ESP Biography

Ethics is the branch of philosophy concerned with how we ought to live our lives and treat each other, and where "ought" statements come from and how they are justified. This course will explore the most influential arguments about ethics in Western philosophy. Students are not expected to know anything about philosophy coming into the course.

The problem of free will can be summarized in a question: do we have control over who we are and what we do, or are our personalities "determined" by causes outside of ourselves (such as our environment, social background, genes, etc.)? The question covers many areas of philosophy: how the universe works, what kinds of things "selves" are, morality and politics, theology, etc. This course will present the three most influential answers to the problem of free will and the differences and conflicts between them. No prior knowledge of philosophy is expected.

The fundamental concepts of calculus are surprisingly accessible. This class will cover the basics of calculus in a relaxed way to make the subject understandable to anyone with a decent grasp of algebra 2 or above.

Communism and Karl Marx have been talked about a lot more in recent years (both positively and negatively). It has also only been 22 years since the second most powerful country on Earth operated specifically under Marxist philosophy. Still, many today are unfamiliar with the philosophy behind Communism. This course will attempt a brief, neutral, and accessible introduction to Communist thought (mainly Karl Marx and his most importance influence Hegel).