Courses by Frederick M . Dolan
The topics of the great philosophers-the nature of reality, the limits to knowledge, the origin o... more The topics of the great philosophers-the nature of reality, the limits to knowledge, the origin of good and evil-are also the themes of some great movies. This course explores philosophical ideas and problems as they arise in various films by pairing texts with films. By the end of the course, students will have been introduced to a wide range of topics in epistemology and philosophy of mind, metaphysics, moral and political philosophy, and aesthetics and will also have gained insights into some important films.
Fall Quarter 2021 course, Stanford Continuing Studies.
Course description and schedule for the meaning of life, Stanford Continuing Studies, summer 2021.
An oft-repeated theme over the last two centuries of philosophy has been the need for a radical c... more An oft-repeated theme over the last two centuries of philosophy has been the need for a radical criticism and overhaul of the entire Western tradition. Karl Marx (1818–1883) told us that everything we believed about human history was wrong, and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) was similarly dismissive of our moral commitments. Martin Heidegger (1889–1976) announced that the tradition was tainted because it had ignored what he called “the question of being,” a notion he formulated for the very first time. Finally, Hannah Arendt (1906–1975) argued that our inherited political categories prevent us from appreciating what is truly significant about political action itself. Each of these thinkers, moreover, attributes some conspicuous ills of modernity (alienation for Marx, nihilism for Nietzsche, technology for Heidegger, and the atrophy of political judgment for Arendt) to defects in the tradition from which they are attempting to free us. This course provides an opportunity to evaluate the ideas, arguments, and aspirations of these four pivotal thinkers.
We can easily state the purpose of the actions we perform in our lives. But what’s the purpose of... more We can easily state the purpose of the actions we perform in our lives. But what’s the purpose of one’s life as a whole, of life as such?
In this course, we’ll analyze and evaluate theories of the meaning of life. We’ll encounter a variety of fascinating themes: What are we asking when we ask “What is the meaning of life?” – what sort of question is it and what sorts of replies count as plausible candidates for an answer? Is there a meaning of life? (Maybe life is pointless, absurd, or evil.) How should we think about living with death? What can usefully be said about how best to live or what makes life worth living?
Most of the authors we’ll discuss are philosophers: Arthur Schopenhauer, Albert Camus, Derek Parfit, David Wiggins, Thomas Nagel, Susan Wolf, Shelly Kagan. We’ll look especially closely at how two iconic 19th century thinkers – Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche – approach the question. In addition to philosophers, we’ll also consult psychologists, poets, and filmmakers.
This course won’t provide any easy answers to the question of the meaning of life. But it will provide an opportunity to learn your way around the neighborhood of the question and improve your ability to ask and answer it for yourself.
This course introduces some of the most original and influential political philosophers from the ... more This course introduces some of the most original and influential political philosophers from the middle of the twentieth century to the present, including Hannah Arendt (1906-1975), Michael Oakeshott (1901-1990), Leo Strauss (1899-1973), Alasdair MacIntyre (1929-), John Rawls (1921-2002), Robert Nozick (1938-2002), Michel Foucault (1926-1984), Charles Taylor (1948-), and Philip Pettit (1945-). The thinkers I’ve selected draw upon very different approaches and methods, but many of them share the view that the social, historical, and spiritual characteristics of the modern world have brought about a crisis in our tradition of political thought that must be addressed by re-thinking (and in some cases even abandoning) central concepts such as agency, freedom, rights, justice, power, and equality.
Whatever the fate of the Trump presidency, the forces that brought it to power promise to be with... more Whatever the fate of the Trump presidency, the forces that brought it to power promise to be with us for the foreseeable future. Political scientists continue to debate the nature of the coalition that assembled around Trump. While their grievances and hopes are complex and varied, one highly visible coalition has emerged, known as the Alt-Right. Members of the Alt-Right reject the core values of liberalism: egalitarianism, democratic self-determination, and the belief that political conflicts should be resolved through rational dialogue and compromise. Similar ideologies inform activists on the radical left: Antifa (a militant left-wing tendency) advocates the use of intimidation and violence to deny political opponents the right to free speech and assembly. Such groups draw on a “Counter-Enlightenment” tradition of thinkers, often of the highest caliber, who argue that liberal democratic societies fail to adequately acknowledge and shelter the higher and deeper aspirations of humanity. This tradition includes figures commonly associated with right-wing politics such as Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821), Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), and Julius Evola (1898-1974), and others typically associated with the left, such as Michel Foucault (1926-1984), Theodor W. Adorno (1903-1969), and Herbert Marcuse (1898-1979).
