Search Results
Your search for courses · tagged with CGSC Elective · returned 56 results
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BIOL 365 Seminar: Topics in Neuroscience 6 credits
We will focus on recent advances in neuroscience. All areas of neuroscience (cellular/molecular, developmental, systems, cognitive, and disease) will be considered. Classical or foundational papers will be used to provide background.
Waitlist only
- Fall 2024
- No Exploration QRE, Quantitative Reasoning
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Student has completed the following courses: BIOL 125 – Genes, Evolution, and Development & Lab with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 5 or better on the Biology AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Biology IB exam AND BIOL 126 – Energy Glow in Biological Systems & Lab with a grade of C- or better or equivalents.
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BIOL 368 Seminar: Developmental Neurobiology 6 credits
An examination of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying development of the nervous system. We will survey recent studies of a variety of model organisms to explore key steps in neuronal development including neural induction, patterning, specification of neuronal identity, axonal guidance, synapse formation, cell death and regeneration.
Waitlist only
Not offered in 2024-25
- No Exploration QRE, Quantitative Reasoning
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): BIOL 125 – Genes, Evolution, and Development & Lab with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 5 or better on the Biology AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Biology IB exam AND BIOL 126 – Energy Glow in Biological Systems & Lab with a grade of C- or better AND either BIOL 240 – Genetics or BIOL 280 – Cell Biology with a grade of C- or better.
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BIOL 386 Neurobiology 6 credits
An analysis of the biology of neurons and the nervous system. Topics include the molecular basis of electrical excitability in neurons, synaptic transmission and plasticity, motor control, mechanisms of sensation, and construction and modification of neural circuits.
BIOL 387 required
Not offered in 2024-25
- No Exploration QRE, Quantitative Reasoning
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Student has completed the following courses: BIOL 125 – Genes, Evolution, and Development & Lab with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 5 or better on the Biology AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Biology IB exam AND BIOL 126 – Energy Glow in Biological Systems & Lab with a grade of C- or better or equivalents.
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CGSC 100.00 Living with Artificial Intelligence 6 credits
This A&I course is about artificial intelligence (AI) and its place in our lives. We will spend time wondering about how AI systems work and about how we use them. This will involve asking big questions, identifying puzzles and misinformation, and spending a lot of time thinking about robots. Doing so will involve engaging with scientific research, news articles, comics, and other forms of popular media. The primary skills this class focuses on are critical news literacy, cooperative problem solving, writing, editing, and re-writing.
Held for new first year students
- Fall 2024
- AI/WR1, Argument & Inquiry/WR1
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Student is a member of the First Year First Term class level cohort. Students are only allowed to register for one A&I course at a time. If a student wishes to change the A&I course they are enrolled in they must DROP the enrolled course and then ADD the new course. Please see our Workday guides Drop or 'Late' Drop a Course and Register or Waitlist for a Course Directly from the Course Listing for more information.
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CGSC 236 Thinking, Reasoning, and Decision Making 6 credits
An examination of the way people think and reason, both when given formal laboratory tasks and when facing problems and decisions in everyday life. Students consider their own reasoning and decision making through course exercises. Topics include models of formal reasoning, decision making, heuristics and biases in thinking and problem-solving, moral reasoning, improving skills of higher order cognition.
Not offered in 2024-25
- CX, Cultural/Linguistics FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning WR2 Writing Requirement 2
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): PSYC 110 – Principles of Psychology or CGSC 100 – Argument and Inquiry or CGSC 130 – Introduction to Cognitive Science with grade of C- or better or received a score of 4 or better on the Psychology AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Psychology IB exam.
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CGSC 253 Philosophy of Cognitive Science 6 credits
A study of the central theories, methodological and philosophical issues and major competing paradigms regarding the nature of human cognition. Topics to be treated include: the history of cognitive science as a science, and the context through which we think about mental representations, intentionality, consciousness, the use and importance of language, nativism and externalism in the cognitive sciences, embodied cognition and the constitutive roles of culture and evolution in shaping cognitive processes.
Not offered in 2024-25
- HI, Humanistic Inquiry WR2 Writing Requirement 2
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): CGSC 130 – Introduction to Cognitive Science with grade of C- or better.
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CGSC 330 Embodied Cognition 6 credits
This seminar will consider recent work in philosophy, cognitive science and linguistics critical of views of human cognition as “disembodied” and Cartesian. Philosophical sources of the early critiques of symbolic AI and “cartesianism” will be considered (Merleau-Ponty, Dewey), as will the enactive (Cuffari, Di Paolo, and De Jaegher) and ecological (Chemero, Cowley, Steffensen) critiques of language, and current work on embodied cognition by Eleanor Rosch, Hubert Dreyfus, John Haugeland, Andy Clark and Evan Thompson. The seminar will include materials relevant to students in philosophy, linguistics, psychology and cognitive science.
