Global Arc

This course will study what Greek thinkers, especially philosophers, said about inequality generally, and in particular about the status and treatment of enslaved people, non-Greeks (the so-called barbarians), and women. We will see that these thinkers, far from unreflectively accepting the status quo, were actively engaging with, challenging, or supporting the ideas that slaves are subhuman and that their enslavement is just; that Greeks are irreconcilably opposed to "barbarians;" and that men are naturally different from, and superior to, women. The last part of the course will briefly turn to the post-Classical reception of these ideas.

Meta-ethical non-cognitivisms is the view that moral judgements do not represent the world as being a certain way, but are non-representational states that play a motivating role in the production of action, comparable to emotions, desires, or intentions. Non-cognitivism is an important view in the landscape of the contemporary meta-ethics. But, it is also one of the most difficult views to fully understand. This course is an intensive introduction to this meta-ethical view and investigates both its benefits and problems in great detail. Readings will be drawn primarily from contemporary sources.

We investigate the concept of "scientific objectivity" with special reference to its relationship to religious belief and practice. We begin with the revolt against scientific objectivity by 19th century religious thinkers such as Kierkegaard, and the impact this revolt might have had on the development of the sciences -- in particular, on the major revolutions in physical science in the 20th century (Einstein's relativity, and quantum physics). We conclude with a section on current affairs, in particular, the relationship of religious subjectivity to "post-truth" society.

Honor is widely regarded as an archaic value and yet it still plays a role in our political rhetoric and in the military. Beginning with the role of honor in the heroic cultures of the ancient world, the class will go on to discuss the duel, as it developed in early modern Europe; honor killing in the Mediterranean world; and foot binding and women's honor in China. The aim of the course is to understand changing conceptions of honor; to explore the ways in which honor can belong not just to individuals but also to families, classes, races and nations. One three-hour seminar.

We will study the life and work of Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855). His mission as an author begins with a journal entry he wrote while overlooking the sea north of Copenhagen: "What I really need is to get clear about what I must do, not what I must know, except insofar as knowledge must precede every act. What matters is to find a purpose." We will follow in Kierkegaard's footsteps, both literally and figuratively.

This seminar will examine current controversies in feminist philosophy. Topics to be discussed will include: the sex/gender distinction and social construction; gender essentialism and anti-essentialism; trans theory; intersectionality and critical race theory; standpoint epistemology; epistemic injustice; feminism and liberalism; neoliberalism, global justice, and transnational feminism; feminist methodologies; the hazards and benefits of speaking for, with, and about others; pornography and sex work; sexism and misogyny.

Are simpler theories more likely to be true? Can testimony make it rational to believe in miracles? Should defendants be convicted based on merely statistical evidence? Should the long-term survival of humanity swamp all other interests? Does physics show that there are probably many universes? Do probabilities make sense even if the world is deterministic? We will attack these and other questions through the lens of modern philosophical probability and decision theory.

The course deals with philosophy as practiced in Latin America from the Spanish Conquest until the contemporary period. Unifying themes are race, identity, and the relationship between European influences and the specific circumstances of Latin America. We will explore these themes by examining the following topics among others: the use of Aristotelian ideas in debates about the appropriate treatment of the indigenous populations of the Americas; and ways in which Latin American thinkers employed ideas of the French enlightenment, Comte's positivism and Marxist concepts to articulate programs for political and cultural change.

Extreme risk is a willing slave but a cruel master. We will study risk, with emphasis on mathematical methods designed to manage and tame extreme risks, the philosophical foundations of those methods, and the perils that can result from applying them in the real world. We will discuss risk-management issues that confront policymakers and others who must make safe decisions in risky situations.

An introduction to the philosophical questions raised by biology, with readings from the philosophical and scientific literature from Plato and Aristotle to the present day. Topics may include: human nature, biodiversity, and the definition of life. Extended consideration will be given to Darwinian and rival approaches to evolution.