Advanced Philosophical Topics

2026 Course Description: The existence of consciousness is at once the most obvious and the most perplexing thing in the world. That fact that we are conscious and that our being so makes a difference to various aspects of our lives seems undeniable, and the same seems true of many other creatures too. But philosophers and scientists face a number of challenges in investigating the nature of consciousness. How does it fit into the physical world? What role (if any) does it play in causing behaviour? What other creatures (if any) besides humans are conscious, and how can we know? Can we learn anything important about consciousness through its abnormal or altered manifestations in psychedelics, meditation, and psychopathology? This course will focus on a number of these and other controversies in the philosophy and science of consciousness. We will approach these issues from a multi-disciplinary perspective, examining how philosophical, scientific, and contemplative considerations can be brought into useful contact with one another. General Description This course offers an advanced approach to philosophy and is suitable for students who have a strong background in philosophy. What is taught will change from year to year.