How are works of art like and unlike other objects in the worlds that humans inhabit and make, like and unlike other human projects? What capacities are called upon in the creation and understanding of such works? What is the role of art and the artist in contemporary society? We will read essays on aesthetics by Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Bell, Dewey, Danto, Benjamin, Berger, Sontag, Nochlin, and Lyotard, among others. Prior experience with art is welcome but not required.

Topics course. An examination of Hume's arguments and his influence in matters of epistemology, philosophy of religion, morals, aesthetics, political theory and economic theory. We will read Hume's Treatise of Human Nature. Additional readings will include excerpts from some of Hume's other works and contemporary and recent commentary on Hume. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy.

This course provides a survey of major figures and developments in continental philosophy. Topics to be addressed include human nature and the nature of morality; conceptions of human history; the character and basis of societal hierarchies; and human beings' relationship to technology. Readings from Hegel, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Marx, Heidegger, Sartre, Beauvoir and others. Prerequisite: one course in philosophy.

Same as PSY 213. A detailed examination of how children learn their language. Theories of acquisition of word meaning, syntax and pragmatics will be examined, as well as methodology for assessment of children?s knowledge. Cross-linguistic and cross-cultural data and perspectives will be considered, as well as applications in language therapy and education. Students will undertake an original research project using transcript analysis, and read original research literature. Background in Linguistics or Child Development is necessary.

Students will define topics that allow integration of their background in neuroscience, and then will work in small teams to produce media, meant for the general public, interpreting the current scientific understanding. Students will critically analyze original research reports, conduct interviews, and research historical background to their chosen topic. Class sessions will include discussions with science writers and podcasters. Open to junior and senior neuroscience majors. Prerequisites: PSY/NSC 110, 230, a course in statistics and a 200-level Biology course. Enrollment limited to 12.

Topics course. What did people think about the shape of our world before we knew it was a sphere? We will take a tour of mathematics related to this question, from the Egyptians and Babylonians to the present. The "possible" shapes of the world are now mathematically well understood. The question of the shape of the universe involves higher dimensional mathematical objects, and relates to the recently proved Poincare conjecture. First stated in 1904, it was viewed as one of the seven most important problems of the new millennium.

Topics course. Often referred to as "two wings of the same bird," Puerto Rico and Cuba both have roots in Spanish colonialism, slavery and cultures of the African diaspora. Through migration, trade and shared political pursuits their people were long in contact with each other and participated in a broader pan-Caribbean intellectual and cultural milieu. Cuba and Puerto Rico both have histories of nationalist struggles for independence and complex political and cultural relationships with the United States.

Topics course. This course aims to provide a survey of sexual and reproductive rights in Latin America comparing the region as a whole with other areas of the world, while at the same time highlighting the disparities that exist within it. The course analyzes the multiple factors behind the current policies focusing particularly on the role of women and gay rights movements in advancing more liberal legislation. In addition, we will look at the role of the Catholic Church in these debates and their struggles to prevent any legislative change that goes against their doctrine from happening.

This course is designed to help Advanced Italian students maintain their level of spoken language while at the same time further their knowledge of contemporary Italian society and culture. It will enable students to express themselves with an advanced degree of fluency and naturalness as well as appropriate use of formal and/or informal register. Prerequisite: Italian Stylistics for the Fall course or placement exam to ensure correct language level. Permission of the instructor required.  Enrollment limited to 12 students per section.

Brilliantly articulated in the expression La Bella Figura, a way of life emphasizing beauty, aesthetics and image, Italian culture is internationally renowned for its attention to quality and craftsmanship. Following a chronological development, from Unification to Fascism, to post-war economic reconstruction, to counter-cultural movements, up to today's multinational and corporate companies, students will learn how Italian traditional artistic and craft excellence was negotiated with technological modernization and the creation of a mass-consumer society.