Jacqueline Anne Taylor University of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA 94117-1050)
FB-52794-06
Fellowships for College Teachers and Independent Scholars
Research Programs
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[Grant products][Media coverage]
Totals:
$40,000 (approved) $40,000 (awarded)
Grant period:
9/1/2006 – 5/31/2007
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Passion, Sympathy, and Society in Hume's Philosophy
My book project provides a sustained treatment of Hume’s theory of the passions. I examine his theory both in its own right as a significant innovation in the modern period, and as a valuable social theory with resources to help us think productively about issues of practical identity as these arise in contemporary ethical theory. Hume’s theory of the passions provides: a core account of the passions as socially constituted; a richly detailed social theory focusing on connections between the passions, social power and identity; and attention to how we can cultivate reflective habits of valuing and desiring. I reconstruct a Humean account of our sense of humanity, and examine its importance for bridging socially constructed divisions.
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