The courses on this page are the core courses in the Philosophy of Law program; remaining philosophy courses that can be taken to complete the major can be chosen from the general list of philosophy courses found on the courses website.
AP/PHIL 1002 3.00
Justice, Law and Morality
An introduction to some foundational questions in moral, political, and legal philosophy. Topics to be covered include (but are not restricted to) the nature of law and punishment, morality, justice, equality, rights, and liberty.
AP/PHIL 2050 3.00
Philosophy of Law
What is law and what is a legal system? Is there anything special about judicial reasoning? What is the relationship between law and morality? What justifies the use of law? What, if anything, justifies punishing those who break the law?
AP/PHIL 2060 3.00
Social and Political Philosophy
An introduction to philosophy focusing on problems concerning the nature of society, the nature of the state, justice and human rights, freedom and censorship, etc.
AP/PHIL 2070 3.00
Introduction to Ethics
A basic introduction both to the major ethical theories in Western thought and to some basic metaethical questions concerning the possibility of moral truth.
AP/PHIL 2075 3.00
Introduction to Applied Ethics
An introduction to ethics focusing on the application of ethical theories to controversial public issues such as abortion, affirmative action and euthanasia, among others.
AP/PHIL 3020 3.00
Ethics
An advanced course in theoretical ethics, understood as covering both normative ethical theory and metaethics.
AP/PHIL 3110
Political Philosophy
An exploration of major topics in political philosophy, such as the authority of the state, the justification of private property, the nature of rights, theories of justice, and political equality.
AP/PHIL 3190 3.00
Issues in Constitutional Law
An exploration of philosophical issues in constitutional law. Among the topics covered are: the nature of constitutions; the value of written constitutions; theories of constitutional interpretation; judicial review and judicial activism; constitutional rights.
AP/PHIL 3195 3.00
Punishment and Responsibility
An exploration of a range of philosophical questions raised by the practice of legal punishment, including: What justifies imposing punishment upon those who break the law? What assumptions about the responsibility of individuals are implicit in our punishment practices?
AP/PHIL 3500 3.00
Ethics of Data Science
This course provides an introduction to ethical issues that arise from the application of data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to real world problems. The course begins with a brief introduction of traditional philosophical ethical theories, as well as concepts related to justice and equality, and then applies these theories and concepts to a range of data science topics.
AP/PHIL 4070 3.00
Seminar in Moral Philosophy
An intensive examination of particular problems in moral philosophy, or intensive studies of the writings of individual moral philosophers. Topics vary from year to year.
AP/PHIL 4072 3.00
Ethical Theory
An intensive study of the main problems in contemporary ethical theory and their treatment by contractarians, Kantians, consequentialists, and virtue theorists.
AP/PHIL 4180 3.00
Seminar in Political Philosophy
An intensive study of some selected normative and conceptual problems in contemporary political philosophy.
AP/PHIL 4185 3.00
Philosophical Perspectives on Justice
An examination of contemporary perspectives on justice through the lens of practical political issues in Canada and the international arena. Topics may include: multiculturalism, ethnic conflict, racism, sexism, nationalism, cosmopolitanism, human rights, and 'humanitarian' intervention.
AP/PHIL 4190 3.00
Seminar in Philosophy of Law
An advanced seminar on some contemporary theories of the nature of law and legal reasoning.