In this course, we will analyze and evaluate the counter-enlightenment political philosophy invoked by America’s most radical political groups, exploring the possible limits of liberalism and asking whether our current frameworks of political thought have the resources necessary to articulate a meaningful and moderating response.
The topics of the great philosophers – the nature of reality, the limits to knowledge, the origin... more The topics of the great philosophers – the nature of reality, the limits to knowledge, the origin of good and evil – are also the themes of some great movies. This course explores philosophical ideas and problems as they arise in various films by pairing texts with films. The emphasis is on moral issues in personhood and personal identity, but we also explore epistemological and ontological themes.
You know the purpose of the actions you perform in your life. You eat because you’re hungry, slee... more You know the purpose of the actions you perform in your life. You eat because you’re hungry, sleep because you’re tired, and read the news because you want to know what’s going on in the world. But what’s the purpose of your life as a whole, of life as such? The answer to that question isn’t obvious.
In this course, we’ll analyze and evaluate theories of the meaning of life. Although this might seem like a vague or frivolous topic, it’s actually one of the most important. People have wondered about it ever since we began to think seriously, and a great many approaches to the problem have been developed. We’ll encounter a variety of fascinating themes:
• What do we mean when we ask “What is the meaning of life?” What sort of question is it, and what sorts of replies count as plausible candidates for an answer?
• Is there a meaning of life? Maybe life is pointless, absurd, or evil.
• What is the significance of mortality? How should we think about living with death?
• What can usefully be said about how best to live or what makes life worth living?
• Why is there something rather than nothing? And given that there is something, why is it as it is, given that it might have been otherwise? Why anything? Why this?
Most of the authors we’ll read are philosophers (Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Nagel, and Susan Wolf, among others), and we’ll use the philosophical method to study our topic: breaking the problem down into its elementary parts, carefully defining terms and concepts, and evaluating the validity of arguments and evidence for and against the various claims on offer. In addition to philosophers, however, we’ll also consult a psychologist (Jonathan Haidt), a couple of poets (Wallace Stevens, Philip Larkin), some painters and sculptors (Böcklin, Michelangelo, Rodin), a composer or two (Rachmaninoff and perhaps R. Strauss, Wagner, or Berlioz), and three films (Alain Resnais and Marguerite Duras’s Hiroshima mon amour, Carol Reed’s The Third Man, and Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless).
This course won’t provide you with any easy answers to the question of the meaning of life. But it will enable you to learn your way around the neighborhood of the question and improve your ability to ask and answer it for yourself.
This course introduces the works of seven of the most original and influential political philosop... more This course introduces the works of seven of the most original and influential political philosophers of the ancient and modern worlds. Topics we explore include citizenship, polis life, utopianism, and the good life (Plato, Aristotle), political realism (Machiavelli), the modern state (Hobbes), constitutional government (Locke), and democracy (Rousseau, Tocqueville). We’ll also examine the normative foundations of these regimes in competing theories of human nature, rights, and justice. Finally, we'll discuss the nature of political philosophy and the philosophical enterprise and explore issues that arise in the interpretation of philosophical texts.
You know the purpose of the actions you perform in your life. You eat because you’re hungry, slee... more You know the purpose of the actions you perform in your life. You eat because you’re hungry, sleep because you’re tired, and read the news because you want to know what’s going on in the world. But what’s the purpose of your life as a whole, of life as such? The answer to that question isn’t obvious.
In this course, we’ll analyze and evaluate theories of the meaning of life. Although this might seem like a vague or frivolous topic, it’s actually one of the most important. People have wondered about it ever since we began to think seriously, and a great many approaches to the problem have been developed. We’ll encounter a variety of fascinating themes:
• What do we mean when we ask “What is the meaning of life?” What sort of question is it, and what sorts of replies count as plausible candidates for an answer?
• Is there a meaning of life? Maybe life is pointless, absurd, or evil.
• What is the significance of mortality? How should we think about living with death?
• What can usefully be said about how best to live or what makes life worth living?
• Why is there something rather than nothing? And given that there is something, why is it as it is, given that it might have been otherwise? Why anything? Why this?
Most of the authors we’ll read are philosophers (Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Nagel, and Susan Wolf, among others), and we’ll use the philosophical method to study our topic: breaking the problem down into its elementary parts, carefully defining terms and concepts, and evaluating the validity of arguments and evidence for and against the various claims on offer. In addition to philosophers, however, we’ll also consult a psychologist (Jonathan Haidt), a couple of poets (Wallace Stevens, Philip Larkin), some painters and sculptors (Böcklin, Michelangelo, Rodin), a composer or two (Rachmaninoff and perhaps R. Strauss, Wagner, or Berlioz), and three films (Alain Resnais and Marguerite Duras’s Hiroshima mon amour, Carol Reed’s The Third Man, and Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless).
