PHIL 320 - Seminar in the History of Philosophy

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

320-51b: Wittgenstein. Wittgenstein is one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century. This seminar revolves around his greatest works, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and Philosophical Investigations. It pays special attention to the issue of whether in his early period Wittgenstein really embraces the view that the truths philosophers seek to articulate are actually ineffable. It also examines in some detail whether Wittgenstein’s later, explicitly “therapeutic” approach succeeds in avoiding substantive theoretical commitments. The seminar explores Kripke’s controversial interpretation of Wittgenstein’s treatments of rule-following and the so-called privacy of experience. It ends with an evaluation of Hacker’s attempts to defend Wittgenstein’s later methods against the most important criticisms that have been leveled against them in recent decades. Mr. Winblad.

One 2-hour period.

320-52b: Aristotle’s Ethics. This seminar is devoted to a close study of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, one of the foundational texts of Western ethical thought. We also read recent work by contemporary scholars and philosophers, and ask whether a broadly Aristotelian framework is still viable today. Topics include the relationship between moral virtue and eudaimonia (“happiness”); the roles of reason and emotion in acting well; the nature ofakrasia (“weakness of will”); the value of friendship; and the place of philosophical reflection in a good human life. Mr. Raymond.

One 3-hour period.

Prerequisite: one 200-level course in Philosophy.