- Spring 2025
- HI, Humanistic Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): CGSC 130 – An Introduction to Cognitive Science or CGSC/PSYC 232 – Cognitive Processes with a grade of C- or better.
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CGSC 340 Phenomenology and Cognitive Science 6 credits
This course will provide an in-depth study of phenomenology, covering both its history and contemporary debates, and phenomenology-inspired research in cognitive science, psychology and neuroscience. Roughly half the course will be devoted to the history of phenomenology, setting the main views within their historical context and explaining how these views respond to the difficulties of their predecessors. The other half will discuss contemporary philosophical debates and scientific research involving phenomenological approaches. In addition to the CGSC 130 prerequisite, a 200-level Cognitive Science, Psychology or Philosophy course is recommended.
Not offered in 2024-25
- HI, Humanistic Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): CGSC 130 – Introduction to Cognitive Science with grade of C- or better.
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CGSC 382 Cognitive Development in Children and Adolescents 6 credits
This seminar will focus on the cognitive changes experienced by children in the preschool, elementary, and middle school years, in such realms as perception, attention, memory, thinking, decision-making, knowledge representation, and the acquisition of academic skills. Weekly observation at local day care centers or schools will be a required course component. The seminar will be discussion-based and participants will take turns making presentations and leading discussions.
Not offered in 2024-25
- SI, Social Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): CGSC 232 – Cognitive Processes or PSYC 232 – Cognitive Processes or PSYC 250 – Developmental Psychology with grade of C- or better.
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CS 254 Computability and Complexity 6 credits
An introduction to the theory of computation. What problems can and cannot be solved efficiently by computers? What problems cannot be solved by computers, period? Topics include formal models of computation, including finite-state automata, pushdown automata, and Turing machines; formal languages, including regular expressions and context-free grammars; computability and uncomputability; and computational complexity, particularly NP-completeness.
- Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025
- FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): CS 200 – Data Structures with Problem Solving or CS 201 – Data Structures AND CS 202 – Mathematics of Computer Science or MATH 236 – Mathematical Structures with a grade of C- or better or equivalent. MATH 236 will be accepted in lieu of Computer Science 202.
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CS 314 Data Visualization 6 credits
Understanding the wealth of data that surrounds us can be challenging. Luckily, we have evolved incredible tools for finding patterns in large amounts of information: our eyes! Data visualization is concerned with taking information and turning it into pictures to better communicate patterns or discover new insights. It combines aspects of computer graphics, human-computer interaction, design, and perceptual psychology. In this course, we will learn the different ways in which data can be expressed visually and which methods work best for which tasks. Using this knowledge, we will critique existing visualizations as well as design and build new ones.
- Winter 2025
- FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning QRE, Quantitative Reasoning
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): CS 200 – Data Structures with Problem Solving or CS 201 – Data Structures with a grade of C- or better or equivalent.
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CS 320 Machine Learning 6 credits
What does it mean for a machine to learn? Much of modern machine learning focuses on identifying patterns in large datasets and using these patterns to make predictions about the future. Machine learning has impacted a diverse array of applications and fields, from scientific discovery to healthcare to education. In this artificial intelligence-related course, we’ll both explore a variety of machine learning algorithms in different application areas, taking both theoretical and practical perspectives, and discuss impacts and ethical implications of machine learning more broadly. Topics may vary, but typically focus on regression and classification algorithms, including neural networks.
- Spring 2025
- FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): CS 200 – Data Structures with Problem Solving or CS 201 – Data Structures AND CS 202 – Mathematics of Computer Science or MATH 236 – Mathematical Structures with a grade of C- or better or equivalent. MATH 236 will be accepted in lieu of Computer Science 202.
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CS 321 Making Decisions with Artificial Intelligence 6 credits
There are many situations where computer systems must make intelligent choices, from selecting actions in a game, to suggesting ways to distribute scarce resources for monitoring endangered species, to a search-and-rescue robot learning to interact with its environment. Artificial intelligence offers multiple frameworks for solving these problems. While popular media attention has often emphasized supervised machine learning, this course instead engages with a variety of other approaches in artificial intelligence, both established and cutting edge. These include intelligent search strategies, game playing approaches, constrained decision making, reinforcement learning from experience, and more. Coursework includes problem solving and programming.
- Winter 2025
- FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): CS 200 – Data Structures with Problem Solving or CS 201 – Data Structures AND CS 202 – Mathematics of Computer Science or MATH 236 – Mathematical Structures with a grade of C- or better or equivalent. MATH 236 will be accepted in lieu of Computer Science 202.
