Interested in Philosophy but not sure where to start? Wondering which Philosophy course you should take next? Would you like to know more about a Philosophy major or minor? These questions, as well as any other questions you have about the CU Denver Philosophy program, can be answered by Mark Tanzer, our undergraduate advisor. Send Professor Tanzer an email or swing by M108 in the Plaza Building to ask the department. We'd love to see you! If you need a Special Processing Form for an Independent Study or for Honors Thesis, please fill out the form AFTER you have received verbal or email permissions from your Philosophy advisor and return the form to be signed and sent on your behalf by the faculty member.
- Philosophy is...Spring 2024
- PHIL 1012 - Truth, Reality, and the Good Life: Introduction to Philosophy
- PHIL 1020 - Right, Wrong, and Seeing the Difference: Introduction to Ethical Reasoning
- PHIL 2441 - Logic, Language and Scientific Reasoning
- PHIL 3002/5002 - Ancient Greek Philosophy
- PHIL 3022 - Knowledge, Perception, and the Search for Objectivity: Modern Philosophy
- PHIL 3440 - Introduction to Symbolic Logic
- PHIL 3500 Ideology and Culture: Racism and Sexism
- PHIL 3833/5833 - Existentialism
- PHIL 3981 - Chinese Philosophy and Culture
- PHIL 4450/5450 - Punishment and Social Justice
- PHIL4812/5812 - Special Topics in Philosophy: Politics of Time
Important dates to keep in mind for Spring 2024:
- The drop deadline is January 31, 2024 at 5pm
- The last day to apply for Spring 2024 Graduation is January 31, 2024
- The last day to withdraw from a class is March 31, 2024
- Petitions for a late withdrawal from a class are due May 1, 2024
- Spring 2024 Graduation is May 11, 2024
Interested in the topics of ...
MIND and CONSCIOUSNESS and HAPPINESS
PHIL 4300 Philosophy of Mind or PHIL 3030 Philosophies of the Good Life and Happiness
Or maybe LEARNING and KNOWLEDGE
PHIL 3360 Epistemology
Perhaps the INTERPRETATION, ARTS, or LITERATURE
PHIL 4730 Philosophy and Literature or PHIL 5220 Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art
Questions about TIME and REALITY
PHIL 3350 Metaphysics
Even on RACE, SEX, or GENDER
PHIL 3500 Ideology Culture: Racism and Sexism or PHIL 4500 Feminist Philosophy
What about GOD and RELIGION
PHIL 4600 Philosophy of Religion
Or both POLITICS and JUSTICE
PHIL 3200 Social and Political Philosophy
Are you more SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY minded?
PHIL 3340 Investigating Nature: Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
PHIL 4350 Philosophy of Science
PHIL 4920 Philosophy of Media and Technology
Perhaps even more BUSINESS minded?
PHIL 3250 Business Ethics
These are just some examples of the many areas philosophy takes on! Current class offerings are on the left, but take a look at our CATALOG to see the full picture!
Are ghosts real? How about God? Is science our only source for truth? What about common sense? How are emotion and reason related? Is a life of duty better than one of pleasure? Is there a “best” kind of life? Typically, differences among people are rooted in deeper concepts -- such as truth, reality, and happiness. Philosophy has developed questions and (some) theories about what these concepts mean and how they might apply to everyday life. Term offered: fall, spring, summer. Max hours: 3 Credits. GT: Course is approved by the Colorado Dept of Higher Education for statewide guaranteed transfer, GT-AH3
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001-LEC |
M W 12:30pm to 1:45pm |
|
H02-LEC |
T Th 12:30pm to 1:45pm |
|
E01-LEC |
ONLINE |
|
E02-LEC |
ONLINE Want to know more? Click here |
We’re commonly told to “do the right thing,” and everybody seems to agree that we should. But what is right? What is wrong? How can we see and know the difference? This course helps students examine and analyze the ethical concepts, situations, and problems raised by these fundamental questions. Specific problems will vary with contemporary concerns, e.g., poverty, war, injustice, famine, abortion, punishment, and environmental sustainability. The course goal is to help students sharpen their ethical reasoning skills so they can better navigate and contribute to the ethical, social, and political arenas in which they will live their lives. Term offered: fall, spring, summer. Max hours: 3 Credits. GT: Course is approved by the Colorado Dept of Higher Education for statewide guaranteed transfer, GT-AH3
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001-LEC |
T Th 2:00pm to 3:15pm |
|
002-LEC | Darryl Mehring | M W 11:00 am to 12:15pm |
003-LEC |
M W 9:30am to 10:45am |
|
E01-LEC |
ONLINE |
Introductory course developing skills in argumentation, critical thinking, and scientific reasoning. Covers a wide array of topics including rules of logical inference, informal fallacies, problem-solving, and probabilistic reasoning, these analytical and critical thinking skills are tested on LSAT and MCAT. In this course, we discuss issues central to advancement in the sciences, and towards knowledge in general. In the course, you will learn valuable skills for employers.
