Tutor information
Julia Weckend
Julia has taught philosophy at the Universities of Reading and Southampton before joining Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education. She regularly teaches weekly classes as well as courses for Oxford University Summer School for Adults and Oxford Experience. Her academic research focuses on issues in metaphysics and epistemology. She has published papers and edited two volumes in the history of philosophy, and she is a co-author of the Historical Dictionary of Leibniz’s Philosophy (2023).
Courses
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was a polymath and one of the first modern philosophers without whom mathematics, physics and science in general would not be at their present state today. His path-breaking ideas influenced many, including Immanuel Kant.
Artificial intelligence is everywhere we look. But what do we mean by 'intelligent'? Do machines 'think'? Does AI have the potential of becoming self-aware or conscious? Do we need to fear the singularity? Can we align AI with our human values and ethics?
Join us in Oxford and explore the thinking of several key Early Modern philosophers on a range of fascinating topics at this in-person weekend event.
'What is truth?' is a perplexing and elusive question. A good first response is that truth and falsity are properties of what people say or think. But how is what we think related to actual facts? And what caused the recent corrosion of truth?
How are positive experiences, well-being, and personal flourishing related? What are their markers and conditions, and why is it imperative for individual flourishing to include concerns for others, for society, or for the planet at large?
Reasoning enables us to acquire knowledge, to persuade others and to evaluate their arguments. But only if we reason well. We shall be learning how to recognise, evaluate, construct and analyse arguments, and how to recognise common fallacies.
AI technologies are now an integral part of our everyday experiences. But what does the future hold? How intelligent, self-aware, autonomous, can machines become? What is their impact on society, and will they pose an existential threat?
Artificial Intelligence is part of every aspect of our lives today. Join us to explore the philosophy of artificial intelligence and the philosophical issues that emerge out of the development of current and future AI systems.
Reasoning enables us to acquire knowledge, to persuade others and to evaluate their arguments. But only if we reason well. We shall be learning how to recognise, evaluate, construct and analyse arguments, and how to recognise common fallacies.
An introduction to metaphysics, the most general investigation of reality. It has been at the centre of philosophy since the beginning of the Western tradition in ancient Greece, and many of its concerns are the same as those of Plato and Aristotle.
Artificial intelligence is everywhere we look. But what do we mean by 'intelligent'? Do machines 'think'? Does AI have the potential of becoming self-aware or conscious? Do we need to fear the singularity? Can we align AI with our human values and ethics?
Why does a life focused on material success often lack meaning, while lives rich with meaning frequently involve struggle and sacrifice? How do personal engagement, good friendships and understanding one’s place in the world matter to personal growth?