This seminar, required of and restricted to first-year graduate students in philosophy, studies a central philosophical topic.
Topic varies with instructor.
The seminar will either examine a few related dialogues comprehensively and in detail, or will focus on some specific theme which can be traced through many different dialogues. Recent seminars have been devoted to the philosophy of perception in Descartes and Malebranche, and to the scientific works of Descartes. Other philosophers may include Leibniz and Spinoza. The materials covered vary from year to year. In some years, the seminar is devoted to Wittgenstein.