Fall Quarter

A study and in-depth analysis of one or more figures or themes in Latin American or Latina/o/x/e philosophy. The focus may be on particular topics (liberation, indigeneity, immigration, the idea of regional or ethno-philosophy), figures (for example, Sor Juana, Vasconcelos, Mariategui), or themes in historical or contemporary philosophy (such as Mexican existentialism, philosophy of liberation, Latina feminism).

In this course (required of first-year students and recommended for second-year students), we will study some highlights of 20th and 21st century work in philosophy. We’ll cover topics in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language and mind, and moral and political philosophy. In taking the course students will (1) gain familiarity with some classic questions, debates, and texts in philosophy and (2) further develop their ability to do philosophy, both in writing and in discussions.

How does forgiving differ from forgetting and excusing? How does forgiveness affect the emotional component of our memories? Under what conditions can forgetting serve as an excuse for wrongdoing? Does the internet make us more forgetful, and does it hinder our ability to forgive? Should punishment be reduced for offenders suffering from amnesia?

In this seminar, we will present and discuss new work in religious epistemology which builds upon Wittgenstein's account of hinges in On Certainty. After a survey of this latter work and of the main tenets of hinge epistemology, we will examine Duncan Pritchard's quasi-fideistic interpretation - which aims at developing an alternative position with respect to evidentialism and fideism (as well as to reformed epistemology) - and its connections with Cardinal John Henry Newman's views. We will then propose an alternative interpretation, which connects a hinge-theoretic account of religious discourse with Wittgenstein's earlier views about the mystical (as presented in the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, as well as in the Lecture on Ethics, the Lectures on Religious Belief, and in other remarks contained especially in Culture and Value). We will explore its bearing on several other issues, such as: i) the nature of religious disagreement (both intra- and inter-faith disagreement, as well as between believers and non-believers), ii) the role of conversion and of tradition in the transmission of religion, iii)  the different attitudes at stake with respect to religious dogmas and "ordinary" religious beliefs.