This is a graduate level module on topics in moral philosophy and its history. This year, J. G. Fichte&#039;s System of Ethics (1798) will be the core text....

Graduate Studies in Moral Philosophy (PHIL0101)

This is a graduate level module on topics in moral philosophy and its history. This year, J. G. Fichte's System of Ethics (1798) will be the core text. This is in some ways Fichte's most important book - it was regarded throughout the 19th century as one of the best statements of a broadly Kantian view, and has recently been the focus of much discussion in Fichte scholarship. Fichte's book ranges over central topics in normative ethics, metaethics, moral psychology, and the connections between moral theory and theoretical philosophy. We will especially be interested in Fichte's account of duty, his view that there are no morally indifferent actions, his account of moral evil, and his theory of freedom. Seminars will primarily focus on careful reading and exegesis of the System, with some attention to Fichte's other work, and to contemporary scholarship.

This module is intended to introduce students to contemporary research in legal and political philosophy. It has an unusual format. The most distinctive...

Research Seminar in Legal Philosophy (PHIL0087)

This module is intended to introduce students to contemporary research in legal and political philosophy. It has an unusual format. The most distinctive feature of the format is a series of meetings that will run in conjunction with the UCL Colloquium in Law, Philosophy, and Politics (LPP). The LPP Colloquium is a joint enterprise between the Philosophy Department, the Faculty of Law, and the School of Public Policy Each, and it runs from January to May each year (across terms 2 and 3). At the LPP Colloquium, a series of high-profile visiting speakers discuss a recent paper of theirs in political, legal, or moral philosophy. The papers are not on any set theme, beyond being current work in these disciplinary areas. Papers are pre-circulated, so the whole meeting is devoted to discussion, and after the workshop there are normally drinks with attendees (which gives you a chance to meet the speaker in person, if you like). There will normally be six of these sessions, held from January to May. For each of them you have a one-hour pre-meeting to discuss the paper as a small group, with the module convenor, before joining the with the speaker and a larger audience for a two-hour Q&A session. In addition to the LPP Colloquium meetings, there will be some additional meetings scheduled to discuss background work in the philosophy of law, and to discuss assessment requirements. Further reading will be assigned for these meetings as well. Assessment is via a major essay, and there are a few other minor, reading-related tasks that you’re required to complete during the term. The schedule can be a little haphazard, but – to a rough approximation – you will be required to attend a meeting for this module slightly more often than once a fortnight, through terms 2 and 3.

Philosophy Area B