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CS 322 Natural Language Processing 6 credits
Computers are poor conversationalists, despite decades of attempts to change that fact. This course will provide an overview of the computational techniques developed in the attempt to enable computers to interpret and respond appropriately to ideas expressed using natural languages (such as English or French) as opposed to formal languages (such as C++ or Lisp). Topics in this course will include parsing, semantic analysis, machine translation, dialogue systems, and statistical methods in speech recognition.
- Fall 2024
- FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning QRE, Quantitative Reasoning
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): CS 200 – Data Structures with Problem Solving or CS 201 – Data Structures AND CS 202 – Mathematics of Computer Science or MATH 236 – Mathematical Structures with a grade of C- or better or equivalent. MATH 236 will be accepted in lieu of Computer Science 202.
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CS 344 Human-Computer Interaction 6 credits
The field of human-computer interaction addresses two fundamental questions: how do people interact with technology, and how can technology enhance the human experience? In this course, we will explore technology through the lens of the end user: how can we design effective, aesthetically pleasing technology, particularly user interfaces, to satisfy user needs and improve the human condition? How do people react to technology and learn to use technology? What are the social, societal, health, and ethical implications of technology? The course will focus on design methodologies, techniques, and processes for developing, testing, and deploying user interfaces.
- Winter 2025
- FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning QRE, Quantitative Reasoning
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): CS 200 – Data Structures with Problem Solving or CS 201 – Data Structures with a grade of C- or better or equivalent.
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CS 361 Artificial Life and Digital Evolution 6 credits
The field of artificial life seeks to understand the dynamics of life by separating them from the substrate of DNA. In this course, we will explore how we can implement the dynamics of life in software to test and generate biological hypotheses, with a particular focus on evolution. Topics will include the basic principles of biological evolution, transferring experimental evolution techniques to computational systems, cellular automata, computational modeling, and digital evolution. All students will be expected to complete and present a term research project recreating and extending recent work in the field of artificial life.
- Spring 2025
- FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): CS 200 – Data Structures with Problem Solving or CS 201 – Data Structures with a grade of C- or better or equivalent.
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ECON 265 Game Theory and Economic Applications 6 credits
Game theory is the study of purposeful behavior in strategic situations. It serves as a framework for analysis that can be applied to everyday decisions, such as working with a study group and cleaning your room, as well as to a variety of economic issues, including contract negotiations and firms’ output decisions. In this class, modern game theoretic tools will be primarily applied to economic situations, but we will also draw on examples from other realms.
- Spring 2025
- QRE, Quantitative Reasoning SI, Social Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): ECON 111 – Principles of Microeconomics with a grade of C- or better or has received a score of 5 on the AP Microeconomics test or a score of 6 or better on the IB Economics test.
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ECON 267 Behavioral Economics 6 credits
This course introduces experimental economics and behavioral economics as two complementary approaches to understanding economic decision making. We will study the use of controlled experiments to test and critique economic theories, as well as how these theories can be improved by introducing psychologically plausible assumptions to our models. We will read a broad survey of experimental and behavioral results, including risk and time preferences, prospect theory, other-regarding preferences, the design of laboratory and field experiments, and biases in decision making.
- Winter 2025
- QRE, Quantitative Reasoning SI, Social Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): ECON 110 – Principles of Macroeconomics with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 5 on the Macroeconomics AP exam AND ECON 111 – Principles of Microeconomics with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 5 on the Microeconomics AP exam OR has received a score of 6 or better on the Economics IB exam.
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ECON 395 Adv. Topics in Economics 6 credits
Advanced Topics In Economics
Not offered in 2024-25
- QRE, Quantitative Reasoning SI, Social Inquiry WR2 Writing Requirement 2
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): ECON 329 – Econometrics and ECON 330 – Intermediate Price Theory and ECON 331 – Intermediate Macro Theory with a grade of C- or better.
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EDUC 234 Educational Psychology 6 credits
Human development and learning theories are studied in relation to the teaching-learning process and the sociocultural contexts of schools. Three hours outside of class per week are devoted to observing learning activities in public school elementary and secondary classrooms and working with students.
Extra Time required for classroom time in public schools
- Fall 2024
- SI, Social Inquiry
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IDSC 250 Color! 6 credits
If you had to explain to a blind person the nature of color, how would you describe it? Is it a property of objects, oscillations of an electric field, a feature of how the eye generates electrochemical signals to send to the brain, or perhaps a property of the experiences themselves? This team-taught course takes a multidisciplinary approach to color, drawing from physics, psychology, and philosophy. We will explore topics such as the nature of light, visual anatomy, the process by which light is converted to a neural code, color mixing, linguistic differences in color processing, and how color leads us to confront the tension that sometimes exists between appearance and reality.
