Classes

What does it mean for behavior to be “rational”? What is the relationship among rationality, logic, consistency, proof, and emotion? These questions and others will be explored in this seminar course from the standpoint of philosophy, economics, mathematics, psychology...

Course Description: The course examines Hume’s and Smith's writings on philosophy, law, and political economy, in historical perspective and in relation to the foundations of modern thought. Jointly with Professor Emma Rothschild

Description: What does it mean for us to believe that something is true? How does our conception of truth vary with the context and also with the particular field of inquiry, such as philosophy, mathematics, economics, and everyday communications? The seminar course will...

Course Description: The course examines Adam Smith's and Karl Marx’s writings on philosophy, law and political economy, in historical perspective and in relation to the foundations of modern thought. Jointly with Professor Emma Rothschild

Course Description: A basic course in social choice theory and its analytical foundations. There will be particular emphasis on recent work in voting theory. Attention will also be paid to implementation theory, the theory of justice, and the analysis of liberties and rights...

Course Description: This graduate seminar investigates the contemporary rise of Asia in historical context with a focus on comparisons and connections between India and China. Jointly with Professor Sugata Bose.

Course Description: What genre of items (viewpoints, assertions, etc.) can or should fall under the categories “objective,” “subjective,” or “neither”? What functions do these terms serve? What would we lose or gain if we simply erased them from our thoughts? How have they...

Course Description: The axiomatic method entails drawing logical implications from a set of assumptions, or axioms, that are taken as given. The course examines how this method is used in different disciplines. Examples will be taken from philosophy, economics, mathematics...

Course Description: This graduate seminar investigates the contemporary rise of Asia in historical context with a focus on comparisons and connections between India and China. Jointly with Professor Sugata Bose

Course Description: We will explore different ideas of utility, ranging from the writings of Epicurus and Aristotle in ancient Greece to von Neumann, Ramsey, and Kahneman in the twentieth century. We will examine both predictive and normative issues, as well as comparison...

The course will be focused on an examination of the constitutive role of health in human development, and its instrumental role in economic development. It will include discussion of the conceptual issues and measurement problems in health studies, and also in assessing...

The course will analyze the theory and practice of democracy, and draw on law as well as the social sciences. Questions to be considered include: What are the advantages and drawbacks of democracy relative to other forms of government? What are the roles of fair elections...