Philosophy

This course introduces some of the key themes and concepts common to ancient Chinese philosophy and Greek philosophy, such as nature, wisdom, and knowledge, have often been discussed and studied in their own terms. We wish to bring the two traditions of thought together and see what happens when one meets her doppelganger.

We examine and compare some important themes and concepts common to both ancient Chinese philosophy and Greek philosophy. We will discuss in turn “saint and sage”, “knowing and ignorance”, “nature”, and “change”. Each week’s class consists of two lecture sessions (one Chinese and one Greek) and a subsequent discussion session.

This course explores key topics in moral and political philosophy. Students consider some of the key questions at the center of these disciplines. 

This course considers the thoughts and way of life during the Edo period, focusing on the ideas of the samurai. The course provides an opportunity for students to improve their Japanese reading ability by reading classical Japanese literature.

This course will provide a high-level introduction to Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism by focusing on the doctrines of four pivotal philosophers in that era, namely, the Cheng brothers (Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi), Zhu Xi, and Wang Yangming. Apart from discourses on their theories of metaphysics, moral cultivation, and human nature, their viewpoints will also be constantly put into comparative perspective in order to further examine the uniqueness of their philosophical reasoning.

This course introduces students to the core philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, and ethics concepts needed to build better technology and reason about its impact on the economy, civil society, and government.

This course provides a foundation in political theory through the thought and texts of some of the most important political theorists. It covers major political theorists from the ancient Greeks to the 20th Century. Topics include theories of human nature, the origin of government and law, man's relation to society and the state, the basis of political obligation, the idea of social contract, the idea of social progress, the critique of capitalism, and questions about race and gender. Thinkers discussed usually include Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, The Federalist, J S Mill, Marx, Nietzsche, Arendt, Fanon.

A moral theory has the task of explaining why certain norms regarding our actions are valid. Most people agree, for example, that it is morally wrong to lie. There is, however, strong disagreement as to why it is wrong. This course provides an overview of the most important moral theories, such as divine command theory, natural law theory, and moral relativism.

The course will also discuss ethical questions emerging in literature and film. It is recommended to read Ivan Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons" ("Fathers and Children" in the Russian original) and watch Billy Wilder's movie, "Double Indemnity."

This course offers an introduction to aesthetics as a philosophical discipline. Topics include: the question of art and beauty in antiquity; the foundation of a philosophical discipline; from Kant and the Enlightenment to Romanticism; the romantic revolution and its consequences; Nietzsche and the centrality of the aesthetic dimension; the 20th century and the opening of perspectives for contemporary aesthetics.

The topics for this course differ each term. In spring 2024, this course has a special focus on The Origin and Development of Political Psychology: From Plato to Martha Nussbaum. Political Philosophy is conceived as the application of philosophical investigation to politics and thus as a study of the contribution that philosophy may give to political practice. This implies both a clarification of the terms used in our everyday political vocabulary and an attempt at designing models of a just society. The course provides the following: a) notions on methodology in historical investigation; b) the ability to analytically read a text while at the same time situating it into the historical and linguistic context of the age; c) knowledge of the perennial tasks of political philosophy; d) an introduction to political realism. The course is devoted to the examination of the origin and development of political psychology. It starts with Plato's notion of the tripartite soul and arrives to the role of emotions in Martha Nussbaum's thought. The first part is devoted to a clarification of the notion of 'political philosophy' and to an account of the methodology in the history of political thought.

This course examines how prominent modern Western thinkers addressed philosophical issues within their historical and intellectual context. It traces the intellectual trajectory from Hobbes' social contract theory, through Mandeville, to the French and Scottish Enlightenment, culminating in the development of political economy by Adam Smith.