Phil 365: Philosophy of computing — course description (Winter 2017)

University of Alberta
Faculty of Arts
Department of Philosophy


PHIL 365:   Philosophy of computing   —   Winter term (2017)

Katalin Bimbo

Nowadays, computers are ubiquitous, and computation plays an essential role in practically all areas of human activities.  The course will focus on questions that arose (or became more salient) since the emergence of electronic computers in the middle of the 20th century.  As we progress through the course, you will encounter concepts and problems that may be signaled by phrases such as “quantum computing,” “information security,” “complexity,” “identity” and “human–computer interaction.”

We will start with asking what computers, computing, information and programs are.  Then we will proceed to looking at some models of computation and how they delineate what is computable (and what is not).  Philosophers speculated about thinking machines for centuries.  After the invention of fast, electronic, digital computers in the middle of the 20th century, artificial intelligence (AI) was born in 1956.  We will dwell on various approaches to AI and the results they produced.  It is natural to wonder about the relationship between artificial and human intelligence, and we will think about this relationship.

In the last part of the course, we will turn to the place of computer science (CS) among the sciences (or more generally, among the fields of knowledge).  The discussion “What is CS?” is anchored by two aspects of CS, namely, its connection to mathematics and its utterly applied character.  Philosophy may offer useful views about this question—without resolving all the open problems in CS.

The goal of the course is to give you an understanding of computing, computer science and their philosophical aspects.  (There is no official prerequisite for the course and no programming or computer science experience is required.  However, interest in computers, in philosophy or in informatics is likely to be helpful.)


Time:   T, R  11:00 am – 12:20 pm
Texts:   Colburn, T., Philosophy and Computer Science, Routledge, 2000.   (required)
Dasgupta, S., Computer Science: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, Oxford (UK), 2016.   (required)


  For further information, please contact the instructor at Image of email address.
The (official) course outline is available in the e-classroom during the course.


[Last updated on October 3rd, 2016.]