Courses

Fall Semester information

291A: Prindle Reading Course:Paul Nnodim and Austin Okigbo, Ubuntu: A Comparative Study of an African Concept of Justice

Students will read, discuss, and reflect on a range of perspectives on Ubuntu: a relational or community-based ethical perspective from the Bantu cultures of South and East Africa. Ubuntu is the moral perspective of great South African leaders, such as: Nelson Mandela, who lead the successful struggle to overcome the racial segregation and injustice of apartheid; and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who lead the nation's path-setting Truth and Reconciliation Commission (an innovative model for national, restorative justice after atrocity). Ubuntu ethics contrasts deeply with the individualism of modern, Western, Liberal moral and political philosophy, the perspective shared by Kant, Bentham and Mill, Sidgewick, Rawls, Ross, Nussbaum and other leading figures in philosophical ethics. The course will challenge students from Western cultures to step back critically from their own cultural perspective, engage with a new way of thinking about justice, and thereby to enlarge their moral imagination. For students from Bantu, and other non-Western, cultures, the course offers an opportunity to engage with a serious philosophical exploration of a moral perspective which has shown itself to have particular value in post-conflict and post-atrocity contexts, contexts which the world, unfortunately, continues to create.

291B: Prindle Reading Course:Percival Everett, James

"If a lie is what it takes to ensure our survival, then let it be told." So declares escaped slave Jim in Percival Everett's novel "James," a reimagining of Mark Twain's classic "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. By turning Twain's novel on its head, Everett challenges traditional notions of truth and who gets to tell it. As the titular James struggles for control of his narrative and his destiny, he faces moral dilemmas familiar in western ethics: rights, consequences, duty, and virtue, to name just a few. But how can we, as readers, understand the complexities of choices made within the dehumanizing framework of slavery? This question will guide our inquiry over eight weeks. Some issues we will consider include: identity and performance, truth-telling and historical narratives; marginalization and human dignity, duty and freedom.

291C: Prindle Reading Course:W. Kamau Bell & Kate Schatz, Do the Work! An Antiracist Activity Book

What responsibilities do institutions of higher education and their students, faculty, and staff have to actively confront and seek to dismantle systemic racism, promoting justice, equity, and human dignity? Engaging in antiracist praxis acknowledges the historical and ongoing marginalization of certain groups, aiming to rectify power imbalances, and societal inequities. This commitment requires continuous self-awareness, critical examination of personal biases, and a dedication to transformative societal change. This course utilizes "Do the Work!: An Antiracist Activity Book" by W. Kamau Bell and Kate Schatz to engage in interactive discussions and exercises aimed at understanding and dismantling systems of oppression. Students will critically examine concepts of white privilege, meritocracy, and historical disenfranchisement. The course emphasizes practical application by encouraging students to initiate conversations, reflect on personal biases, and commit to actionable steps toward creating a more equitable campus and society.

291D: Prindle Reading Course:Andrew Chignell, Evil: A History

Discussing evil in The Gulag Archipelago, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn writes, "If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?" Solzhenitsyn makes several contested claims about evil in this quotation including: that there are no evil persons, that all humans have in them the capacity for good and evil, that evil is a fundamental part of human nature. In this course, we will look at the concept of evil. Our book Evil: A History contains several essays with varying views on evil. These essays consider its very existence, its nature, whether it is a force or a person, the source of evil, its scope, and other questions. In addition, the book will provide us with a sense of how evil is understood in various eras, religions, philosophies, and from the perspective of the natural sciences.

291F: Prindle Reading Course:Kara Tan Bhala, Ethics in Finance: Case Studies from a Woman's Life on Wall Street

How do financial professionals navigate high-pressure ethical decisions? This interactive, discussion-driven course explores real-world finance ethics through live role-play simulations, debates, and case studies. Students will grapple with whistleblowing, corporate bias, insider trading, and financial integrity by stepping into the roles of analysts, executives, regulators, and journalists.
Through simulations, ethical challenges, and a final personal ethics manifesto, students will build a practical framework for ethical decision-making applicable to finance, business, law, and beyond. No prior finance experience needed--just a willingness to challenge assumptions and think critically! The book is a must-read not just for anyone contemplating a career on Wall Street, but also for every retail investor navigating the new era of social media-driven investing. It is an honest and compelling read directly from the author's experiences as a sell side analyst and a successful portfolio manager.

Spring Semester information

291A: Prindle Reading Course: Steven Nadler, Think Least of Death: Spinoza on How to Live and How to Die

"The free person thinks least of all of death, and his wisdom is a meditation not on death but on life." Baruch Spinoza is a singular 17th century thinker known for his exotic philosophical system, but in our class we'll explore his lesser known account on the good life. We'll see how his ethics connects with his wider philosophical project, trace his influences, and highlight his innovations. Spinoza's ethical account focuses on striving, virtues, friendship, and death; all subjects worthy of our consideration.