- Winter 2025
- No Exploration
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): One Introductory PHIL or PSYC course higher than 110 or One Introductory PHYS course higher than 130 with a grade of C- or better.
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LING 117 Sociophonetics 6 credits
This course is a theoretical and practical introduction to studying phonetics (the science of speech) and its relation to sociolinguistic variation (how speech systematically varies across speakers). Throughout the course, students will collect their own conversational speech data and learn to conduct acoustic analysis. Skills developed in the course include recording speech, transcribing, data processing and normalization, and effective presentation of results.
Not offered in 2024-25
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LING 150 From Esperanto to Dothraki: The Linguistics of Invented Languages 6 credits
What lies behind the human urge to construct new languages? How has language invention changed over time? What can invented languages teach us about the function of natural languages and their syntactic, morphological, and phonological structure? In this course, students will dive into the history of invented languages, tackle the question of what constitutes a language, and ultimately try their hand at constructing their own language. We’ll explore what separates natural languages from invented ones and discuss how often the very qualities that their creators find most desirable inhibit the widespread adoption they envision for their languages.
Sophomore priority
Not offered in 2024-25
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LING 216 Generative Approaches to Syntax 6 credits
This course has two primary goals: to provide participants with a forum to continue to develop their analytical skills (i.e., to ‘do syntax’), and to acquaint them with generative syntactic theory, especially the Principles and Parameters approach. Participants will sharpen their technological acumen, through weekly problem solving, and engage in independent thinking and analysis, by means of formally proposing novel syntactic analyses for linguistic phenomena. By the conclusion of the course, participants will be prepared to read and critically evaluate primary literature couched within this theoretical framework.
- Winter 2025
- FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning
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Student has completed LING 115 – Intro to the Theory of Syntax with grade of C- or better
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LING 217 Phonetics and Phonology 6 credits
Although no two utterances are ever exactly the same, we humans don’t function like tape recorders; we overlook distinctions to which mechanical recording devices are sensitive, and we “hear” contrasts which are objectively not there. What we (think we) hear is determined by the sound system of the language we speak. This course examines the sound systems of human languages, focusing on how speech sounds are produced and perceived, and how these units come to be organized into a systematic network in the minds of speakers of languages.
- Fall 2024
- FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): One 100-level LING course with grade of C- or better.
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LING 219 Sociophonetic Analysis 6 credits
This course introduces participants to sociophonetics, a field of study that weds theories of phonetics (the study of the science of speech) to the methodological approaches of sociolinguistics, and which examines the relationships between linguistic variation and speaker identity. Participants consider the acoustic characteristics of vowels, consonants, and prosody; the variation that occurs across these; and how this variation impacts the production and perception of speech. Working with natural speech data, participants learn to use Praat to assess articulatory variation, and contextualize their findings against the backdrop of previous sociophonetic literature.
Not open to students who have taken LING 117 previously
- Winter 2025
- QRE, Quantitative Reasoning SI, Social Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): One 100-Level Linguistics course with a grade of C- or better. Not open students who have completed LING 117 – Sociophonetics.
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LING 275 First Language Acquisition 6 credits
Humans are unique among animals in that we attain native speaker competency in any language(s) we receive a sufficient amount of exposure to during the right time of our development. The path of first language acquisition is remarkably stable regardless of the language(s) being acquired, and yields insights into the nature of human language. In this course, we explore children’s capacity to acquire language, with a focus on its implications for linguistic theory. Topics include acquisition of phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics, and acquisition in extraordinary circumstances.
Not offered in 2024-25
- SI, Social Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): One 100-level LING course with grade of C- or better.
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LING 276 Bilingualism & Code-Switching 6 credits
Code-switching, or shifting between two shared languages, is a common practice of bilinguals around the globe. This course reviews key linguistic research on code-switching, focusing particularly on when and why code-switching occurs and what linguistic, cultural, and cognitive restrictions it is subject to. These questions will take us on a wide-ranging exploration of bilingualism as a phenomenon, touching on sociolinguistic issues, questions of language structure, and the impacts of code-switching on pronunciation, as well as a variety of issues in the study of multilingualism broadly construed, such as how bilinguals maintain multiple linguistic systems within a single cognitive environment.
Not offered in 2024-25
- SI, Social Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): One LING course with a grade of C- or better.
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LING 315 Topics in Syntax 6 credits
What moves where, how, and for what purpose? In this course, participants explore accounts of various types of syntactic movement within the Minimalist Program. After an introduction to Minimalism, we read, discuss, and evaluate primary literature. This course offers an overview of the progression of generative syntactic theory from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, with a focus on objectively comparing competing analyses. By the end of the course, participants will have familiarity with scholarly literature on theoretical syntax; with evaluating and critiquing existing theoretical analyses; and with proposing and defending a novel analysis.
