Phil 100: Introduction to Philosophy
Spring term 2026
This course provides an introduction to a range of topics in philosophy, mostly through the lens of the Western, analytic tradition. We will read writings by some major historical figures (including Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, and Kant) as well as by some recent philosophers who have been particularly influential. Questions that we will grapple with will include: What is it to think, and can computers think? What really exists, and how do we know? What is it to be an ethical person, and how do we organize society in an ethical way?
Schedule of readings
(please note that this may be updated)
INTRODUCTION (What is philosophy?)
Tues 31st March [no reading]
MODULE 1: LOGIC & PHILOSOPHY OF AI (Reasoning, thinking, and computing)
Thurs 2nd April — Aristotle, "On interpretation" (c. 350 BCE), §§1-9
Tues 7th April — Frege (1882), “On the scientific justification of a conceptual notation”
Thurs 9th April: ** No lecture **
Tues 14th April — Turing (1950), "Computing machinery and intelligence"
Thurs 16th April — Searle (1980), "The Chinese Room" (excerpt from Minds, Brains, and Programs)
Tues 21st April — Somers (2025), "Open Mind: The case that AI is thinking" (The New Yorker, 3rd November 2025)
Thurs 23rd April: ** Exam 1 **
MODULE 2: METAPHYSICS AND EPISTEMOLOGY (What exists? And how do we know?)
Tues 28th April — Plato, Euthyphro (c.390 BCE)
Thurs 30th April — Descartes (1641), Meditations on First Philosophy, meditations 1 and 2
Tues 5th May — Hume (1739), A Treatise of Human Nature, Book 1, Part 4, §6 “Of personal identity”
Thurs 7th May — Parfit (1984), Reasons and Persons, Part 3, §10 “What we believe ourselves to be”
Tues 12th May — Nagel (1970), “Death”
Thurs 14th May: ** Exam 2 **
MODULE 3: ETHICS & POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY (On being good and doing good)
Tues 19th May — Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (c. 350 BCE), Book II, §§1-4
Thurs 21st May — Kant (1785), Grounding of the Metaphysics of Morals, §1
Tues 26th May — Singer (1972), “Famine, affluence, and morality”
Thurs 28th May — Rawls (1999), A Theory of Justice, Part I, §24 “The veil of ignorance”
Tues 2nd June — Garfield (2015), Engaging Buddhism, §9, sections 1-4
Thurs 4th June: ** Exam 3 **
Tues 31st March [no reading]
MODULE 1: LOGIC & PHILOSOPHY OF AI (Reasoning, thinking, and computing)
Thurs 2nd April — Aristotle, "On interpretation" (c. 350 BCE), §§1-9
Tues 7th April — Frege (1882), “On the scientific justification of a conceptual notation”
Thurs 9th April: ** No lecture **
Tues 14th April — Turing (1950), "Computing machinery and intelligence"
Thurs 16th April — Searle (1980), "The Chinese Room" (excerpt from Minds, Brains, and Programs)
Tues 21st April — Somers (2025), "Open Mind: The case that AI is thinking" (The New Yorker, 3rd November 2025)
Thurs 23rd April: ** Exam 1 **
MODULE 2: METAPHYSICS AND EPISTEMOLOGY (What exists? And how do we know?)
Tues 28th April — Plato, Euthyphro (c.390 BCE)
Thurs 30th April — Descartes (1641), Meditations on First Philosophy, meditations 1 and 2
Tues 5th May — Hume (1739), A Treatise of Human Nature, Book 1, Part 4, §6 “Of personal identity”
Thurs 7th May — Parfit (1984), Reasons and Persons, Part 3, §10 “What we believe ourselves to be”
Tues 12th May — Nagel (1970), “Death”
Thurs 14th May: ** Exam 2 **
MODULE 3: ETHICS & POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY (On being good and doing good)
Tues 19th May — Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (c. 350 BCE), Book II, §§1-4
Thurs 21st May — Kant (1785), Grounding of the Metaphysics of Morals, §1
Tues 26th May — Singer (1972), “Famine, affluence, and morality”
Thurs 28th May — Rawls (1999), A Theory of Justice, Part I, §24 “The veil of ignorance”
Tues 2nd June — Garfield (2015), Engaging Buddhism, §9, sections 1-4
Thurs 4th June: ** Exam 3 **