291B: Prindle Reading Course: Barbara Kingsolver, Demon Copperhead

Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead reimagines Charles Dickens's David Copperfield in twenty-first-century Appalachia, tracing one boy's fight as a foster child to survive poverty and the ravages of a pervasive opioid crisis. The novel appeals to both our need for humor in an abrasive world, and our deepest comprehension of the tragic as it demands that we consider the power of story to reshape our perceptions of dignity and hope. The course will explore Demon Copperhead as a powerful social critique and ethical reflection. Together we will question our collective notions about poverty and resilience; addiction, recovery and survival itself; and how storytelling can become a form of resistance and a wellspring of human dignity.

291C: Prindle Reading Course: Samuel A Moore, Publishing beyond the market : open access, care, and the commons

In this reading and discussion-based seminar, students will explore the moral dimensions of knowledge creation and control. Who has access to knowledge--and who doesn't? Who profits from research, and who is left out of the conversation? As scholarly publishing collides with AI, inequality, and public disillusionment, liberal arts students are uniquely positioned to reflect critically on the ethical responsibilities of researchers, institutions, and the public. Through philosophical, historical, and contemporary case studies--including Publishing Beyond the Market by Samuel A. Moore--this course asks students to grapple with pressing ethical questions about intellectual ownership, social justice, and the public good.

291D: Prindle Reading Course: David Luban, Legal Ethics and Human Dignity

¿Law is not a body of statutes or doctrines; rather, it is the activity of lawyers as architects of social structure.¿ The course will explore how the everyday work of ordinary lawyers in run-of-the-mill cases shapes the legal landscape. What role do legal professionals play in upholding the rule of law, avoiding organization evil, and ensuring the conditions for human dignity?

291E: Prindle Reading Course: Kwame Gyekye, Tradition and Modernity: Philosophical Reflections on the African Experience and Kwasi Wiredu, Cultural Universals and Particulars: An African Perspective

This course will introduce you to African moral thought covering topics such as justice, wellbeing, community, tradition and modernity, and the nature of the good life. We will read two classic works of 20th Century African moral theory, authored by two of the leading lights of Ghanaian philosophy. Although our authors will not always agree, their work comes at ethics from a distinctively African perspective which does not share some of the deep assumptions of the Western, liberal perspective which is dominant in academic ethics in the Anglo-American tradition. For students with a background in ethics, these texts should provoke serious reflection on how we view and move through the world, and how we come at core problems in ethics such as just wealth distribution, the nature of human welfare, the relationship between individual and community, and what we owe one another. For students of Africana studies, this course offers a chance to take a deep dive into seminal works by two leading figures in modern African philosophy, whose influence resounds in contemporary academic and public intellectual life both on the continent and beyond it.

291F: Prindle Reading Course: H. L. A. Hart, Law, Liberty, and Morality

Should the law enforce morality or religion-based norms? Where do we draw the line between personal liberty and legal coercion? This course delves into these critical questions through the lens of H. L. A. Hart's seminal work, Law, Liberty, and Morality. By examining Hart's debates with Lord Devlin and other theorists, students will explore the philosophical foundations of legal positivism and its implications for contemporary legal and ethical dilemmas. Through engaging debates and interactive discussions, the course will explore controversial topics such as the legalization of same-sex marriage, prostitution, transgender/cross dressing, abortion/birth control, the decriminalization of drug use and adultery, and restrictions on hate speech. Students will analyze landmark cases like R v Brown (on consensual harm), Roe v Wade (on abortion rights), and Miller v. California (on obscenity laws), applying Hart's theories to evaluate the balance between public morality and personal freedoms. Students will be encouraged to consider diverse insights, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. This course is ideal for anyone interested in the complex interplay between law, policies and morality in modern society. Join us for a thought-provoking exploration of one of legal philosophy's most enduring debates.

291G: Prindle Reading Course: Suleika Jaouad, The Book of Alchemy : A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life

The art and act of journaling or recording your life in any manner is an exercise, one that requires practice, occasional guidance and encouragement, stretching of self, and intense honesty. This course will explore the art of creation/creativity within journaling using Suleika Jaoud's 2025 book "The Book of Alchemy". The book is a collection of short reflections on creation and journaling from writers, creators, thinkers around the globe through the lens of various themes such as new beginnings (first year of college? graduation?), love, loss, and rebuilding. This is a great course for lifelong journalers AND those new to journaling as it will give a structure to engage with discomfort, ask questions, and create in a deeply human manner.