Philosophy

This course focuses on an analysis of beauty in the "beaux-arts" and the different ideas of aesthetics, as well as a background in philosophical ideas and their representation in art. It covers authors such as Burke, Kant, Diderot, and Plato and their ideas of beauty and the sublime. In section it discusses the difference between aesthetic ideas such as subjectivity versus objectivity, and universality.

The central question to be addressed in this course is: what is meaning? The starting point for the development of the line of thought of this course is the opposition between two intuitions. The first intuition is that the basis of meaning is located in the mind. Students discuss and read the paradigm defense of this claim: Locke's thesis that the meaning of words is the collections of ideas associated with that word in the mind of the speaker. The second intuition is that the meaning of language resides in the connection between language and items in the world. The course then discusses how Frege tries to resolve these issues by introducing his fundamental distinction between sense and reference. The course covers Russell's extremely complicated writings on the theory of descriptions and touches on the philosophy of logical atomism that he developed together with the young Ludwig Wittgenstein. Strawson's criticism of Russell's theory of descriptions is discussed, followed by an examination of Donnellan's proposal to resolve their disagreement. The course then turns to a more formal approach to language and truth: Tarski's highly influential recursive definition of truth for a finite, formal language and his subsequent application of this theory to informal languages. This formal approach stands in sharp contrast to pragmatic approaches to language that is considered next. Austin's ordinary language philosophy is an attempt to analyze philosophical problems via an analysis of the way the words in which these problems are formulated are being used in ordinary language. H. P. Grice is also sensitive to the pragmatic aspects of language, but he favors a more systematic and reductive account of meaning. In sharp opposition to these attempts to provide meaning with a foundation either in the mind or in reality stands Quine's attack on the very idea that there are facts about meaning. According to many, the most important philosopher of the twentieth century has been Ludwig. Students read fragments of this work, with special emphasis on his attack on the Augustinian picture of language, the thesis that meaning is use, and the rule-following considerations. On that last topic, students also look at Kripke's controversial interpretation of these passages in Wittgenstein's work.

This course provides a critical examination of the historical origins of biology as a discipline and the evolution of ideas and issues that impact modern society. Topics discussed include: beginnings of biology from Ancient Egypt through the Middle Ages; evolution of cellular knowledge, anatomy to physiology, nerve impulses, and immunity; origin, evolution and ecology of living beings; molecular biology; emerging issues in biological sciences.

In this course students are introduced to some of the great works in the canon of western political philosophy. On the basis of selections of the primary texts from Machiavelli to Marx, supported by a modest amount of secondary literature, students survey some of the lasting justifications of political institutions in the western tradition, as well as important contributions to the analysis of political concepts such as legitimacy, freedom, and justice. During the seminars emphasis is placed on conceptual analysis and the interpretation of texts.

This course surveys some of the main issues in metaphysics, with an emphasis on critical examination of arguments for and against competing views. Students consider more generally what metaphysics is and how it is best pursued. Topics include personal identity, free will, causation, the nature of time, and material constitution.

This course presents world view, values, outlook on life, morality and the concept of the rule of law, to analyze and solve problems. The course provides understanding of the essence of the socialist rule of law system and the rule of law path with Chinese characteristics, to enhance the awareness of the rule of law, to develop the rule of law, to better exercise their legal rights and to fulfill their legal obligations.

This course examines the origin and development of political philosophy, from Western to Marxist political philosophy. It covers the concepts of freedom, democracy, equality, justice, etc. as discussed in Western political philosophy. The course includes a critical study of classic Western political philosophy works, and a deep understanding of Marxist political philosophy methodology and modern society. The course is divided into four parts (classical, modern, Marxism, and contemporary frontier), mainly involving the following thinkers: Plato, Aristotle; Hobbes, Machiavelli, Rousseau; Locke, Mill, Smith; Luther, Calvin, Weber; Descartes, Kant; Fichte, Hegel; Marx; Althusser, Negri, Harvey, Wood, Habermas, Rawls, etc.