Christian and Buddhist Ethics in the 21st Century

This course considers insights on ethical questions of contemporary relevance from the perspectives of Christian and Buddhist scriptural and commentarial traditions. We investigate foundational attitudes within the two traditions with respect to moral cultivation and “technologies of the self,” free will, the definition and constitution of “personhood,” and environmental stewardship, going on to explore applications in theory and practice of Christian and Buddhist ethical thought to issues including conservation and climate change, incarceration and capital punishment, end-of-life care, and civic engagement. We furthermore consider topics related to cryogenics, human life-extension, and cybernetics, alongside emerging dilemmas over the ontological status of Artificial Intelligence vis-à-vis definitions of human consciousness, legal personhood, and moral agency. The course emphasizes not only the relevance of these issues to 21st century civil society, but also the potential application of Christian and Buddhist thought as we seek meaning in our own individual lives.