Course selection information

  • Introductory courses – The department offers two general introductory courses in philosophy (PHIL1012 and PHIL1034). There are no prerequisites. These courses will normally be offered every year in different semesters. This is a requirement for all philosophy majors and minors. Normally they should be taken in either the first or second year of study. These two courses are also strongly recommended for students who do not intend to major or minor in philosophy.
  • All senior-level courses (except the capstone courses) fall into one of four groups:
    • Knowledge and reality
    • Mind and language
    • Moral and political philosophy
    • History of philosophy
  • Philosophy majors are strongly encouraged (but not required) to take courses from each of these groups. The official syllabus indicates the group that a courses belongs to.
  • Philosophy majors are also required to take a capstone course. See below.

Final-Year Courses

Philosophy majors in the four-year curriculum must take a “capstone” course giving them the opportunity to apply disciplinary knowledge and methods learned in their previous years of study.

Courses 2017-18

Please note:

  • Those marked with [*] are intermediate-level courses which are particularly suitable for second and third-year students.
  • Course timetable

Semester 1

  • PHIL 1012 Mind and knowledge: an introduction to philosophy – Dr. Deutsch [course outline]
  • PHIL 2100 Paradoxes of decision – Dr. McCarthy
  • PHIL 2110 Knowledge – Dr. Deutsch [course outline]
  • PHIL 2245 [*] Philosophy and emotions – Dr. Lau [course outline, website]
  • PHIL 2530 Metaphilosophy – Dr. Nado [course outline]
  • PHIL 2430 [*] Chinese philosophy: ethics – Dr. Fraser [course outline, website: see HKU Moodle page]
  • PHIL 2480 Confucianism and the modern world – Prof. Ci
  • PHIL 2002 [*] Early Modern Philosophy – Dr. Asay [course outline]
  • PHIL 2027 Political philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau – Dr. Cook [website]
  • PHIL 2040 Nietzsche – Prof. O’Leary [Course Outline, website: HKU Moodle page]
  • PHIL 2470 Moral psychology in the Chinese tradition – Dr. Robins

common core courses

  • CCHU 9007 Sexuality and Gender: Diversity and Society – Prof. O’Leary
  • CCHU 9054 Borderlines – Questioning Boundaries in a Vague World – Dr. Asay [website]
  • CCCH 9024 Following the Dao: Ways of Life in Chinese Thought – Dr. Robins

Semester 2

  • PHIL 1034 Ethics and politics, East and West: an introduction to philosophy – Dr. Fraser [course outline]
  • PHIL 2210 [*] Metaphysics – Dr. Asay
  • PHIL 2420 Chinese philosophy: metaphysics – Dr. Robins
  • PHIL 2075 The semantics/pragmatics distinction – Dr. Deutsch
  • PHIL 2230 Philosophy and cognitive science – Dr. Lau [course outline, website]
  • PHIL 2260 Seminar in mind and language – Dr. Nado
  • PHIL 2510 [*] Logic – Dr. Nado
  • PHIL 2310 Theories of Morality – Dr. McCarthy
  • PHIL 2345 Social contract theories – Dr. Cook
  • PHIL 2435 [*] Traditional Chinese political thought – Dr. Fraser [course outline]

common core courses

  • CCHU 9005 Food and Values – Dr. Lau
  • CCCH 9025 Humanity and Nature in Chinese Thought – Prof. Hansen
  • CCHU 9021 Critical Thinking in Contemporary Society – Dr. McCarthy

Capstone courses

Philosophy majors in the four-year curriculum must take a “capstone” course giving them the opportunity to apply disciplinary knowledge and methods learned in their previous years of study. See this page for more details.

  • PHIL3920 Senior essay (6 credit units, one semester course, offered in both semesters)
  • PHIL4810 Senior seminar (6 credit units, semester 2)
  • PHIL4920 Senior thesis (full year course, 12 credit units)

Course in previous years