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001-LEC |
M W 11:00am to 12:15pm |
|
002-LEC |
T Th 12:30pm to 1:45pm |
|
003-LEC |
M W 2:00pm to 3:15pm |
|
004-LEC |
M W 9:30am to 10:45am |
|
E01-LEC | Brett Hackett |
ONLINE More info can be found here |
E02-LEC |
ONLINE |
What is philosophy? What is the nature of reality? What is the difference between knowledge and opinion? What is the best kind of life for a human being to lead? Ancient Greece was the birthplace of Western philosophy, and this course traces the history of ancient Greek thought, from Homer and Hesiod through the pre-Socratic thinkers (e.g. such figures as Thales, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Zeno of Elea, Empedocles, Anaxagoras and Democritus) to Plato, Aristotle and later Hellenistic thought. Cross-listed with PHIL 5002. Grading Basis: Letter Grade. Typically Offered: Fall, Spring. Semester Hours: 3 to 3
Section |
Instructor |
Days & Time |
T TH 3:30pm to 4:15pm |
How does physical matter relate to minds and the mental realm? How does objective reality related to what seems subjective — human knowledge, perception, and feeling, etc.? What is the role of logical thinking in connecting the objective and subjective areas of reality? Can philosophy ground knowledge so that scientific inquiry is safe from the challenges of skepticism? These are just a few of the problems posed by the “modern” period in philosophy, from roughly the end of the 16th century to the end of the 18th century. This course examines such epistemological questions and surveys key metaphysical themes that modern thinkers inherited from ancient and medieval philosophy. Figures typically include Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, and Kant, among others. Cross-listed with PHIL 5022. Term offered: spring. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Section |
Instructor |
Days & Time |
001-SEM |
M W 12:30pm - 1:45pm |
Covers truth functional and quantificational logic through polyadic first order predicate calculus and theory of identity. Attention is given to such problems in metatheory as proofs of the completeness and consistency of systems of logic. Prereq: A passing grade in PHIL 2441 or MATH 3000 or permission from the instructor is required in order for students to enroll in this course. Cross-listed with MATH 3440. Term offered: spring. Max Hours: 3 Credits.
Section |
Instructor |
Days & Time |
E01-LEC |
ONLINE |
What is “racism” or “sexism”? What is oppression? How do these ideas become invisible so that they structure ways people think, act? How do they inform policies, laws, and institutions? And what modifies or overturns such ideas? By answering such questions, this course helps students reflect on the formation of their own lives, practices, beliefs, and values. Topics may include ideology theory, naturalism, the equal protection clause, recent scientific discussions, socio-legal history, and social constructionism. Term offered: fall, spring, summer. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Section |
Instructor |
Days |
001-LEC |
M W 11:00am to 12:15pm |
|
002-LEC |
T Th 11:00am to 12:15pm |
|
E01-LEC |
ONLINE |
|
E02-LEC | Jeffrey Golub | ONLINE |
Examines one of the most influential movements in recent European thought, beginning with existentialism's 19th century roots, and continuing on to the existentialist philosophers of the 20th century. Figures covered may include Dostoyevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre and de Beauvoir. Strongly Recommended: PHIL 3002 or 3022, a minimum grade of "C" in each previous philosophy course. If the student does not have this coursework, consulting with the instructor prior to registration is strongly recommended. Cross-listed with PHIL 5833, HUMN 5833, and SSCI 5833. Term offered: spring. Max Hours: 3 Credits.
Section |
Instructor |
Days & Time |
001-LEC |
M W 3:30pm 4:45pm |
China is a fascinating world with its own characteristic orientation to philosophical questions. Chinese thinkers produced the "Flowering of a Hundred Schools of Thought" in the Axial Age, the same period of time in which philosophy was coming to birth in ancient Greece. Covers some of the Chinese schools, including Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, Legalis, Chinese "logic," and the later schools of schools of Neo-Confucianism, Neo-Taoism and Chinese Buddhism. Cross-listed with RLST 3660. Max Hours: 3 Credits.
Section |
Instructor |
Days & Time |
001-SEM |
T Th 2:00pm to 3:15pm |
We will use the critical tools of philosophy to think about how contemporary practices of punishment are justified, how they shape the world we live in and what alternative normative frameworks might be. Cross-listed with PHIL 5450. Max hours: 3 Credits.
Section |
Instructor |
Days & Time |
001-SEM |
M W 2:00pm - 3:15pm |
Do we live in the same time or in different times? How does our lived experience of time - such as getting ‘behind the time,’ ‘stuck in the past’ or ‘trapped in circle’ - challenge the linear notion of time (‘clock’ time)? As a critical approach to the metaphysical theories of time, this course considers the ways in which time functions as a normative structure that naturalizes dominant narratives of gender, race, and class. We look at the temporal logic of heteropatriarchy, capitalism, racism and colonialism, while exploring the possibilities to create counter-narratives to the normative temporality.
Section |
Instructor |
Days & Time |
H02-SEM |
M 5:00pm to 7:00pm |