MLAP 36000

History of Ethics

This course was available in the past and may be presented again as part of the Master of Liberal Arts curriculum.

The topic of this course is the question, "How should I live?" This question is here stated in the singular. But as Aristotle observed, the human being is by nature a social animal. For creatures such as us, the singular question cannot be cleanly separated from one in the plural: "How should we live together?" We approach this interlocking pair of questions through examination of a long and rich tradition of philosophical reflection upon them-a tradition initiated by the ancient Greeks, transformed in the Enlightenment, and put under pressure by skeptics and critics of the 19th and 20th centuries. Readings include Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, Hume, Kant, Wollstonecraft, Sidgwick, Nietzsche and Anscombe. Topics include happiness, purpose, virtue, fortitude, rights, obligations, sympathy, integrity and oppression.

  • Fulfills the Elective - Ethics and Leadership requirement
  • This course is a part of the Ethics and Leadership concentration

About the Professor

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Jason Bridges - Headshot

Jason Bridges