Teaching
Note: Some course websites are password protected; others require a UCInet ID.
Spring 2018
- LPS 241: His Dark Materials
In this graduate seminar, we will discuss a collection of issues in cosmology and in philosophy of science related to the role of simulation in cosmology, with a special focus on models of dark matter and galactic evolution. The goal is to establish a foundation for further work related to the project New Directions in Philosophy of Cosmology.
- Social Science H1E: The Good Life
What is a good life? How do you live one? We start with philosophical answers to these questions, moving from the ancient Greeks to Nietzche to Foucault. From there we employ findings from economics, anthropology, psychology, and neuroscience to try to understand what makes people happy. As will become clear, we discover that goodness, happiness, and sociality seem to go hand in hand for humans. We conclude the class by looking at the evolution of human sociality and morality to understand why this is so.
Older Courses
- LPS 125H: What is Time? Perspectives from Physics, Philosophy, Fiction, and Film (Winter 2018, Winter 2016, & Winter 2015: Website (including past syllabi).)
- LPS 241: Foundations of Classical Field Theory (Winter and Spring 2017: Course website; Syllabus (incl. website password). Fall & Winter 2013-14: Syllabus; Website.)
- Social Science H1E: The Good Life, w/ Cailin O’Connor (Spring 2017: Syllabus; Spring 2016: Syllabus; Spring 2015: Syllabus.)
- LPS 241: The Philosophy of Howard Stein (Winter 2016: Syllabus.)
- LPS 241: Foundations of Quantum Field Theory (Winter & Spring 2015: Website/Syllabus.)
- LPS 40: Scientific Inquiry (Spring 2013 & Fall 2013: Syllabus; Website.)
- LPS 106/206 & Math 180: Category Theory (Spring 2013: Syallbus; Website.)
- LPS 241: Gauge Theories (Fall 2012: Syllabus; Website.)
- Social Science H1G: Naturalized Epistemology and the Social Sciences (Fall 2012, w/ Jeff Barrett; Syllabus; Website.)
- LPS 31: Introduction to Inductive Logic (Spring 2011: Syllabus; Website.)