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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences University of Florida

Instructors’ Course Descriptions for Summer 2026

The following descriptions of courses being offered by the Philosophy Department in Summer 2026 were submitted by the course instructors. Exceptions are descriptions in braces {…}, which have been adopted from the Undergraduate Catalogue (students desiring further information regarding the specific content of courses with bracketed descriptions are advised to contact the instructors directly).

Specific information regarding the dates, times, and locations of these courses may be found in the Registrar’s official Schedule of Courses for Summer 2026.

Summer A

PHI 2010 Introduction to Philosophy — R. Borges

Are we living in a computer simulation? How do we determine what is objectively right or wrong in an era of rapid technological change? This course moves beyond historical texts to treat philosophy as a practical, rigorous framework for navigating the modern world. In PHI 2010, you will develop the analytical skills to deconstruct complex arguments, recognize logical fallacies, and articulate persuasive, well-reasoned positions on issues ranging from the ethics of artificial intelligence to the nature of human consciousness.

Course Highlights:

  • Sharpen Critical Skills: Build foundational logic and reasoning abilities that will give you a competitive edge in any major – from law and business to medicine and STEM.
  • Fulfill Core Requirements: Satisfy your General Education Humanities requirement while earning 4,000 words toward your Writing Requirement.
  • Engaging, Relevant Content: Apply classical ethical frameworks (like the famous Trolley Problem) directly to contemporary debates and real-world dilemmas.

PHI 2010 Introduction to Philosophy — J. Simpson

This course introduces students to philosophy by engaging with philosophical arguments, both classical and contemporary. In this course, we will cover some topics in the philosophy of religion, epistemology, metaphysics, action theory, aesthetics, and ethics. This course will also introduce students to the basics of good reasoning and writing.

PHI 2630 Contemporary Moral Issues — J. Hasker

Are the art productions of artificially intelligent systems theft? Do non-human animals have ethical consideration, (if so, comparable to that of human beings)? Does climate change pose a significant issue for individual morality? These are examples of the kinds of questions that many have strong and perhaps opposing opinions. In this course, we examine opposing philosophical arguments and points of view on these urgent moral questions. To this end, the structure and aim of this course will be to come to grips with and critically reflect on the underlying justifications for the various sides of these different debates. Moreover, students’ work will not be assessed on the basis of the particular substantive positions they defend, but rather on whether their work demonstrates the ability to present arguments, anticipate objections, identify evidence, and defend positions in a way that does not lean on rhetoric or emotional appeals. More broadly, this course will introduce students to moral philosophy through selected contemporary issues such as; voting, wealth redistribution, the treatment of animals, migration, freedom of speech, weapon ownership, duties to future generations, and the ethics of artificial intelligence.

This course satisfies the humanities general education requirement. Humanities courses must afford students the ability to think critically through the mastering of subjects concerned with human culture, especially literature, history, art, music, and philosophy, and must include selections from the Western canon.

Humanities courses provide instruction in the history, key themes, principles, terminology, and theory or methodologies used within a humanities discipline or the humanities in general. Students will learn to identify and analyze the relevant factors that shape thought. These courses emphasize clear and effective analysis and approach issues and problems from multiple perspectives.

This course satisfies the writing requirement of one (1) four thousand word course.

PHI 3681 Ethics, Data, and Technology — A. Kumar

This course exposes students to important interactions between ethics, contemporary data science, and emerging social issues. Students will grapple with foundational concepts in ethics and data science. The course begins with a brief introduction to ethical issues in technology. The course then pairs theoretical discussions of ethics with concrete issues in emerging technologies. Discussion topics include the alignment problem, the black box problem for machine learning, attention economy, privacy, and some issues in copyright and computational creativity in generative AI.

Summer B

PHI 1001 Conflict of Ideas — R. Borges

It’s been suggested that war is the continuation of politics by different means (Klaus von Clausewitz). Some took that suggestion to mean that politics was the continuation of war by other means (Lenin). But, if war and politics are simply different ways in which we handle disagreement between people, within nations, and between nations, the analogy seems reasonable. War and politics sit at different ends of the same spectrum – ways in which we disagree. But, if the choice between the conflict of ideas and real conflict is so obvious (politics harm ideas, while wars harm real people), why do real conflicts keep happening? How can we understand what happens when people disagree-especially when they disagree about important or emotionally powerful issues? How can we resolve our disagreements in a principled fashion? Since the issues are important, we cannot just agree to disagree: we must learn how to have a fair fight. But how do we fight fair on the battleground of ideas?

