Philosophy   

This course explores the idea of artificial intelligence (A.I.) from three different perspectives: scientific, philosophical, and cultural. The scientific perspective provides insight as to how artificial intelligence technologies work, the current limitations, and supposed future potential. The philosophical perspective explores whether A.I. is good or bad, essential or dangerous, and what the future could hold. The cultural angle examines how society views A.I. and whether these views are accurate. Toward the end of the course deeper topics will be introduced including how A.I. compares to human intelligence, the singularity, and futurism.

NOTE: This course has mandatory chats.

This course explores the idea of artificial intelligence (A.I.) from three different perspectives: scientific, philosophical, and cultural. The scientific perspective provides insight as to how artificial intelligence technologies work, the current limitations, and supposed future potential. The philosophical perspective explores whether A.I. is good or bad, essential or dangerous, and what the future could hold. The cultural angle examines how society views A.I. and whether these views are accurate. Toward the end of the course deeper topics will be introduced including how A.I. compares to human intelligence, the singularity, and futurism.

NOTE: This course has mandatory chats.

The world is shrinking. The ice caps are melting.  A sneeze, thousands of kilometres away, starts a health pandemic, and technology enables us to intimately view not only earthquakes and tsunamis but human rights violations around the world.  This reality calls for an understanding of sustainability, diversity, and social justice. A global citizen is aware of the wider world, respects diversity, is outraged by injustice, participates in community from the local to global level, and feels compelled to act to make the world a more humane and sustainable place. Global citizenship will help students gain personal understanding of themselves as citizens of the world and apply it in their own lives. No textbook required. NOTE: Need to be able to view videos (i.e. YouTube). *NOTE: Students wanting to register for a General Education course as part of their certificate or diploma program should make sure to receive formal approval from their Program Coordinator. It should be noted that some general education courses are too close to the vocational specializations of specific programs and are therefore excluded as an option for students. It’s therefore important to receive formal approval before registration.

Introduction to Arts and Sciences focuses on fundamental questions. How do we know what is real? What makes us who we are? What forces shape our world? What makes us happy? Students will explore these questions through an issues-based approach that addresses concerns relevant to everyday life: Are there different ways of knowing? Is the self – one’s identity, character, behaviour – the result of natural forces or cultural conditioning or both? How much control can individuals have in the face of powerful natural and cultural forces? What kinds of fulfillment might we strive for in an imperfect world? Students will explore these questions through an interdisciplinary approach that introduces them to various fields in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. They will be encouraged to search for answers that make sense of their life experiences via various theoretical perspectives introduced in the course through readings, on-line lessons, and class discussions. No textbook required. *NOTE: Students wanting to register for a General Education course as part of their certificate or diploma program should make sure to receive formal approval from their Program Coordinator. It should be noted that some general education courses are too close to the vocational specializations of specific programs and are therefore excluded as an option for students. It’s therefore important to receive formal approval before registration.

This course will provide students with an introduction to philosophy as well as an opportunity to examine and discuss issues that are widely debated amongst philosophers. Issues such as skepticism, free-will and the existence of a God will play prominent roles in this course. Students will examine classical and modern philosophers as they struggled with their own thoughts as they were compared to more accepted religious and scientific theories. Readings will focus upon philosophers such as Plato, Socrates, Locke and Descartes, as well as more prominent contemporary philosophers Robert Nozick, Hilary Putnam and Thomas Nagel. Students will be introduced to philosophical arguments and the forms and methods in which arguments should be conducted and analyzed.

Textbook required.

*NOTE: Students wanting to register for a General Education course as part of their Full time certificate/diploma program should make sure to receive formal approval from their Program Coordinator. It should be noted that some general education courses are too close to the vocational specializations of specific programs and are therefore excluded as an option for students. It’s therefore important to receive formal approval before registration.

This course will introduce the student to mimetic theories in philosophy of art. The course is designed as an introduction to the concepts of art, aesthetics, nature and experience as the subject of artworks, and the place of art in life and society. No textbook required. *NOTE: Students wanting to register for a General Education course as part of their certificate or diploma program should make sure to receive formal approval from their Program Coordinator. It should be noted that some general education courses are too close to the vocational specializations of specific programs and are therefore excluded as an option for students. It’s therefore important to receive formal approval before registration.

Love has the power to make us feel extraordinarily happy and utterly devastated. Why? What is love and why does it have this power over us? This course will explore these questions from the perspective of philosophy, which is itself a form of love, specifically, the love of wisdom. Course topics include the following: Can we define love and is there more than one type? Is love a feeling that we “fall into” or a rational choice we make for good or bad reasons? What are the sources of various beliefs about love: religion, myth, cultural tradition, science, personal experience, reasoned consideration? Must sex be related to love? Is sexual desire “natural”? What are the principles of sexual morality? Textbook required. *NOTE: Students wanting to register for a General Education course as part of their certificate or diploma program should make sure to receive formal approval from their Program Coordinator. It should be noted that some general education courses are too close to the vocational specializations of specific programs and are therefore excluded as an option for students. It’s therefore important to receive formal approval before registration.