Yuval Eytan

From its inception, Western philosophy has considered happiness as the ultimate purpose of human life and one of the most important goals of any political regime. This aim has persisted to today. Contemporary research reports that when people are asked what they most want from their lives, they resoundingly answer happiness. Yet, when asked to define happiness, most face difficulty providing a satisfying answer. We might be left to conclude that the one thing we genuinely want is something we can't clearly define. This course explores the intricate nature of happiness and its elusive characteristics through the political philosophies of Hobbes, Rousseau, Kant, and Mill. We will work to construct a historical narrative to explore how each of the four philosophers shaped their ideas of happiness through meaningful dialogues with others' conceptions of it. Additionally, we will learn how the differences between the conceptions of happiness result from essential differences concerning the nature of
the relationship between humans and the socialpolitical structure. Some of the questions that we will pursue include: What is the difference between happiness and pleasure? What role do others play in our ability to achieve happiness? Is there a specific political regime that will most advance human happiness? Although we may not arrive at a satisfying explanation for what happiness is, the seminar aims to help us understand how the Western ideal of happiness has been shaped in relation to political philosophy.

Decolonial theory offers an intervention in standard familiar narratives about historical progress and social value. Decolonial theory also opens up conversations about what kind of future we can imagine. This seminar aims to delve into three interconnected concepts crucial for grasping the philosophical foundations of decolonial theory: Eurocentrism, modernity, and progress. After considering these foundations, we will be interested in how decolonial theory forces us to reflect on philosophy itself, its history, as well as its methods and practices. The course will be divided into three main parts. First, we will critically analyze Kant's and Hegel's ideas regarding historical progress to reveal the underlying Eurocentrism in their perspectives on enlightenment, rationality, freedom, and modernity. The second part will address the significance of Aníbal Quijano's statement that even though "formal colonial status has ended, coloniality has not." We will explore how this idea, embraced by many decolonial theorists, is a fundamental element of their efforts to uncover the underlying power of racism operating within the foundational structure of the "new world." In the third part of the course, we will explore how decolonial theory aims not only to “delink” from the knowledge framework imposed by the West but also to “reconstitute” new ways of living in a society where there is no universal standard to judge one's freedom and life. We will learn the fundamental ideas of Fanon, Césaire, Spivak, Lugones, Maldonado-Torres, Wynter, and Iman. These thinkers present alternative ways of existence without predetermined universal essences that all must adhere to be considered humans.