- Fall 2024
- FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): LING 216 – Generative Approach to Syntax with grade of C- or better.
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LING 316 Topics in Morphology 6 credits
This course explores how languages form words and how contemporary theories account for this complicated process. We concentrate primarily on the interaction between morphology and syntax, but we may also explore the relationship between morphology and phonology. While we will investigate a wide variety of languages, no familiarity with any language other than English is required.
Not offered in 2024-25
- FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): LING 216 – Generative Approach to Syntax with grade of C- or better.
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LING 317 Topics in Phonology 6 credits
More on phonology. This course examines a small number of topics in depth. Particular topics vary from year to year.
Not offered in 2024-25
- FSR, Formal or Statistical Reasoning
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): LING 217 – Phonetics & Phonology with grade of C- or better.
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LING 325 Syntax of an Unfamiliar Language 6 credits
In this course we examine, with the help of a native speaker consultant, the syntax of a language deliberately chosen for its being unfamiliar to all the participants. Our goals will be to construct a coherent and theoretically respectable account of principles of the grammar of this language, and to understand what our account reveals about the structure of human language generally. Each student will investigate some aspect of the syntax of the language in depth, culminating in a class presentation and research report.
Not offered in 2024-25
- LS, Science with Lab
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): LING 216 – Generative Approach to Syntax with grade of C- or better.
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LING 340 Topics in Semantics 6 credits
Semantics is the study of what words and constructions mean in a language and how speakers come to actually interpret those meanings. In this course we explore several objects of inquiry within the field of semantics, including compositional semantics (i.e., the computation of meaning over syntactic structures), lexical semantics (with a particular emphasis on verb meanings), and how the various interpretations of ambiguous constructions are derived.
Not offered in 2024-25
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LING 375 Second Language Acquisition: Speech 6 credits
Why do some people acquiring a second language obtain a pronunciation indistinguishable from that of native speakers, while others, despite excellent skills in the areas of syntax, semantics, and vocabulary, never shed their “foreign accent”? In this seminar, we will explore theoretical models that examine the impact of factors like age of acquisition, length of residence, motivation, learning environment, language identity, and native language on the phonetics and phonology of second language acquisition, looking at speech production and perception. The course will be organized around a term-long collaborative research project, with goals and topic set by the class.
Not offered in 2024-25
- QRE, Quantitative Reasoning SI, Social Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): LING 217 – Phonetics & Phonology with grade of C- or better.
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MUSC 227 Perception and Cognition of Music 6 credits
Covers basic issues in auditory perception and cognition with an emphasis on the perception of musical pitch, including sensory discrimination, categorical perception, roughness and dissonance, absolute pitch, and auditory streaming. Other topics to be covered include the processing of language and music, and emotional responses to music. A grade of C- or better must be earned in both Music 227 and 228 to satisfy the LS requirement.
A grade of C- or better must be earned in both MUSC 227 & 228 to staisfy the LS requirement.
- Spring 2025
- LS, Science with Lab QRE, Quantitative Reasoning
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): One MUSC 100, 200 or 300 Level Course not including Lesson or Ensemble courses OR one PSYC 100, 200, 300 Level Course with a grade of C- or better.
- MUSC 228
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NEUR 127 Foundations in Neuroscience and Lab 6 credits
This course is an introduction to basic neural function. Topics include neural transmission, development of the nervous system, anatomy, sensory systems, learning and the corresponding change in the brain, and the role of the nervous system in behavior. Team-based learning will be used to understand the experiments that shape current knowledge.
- Fall 2024, Winter 2025
- LS, Science with Lab QRE, Quantitative Reasoning
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PHIL 116 Sensation, Induction, Abduction, Deduction, Seduction 6 credits
In every academic discipline, we make theories and argue for and against them. This is as true of theology as of geology (and as true of phys ed as of physics). What are the resources we have available to us in making these arguments? It’s tempting to split the terrain into (i) raw data, and (ii) rules of right reasoning for processing the data. The most obvious source of raw data is sense experience, and the most obvious candidates for modes of right reasoning are deduction, induction, and abduction. Some philosophers, however, think that sense perception is only one of several sources of raw data (perhaps we also have a faculty of pure intuition or maybe a moral sense), and others have doubted that we have any source of raw data at all. As for the modes of “right” reasoning, Hume famously worried about our (in)ability to justify induction, and others have had similar worries about abduction and even deduction. Can more be said on behalf of our most strongly held beliefs and belief-forming practices than simply that we find them seductive—that we are attracted to them; that they resonate with us? In this course, we’ll use some classic historical and contemporary philosophical texts to help us explore these and related issues.
