Isaac Shur

This course is about the nature of agency. In the first half of the course, we¿ll consider questions like, What does it mean to have the ability to do something? Must we have free will to fully exercise our agency? What does `free will¿ amount to? In the second half of the course, we¿ll test our understanding of agency and ability by considering what it means to have a disability. Is it simply a matter of not having a particular ability? Or is disability better understood as a social construction? On agency, we¿ll study the work of Romy Jaster and Joshua Shepherd. On the nature of disability, we¿ll study the work of Shelley Tremain and Joel Michael Reynolds. Throughout, we¿ll also pay attention to the ethical implications of the questions and theories we consider.

This course explores the moral and political questions surrounding migration. Is there a right to immigrate? Should borders be open or closed? Who qualifies as a refugee, and what obligations do states have toward refugees and asylum seekers? We will examine ethical theories, philosophical arguments, and real-world policies to critically assess these issues. Readings will draw from the works of contemporary philosophers specializing in immigration, including Serena Parekh, Adam Hosein, Michael Blake, David Owens, Michael Walzer, and Christopher Wellman. Students will develop their own reasoned positions and gain a deeper understanding of the ethical dimensions of migration.