Fall 2015
Seminar in the History of Philosophy: Scotus's Ethics
Course Description
This course is designed as a systematic investigation of John Duns Scotus's writings on ethics and moral psychology.
Course Requirements
TBD
Schedule of Topics and Readings
A fuller syllabus listing both primary and secondary readings will be available shortly before classes begin. For now, here is a list of the topics we will be covering. All readings will be available in (my own) English translation.
Introduction
8/26 Scotus in Historical Context
God and the Moral Law
9/2 Freedom and Contingency
9/9 Divine Love, Justice, and Mercy
9/16 The Natural Law
Moral Motivation and the Genesis of Human Action
9/23 Will and Intellect
9/30 The Two Affections of the Will
10/7 Desire, Choice, and Enjoyment
Rectifying the Will: Virtue
10/14 Against the Unity of the Virtues
10/21 Virtues Acquired and Infused
Rectifying the Intellect: Practical Wisdom
10/28 Practical Wisdom
The Metaphysics of Goodness and Rightness
11/4 The Nature of Good and Evil
11/11 Veterans' Day (no class)
11/18 Fittingness
11/25 Sin
Conclusion
12/2 The Significance of Scotus's Ethics