Info: this online course is available in English & Portuguese, open to the general public.
Nota: este curso online será dado em inglês & português (ver horários diferentes abaixo).
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COURSE Nº6 - "ETHICS I"
 
Description: Ethics as a philosophical discipline ought to be, perhaps, the most relevant of the academic disciplines, given its importance and influence in many different problems of Human Society. This particular discipline allows us to think carefully, cautiously and rigorously about highly complex topics, often thought in a biased way by tradition, religions or mere prejudice. As Peter Singer states in the preface to the book “Homo Ignarus: Rational Ethics for an Irrational World”, it is important to recognize that, although Ethics, as a discipline of Philosophy, is an abstract and pondered reflection on various theoretical ideas, this area of ​​research has practical application and can influence, for better or worse, the real world. The goal of this Online Course Nº6 is to discuss with the general public (and academics interested in the subject) three relevant ethical issues of the contemporary world, demonstrating how ethical discussion ought to be made. The First Session will present how research in Psychology can clarify several important aspects about the ethical intuitions and notions of good and evil of people in general (this session will have the participation of Professor Paul Boom) [Session 1]. The Second session we will discuss various ethical issues that arise with Humor considered as an artistic and aesthetic practice that needs a normative analysis [Session 2]. Finally, the Third and Last session will discuss the ethical considerations raised by Euthanasia, whose diploma is being finalized for approval in the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic ​(this session will have the participation of Professor Jeff McMahan) [Session 3].  
 
Professor: Steven S. Gouveia holds a PhD in Philosophy of Mind/Neurophilosophy from the University of Minho (Portugal), having been a visiting researcher at the Research Unit "Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics" of the Royal Institute of Mental Health at the University of Ottawa (Canada), where he is currently a PostDoc Research Fellow. He is a member of MLAG, Institute of Philosophy at the University of Porto. He is the author and editor of 11 academic books. He has published several works on Ethics, such as the book "Bioethics in the 21st Century" [PT] (ed.), "The Age of Artificial Intelligence: an Exploration" (ed.) or his most recent authored book, "Homo Ignaus: Ethics Rational for an Irrational World" [PT], which has a preface by Peter Singer and a postscript by Viriato Soromenho-Marques. He is the host of the international documentary on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence "The Age of A.I.: the Documentary" which has thousands of views. He has lectured all over the world on topics related to Applied Ethics, such as the Ethics of A.I. (Messina Palaca, Valletta, Malta 2021). More information: www.stevensgouveia.weebly.com


Invited Professors:

  • Paul Bloom is Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto (Canada) and Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University (USA), being one of the most influential intellectuals in the world on topics related to psychology. Paul Bloom investigates how children and adults make sense of the world, with a special focus on pleasure, morality, religion, fiction and art. He has won many international awards such as the Lex Hixon Prize or the Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize. He is past president of the Society for Philosophy and Psychology and co-editor of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. He has written for scientific journals such as Nature and Science, and for various media such as The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthly. He is the author of six books, including his most recent, The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning. More information: https://psychology.yale.edu/people/paul-bloom.

  • Jeff McMahan is Sekyra and White’s Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Oxford (United Kingdom). As a student, he was supervised by philosophers such as Derek Parfit or Bernard Williams, two of the biggest names in contemporary ethics. McMahan has written extensively on normative and applied ethics, especially bioethics and just war theory, but also issues related to abortion, euthanasia, animal ethics, among many other topics in applied ethics. He is considered one of the most influential moral philosophers alive. He is the author of several books on ethics topics, such as his The Ethics of Killing: Problems at the Margins of Life. More information: https://www.philosophy.ox.ac.uk/people/jeff-mcmahan.


Structure:

Session 1: Origins of Morality with Paul Bloom;
Session 2: Ethics of Humor;
Session 3: Ethics of Euthanasia with Jeff McMahan;


To Register:

Send First and Last Name to stevensequeira92 at hotmail.com, indicating your address and phone contact. The payment details will be sent after confirmation of receipt of the registration.
 
Registrations are open to have access to the recordings of the course (asynchronously) and an official certificate of participation (and book offer).
 
 
Online course recorded via Zoom. 
© Steven S. Gouveia