On day 1 of Philosophy Summer Institute, students weighed two opposing views on charity: that charity is morally required and that charity is morally wrong, critically assessing the arguments for both sides and raising plausible objections.

Students participated in a medical triage simulation to discover the ethical reasoning behind triage, and some possible applications of triage principles.

On day 2 of Philosophy Summer Institute, students discussed John Stuart Mill’s classic argument in support of freedom of discussion, and his Harm Principle.

On day 3 of Philosophy Summer Institute, students analyzed sources such as excerpts from the Chinese Immigration Act, the Indian Act, and the Truth & Reconciliation Report to understand historical injustices in Canadian history.

Students analyzed and assessed possible arguments for an obligation to give reparations.

In the second half of the day, students reviewed parts of the Supreme Court’s recent decision on affirmative action, while looking at several philosophical arguments for and against its permissibility.

On day 4 of Philosophy Summer Institute, students considered questions such as “when are we obligated to assist in the decision of people whose autonomy is compromised?” “what makes someone autonomous?”

Students learned about the wide-ranging implications of different theories of autonomy, from feminism to medical ethics, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each theory.

Students came up with their own arguments about the topics we have discussed this week, considering possible objections and replies in order to strengthen their arguments.