Philosophy 290-10

Spring 2010

Number Title Instructor Days/time Room
290-10 Collaborative Research Seminar: Humanisitic and Empirical Studies in Moral Psychology Wallace W 4-6 Townsend Center

Humanistic and Empirical Research in Moral Psychology (cross listed in Law, Philosophy, and Psychology)

Staff: Kathryn Abrams (Law), Alison Gopnik (Psychology), Christopher Kutz (Law/JSP), Anthony Long (Classics), Robert MacCoun (Law/JSP and Public Policy), and Jay Wallace (Philosophy)

This interdisciplinary seminar, co-taught by five faculty, is sponsored by the Townsend Center for the Humanities. Its aim is to draw together Berkeley faculty and graduate students studying the “moral emotions” – pride, shame, guilt, and anger – as well as related concepts and motivations, such as attributions of responsibility, altruism, self-interest, virtue, and character. These concepts and emotions lie not only at the heart of moral and political philosophy, but also psychology, education, sociology, and economics. Our seminar will pursue these subjects by looking at the intersection of research within these different disciplines, with each session introduced by one or more of the faculty conveners. Graduate student participants will share responsibility for presenting some material, and will be expected to collaborate across disciplinary lines for their seminar projects. We also expect campus and off-campus visitors to contribute to the meetings and possible special sessions.

The seminar will meet in the Geballe Room of the Townsend Center on Wednesdays, 4-6pm. Graduate students from any university department are invited to apply, but space is limited, and admission will require the approval of the instructors. Applicants should send a note of interest and an explanation of their relevant scholarly background to Robert MacCoun, maccoun@law.berkeley.edu, by December 15th, with the Subject line header “MORAL PSYCHOLOGY SEMINAR.”