You are invited to apply for a philosophy class at New York University, specially designed for high school students.
Philosophy is something you have already thought about even if you didn’t know that that was what you were doing. Philosophy means asking big questions – questions about right and wrong, justice, freedom, responsibility, and the meaning of life, among others. For example:
- Is it ever all right to harm one person in order to help others?
- Is inequality always unjust?
- What is the moral difference between humans and animals that justifies us treating animals so differently from human?
- Do we have free will?
- How do we know that we are living in the real world rather than a computer simulation?
- What is gender? What is race?
This class is an opportunity to go deeper into questions that have fascinated thinkers for thousands of years, learning what famous philosophers have to say about these questions and learning to better develop and articulate and defend your own views. (Studies also show that students who study philosophy improve their reading and critical thinking and even math skills!) It is also an opportunity to work with professors and students at NYU, which has one of the leading philosophy departments in the world.
Logistics:
Our class will meet weekly at NYU’s philosophy department. The instructor is Professor Jessica Moss, with NYU philosophy graduate students as assistant instructors, and with occasional guest lectures from other professors.
- Location: NYU philosophy department – 5 Washington Place, Room 302, New York NY 10003 (right near Washington Square, easily accessible by many subways (W,R,F, B,D,A,C,E,6,1 are closest
- Time: Tuesdays from 5-6:30 pm, from September 24 – December 17. [No class October 1]. There will be short weekly reading and writing assignments (roughly 30 minutes per week).
- Costs: The standard cost of a course like this at NYU is $6,640, but this course is offered free of charge thanks to the sponsorship of the NYU philosophy department and the New York Institute of Philosophy. This includes tuition, MTA cards as needed, and dinner.
- Credit: This is a 0-credit course, which means that you will receive a transcript from NYU verifying your participation in the course and the grade you receive.
Who should apply?
We are looking for highly motivated, intellectually curious students who are excited about discussing big ideas in a college setting.
We are looking for students who want the opportunity for a more intellectually rigorous class than they feel they can take at their high school, and who are eager to meet and talk with other students in similar situations.
Expectations:
If you are admitted to the program we will expect you to attend class every week, to participate actively in discussions, to complete your short homework assignments, and to behave respectfully and appropriately in the classroom and on the NYU campus.
We will ask you and your family to sign a contract before the class begins committing to meet these expectations.
How to apply:
To submit your application, please fill out the application.
Please submit your application by September 11th. We will notify you of our admissions decision by September 15th.