K. Violet McKeon

Teaching

Philosophy and Wealth Creation

Philosophy and Wealth Creation

An exploration of economic wealth, how it has historically been created, and what relationship it bears to human values. We begin with Goethe’s classic Faust, and use its themes in dialogue with canonical philosophic literature, contemporary economic theory, and the psychology of happiness. Read more

Games and Decision Theory

Games and Decision Theory

This course investigates foundations and philosophical applications of decision theory and game theory. Topics including decisions under ignorance and risk, probability, social choice theory, games such as the prisoner’s dilemma, and others are explored. Read more

Introduction to Ethics

Introduction to Ethics

How ought we to live? In this course, we’ll investigate four canonical traditions in philosophical ethics accompanied by supporting authors and countering viewpoints to engage topics in contemporary social and environmental justice. Read more

History of Modern Philosophy

History of Modern Philosophy

An introduction to the philosophy of the 17th and 18th centuries. Considering the holistic historical environment surrounding the scientific revolution, we investigate how philosophers from Copernicus to Kant addressed the question of, “What do we know, and how do we know it?” Read more

Wilderness and Human Values

Wilderness and Human Values

What is wilderness? How has this concept been historically shaped by philosophy, religion, or artistic expression? We take an interdisciplinary approach to debates on wilderness, examining how our changing values shape our polices and ideas of how land ought to be used. Read more

The Ethics of Complicity

The Ethics of Complicity

To what extent do the actions of others affect what I ought to do? What makes us complicit in wrongdoing? This course explores the nature of moral duty in collective contexts. We discuss contemporary and historical treatments of collective morality, focusing on social & environmental justice. Read more