Ethics Portal

Zhuangzi is often presented as the second thinker of classical Daoist thought after Laozi, but in terms of impact on East Asian philosophy and fine arts, Zhuangzi is probably the more significant figure. We will read the text together, taking plenty of time to discuss participant interpretations, all within the framework of the preceptor-provided cultural and historical commentary. Zhuangzi is simply delightful, treating weighty topics with a light and humorous touch. Come join us for Free-and-Easy Wandering through this most idiosyncratic of classical Chinese texts!

In this module, I will take you on a tour of some of the most important philosophical movements in the Greco-Roman world. After an introductory class (where we will talk about our approach and where I will give an overview of our module), the first few lessons will be based on the so-called pre-Socratic philosophers (6th to early 5th century BCE), with a special focus on Heraclitus.

These archaic/early Greek philosophers did not necessarily establish coherent systems of philosophy and often focused only on fysis (physics), trying to understand if there was a unifying principle to our physical world and if everything is composed of many parts or is ‘one’ (among other topics). Apart from physics, they also provide us with some of the earliest discussions of logic (especially, Parmenides), although they are far more creative than later philosophers in their use of different kinds of reasoning (for example, metaphorical reasoning). Subsequently, we will move to the two greatest philosophers of the classical period: Plato and Aristotle. Each of these two demands an entire course devoted to discussing their philosophy, and I have instead selected sub-topics within which they have been greatly influential in the Western philosophical tradition: for Plato, we will discuss his political philosophy, namely, his conception of an idea state. for Aristotle, we will discuss the principles he establishes for ‘good artwork’, specifically, tragedy. In the final three lessons, we will turn to three important post-Socratic or Hellenistic schools of philosophy (mid-fourth century BCE to late antiquity in some cases): Cynicism, Stoicism, and Epicureanism.

Our focus here will primarily be on ethics (on the proper virtues which each school recommends); at the same time, the ethical assumptions of each of these schools need to be understood within their particular view of the physical world. Throughout the lessons, I will provide students with close readings, key passages which we will analyze, composed of important fragments from the selected philosophers. These readings will serve as discussion points after my brief introductions to the given writer/philosophical movement.

Course Outline:

Week One
• Introduction to Ancient Philosophy: Overview and Methods
• The Pre-Socratic Philosophers: Pythagoras, Parmenides, Democritus, and Empedocles
Week Two
• Heraclitus: Movement, Harmony, and Oppositions in nature
• Plato and Utopianism: A Close Reading of the Critias and Republic
Week Three
• Aristotle and Aesthetics: The Principles of Writing Tragedy
• The Virtues of Cynicism: Self-Independence, Free Speech, and Endurance
Week Four
• The Virtues of Stoicism: Practical Reason, Justice, Temperance, and Courage
• Epicureanism: A Close Reading of Epicurus’ Letter to Menoeceus

It turns out that writing dialogue can be tricky. A writer has to accomplish a lot through the way in which a character speaks, and how that speech is described. How do people talk to one another? Do they orate? Do they exchange fast and witty quips? Do they lecture one another to impart tons of needed exposition material? Does what they say and how they say it tell us anything about who they are?

In this class we will experiment with different ways to write dialogue and incorporate it into a story. We'll explore how details of character diction can change how a reader understands the text of what a character says. We'll do exercises designed to practice achieving particular goals Finally, students will apply what we're working on to their own writing and will receive feedback using our Collaborative Feedback method.

We're going to do a fair bit of writing, some in class, more outside of class as (optional) homework. By the end of the class a student should expect to be able to decide how a character should sound and then write dialogue that meets that goal.

The Dark Crystal, a film directed and created by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, was released at Christmastime in 1982. An attempt at a more mature and decidedly darker direction for Henson, it performed modestly in the box office to mixed reviews. Despite its poor initial beginnings, over the next 42 years, The Dark Crystal became a cult classic. Why the appeal all these years later? In this class we will explore this multifaceted dark fantasy as a stand of world building from the better appreciated “Muppet” canon. Over the course of eight sessions we will discuss the world of Thra through the film itself, seen afresh with the new lenses of various forms of modern criticism. Please join us for a combination of short lectures and lively discussion of this visual and technical masterpiece whether you’re a long-time fan or neophyte.

Over the course of two modules, we will cover the basics of Japanese religious history. Particular areas of focus will be Shintō 神道 tradition and various forms of Japanese Buddhism, shamanism, and Shugendō 修験道. Time permitting (unlikely) we can also touch upon Japanese New Religions and/or Japanese Christianity.

Over the course of this module, we will cover the basics of Japanese religious history. Particular areas of focus will be Shintō 神道 tradition and various forms of Japanese Buddhism, shamanism, and Shugendō 修験道. Time permitting (unlikely) we can also touch upon Japanese New Religions and/or Japanese Christianity.

Picking up from where we left off in the first module, we will continue to explore the basics of Japanese religious history.

Plato's Republic is arguably one of the most influential books ever written about Western political philsophy. This module offers an exploration of the Republic, examining its key themes such as Justice, the Ideal State, the Theory of Forms, and the Philosopher-King to name a few. Together, we will engage with the text's philosophical arguments and controversies while tying their relevance to contemporary society.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Session 1: Introduction to The Republic and the Greek World
	Session 2: Book I - The Debate on Justice: Socrates vs Thrasymachus
Week 2	Session 3: Books II & III - Education and the Ideal State
	Session 4: Books IV & V - Justice in the Soul and Society
Week 3	Session 5: Books VI & VII - The Philosopher-King and the Form of the Good
	Session 6: Books VIII & IX - The Mistaken Regimes and Socrates' Critique of Democracy
Week 4	Session 7:Book X - Art, Poetry, and the Myth or Er
	Session 8: Summary, Overview, and the Legacy of Plato's Republic

While the idea of establishing an ‘actual’ utopia has been disparaged since the first half of the twentieth century from socio-political perspectives (e.g. the failed age of ideology from 1917-1945), literary and related cultural narratives have a long history of imagining and representing utopia (also paradise, the golden age, etc.). These utopias often function to criticize the problematic social norms and climates of their times as well as providing progressive imaginings for a better future, often based on certain ideals or virtues. In this module, we go on a chronological tour of different representations of utopia, including: the paleolithic utopia of hunter-gatherers (e.g. as discussed in Harari’s Homo Sapiens) (before 10,000 BC), the Bronze Age utopia of Minoan Crete (4000-1400 BCE), Plato’s mythical island of Atlantis (ca 400 BC), the pastoral utopia of the Roman poet Virgil (ca 40 BC), the New World utopia of Sir Thomas More (1516), the Enlightened, reasoned utopia of Robinson Crusoe (1719), Tolkien’s fantasy utopia of Númenor (ca 1940), and more.

Based on the preceptor's edited volume, Tolkien and the Classical World, this module takes students on a tour of the classical influences and ideas on the life, writings, and thought of English fantasy writer J.R.R. Tolkien, while also introducing seminal Greco-Roman texts to those without any classical background.

Ubuntu has been described as Africa's greatest gift to the world; a philosophy that covers various aspects of humanity, human life—being human. In this module we will be discussing ubuntu as a concept that covers:
- moral philosophy
- human dignity
- human rights
- substantive equality
- human connection
... And, how ubuntu can help explain and address the current most pressing problems.

The module will help in making the philosophy understandable to all audiences, especially considering its uptake and misrepresentation in the media and various platforms. The module goes beyond the usual simplifications of the philosophy and gives an in-depth and yet understandable analysis of the practical concepts within the philosophy, including their usage in solving contemporary problems, from personal/intimate to structural problems.