Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence.

Join us as we explore philosophical ideas on five contemporary issues including: human nature and hope vs pessimism; conspiracy theories; understanding right/left ethics; animal minds; and affectivity in environmental philosophy.

The five issues we will address have attracted new philosophical research over the last decade. Rutger Bregman’s attempts to redress the growing pessimism about ‘human nature’ and our inability to deal with contemporary and future problems in his recent book Humankind-A Hopeful History (2019). Bregman uses various social, psychological, and historical examples to show that our basic nature is “fit for purpose” and that undue pessimism is counterproductive.

Conspiracy theories became a hot topic for philosophers and psychologists during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will consult several theorists including J.E. Uscinski, who gives a case for ‘tolerant skepticism’ (2021). On right/left morality we will explore Jonathan Haidt’s The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion (2012), and The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure (2018).

The last decade has also produced an explosion of new research on non-human animals, and we will concentrate on the issue of how animals think. Lastly, we will look at some fascinatin