Ethics for Data & Computing Concentration

A humanities degree for a STEM world. This concentration prepares students to write and reason in a world increasingly driven by computers and data, as well as understand the ethical implications of data, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies. It ensures that students know how to evaluate competing conceptions of value, integrate ethical theories with scientific theories, as well as reflect critically on the assumptions of science, artificial languages, and/or technology.

In addition to the 18 credits in the core curriculum, this concentration requires a minimum of 18 additional credits, 12 additional credits in philosophy and at least 6 (including at least 3 as pre-reqs) credits in a related scientific field, as detailed below.

Additional Philosophy Credits

Data Ethics Requirement

PHIL 330 - Ethics and Data Science, Credits: (3)

Science and Ethics Elective

At least one course from:

PHIL 150 - Philosophy of Technology, Credits: (3)
PHIL 220 - Philosophy of Race: Identity, Racism, and Justice, Credits: (3) 
PHIL 225 - Philosophy of Love and Friendship, Credits: (3)
PHIL 315 - Biomedical Ethics, Credits: (3) 
PHIL 325 - Neuroscience and Ethics, Credits: (3) 
PHIL 404 - Adv Topics in Value Theory for Ethics & Law, Credits: (3) 

Scientific Reflection Requirement

At least one course from:

PHIL 335 - Philosophy of Language, Credits: (3) 
PHIL 345 - Philosophy of Mind, Credits: (3) 
PHIL 350 - Theory of Knowledge, Credits: (3) 
PHIL 360 - Feminist Metaphysics, Credits: (3) 
PHIL 313 - Philosophy of Science, Credits: (3) 

Ethics for Data & Computing Additional Writing Requirement

A second senior seminar or honors research, to be selected from the following:

PHIL 403 - Advanced Topics in Value Theory, Credits: (3) 
PHIL 404 - Adv Topics in Value Theory for Ethics & Law, Credits: (3) 
PHIL 415 - Advanced Topics in Metaphysics, Credits: (3)
PHIL 416 - Adv Topics in Epistemology for Ethics & Law, Credits: (3) 
PHIL 422 - Great Philosophers, Credits: (3) 
PHIL 431 - Advanced Seminar in Philosophy, Credits: (3) 
PHIL 432 - Advanced Seminar in Philosophy, Credits: (3) 
PHIL 495 - Honors, Credits: (3) 

Science Sequence Requirement

Students must take courses in computational or quantitative sciences that reinforce their ability to reason about and with data, computers, artificial languages, and technology. This progress is attained by completing at least one of the following courses and its associated prerequisites:

Data Sequence

DATA 201 - Introduction to Data Science, Credits: (3)
(Pre-Req: CSCI 141 - Introduction to Programming, Credits: (4) or DATA 101 - Reasoning with Generative AI, Credits: (3))

Computer Science Sequence

CSCI 241 - Data Structures, Credits: (3)
(Pre-Req: CSCI 141 - Introduction to Programming, Credits: (4))

Linguistics Sequence

LING 380 - Computational Methods in Language Science, Credits: (3) 
(Pre-Req: LING 220 - Study of Language, Credits: (4))

Note on adding Honors to this concentration:
While the minimum number of credits for this concentration is 36 (30 credits in philosophy and 3 credits [with 3-4 pre-req credits] in a related science), the minimum number of credits for both honors and this concentration is 39. The first semester of honors research (PHIL 495) satisfies the Additional Comp/Data Ethics Writing Requirement, as noted above. The second semester of honors research (PHIL 496) is a general philosophy elective beyond the minimum credits required for the major.