## PHIL 181: Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature with Prof. Tamar Gendler

### Lecture 1 - Introduction [January 11, 2011] | next session >>

### Overview:

Professor Gendler explains the interdisciplinary nature of the course: work from philosophy, psychology, behavioral economics, and literature will be brought to bear on the topic of human nature. The three main topics of the course are introduced--happiness and flourishing, morality, and political philosophy--and examples of some of the course’s future topics are discussed.

### Reading assignment:

Ariely, Predictably Irrational, “The Problem of Procrastination and Self-Control,” Ch. 6 (pp. 109-126)

Gendler, The Elements of Philosophy, Blackburn's “What is Philosophy?” (pp. 1-5)

### Resources:

Reading Guide 1 [PDF]

Credit List [PDF]

### Transcript

HTML

### Course Media

Go to the course media for this lecture