Consider the difference between right and wrong, personal identity, and the mind-and-body connection as you kick back with other like-minded thinkers in four evenings of vigorous discussion. It’s kind of like a Greek agora with snacks—heavy thinking with a light touch.

Revisit your understanding of ethics, personal identity, knowledge, and the place of brain science in the realm of philosophy in four discussion sessions that use the Socratic method. Each discussion includes historical antecedents and an examination of contemporary philosophers’ work.

MAR 12 Ethics

Where does morality come from? We consider three concepts of right and wrong and discuss ethics in the context of history and contemporary society.

APR 9 Personal Identity

What is the difference between being a person and a nonperson? We grapple with the nuances of morality and mortality; the well-being of our future selves; life after death; and how these topics might relate to the Great Ape Project.

MAY 14 What Is Knowledge?

Are knowledge, belief, opinion, prejudice, and conjecture so distinctive? How far does our knowledge extend? We explore contemporary rebuttals to Descartes’ conclusions that we know a lot less than we think we do.

JUN 11 The Mind-Body Problem

The brain is one of the most sophisticated devices in the universe. Are mind and body made of the same stuff? Delve into theories of the mind and body connection. We look at the connections between neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, and philosophy.

Mitchell Green is the NEH/Horace Goldsmith Distinguished Teaching Professor of Philosophy at the University of Virginia.

4 sessions