21 - 30 of 459 results for: PHIL

Where does the mind stop and the world begin? A standard assumption is that thinking is somehow local to the central nervous system; that is, cognition just amounts to brain activity. A wave of recent work in philosophy and cognitive science has questioned this assumption, insisting that the mind cannot be understood outside the context of a living body interacting dynamically with an environment. To put it more dramatically, the mind extends out into the world. We shall read some of the main proponents of this move toward embodied and embedded cognition, and try to assess the extent to which it seriously calls into question more traditional views about how mind, brain, body, and world fit together.

Are we ever justified in forgiving those who wrong us? Do we have more reason to seek revenge and/or punishment than we do to forgive? Does it matter if wrongdoers apologize and repent for their offenses? Are there some acts and/or persons that shouldn¿t be forgiven? This tutorial will take up these questions by examining (mostly recent) philosophical writings about: forgiveness, retribution, the ¿reactive attitudes¿ (such as resentment and hatred), and, more generally, how humans should (and shouldn¿t) respond to wrongdoing.

In different ways, Thucydides, Hobbes, Rousseau, Kant, and Schopenhauer all emphasize a just so, descriptive account of humankind that, on the surface at least, reveals a profound pessimism with respect to their views about human nature. But for these thinkers pessimism represents a sort of intellectual honesty about human nature, and these insights invariably underscore a profound optimism, in spite of their pessimism, with respect to what they view as the more pressing question concerning what humankind can make itself to be. Our guiding question will be to explore whether and how each of these thinkers reconciles their philosophical optimism with their psychological pessimism about human nature.

Perfection is the full realization of what is best or most excellent. In this tutorial course we will explore philosophical thought on perfection in three different contexts: natural teleology, individual ethical life, and utopian and anti-utopian social thought. Throughout the course, we will ask the following questions: What is a perfect being? Why is perfection per se good or desirable? Do evaluative comparisons presuppose some absolute standard of perfection? Does it make sense to aim at perfection in ethical and political life? What are the virtues of imperfection? What are the hazards of pursuing perfection in the political realm? Is perfectionism compatible with pluralism about values? Is perfectionism compatible with government based on popular will? The primary emphasis is on close reading and discussion of classic texts in ethical theory, including selections from Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Rousseau, Kant, and Tocqueville, accompanied by contemporary selections.

The Hart-Dworkin debate is a central debate in jurisprudence and the philosophy of law, and its two main antagonists are among the most important figures in the history of the subject. Hart's articulation of his Legal Positivism in The Concept of Law (1961) had a great deal of influence on later jurisprudence - indeed Dworkin, in the introduction to his Hard Cases in Harvard Law Review (1975), compared Hart's contribution in the field to a paradigm shift in the philosophy of science. In turn, Dworkin's arguments for his Legal Interpretivism, which he first put forward in The Model of Rules (1967) and Hard Cases (1975), and eventually in Law's Empire (1986), raised some of the most potent objections to positivism, and inspired new replies from the positivists in defense of their positions, including Hart in his Postscript to the second edition of The Concept of Law (1994). This tutorial aims to give its students a good sense of what the debate is about, i.e. the key views and arguments defining each side of the debate. It will attempt to do so by carefully working through both The Concept of Law and Law's Empire, accompanied by other pieces of writing by Hart, Dworkin, and others. Almost the entirety of both books will be assigned as readings throughout the course of the term, but it is likely that quite a bit of this will be designated optional.

The notion of respect plays a crucial role in a variety of human contexts. We respect many different things and we respect them in many different ways: from parents and elders, to public institutions and the law, and other people's dignity, feelings and rights. Many, in fact, claim that all people deserve respect¿some way or another. Public conversations lately have been plagued with calls to respect the environment, life in all of its forms, citizens¿ sexual orientation, etc. Additionally, it is also urged that public debates should take place under conditions of mutual respect: that above and beyond our differences and our interests, we should respect each other as persons. nnnIn particular, philosophers working in moral and political theory focus on what respect for persons might mean¿including oneself and possibly other entities. Such a notion is frequently issued inter alia in discussions about justice and legitimacy, equality and exploitation, multiculturalism and pluralism, toleration and recognition. The main concern here centers on the ways in which citizens should respect one another in plural democracies. Explore whether or not the assumption that in order to properly respect each other as free and equal citizens we are obligated to satisfy certain requirements of justification (viz., public reason) by seeking appropriate political justifications and sometimes exercising restraint in appealing to individual points of views (viz., comprehensive doctrines) in political discourse.

"Feminism" is a wide category, encompassing a variety of philosophical positions, but it is also an historical social movement whose meanings and aims have been subject to both change and conflict. This course will explore feminism from a combination of historical, cultural and philosophical perspectives with the overall aim of assessing what "feminism" has meant to various people in the past and what it means today. nnRoughly the first half of the course will focus on major texts (popular and academic) from the 1st-3rd waves of western feminism as well as texts and historical discussion of some non-western feminist movements. The second half will focus on more recent assertions of feminist positions on a few topical issues. Topics will be somewhat flexible based on the interests of the participants and may include reproductive politics; intergenerational, racial, religious and class-based conflicts within feminism; feminism and work; the sex/gender distinction in science and medicine; feminism's relation to other social movements; etc. nnThis course is open to students of all majors, academic levels and viewpoints.

People as different as Jesus Christ and Justin Timberlake think that love is crucial to living the good life. But what is love? What part should it play in our lives? Is it just one value among many? This course will consider questions about the nature of love, the role it plays in moral philosophy, and its effect on individual autonomy. Readings will be from both contemporary and historical sources.

Does the current generation have a duty of justice to bear the brunt of the burden of combating climate change for the sake of future generations? If so, who should pay the costs of adapting to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions? Should the costs of combating climate change be distributed according to historical emissions, to wealth, or to an equal per capita emissions principle? We¿ll explore these questions through readings at the intersection of political philosophy and climate change. The course includes readings on the following topics: global distributive justice, human rights, historical responsibility, economic efficiency, environmental justice, sustainability, and catastrophe. Throughout the course we¿ll reflect upon what role considerations of justice should play in seeking solutions to climate change.