PHIL 146 SC - Temptation and the Will

Since before Plato, philosophers have been puzzled by how it is that an individual can act freely and deliberately against better judgment. Yet acting against our better judgment, and “giving in to temptation,” would appear to be facts it makes little sense to dispute. In this course, we aim to investigate such patterns of self-defeating behavior-addictions, “bad habits,” etc., with an eye towards a consideration of such questions as: What is self-control? What makes a “will” strong or weak? Is the self unified? Readings will be drawn from historical and contemporary philosophical sources as well as from the contemporary behavioral sciences.

Course Credit: 1.0

Please refer to the course schedule on the Scripps Portal for current course offerings and details.