- Winter 2025
- HI, Humanistic Inquiry WR2 Writing Requirement 2
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PHIL 203 Bias, Belief, Community, Emotion 6 credits
What is important to individuals, how they see themselves and others, and the kind of projects they pursue are shaped by traditional and moral frameworks they didn’t choose. Individual selves are encumbered by their social environments and, in this sense, always ‘biased’, but some forms of bias are pernicious because they produce patterns of inter and intra-group domination and oppression. We will explore various forms of intersubjectivity and its asymmetries through readings in social ontology and social epistemology that theorize the construction of group and individual beliefs and identities in the context of the social world they engender.
Extra time
Not offered in 2024-25
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PHIL 217 Reason in Context: Limitations and Possibilities 6 credits
Our reflection on significant human questions is often (perhaps always) embedded within a larger set of cultural or personal theoretical commitments. Such embeddedness suggests our reflection cannot achieve the standard of objectivity characteristic of a traditional ideal of rationality. Is this realization to be welcomed insofar as it weakens traditional dogmatic claims to truth and the associated implication that certain views or frameworks are superior to others? Or, in spite of the unmooring of the philosophical tradition from set criteria, do we still find ourselves committed to some ordering of rank and, if so, how do we make sense of this? In this course we’ll examine these questions as they arise in the writings of Nietzsche, Heidegger and other continental philosophers. We will devote part of the course to the ancient sources (Plato and Aristotle) with whom the continental philosophers are in conversation.
Not offered in 2024-25
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PHIL 223 Philosophy of Language 6 credits
In this course we will look at how philosophers have tried to understand language and its connection with human thought and communication. The course will be split into two parts: Semantics and Pragmatics. In the first part, we’ll look at general features of linguistic expressions like meaning and reference. In the second part, we’ll look at the various ways in which speakers use language. Topics to be considered in the second part include speech acts, implicature, and presupposition.
Not offered in 2024-25
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PHIL 225 Philosophy of Mind 6 credits
What is the relationship between the mind and the brain? Are they identical? Or is there mental “stuff” in addition to physical stuff? Or perhaps some physical stuff has irreducibly mental properties? These, and related questions, are explored by philosophers under the heading of “the mind-body problem.” In this course, we will start with these questions, looking at classical and contemporary defenses of both materialism and dualism. This investigation will lead us to other important questions such as: What is the nature of mental representation, what is consciousness, and could a robot have conscious states and mental representations?
Not offered in 2024-25
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PHIL 257 Contemporary Issues in Feminist Philosophy 6 credits
We will analyze different theories about the distinction between sex and gender. Then we will turn to contemporary issues in feminism for the remainder of the course. These issues include, but are not limited to, conservative feminism, reproductive justice, fetishes, disability, ethics of pronouns, whether men are oppressed, and responsibility for oppression. We will read selections from Oyèrónké Oyewùmí, Robin Dembroff, Karina Ortiz Villa, Robin Zheng, Anne Fausto-Sterling, Audre Lorde, and more. In addition, there will be room for student choice of topics.
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PHIL 272 Early Modern Philosophy: Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Philosophy 6 credits
Our inquiry into seventeenth and eighteenth century philosophy is not limited to any geographic region: it is open to Indigenous philosophical traditions as well as those of Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. We will cover selections from Anton Wilhelm Amo, Mulla Sadra, Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz, Im Yunjidang, Isaac Newton, Baruch Spinoza, Immanuel Kant, and more. The topics include, but are not limited to, the mind body distinction, divinity, love, freedom, virtue, and the good life. The final paper project for this course asks you to creatively connect philosophical concepts, themes, or problems from different units of the course.
Not offered in 2024-25
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PHIL 297 Kant’s Philosophy of Mind 6 credits
Kant’s contributions to philosophy of mind cover a diverse array of aspects of consciousness and have deeply influenced the history of philosophy of mind. His phenomenological reflections on the perception of space and time and the basic categories through which we judge inspired subsequent Kantian philosophers and even contemporary debates about the role of concepts in perception. Further, Kant’s account of judgments of beauty and the sublime provide essential background for contemporary aesthetics. Finally, Kant’s universal law formulation of his central moral principle provides an innovative way to understand moral decision making in terms of collective rationality.
Not offered in 2024-25
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PHIL 306 Causation and Explanation 6 credits
Intimately related in deep but philosophically mysterious ways, the paired concepts of causation and expla nation structure how we think about the reality we inhabit and our place in it, as well as our self-understanding as inquirers. After all, when we investigate just about anything, we aim to know not just the where and the when, but the how and the why. This seminar will introduce you to some of the most important philosophical investigations into causation, explanation, and their relationship to one another. Along the way, we’ll pay close attention to ways in which these investigations matter–well outside the confines of academic philosophy–by looking at stubborn disputes within the social sciences about what counts as “causal” or “explanatory”.
