Philosophy 290-6

The ever-present surveillance of our lives, insofar as our lives are linked to the internet or the “internet of things,” naturally gives rise to a disquiet about privacy. Our primary aim in this seminar will be to understand better the interests that underlie the right to privacy, as well as the contours of the right itself. A secondary aim will be to evaluate, in light of this understanding, whether or not the disquiet about online surveillance is appropriate. We will read articles by Warren and Brandeis, Thomson, Scanlon, Fried, and Marmor, among others, along with some work in progress by the instructor.