This course won’t provide you with any easy answers to the question of the meaning of life. But it will enable you to learn your way around the neighborhood of the question and improve your ability to ask and answer it for yourself.
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Courses by Frederick M . Dolan
In this course, we’ll analyze and evaluate theories of the meaning of life. We’ll encounter a variety of fascinating themes: What are we asking when we ask “What is the meaning of life?” – what sort of question is it and what sorts of replies count as plausible candidates for an answer? Is there a meaning of life? (Maybe life is pointless, absurd, or evil.) How should we think about living with death? What can usefully be said about how best to live or what makes life worth living?
Most of the authors we’ll discuss are philosophers: Arthur Schopenhauer, Albert Camus, Derek Parfit, David Wiggins, Thomas Nagel, Susan Wolf, Shelly Kagan. We’ll look especially closely at how two iconic 19th century thinkers – Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche – approach the question. In addition to philosophers, we’ll also consult psychologists, poets, and filmmakers.
This course won’t provide any easy answers to the question of the meaning of life. But it will provide an opportunity to learn your way around the neighborhood of the question and improve your ability to ask and answer it for yourself.
In this course, we will analyze and evaluate the counter-enlightenment political philosophy invoked by America’s most radical political groups, exploring the possible limits of liberalism and asking whether our current frameworks of political thought have the resources necessary to articulate a meaningful and moderating response.
In this course, we’ll analyze and evaluate theories of the meaning of life. Although this might seem like a vague or frivolous topic, it’s actually one of the most important. People have wondered about it ever since we began to think seriously, and a great many approaches to the problem have been developed. We’ll encounter a variety of fascinating themes:
• What do we mean when we ask “What is the meaning of life?” What sort of question is it, and what sorts of replies count as plausible candidates for an answer?
• Is there a meaning of life? Maybe life is pointless, absurd, or evil.
• What is the significance of mortality? How should we think about living with death?
• What can usefully be said about how best to live or what makes life worth living?
• Why is there something rather than nothing? And given that there is something, why is it as it is, given that it might have been otherwise? Why anything? Why this?
Most of the authors we’ll read are philosophers (Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Nagel, and Susan Wolf, among others), and we’ll use the philosophical method to study our topic: breaking the problem down into its elementary parts, carefully defining terms and concepts, and evaluating the validity of arguments and evidence for and against the various claims on offer. In addition to philosophers, however, we’ll also consult a psychologist (Jonathan Haidt), a couple of poets (Wallace Stevens, Philip Larkin), some painters and sculptors (Böcklin, Michelangelo, Rodin), a composer or two (Rachmaninoff and perhaps R. Strauss, Wagner, or Berlioz), and three films (Alain Resnais and Marguerite Duras’s Hiroshima mon amour, Carol Reed’s The Third Man, and Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless).
This course won’t provide you with any easy answers to the question of the meaning of life. But it will enable you to learn your way around the neighborhood of the question and improve your ability to ask and answer it for yourself.
In this course, we’ll analyze and evaluate theories of the meaning of life. Although this might seem like a vague or frivolous topic, it’s actually one of the most important. People have wondered about it ever since we began to think seriously, and a great many approaches to the problem have been developed. We’ll encounter a variety of fascinating themes:
• What do we mean when we ask “What is the meaning of life?” What sort of question is it, and what sorts of replies count as plausible candidates for an answer?
• Is there a meaning of life? Maybe life is pointless, absurd, or evil.
• What is the significance of mortality? How should we think about living with death?
• What can usefully be said about how best to live or what makes life worth living?
• Why is there something rather than nothing? And given that there is something, why is it as it is, given that it might have been otherwise? Why anything? Why this?
Most of the authors we’ll read are philosophers (Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Nagel, and Susan Wolf, among others), and we’ll use the philosophical method to study our topic: breaking the problem down into its elementary parts, carefully defining terms and concepts, and evaluating the validity of arguments and evidence for and against the various claims on offer. In addition to philosophers, however, we’ll also consult a psychologist (Jonathan Haidt), a couple of poets (Wallace Stevens, Philip Larkin), some painters and sculptors (Böcklin, Michelangelo, Rodin), a composer or two (Rachmaninoff and perhaps R. Strauss, Wagner, or Berlioz), and three films (Alain Resnais and Marguerite Duras’s Hiroshima mon amour, Carol Reed’s The Third Man, and Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless).
This course won’t provide you with any easy answers to the question of the meaning of life. But it will enable you to learn your way around the neighborhood of the question and improve your ability to ask and answer it for yourself.