Not offered in 2024-25
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PHIL 373 Reptiles and Demons 6 credits
Skeptical arguments—like Descartes’ malignant demon argument—threaten to completely undermine our claim to have any knowledge of this world. Philosophers (and non-philosophers) have often met our apparent inability to answer these skeptical arguments with a shrug. The skeptical scenarios exert no gravitational pull on most minds and can be safely filed under “philosophical curiosities.” Meanwhile, global conspiracy theories—like David Icke’s theory that the world’s governments are overrun with shapeshifting reptilians from the constellation Draco—also threaten to undermine our knowledge of the world. Trying to answer them runs us into the very same cognitive and epistemic roadblocks that we run into with philosophical skepticism. We can’t, however, meet these theories with a shrug. Conspiracy theories—even the wilder ones—do attract adherents and do have real-world (and sometimes devastating) consequences. Intensifying our predicament is the undeniable fact that we live in a world that is rife with conspiracies—some of them rather wild. In this seminar we will examine the cognitive architecture and evidential conditions that contribute to our predicament and then ask whether cognitive science or formal epistemology can offer any useful tools or strategies for confronting philosophical skepticism and conspiracy theories.
Not offered in 2024-25
- HI, Humanistic Inquiry QRE, Quantitative Reasoning WR2 Writing Requirement 2
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): One 200 level PHIL course NOT including Independent Studies with a grade of C- or better.
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PSYC 216 Behavioral Neuroscience 6 credits
An introduction to the physiological bases of complex behaviors in mammals, with an emphasis on neural and hormonal mechanisms. Psychology 216 does not require concurrent registration in Psychology 217, however, a grade of C- or better must be earned in both Psychology 216 and 217 to satisfy the LS requirement. Expected preparation: Psychology 110 or instructor permission.
- Spring 2025
- LS, Science with Lab
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PSYC 220 Sensation and Perception 6 credits
We will address the question of how humans acquire information from the world to support action, learning, belief, choice, and the host of additional mental states that comprise the subject matter of psychology. In other words “How do we get the outside inside?” We will initially consider peripheral anatomical structures (e.g., the eye) and proceed through intermediate levels of sensory coding and transmission to cover the brain regions associated with each of the major senses. Readings will include primary sources and a text. In addition to exams and papers, students will conduct an investigation into an area of personal interest. A grade of C- or better must be earned in both Psychology 220 and 221 to satisfy the LS requirement.
- Spring 2025
- LS, Science with Lab
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): PSYC 110 – Principles of Psychology with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 4 or better on the Psychology AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Psychology IB exam.
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PSYC 234 Psychology of Language 6 credits
This course will cover a range of aspects of language use. We will spend time discussing language production and comprehension, discourse processing, the relationship between language and thought, and language acquisition. Additionally, we will touch on issues of memory, perception, concepts, mental representation, and neuroscience. Throughout the course, we will emphasize both the individual and social aspects of language as well as the dynamic and fluid nature of language use. Concurrent registration in PSYC 235 is optional, but strongly recommended. A grade of C- or better must be earned in both Psychology 234 and 235 to satisfy the LS requirement.
Concurrent registration in PSYC 235 is optional but strongly recommended.
- Fall 2024
- CX, Cultural/Linguistics LS, Science with Lab
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): PSYC 110 – Principles of Psychology with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 4 or better on the Psychology AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Psychology IB exam.
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PSYC 238 Memory Processes 6 credits
Memory is involved in nearly every human activity: We use our memory not only when we reminisce about the past, but when we study for our exams, talk to our friends, and tie our shoes. This course explores the psychological science of human memory. We will examine different types of memory, how we encode new memories and retrieve old ones, how to ensure a memory is never forgotten, and how to implant a false memory in someone else. In doing so we will look at both old and new research, and discuss how memory research can be applied to some real world environments, such as courtrooms and classrooms. By the end of the course you will be familiar with the major issues in the field of memory research and be able to evaluate the quality of the studies used as evidence in these debates.
Not offered in 2024-25
- SI, Social Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): PSYC 110 – Principles of Psychology with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 4 or better on the Psychology AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Psychology IB exam.
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PSYC 250 Developmental Psychology 6 credits
An introduction to the concept of development, examining both theoretical models and empirical evidence. Prenatal through late childhood is covered with some discussion of adolescence when time permits. Topics include the development of personality and identity, social behavior and knowledge, and cognition. In addition, attention is paid to current applications of theory to such topics as: day care, the role of the media, and parenting.
Not offered in 2024-25
- SI, Social Inquiry WR2 Writing Requirement 2
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): PSYC 110 – Principles of Psychology with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 4 or better on the Psychology AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Psychology IB exam.
