HUM-478 Emotion and value I

Summary

Most of us aspire to live meaningful lives. Yet, many of us would struggle to explain what a meaningful life is. This course provides philosophical tools and frameworks useful to understand our aspiration for meaning.

General Description

Most of us aspire to live meaningful lives. Yet, many of us would struggle to explain what a meaningful life is. This course provides philosophical tools and frameworks useful to understand our aspiration for meaning.


In particular, the course examines the role that emotions and values play in making our lives meaningful. It does by focusing on life-defining moments such as transformative experiences and life's hard choices--big or small. Going to EPFL, falling in love, converting to a religion, emigrating to a new country, or becoming a vampire (should the latter possibility be offered to you) are experiences and choices that may change you profoundly.

The course explores the special and distinct ways in which life-defining moments relate to our emotions and our values. For instance, love may trigger transformation by changing your core values and confront you with hard choices, such as the choice between the status quo or moving with your life partner far away from your friends and family. As daunting as life-defining moments are, they may also constitute unique occasions to exercise a special power of ours: the normative power to change our values and, ultimately, who we are. Some philosophers believe that life-defining moments resemble paradigm changes in the sciences, a resemblance that may help our understanding of both personal transformation and scientific transformation.


The course offers a philosophical perspective on the above questions while drawing from other disciplines such as classical studies, cognitive science, economics, law, and psychology. In light of this interdisciplinary approach, a renowned expert in one of these fields is expected to join us for a guest lecture.

Through philosophical reflection on their emotions and values and the emotions and values of others, students will acquire tools enabling them to find meaning in (i) their personal or professional paths and (ii) the varied human communities and organizations to which they belong and that they may come to lead.