Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature pairs central texts from Western philosophical tradition (including works by Plato, Aristotle, Epictetus, Hobbes, Kant, Mill, Rawls, and Nozick) with recent findings in cognitive science and related fields. The course is structured around three intertwined sets of topics: Happiness and Flourishing; Morality and Justice; and Political Legitimacy and Social Structures.
Introduction
The Ring of Gyges: Morality and Hypocrisy
Parts of the Soul I
Parts of the Soul II
The Well-Ordered Soul: Happiness and Harmony
The Disordered Soul: Thémis and PTSD
Flourishing and Attachment
Flourishing and Detachment
Virtue and Habit I
Virtue and Habit II
Weakness of the Will and Procrastination
Utilitarianism and its Critiques
Deontology
The Trolley Problem
Empirically-informed Responses
Philosophical Puzzles
Punishment I
Punishment II
Contract & Commonwealth: Thomas Hobbes
The Prisoner's Dilemma
Equality
Equality II
Social Structures
Censorship
Tying up Loose Ends
Concluding Lecture