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PSYC 258 Social Cognition 6 credits
This course will focus on a social psychological analysis of social cognition, perception and judgment. It includes the examination of attitudes, stereotyping, attribution and the self. Concurrent registration in Psychology 259 is strongly suggested. A grade of C- or better must be earned in both Psychology 258 and 259 to satisfy the LS requirement.
Not offered in 2024-25
- LS, Science with Lab
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): PSYC 110 – Principles of Psychology with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 4 or better on the Psychology AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Psychology IB exam.
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PSYC 366 Cognitive Neuroscience 6 credits
It should be obvious that every process that goes on in the mind has physiological underpinnings. But, whether we can unlock the secrets of learning, memory, perception, language, decision-making, emotional responding, empathy, morality, social thinking, deception, and manipulation as they are supported by neurons and neural connections is a longstanding and elusive problem in psychology. Contemporary primary source articles are mostly used for this discussion-driven course, but a brief textbook/manual on brain processing is also required. The student should leave the class with a working understanding of brain processes and of contemporary theories of brain processes that may support many mental processes in humans.
Not offered in 2024-25
- QRE, Quantitative Reasoning SI, Social Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): PSYC 110 – Principles of Psychology or BIOL 125 – Genes, Evolution & Development and Lab or PSYC 216 – Behavioral Neuroscience or NEURO 127 – Foundations of Neuroscience with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 4 or better on the Psychology AP Exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Psychology IB exam or received a score of 5 on the Biology AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Biology IB exam.
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PSYC 367 Neuropsychology of Aging 6 credits
With the aging population comes a variety of challenges, including those to cognitive health and decline. Neurodegenerative diseases create various forms of dementia and cause unique problems beyond those that are an outcome of healthy aging. The disabling effects of aging and dementia extend beyond the person to family, friends and wider community. The need to understand and extend knowledge of both healthy aging and the pathological changes that occur with neurodegenerative diseases with aging is of great importance. By understanding how the brain is impacted by age, dementia, and other clinical syndromes, both management of the cognitive issues and advances in treatments to improve mental functioning can be made. This course takes a neuropsychological approach to study healthy aging and neurodegenerative disease. In this seminar, lectures and discussions explore the cognitive, behavioral, and molecular aspects of healthy aging and neurodegenerative disease processes in humans. Cognitive topics include working memory, long term memory, attention, familiarity and recollection, emotion, and social factors that interact with aging. The physiological and cognitive outcomes of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and various types of dementia are compared with the physiology and cognitive decline evident in healthy aging. Students will read primary articles on these topics, and propose a project based on course discussion and interactions with people at senior centers and convalescent centers in Northfield.
- Fall 2024
- SI, Social Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): PSYC 110 – Principles of Psychology or equivalent, PSYC 216 – Behavioral Neuroscience or NEURO 127 – Foundations of Neuroscience with a grade of C- or better or received a score of 4 or better on the Psychology AP Exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Psychology IB exam.
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PSYC 371 Evolutionary and Developmental Trends in Cognition 6 credits
Recent findings have brought to light some very compelling examples of humanlike cognition in nonhuman primates: tool use and tool making, family bonding, complex social behaviors such as cooperation, altruism, communication, and emotion. The study of infant cognition has also revealed more complex cognitive abilities in developing humans. Each of these topics is considered in the context of the cognitive workings of the primate mind, with emphasis on apes (gorilla, chimpanzee), monkeys (particularly cebus and rhesus varieties) and human children. The goal is to evaluate the uniqueness of primate cognition, both human and nonhuman.
Not offered in 2024-25
- QRE, Quantitative Reasoning SI, Social Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): PSYC 110 – Principles of Psychology or BIOL 126 – Energy Flow in Biological Systems or PSYC 216 – Behavioral Neuroscience with a grade of C- or better or receive a score of 4 or better on the Psychology AP exam or received a score of 6 or better on the Psychology IB exam or equivalent.
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PSYC 375 Language and Deception 6 credits
In this course we will examine deception and persuasion in language use. We will take up three main issues. The first is what it means to deceive and how people deceive others through language. What methods do they use, and how do these methods work? The second issue is why people deceive. What purposes do their deceptions serve in court, in advertising, in bureaucracies, in business transactions, and in everyday face-to-face conversation? The third issue is the ethics of deception. Is it legitimate to deceive others, and if so, when and why?
Not offered in 2024-25
- QRE, Quantitative Reasoning SI, Social Inquiry
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Student has completed any of the following course(s): PSYC 232 – Cognitive Processes or CGSC232/PSYC 232 – Cognitive Processes or PSYC 234 – Psychology of Language or PSYC 238 – Memory Processes or CGSC 236 – Thinking, Reasoning, and Decision Making with a grade of C- or better.