Undergraduate Program

Summer 2025 Courses

We are excited to offer philosophy courses this summer! They will be offered fully online. Please see the individual course descriptions and contact the instructor if you have questions about a particular course.

For more information about the University of Rochester summer sessions, including how to register, see the summer sessions website.

Sortable | Group by Weekday

Summer 2025

Number	Title	Instructor	Time
PHIL 101-1 Intro to Philosophy Vincent Tanzil MWF 9:00AM - 11:30AM
This course is offered fully online. It will be synchronous for those logging in from a different time zone from Eastern Standard Time. The course introduces the student to some main topics and methods of philosophy. We will take up a few central philosophical issues and critically investigate several philosophical perspectives on each of them. The emphasis will be on gaining a clear understanding of the philosophy and how it is evaluated. Location (MWF 9:00AM - 11:30AM)
PHIL 103-1 Contemporary Moral Problems Yusuke Satake MWF 10:00AM - 12:40PM
An introduction to moral philosophy as applied to current topics. These topics can include: What are the rational implications of moral disagreements? What is the relation, if any, between morality and religion? Are there objective facts about right or wrong, or is morality ultimately relative to cultures or times? What sorts of socioeconomic principles are morally justifiable? Can we be morally assessed even for some things that are largely a matter of luck? Do animals have moral rights? Can abortion sometimes be justified, and if so, how? Is capital punishment justifiable in principle? In practice? Is torture morally permissible in the fight against terrorism? How far does our moral duty to aid distant strangers extend? This course will be in-person and online. It will be synchronous for those logging in from a different time zone from Eastern Standard Time. Location (MWF 10:00AM - 12:40PM)

Number	Title	Instructor	Time
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
PHIL 101-1 Intro to Philosophy Vincent Tanzil
This course is offered fully online. It will be synchronous for those logging in from a different time zone from Eastern Standard Time. The course introduces the student to some main topics and methods of philosophy. We will take up a few central philosophical issues and critically investigate several philosophical perspectives on each of them. The emphasis will be on gaining a clear understanding of the philosophy and how it is evaluated.
PHIL 103-1 Contemporary Moral Problems Yusuke Satake
An introduction to moral philosophy as applied to current topics. These topics can include: What are the rational implications of moral disagreements? What is the relation, if any, between morality and religion? Are there objective facts about right or wrong, or is morality ultimately relative to cultures or times? What sorts of socioeconomic principles are morally justifiable? Can we be morally assessed even for some things that are largely a matter of luck? Do animals have moral rights? Can abortion sometimes be justified, and if so, how? Is capital punishment justifiable in principle? In practice? Is torture morally permissible in the fight against terrorism? How far does our moral duty to aid distant strangers extend? This course will be in-person and online. It will be synchronous for those logging in from a different time zone from Eastern Standard Time.