History of Ethics

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course will be a rigorous historical survey of philosophical theories of ethics from ancient Greece onward. We will cover the ethical philosophies of a number of major philosophers, such as Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, Kant, Hume, Mill and Taylor, Nietzsche, or others. As we go, we will also read interpretations of and responses to those theories by contemporary philosophers, such as Julia Annas, Martha Nussbaum, Christine Korsgaard, Annette Baier, and others. Work for the course will involve significant reading, regular short writing responses, three medium-length papers (of about 6-7 pages each), and two exams (a midterm and a cumulative final).