What kind of advice would you give a time-traveler? How do you reassure a friend who is worried about whether she has free will? (And in the meantime, should you blame her for not returning your favorite coat?) Is it possible to help someone make a rational choice about something that would change their life completely? If I want the best for my friends, should I really want them to be moral saints?

In this course, we’ll engage with a range of philosophical problems and puzzles by tackling questions submitted to a (fictional) philosophical advice column. As we try to figure out how to help our friendly neighborhood time-traveler, you’ll also master a number of core philosophical skills. Among them: the ability to carefully read and discuss philosophical texts and the ability write clearly and concisely about complex (and sometimes kooky) cases. Along the way, you’ll get to explore some of the main subfields of philosophy, and will get a sense of what to expect from future courses.

Course Requirements:

Course requirements include careful weekly reading, active and prepared engagement in lecture and discussion sections, and completion of several short written assignments.