PHIL 927 Towards a History of the Concept of the Person
The development of the concept of person is largely a Christian phenomenon, but its roots lie in both Graeco-Roman and Christian thought. In the Middle Ages there was further development, though the job remained unfinished. Demolition began even before early modern times and has continued more or less unabated, in parallel to the dechristianization of Western thought in general, though there have been interesting if rather uninfluential attempts to reinvigorate the tradition. The aim of the present course is to introduce students - by the pursuit of the relevant intellectual history - to the possible significance of persons and to possible justifications for claims about human dignity.