180067 KU Hume's ethics (2024W)

David Hume (1711-1776) considered his An Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals (1751) to be “incomparably much better” than the rest of his works. In this reading seminar, we will look at why Hume thought that his stylistically perfected text, which was not primarily aimed at philosophers but at interested laymen, was “better” than the moral philosophical reflections of his youthful work, the Treatise on Human Nature (1739-1740). Why is it relevant for a work of ethics to be written in a generally understandable way? - We will also look at what Hume learned from his philosophical predecessors, especially Thomas Hobbes and Francis Hutcheson, even though he contradicts them on many points ...

Aim: Introduction to the ethics of David Hume based on parts of his Treatise and the Enquiry. The students learn to develop their independent reading and interpretation work and to critically question their opinions using various text forms.
Method: Regular attendance at the sessions in the lecture hall (no more than two unexcused absences), regular submission of written assignments two days before the course, keynote speech or mini-podcast, collaboration.
The individual texts are first read and edited independently by the students (1-2 pages per week) and then discussed together. All texts will be made available via the moodle learning platform.

Method: Regular attendance at the sessions in the lecture hall (no more than two unexcused absences), regular submission of written assignments two days before the course, short in-class presentation or mini-podcast, collaboration.
The individual texts are first read and edited independently by the students (1-2 pages per week) and then discussed together. All texts will be made available via the moodle learning platform.