Universität Wien

180085 SE How to be virtuous believers (2011S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 45 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Monday 07.03. 15:00 - 17:00 Hörsaal 3E NIG 3.Stock
  • Monday 21.03. 15:00 - 17:00 Hörsaal 3E NIG 3.Stock
  • Monday 28.03. 15:00 - 17:00 Hörsaal 3E NIG 3.Stock
  • Monday 04.04. 15:00 - 17:00 Hörsaal 3E NIG 3.Stock
  • Monday 11.04. 15:00 - 17:00 Hörsaal 3E NIG 3.Stock
  • Monday 02.05. 15:00 - 17:00 Hörsaal 3E NIG 3.Stock
  • Monday 09.05. 15:00 - 17:00 Hörsaal 3E NIG 3.Stock
  • Monday 16.05. 15:00 - 17:00 Hörsaal 3E NIG 3.Stock
  • Monday 23.05. 15:00 - 17:00 Hörsaal 3E NIG 3.Stock
  • Monday 30.05. 15:00 - 17:00 Hörsaal 3E NIG 3.Stock
  • Monday 06.06. 15:00 - 17:00 Hörsaal 3E NIG 3.Stock
  • Monday 20.06. 15:00 - 17:00 Hörsaal 3E NIG 3.Stock
  • Monday 27.06. 15:00 - 17:00 Hörsaal 3E NIG 3.Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

What is an intellectual virtue? Why do we care about being intellectually virtuous? If you are not interested in these questions, you are not interested in how you should live your life.

Our daily talk is full of intellectual virtues and vices. We say that George Bush is a bigot, that Nelson Mandela has intellectual integrity, that Giordano Bruno was intellectually courageous. We not only make such judgements all the time but we really care about them. When I call you a bigot, it hurts; you try to show me that I am mistaken. But what are these virtues we take so seriously really: for one, are they fixed natural capacities or character traits which we can acquire? And why do we care whether we are intellectually virtuous, anyway? These questions matter for how you should live your life. If, for example, intellectual virtues and vices turned out to be fixed natural capacities (like being able to sing in tune), then it would be pointless criticising you for being a bigot; more seriously, it would be equally pointless for you to try to be more open-minded.

Assessment and permitted materials

Regular attendance, active participation in discussions, 1 presentation, four one-page summaries of papers of your choice, one 10 page essay on a pre-set topic.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

To develop an understanding of the nature and value of intellectual virtues.

Examination topics

Seminar format - we discuss the prescribed paper. Attendance of each seminar, active engagement in the discussion, as well as at least one presentation are obligatory.

Reading list

All course materials after that: http://velimitova.weebly.com/students-2011.html

WEEKLY READINGS
Session 1: Introduction (no reading)

Session 2: Zagzebski, L. T. (1996) 'The nature of a virtue' (pages 84-106) excerpt from Virtues of the Mind (CUP).

Session 3: Montmarquet, James (1987) 'Epistemic Virtue' Mind 96 (384): 482-497.

Session 4: Roberts, R.C. & Wood, WJ (2007) 'Virtues' Chap. 3, Intellectual Virtues (Oxford: Clarendon).

Session 5: Plantinga, A. (1993) 'Warrant: a first approximation' Chap. 1 Warrant and Proper Function (OUP).

Session 6: Sosa, E. (1991) 'Intellectual virtue in perspective' Chap. 16, Knowledge in Perspective (CUP).

Session 7: Greco, John (2001) 'Virtues and Vices of Virtue Epistemology' Epistemology: An Anthology. Sosa, E. and Kim, J. (eds.) (Malden, Mass.: Blackwell).

Session 8: Roberts, R.C. & Wood, WJ (2007) 'Faculties' Chap. 4, Intellectual Virtues (Oxford: Clarendon).

Session  9: Zagzebski, LT (1996) 'The value of the components of intellectual virtues' (pp 197-211) VoM.

Session 10: Riggs, W (2003) 'Understanding virtue and the virtue of understanding' in dePaul and Zagzebski.

Session 11: Zagzebski, LT (1996) 'Intellectual and moral virtues' 137-164 excerpt from Virtues of the Mind (CUP).

Session 12: Baehr, J. (2011) 'Intellectual and moral Virtue' - http://janusblog.squarespace.com/avirtueepistemology/post/595475

Session 13: Putting it all together

Association in the course directory

BA M5.3, § 4.1.4, § 2.5, HPS M 4

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:36