WesMaps - Wesleyan University Catalog 2009-2010       Summer Session       Winter Session       Home       Archive       Search
CS92PROD
Confucianism and Virtue Ethics
PHIL 341
Spring 2010 not offered
Crosslisting: EAST 341

In recent Western moral philosophy, virtue ethics has been undergoing a renaissance; many philosophers have been attracted to this approach to ethics that emphasizes a person's character and cultivated dispositions rather than a rule-centured approach to right and wrong. Since the virtue ethics approach was more popular prior to the 20th century, philosophers have looked back to a variety of historical thinkers for inspiration, including Aristotle, Hume, and Nietzsche. In this course, we will explore the merits of drawing on thinkers from the Confucian tradition to develop virtue ethics. In what ways do Confucian thinkers lend themselves to being understood as virtue ethicists? What new stimulae might Confucianism offer to contemporary philosophers who so far have only drawn on Western sources? Is it fruitful to talk about a contemporary version of Confucianism that can enter into dialogue with both contemporary Western virtue ethicists and their critics?

Essential Capabilities: Writing
TBA
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA PHIL
Course Format: SeminarGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: ANY TWO PHILOSOPHY COURSES
Fulfills a Requirement for: (CEAS-Phil/Reli)(PHIL-Philosophy)

Last Updated on DEC-26-2024
Contact wesmaps@wesleyan.edu to submit comments or suggestions. Please include a url, course title, faculty name or other page reference in your email ? Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459