Summer 2026 Course Offerings
Registration for the summer session opens on Thurs. March 19, 2026 for degree students and Mon. March 23, 2026 for special students.
The summer schedule is available through Carleton Central (by logging into Carleton360) and registration instructions are on the Registration website.
If you face any issues registering, contact the Departmental Administrator, Lauren Wells-McGregor.
Early Summer (May/June)
PHIL 1200 (0.5 cr): The Meaning of Life
Modality: IN-PERSON. Campus presence is required. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:35 PM – 5:25 PM
An introduction to concerns expressed by the perennial philosophical question, “What is the meaning of life?” Students will be familiarized with the major philosophical approaches to life’s meaning through a consideration of various contemporary and late modern works in the philosophy of life.
PHIL 1550 (0.5 cr): Intro to Ethical and Social Issues
Modality: ONLINE. Campus presence is not required. Live sessions are non-mandatory. Monday and Wednesdays, 11:35 AM – 2:25 PM
An introduction to understanding, assessing, and formulating ethical arguments concerning controversial issues. Particular issues studied may include, world hunger, capital punishment, terrorism, euthanasia, abortion, pornography and hate speech, animal rights, the environment, and topics in theories of race, gender and disability.
PHIL 2380 (0.5 cr): Introduction to Environmental Ethics
Modality: ONLINE. Unscheduled. Campus presence is not required.
Major questions in environmental ethics: How should human beings view their relationship to the rest of nature? Is responsible stewardship of the environment compatible with current technology? Must future generations be protected? Do animals, other life forms, endangered species, ecosystems and/or the biosphere have value/rights?.
PHIL 2501 (0.5 cr): Introduction to Philosophy of Mind
Modality: ONLINE: Scheduled. Campus presence is not required. Mondays and Wednesdays, 2:35 PM – 5:25 PM
An introduction to major philosophical issues concerning human cognition. Topics may include: the relation of mind to body, knowledge of other minds, the relation of mental states to personhood and personal identity, mental illness, consciousness, intentionality, action, mental realism.
Late Summer (July/August)
PHIL 2001 (0.5 cr): Introduction to Symbolic Logic
Modality: ONLINE: Scheduled. Campus presence is not required. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:35 PM – 8:25 PM
An introduction to the techniques and philosophical implications of formal logic with emphasis on translation of expressions into symbolic form, testing for logical correctness, the formulation and application of rules of inference, and the relation between logic and language. Open to first-year students.
PHIL 2330 (0.5 cr): Happiness and the Good Life
Modality: ONLINE. Campus presence is not required. Live sessions are non-mandatory. Mondays and Wednesdays, 2:35 PM – 5:25 PM
A philosophical exploration of what makes a good human life. Topics may include the role of happiness, well-being, and flourishing in a good life, the relations between these aspects, and the extent to which they depend on luck and social considerations.
PHIL 2340 (0.5 cr): Philosophy and Popular Culture
Modality: ONLINE: Unscheduled. Campus presence is not required.
Philosophy is all around us, it permeates culture. This course explores philosophical questions through the lens of popular culture. The material used may include films, shows, music, novels, video games, advertising, comic books, and so on.