The focus of the course will be on the conflict of ideas, and on how students can make a positive and lasting impact on the conflicts they will encounter in their own lives. To that end, students will learn about multiple aspects of intellectual conflict: psychological aspects of conflict that stand in the way of conscientious dialogue, questions about rhetoric and its role in manipulation, facing and working with our own cognitive limitations, and structuring debate and dialogue in a way that should help us make progress without simply compromising for the sake of peace. They will also practice and witness intellectual disagreements as they debate their fellow students and observe others engage in intellectual disagreement. In virtue of the complexity of the social phenomenon that is intellectual disagreement, students will be exposed to readings in multiple disciplines. Those include the disciplines of economics, statistics, history, feminist ethics, psychology, linguistics, computer science, philosophy, biology, and theology. Assignments include short argumentative essays, reports on observed conflicts, and practicing and evaluating in-class debates.

PHI 2010 Introduction to Philosophy — S. Clark

This course introduces students to some of the central questions in philosophy through the broad study of epistemology, ethics, and metaphysics. Philosophy is not only a matter of listening to lectures or completing assignments. It is an active process of questioning, analyzing, discussing, and reflecting on fundamental issues that shape human life. In this course, students will engage questions about knowledge, reality, value, and what it means to live well by considering problems such as:

  • What can we know, and how do we know it?
  • What makes an action right or wrong?
  • What does it mean for something to exist, persist, or change over time?
  • What is the relationship between mind, self, body, and world?

The class will also explore larger human concerns that connect philosophy to everyday life and contemporary debate. We will consider questions about existence and identity, the moral standing of nonhuman animals, the role of society and culture in shaping thought and value, the search for meaning and purpose, and the nature of reality and time. Students will be encouraged to take an active role in thinking through philosophical ideas, learning how to read carefully, ask good questions, and develop clear, well-supported views of their own.

PHI 2010 Introduction to Philosophy — R. Borges

This foundational course introduces students to the discipline of philosophy through engagement with perennial questions that have shaped human inquiry for millennia. While exploring fundamental philosophical problems, students will simultaneously develop the critical thinking, argumentative writing, and public speaking skills essential for success in rigorous academic environments.

The course examines three central domains of philosophical investigation:

  • Epistemology: What can we know about the world and how do we know it? We will explore theories of knowledge, skepticism, and the justification of beliefs, examining how these epistemological frameworks shape our understanding of science, perception, and truth.
  • Philosophy of Mind: What is consciousness and how does it relate to the physical world? Students will engage with competing theories of mind, including dualism, materialism, and functionalism, while considering the implications of recent advances in cognitive science and artificial intelligence.
  • Philosophy of Religion: Does God exist, and if so, what is God’s nature? We will analyze classical arguments for and against the existence of God, the problem of evil, and questions about divine attributes, exploring how different philosophical traditions approach these ultimate questions.

Throughout the course, strong emphasis is placed on the development of philosophical writing and oral communication skills. Students will learn to construct, analyze, and evaluate philosophical arguments through regular writing assignments and structured presentations. The integration of public speaking into the curriculum reflects philosophy’s dialogical tradition and prepares students to articulate complex ideas with clarity and precision.

Both writing and oral presentations complement one another, requiring students to:

  • Distill complex philosophical positions into clear, accessible explanations
  • Organize arguments efficiently to maximize persuasive impact
  • Think on their feet when responding to questions and counterarguments
  • Calibrate technical language for appropriate audience understanding
  • Incorporate feedback to refine and strengthen philosophical positions

By semester’s end, students will have developed not only familiarity with major philosophical questions and approaches but also the analytical and communicative tools necessary for sophisticated academic work across disciplines.

PHI 2010 Introduction to Philosophy — A. Kumar

Does God exist? How do you know you are not dreaming right now? What makes you the same person you were five minutes ago? Do we have free will? What is the scientific method? Is there such a thing as scientific method at all?

This course will introduce you to the kinds of questions philosophers think about and the tools they use to answer them. It will also help you develop the ability to analyze complex arguments and evaluate them critically. Readings will include both historical and contemporary texts.

This course is a State Core General Education Humanities (GenEd-H) course in which students are able to earn a Writing Requirement credit (WR).

Summer C

PHI 2631 Ethics and Innovation — J. Simpson

This course is designed to familiarize students with ethics and some of the ethical issues surrounding innovation. We will primarily discuss ethical concerns arising from innovations in data science and AI, bioengineering, reproductive healthcare, modern warfare, and the food industry. We will also discuss the main theories in meta-ethics and normative ethics. Discussion topics include, inter alia, racial bias in machine learning, the black box problem for machine learning, the attention economy, the ethics of eating meat (including lab-grown meat), abortion, genetic enhancement, technological unemployment, and the ethics of autonomous weapon systems.

PHI 3681 Ethics, Data, and Technology — S. Sturm

(Catalog description) Addresses ethical issues related to data science, algorithmic decision-making, and artificial intelligence. Pairs theoretical discussions of ethics, economics, and policy-making with concrete issues in emerging technologies.