Description
This class offers a continuing adult education experience open to anyone interested in studying philosophy and ethics online (using Zoom) with a professor of philosophy and veteran teacher, but outside the formal constraints of the academic setting. The material is based on various philosophy classes that I teach at Wesleyan University, University of Connecticut, Central Connecticut State University and Middlesex Community College. Each of the topics we’ll cover is amazingly interesting and mind-expanding; all ideas I’ve taught and explored over many years. They are ideas dear to my heart and I love to share them. “Ideas belong to anyone who understands them.” (Sol LeWitt). By discussing these together in a no-pressure, inviting, relaxed, friendly group of people, the ideas come alive and can change your life, as they continue to change mine.
Mostly contemporary topics
We will be reading some classical and modern thinkers, but mostly contemporary writings, videos and other materials. All readings will be easily available online and links to them will be posted one week prior to the class in which they will be discussed.
Mindfulness-based learning
We will also begin each class with a 5-10 min. mindfulness meditation, in order to develop relaxed cognition (“being a happy learner”), and to practice non-judgment. “Thinking too much” can be an occupational hazard of philosophy so it’s good to develop a meditation practice to rebalance attention lol.
No requirements other than curiosity
No prior experience necessary. All ages welcome. There are no writing assignments, although students will have the option to write a paper and have their writing reviewed by me. Half way through our class, I’ll share possible paper topics with guidelines for anyone interested in developing their philosophical writing abilities.
Format of each class
Each class is 80 min and will follow the following format:
5 min. mindfulness meditation
35 min. presentation by the teacher
30 min. Q&A discussion
10 min. summary
Schedule
Classes will meet via Zoom on Thursdays from 6 to 7:20 PM starting February 17th.
Tuition
Drop-in for one class $15
Register for one unit $50 (save $10)
Or register for all six units $240 (save $60)
You can register by paying for the classes here on PayPal.
Anyone who is currently un- or under-employed and would like to attend this class but cannot afford to, is welcome to apply for a Sanctuary Learning Grant to cover your tuition. Email info@oursanctuary.org. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Topics covered
Below is the schedule of topics. When you register for the class, I will send you a syllabus with links to readings for each class.
Thurs. Feb. 10th Open House: Introduction to This Class (FREE)
Unit One: Classical Concepts
1. (2/17) Self-Knowledge: Philosophy, Politics and Truth
2. (2/24) Happiness: Pleasure, Suffering and the Mind
3. (3/3) Truth: Perception, Knowledge, Theory
4. (3/10) Freedom: Will, Nature, State
Unit Two: Environmental Philosophy
5. (3/17) Environmental Ethics and Justice
6. (3/24) Utilitarian Ethics and Animal Rights
7. (3/31) Ethics of Land, Private Property and the Commons
8. (4/7) Climate Change, the Real Green New Deal and the Half Earth Proposal
Unit Three: Political Philosophy
9. (4/14) Ideologies and Political Economy: Capitalism, Socialism, Totalitarian Democracy, Economic Democracy
10. (4/21) Prison Abolition, Mass Incarceration and Restorative Justice
11. (4/28) Philosophy of Money: From Blockchain to Public Banks
12. (5/5) Ethics of Usury, Debt Peonage and Jubilee
Unit Four: Ethics of Privacy
13. (5/12) Kant and the Ethics of Personhood
14. (5/19) Reproductive Rights and Abortion Ethics
15. (5/26) Surveillance Capitalism, Big Data and Privacy Rights
16. (6/2) Bioethics and Ethics of Vaccine Mandates
Unit Five: Ethics of Technology
17. (6/9) Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
18. (6/16) Social Media and its Discontents
19. (6/23) Transhumanism and the Ethics of Radical Life Extension
20. (6/30) Food Wars: From GMOs to agroecology
Unit Six: Transpersonal Philosophy, Consciousness and Spirituality
21. (7/7) Philosophy and Science of Reincarnation and NDEs
22. (7/14) Transpersonal Psychology, Remote Viewing and Nonlocal Consciousness
23. (7/21) Perennial Wisdom and the Self
24. (7/28) Philosophy of Extraterrestrial Contract
Your Philosophy Professor
Dr. Justin Good is a philosopher, teacher and Co-Executive Director of The Sanctuary at Shepardfields, a non-profit environmental education organization located on a solar-powered forty acre community land trust in the East Haddam, Connecticut, United States. He teaches philosophy and ethics at Central Connecticut State University, Wesleyan University, University of Connecticut, Middlesex Community College and Wesleyan Center for Prison Education. He is the author of Wittgenstein and the Theory of Perception (Thoemmes Continuum, 2006). Justin’s current research interests include environmental ethics, ethics of technology, philosophy of decarceration (prison education, prison abolition, restorative justice); philosophy of money (banking, cryptocurrencies, MMT and the Public Banking movement), transpersonalist and indigenous epistemologies, mindfulness-based pedagogy and exo-philosophy.