Philosophy 2

In this course, we will address the basic questions of ethics. How should we live? What is a good human being like, and what kind of life so they lead? We’ll address these big questions by focusing on some slightly smaller ones: by what standard are some actions right and other wrong? Is a moral life (necessarily) a free and authentic one? Or does morality present some kind of threat to our freedom or authenticity? To what extent is living an ethical life under our control? What kinds of emotions and desires do ethical people have, and what role do they play in their lives? Throughout the class, we will connect our discussion of these general questions to contemporary ethical issues concerning race and gender. Our readings will be drawn from a wide variety of philosophical traditions: among others, we will read Simon de Beauvoir, John Stuart Mill, Iris Murdoch, Aristotle, Marth Nussbaum, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Confucius.