2101P and EC2101.; Preclusion(s): PE4101P; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Which policies should the government implement, and why? This course will help you understand how philosophy, politics, and economics interact to inform the practice of policy analysis. We will clarify the moral, political, and practical criteria used in evaluating public policy, explore the arguments for each, and apply them to concrete proposals in various areas – such as healthcare, education, parenthood, housing, defence, and immigration. We will also explore the empirical evidence and the economic, political, psychological, and institutional models that bear on policy-relevant facts. In doing so, we will learn how to analyse and evaluate public policies rigorously and reflectively.
PE4102P Welfare and Distribution
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-0-0-3-7; Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in PH, PS, EC, PE or PE-recognised courses. PE2101P; Preclusion(s): PE4102PHM; Cross-listing(s): Nil
What makes a good life? This course aims to examine different theories of welfare (or wellbeing) as they appear in economics and philosophy, and related concerns pertaining to the distribution and measurement of the goods possessed by members of society. Topics covered might include: theories of wellbeing, cost-benefit analysis and its ethical assumptions, the value of equality, the ‘equality of what’ debate, the contrast between resources and capabilities, and the value of social equality.
PE4103P Knowledge and Society
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-0-0-3-4; Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2021 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in PH, PS, EC, PE or PE-recognised course. PE2101P; Preclusion(s): PE4103PHM; Cross-listing(s): Nil
Most of what we know comes from someone else. We all rely on others and the wider social environment to learn and interact with the world around us. Typically, however, we tend to think of inquiry as an individual activity. In this course, we explore the implications of understanding inquiry from a social perspective, using models and frameworks from economics and political science. We begin by examining our dependence on testimony for many of our everyday beliefs. We then move to understanding how social norms shape our epistemic environment. Finally, we’ll examine the implications of our discussion for politics.
PE4104P Outside In: Philosophical and Political Perspectives on Emotions
Modular Credits: 4; Workload: 0-0-5-3-2; Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in PH, PS, EC, PE or PE-recognised courses. PE2101P.; Preclusion(s): PE4103PHM; Cross-listing(s): Nil
What are emotions? Are some emotions bad? How are emotions related to reasons and beliefs? How do our emotions shape our ethical and political views, our decision making, and the way we orient ourselves in the world? What is the relationship between 'emotions', 'passions', 'affections', 'reactive attitudes' and 'feelings'?
This course explores different ways of thinking about the emotions and its relevance to everyday life. We will explore the history of emotions, paying attention to ways that different cultures understand and express specific emotions, and study emotions that have been ‘lost’ or ‘forgotten’. We will examine emotions such as anger, rage, love, compassion, shame, guilt and fear. These emotions constantly shape the way we engage the world. We will interrogate the social significance of these emotions. Finally, we will discuss ways that emotions can be educated and cultivated, abused and manipulated, and expressed.
PE4401P Honours Thesis
Modular Credits: 8;
This course requires students to conduct an independent research project on an approved topic at the intersection of Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics, under the supervision of a faculty member from the Philosophy Department. The research project, which is intended to be multidisciplinary, engaging the intellectual tools and insights from the disciplines of Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics, will be submitted as an Honours Thesis. The maximum length of the thesis is 8,000 to 10,000 words.
PE4408P Research Internship Project
Modular Credits: 8;
This course requires PPE students to pursue a policy research internship with an external organization. Interested students must secure (i) a position in suitable organizations either full time in the vacation period or part time in a regular semester (ii) a workplace supervisor; and (iii) an academic supervisor. They will submit journal entries; reflection reports; a final research paper (4-5,000 words); and make an oral presentation. The course enables PPE students to apply their multidisciplinary academic learning to real world policy research while gaining work experience.
PE4660P Independent Study
Modular Credits: 5;
The Independent Study course enables the student to explore an approved topic at the intersection of Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics in depth. The student should approach a Philosophy lecturer to identify a topic, readings, and assignments. A written agreement is to be drawn up, giving a clear account of the topic, programme of study, assignments, evaluation, and other pertinent details. The ISM Coordinator's approval of the written agreement is required. Regular meetings and reports are expected. Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment and agreed between the student and the lecturer prior to seeking departmental approval.
