Department of Philosophy, U of T Scarborough

09/14/2026

Last week, Prof. Alexandra Gustafson welcomed more than 80+ visitors to our Philosophy booth at the UTSC Campus Life Orientation Fair! 🎉📚

She connected with students, shared what philosophy has to offer, and handed out every single one of our philosophy brochures—including the brochure for our brand new Minor in AI. 🤖💭 (More on that soon...)

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello and learn more about philosophy! We can’t wait to see where your questions take you. ✨

09/10/2026

You’re invited: A Night of Big Ideas

Dear Philosophy Students,
You won't want to miss the University of Toronto’s inaugural Night Owls, an after-hours evening of philosophy, conversation, and big ideas featuring Agnes Callard (University of Chicago) and Joseph Heath (University of Toronto).

Is Capitalism Ethical?
It’s a question that touches all of our lives — our work, our ambitions, our politics, and the kind of society we want to live in. Join us for what promises to be a lively and thought-provoking conversation.

📅 September 24
🕗 8:00–10:30 p.m.
📍 Jackman Humanities Building, 1st Floor, Room 100 — St. George Campus
🎟️ Register here by Sep 21: https://uoft.me/nightowls

Bring your questions, bring a friend, and come ready for a great night of ideas.
We hope to see many of you there!

Register early to avoid disappointment!

08/31/2026

Professor Alexandra Gustafson, sits down with OffScript for a conversation about some of the biggest questions we can ask about being human. What makes life meaningful?
Is there an objective purpose to our existence, or do we create meaning for ourselves?

What makes life meaningful? Is there an objective purpose to our ex...

08/10/2026

What if your senses are lying to you? 🤯 What is the mind? Does God exist? And what makes something truly real?

🕰️ PHLC35H3: Topics in Early Modern Philosophy — Rationalism
👋 Meet new faculty member: Prof. Jonathan Cottrell
📍 Lecture mode: In-person
📆 This fall: Thursdays, 10 AM–1 PM

Dive into the ideas of Descartes, Spinoza & Leibniz and tackle some of philosophy’s biggest questions about:
✨ Knowledge & perception
🧩 The mind-body problem
🌌 Substance & reality
🙏 The existence and nature of God

Philosophy isn’t just history — it’s a toolkit for today.

Ready to question everything? Enrol in PHLC35 today!

Prerequisite: 4.5 credits + 1.5 PHL credits (including 0.5 History of Philosophy)

📥Questions? Reach out to the Philosophy department—we’re happy to help you determine if this course is right for you!

08/06/2026

🤖 How should we treat AI — and how is it treating us?

Explore the cutting-edge social and ethical questions behind today’s smartest technologies in PHLB18: Artificial Intelligence, Mind & Society with new faculty member, Prof. Benjamin Wald! 💻✨

Topics may include:
📱 How social media algorithms shape what we believe
🧠 Can AI manipulate our choices and opinions?
💼 How AI is changing jobs, hiring, and the workplace
🤖 Should advanced AI systems have moral or legal status?

💬 No coding required — just curiosity about the future of tech and humanity.

📍 In-person lecture | Open to all undergrads!
📆 Offered this Fall, meeting Tue 10am-12pm.

📥 Questions? Reach out to the Philosophy department—we’re happy to help you determine if this course is right for you!

07/24/2026

Still Choosing Your Courses? Check out PHLC89: Realism and Anti-Realism with Prof Kremer.

Is morality objective? Is mathematics discovered or invented? Are scientific theories true, or just useful? What makes a disagreement about facts rather than perspective? 🤔

In PHLC89, you’ll explore some of the biggest questions in contemporary analytic philosophy through debates about realism and anti-realism in science, ethics, mathematics, aesthetics, and more.

📚 If you've enjoyed Professor Kremer's courses—or you're a Philosophy Major or Specialist thinking about graduate school—this is a great opportunity to deepen your studies.

⏳ Specialized topics like this are offered only intermittently, so this may be your only chance to study realism and anti-realism before you graduate.

📆 Offered this FALL term, Wed 11am-2pm.

📥Questions? Reach out to the Philosophy department—we’re happy to help you determine whether PHLC89 is right for you!

07/23/2026

🏆 Congratulations to Professor Andrew Lee!

What is consciousness, exactly? How can we study it scientifically? Could conscious experiences ever be modelled with mathematical precision?

These are some of the questions driving the research of Andrew Lee, Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy, who has received the OVPRI Emerging Scholar Award, which recognizes outstanding early-career researchers at U of T Scarborough.

Professor Lee's work explores the structure of consciousness and bridges philosophy, cognitive science, and mathematics. His research has appeared in leading philosophy journals, earned major international prizes, and recently received a SSHRC Insight Grant. He will also lead U of T's upcoming Artificial Consciousness Initiative.

👏 Congratulations to Professor Lee on this well-deserved recognition—we're excited to see where his research leads next!

05/04/2026

📢Last Call: Socrates Project Applications due by 11:59pm today. Don’t miss your opportunity to be part of the 2026-27 cohort!

✅ Gain valuable leadership and teaching experience
✅ Sharpen your critical thinking and research skills
✅ Earn a competitive salary and professional skills as a Teaching Assistant (TA)

Further details available on our department website.
🔗 link to application form in bio