Andres Colapinto
Assistant Professor
Social Sciences, Human Services and Criminal Justice
EMAIL: acolapinto@bmcc.cuny.edu
Office: N-651L
Office Hours:
Phone: +1 (212) 220-8000;ext=5251
Expertise
Degrees
Courses Taught
- The study of philosophy helps students develop analytic skills and gain an appreciation of the general philosophical problems with which human beings have grappled throughout Western civilization. Basic philosophic problems such as free will and determinism, the criteria which justify ethical evaluations, the philosophical considerations which are relevant to belief or disbelief in God, and knowledge and illusion are examined during this course.
- The course focuses on principles of sound thinking and valid argument in order to develop skills in analysis and evaluation of inductive and deductive reasoning. Students learn to discriminate between valid and invalid argument, using as tools the techniques of formal and symbolic logic.
- This course offers an examination of philosophical topics concerning the mind and consciousness. What is consciousness? What is the relation between the mind and the brain? What purpose does consciousness serve in humans and animals? Topics may include neuroscientific and evolutionary theories of consciousness, the nature of "self" and subjective experience, free will, dualism vs. materialism, and artificial intelligence, among others.
Prerequisite: Any 100-level PHI or CRT course - This course provides an in-depth discussion of some of the great issues of philosophy. It applies analytical and logical tools for clarification of these issues with emphasis on recent/contemporary philosophical developments. Using a cross-cultural perspective, there is a focus on select topics such as ethical codes and moral conduct, plolitcal order, social justice, religious experiences and beliefs, science and knowledge and the nature of consciousness. Prerequisite: PHI 100 or 110
Research and Projects
Publications
Reliability, Earth, and World in Heidegger’s “The Origin of the Work of Art”
Philosophy Today 49 (Supplement): 161-165. 2005.