HS1503 Living with AI: Understanding the Technology that’s Changing Everything
This course provides a critical introduction to Artificial Intelligence, specifically designed for students in the humanities, social sciences, and related fields. Students will develop fluency in understanding AI capabilities and limitations, learn to evaluate AI technologies against technical, ethical, and practical criteria, and gain hands-on experience applying AI tools in contexts relevant to their disciplines. The course covers the foundations of AI (including debates about machine intelligence), the technical principles underlying both classical AI and modern machine learning (presented conceptually without programming requirements), and the societal, ethical, legal, and environmental implications of AI deployment. Students will explore applications particularly relevant to the humanities and social sciences, including textual analysis, historical research, language studies, and policy development, preparing them to make informed decisions about AI use in their future careers.
Interdisciplinary Courses
HS2918 Pain Points: The Problem with Pain
What is pain? How can we make sense of our anxieties about pain? What does it mean to empathetically relate to someone else who is in pain? How does culture and religion impact the way people experience and make sense of pain?
Medical and philosophical approaches to understanding pain converge as we discuss topics at both the societal and personal levels. The former allows us to clarify our understanding of pain, treatment, management and alleviation. The latter provides us with a toolkit to learn to listen to and to make sense of the complexities of our experiences and decisions surrounding pain.
HS2921 Effective Altruism in Theory and Practice
How can we best use our resources to help others? And how do we decide whom (or what) we should devote resources to? How do we ensure that our efforts are effective in improving the wellbeing of others?
Economics and philosophical approaches converge as we discuss these questions. The former allows us to construct empirically meaningful measures of wellbeing and evaluate amongst a wide array of possible policy or charitable options. The latter provides a methodology for answering non-empirical moral questions, such as our obligations towards the global poor, non-human animals, and future populations.
HS2922 Major US Supreme Court Cases and Big Ideas Behind Them
This course springboards from several landmark US Supreme Court cases to larger issues beyond the bounds of the law, beyond the borders of the US.
We introduce basic elements of US Constitutional law and history. But, more so, the focus will be on dilemmas concerning how to think about rationality and economics, the nature of personhood, ethics and politics.
When a legal dispute arises, we ask: what do law and precedent say? But we also do well to frame the case more widely and deeply: legalities aside, what are we really disagreeing about if we disagree about these cases?
HS2927 Agree to Disagree Well: Disagreement in Singapore
'Disagreement’ is an inevitable part of interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. But what does properly structured disagreement look like? And how should we respond to disagreements in everyday life? How can we develop better understanding of, and interact more productively with, loved ones, friends, peers, and institutions who hold views that differ from us? This course examines the social-scientific literature on the origins and implications of disagreement, including the idea that disagreement can be productive. We apply these insights to examining ethical issues in Singapore. Along the way, we also develop a set of tools to help engage in productive disagreement.
HS2928 Grasping Infinity: Paradoxes and Applications
How do we measure infinity? Can the infinite grow, or diminish? Can infinitely many objects be in finite space, or infinitely many events in finite time? How do we decide between infinitely desirable options? Infinity challenges us to think in unfamiliar ways and realise that much of what we assume to be generally true is in fact peculiar to the finite. This course integrates mathematical and philosophical perspectives to investigate paradoxes involving infinity like Zeno’s paradoxes, Skolem’s paradox, the St. Petersburg paradox, and the Banach-Tarski paradox. Philosophy encourages us to think critically; mathematics gives us the tools to be precise.
HS2939 Rational Animals and Thinking Machines
How do intelligent beings make sense of the world and communicate with others? We examine the foundations of meaning in thought and communication, exploring the interplay between rationality, language, and creativity. Drawing on disciplinary methods from philosophy and computer science (with the aid of linguistics, economics, and psychology), students will investigate questions like: What does it mean to think and act rationally? How can language express and shape our thoughts? How is rational communication possible? Can machines become capable of truly understanding and expressing meaning? If so, can rational animals and thinking machines come to understand each other?