Philosophy

The course focuses on issues in applied ethics, the distinction between individual and public ethics, as well as the main debates in the field. Special attention is placed on the relationship between different approaches in moral philosophy (normative, virtue, and care ethics) and the multiple connections between moral reflection and cultural studies, political science, and humanities. Students are introduced to relevant literature in the field and the proper terminology in the field. The Spring 2022 topic is on Aristotle’s ethics, moral psychology, and, in particular, the physiology of moral development, the difference between natural and moral virtues, and the role of emotions in character formation.

This course introduces central problems and concepts in philosophy of mind and philosophy of language. In the philosophy of mind, it tackles questions like: Is the mind ultimately the same thing as the brain, or is it some non-physical entity, unlike what current science tells us is real? Can a computer be conscious? To what extent are our thoughts really inside our heads? In the philosophy of language, the course tackles questions like: What is meaning? How can our language not merely describe the world, but also change it? How is speech oppressive?

This course is an introduction to ethics. It is structured around twelve topics, such as: Do you have a moral duty to donate most of your money to charity? Are we unfree and thus not responsible for anything? Is moral virtue a matter of luck? If someone you love dies and you’re not upset, does that mean you never really cared about them? In addition to thinking about particular ethical issues, the course discusses some of the most powerful and persuasive theories in moral philosophy, including utilitarianism (the view that an action is right if it promotes happiness), deontology (the view that an action is right if it is done from duty), and virtue ethics (the view that an action is right if one has the right moral character or virtues).