This section will draw on the recent show The Good Place and key philosophical texts to explore several topics in philosophy, including some of the following: Why should we be good? What makes something morally good (or bad)? How do our circumstances affect our responsibility for what we do? What makes a life meaningful? What makes us the people we are? Can we genuinely change/improve as individuals? Is immortality inevitably boring?
In the class we will not only be learning some major philosophical topics but will be learning how to do philosophy. I like to think of philosophy as a type of conversation about a variety of fundamental questions. Instead of teaching you the right answer to these philosophical questions, the goal in the class will be to learn to effectively engage in the philosophical conversation, that is, to think philosophically.
Students will be expected to read the assigned readings and to watch The Good Place.
Additional sections of Phil 110 are also available.
