PHIL 5950 Ethics and Happiness in Modern Philosophy

The course offers a survey of philosophical ethics from Descartes to Hume. The thread we will follow is the role of pleasure and self-interest in moral life, in relation to happiness. Can the pursuit of pleasure lead to happiness? Is happiness an enduring pleasure? Are we capable of disinterested feelings and actions? Beyond ethics, these questions also have religious and political implications that we will address.

Course overview

Department: Philosophy
School: Boston College
Credits: 3

Requirements fulfilled

Philosophy: Free Philosophy electives (five courses, 15 credits); up to two approved cognate courses in other departments may also count (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)

Requirement eligibility can vary by school, cohort, and section. Confirm the selected section in EagleApps or with an advisor.

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-10-09. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.