Philosophy

This course aims to explore traditional and modern Korean philosophy at its introductory level. We are going to examine Korean tradition in comparison with western philosophical tradition. We will look at dominant philosophies and philosophers in the Korean tradition. One of aims of this class is to permit students to have opportunity to have cross-cultural understanding of Eastern and Western philosophies.This course is designed as a lecture class with presentation and free discussion of all participants.

This course examines the history of Marxist philosophy, the content and methods of Marxist and Engels philosophy, and the contemporary significance of Marxist philosophy. It will focus on the philosophical interpretation of the classic texts of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Mao Zedong.

The course provides an introduction to modern theories of the nature of mind, and some important contemporary issues in the philosophy of mind. Topics include the problem of mental representation (how can minds think about the world?), the relationship of minds to brains, and the problem of consciousness.

This course provides a philosophical discussion of the methods and the normative commitments of contemporary economics. The course focuses on economic methodology and the foundations of utility theory, with an eye to important current debates in economics. The second area of focus is on welfare economics, and the ethical assumptions and implications of economics.

This course analyzes techno-science as a socio-cultural phenomenon. It offers an introduction to Science and Technology Studies (STS). It introduces students to the multiple ways in which science and technology; individuals and institutions mutually shape one another to the benefit and sometimes detriment of society. This course takes a critical approach to science and engineering. Students think critically but constructively about aspects of science and technology by focusing on different empirical domains such as human enhancement (e.g. Google glasses, Ritalin, Blade runner), disasters (e.g. Fukushima, Hurricane Katerina), the gene revolution (e.g. Monsanto) and the politics of artifacts (e.g. park benches, the UCM building, and nuclear plants) while using a set of principles and approaches from the field of Science and Technology Studies.