Helena de Bres
Professor of Philosophy
Works on philosophy of literature and moral philosophy, with a focus on personal narration, memoir and meaning in life.
I write about meaning in life, human relationships, and what memoir and philosophy are and why they matter. I'm interested in the intersection between philosophy and creative writing: most of my recent work combines philosophical reflection and personal narrative, with a general audience in mind. You can read about my books and other writing here.
I teach courses in ethics, political philosophy and philosophy of literature. Every second year I teach a Calderwood Seminar, Philosophy in the First Person, which helps students write philosophy in a way that's personal and engaging for non-academics. You can find my Pink Guide to Taking Philosophy Classes, for students new to the subject, here.
In my spare time, I like to read, swim, wander outside, tend to my feisty cat Juno, and travel out west or home to New Zealand.
Education
- B.A., University of Victoria
- M.A., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Current and upcoming courses
Global Justice
PHIL236
An introduction to recent work in political philosophy on the ethics of international relations. The course will discuss some of the main theoretical approaches to the topic: realism, cosmopolitan egalitarianism, political liberalism, utilitarianism, and nationalism. We will also consider how these different approaches might be applied to some central moral controversies in international politics, including those relating to global poverty, human rights and humanitarian intervention, immigration, climate change, and fair trade.
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Philosophy of Law
PHIL226
This course provides a systematic consideration of fundamental issues in the conception and practice of law. We will first consider the nature of law. Is law derived from moral principles or created by legislative fiat? Is international “law” law? We will then discuss moral limits on the law. Which principles should guide the state’s restriction of citizens’ liberties? Is refusal to obey the law ever justified? Next we will consider the ethics of criminal punishment. What, if anything, justifies punishment by the state? In what ways are policing and incarceration in the contemporary United States racially discriminatory? We will finish by considering questions of constitutional law and legal reasoning. Why have a constitution? When judges interpret the law, do they discover it or, in effect, make it up as they go along? Readings will include selections from philosophy, legal theory and court decisions.