Aaron Schultz
He/Him
518 South Kedzie Hall
368 Farm Ln
East Lansing, MI 48824
FacultyPhilosophy
Assistant Professor
Buddhist Philosophy; Political Philosophy; Ethics
Biography
Aaron Schultz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Michigan State University. His research interests include Buddhist ethics and metaphysics, political philosophy, and AI ethics. Currently, his research is focused on the right to attention and its relationship to surveillance capitalism and technology driven by AI. His work argues that the right to attention is a core right not currently covered by any existing legal or moral rights.
Schultz earned his Ph.D. from Binghamton University and before joining MSU’s department he held a visiting position at Oxford College of Emory University.
Media Mentions
Courses
PHL 291: Buddhist Philosophy
This courses focuses on Buddhist metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. We primarily focus on Indian Buddhism and read both primary and secondary sources. Students will gain a familiarity with the works of Nāgārjuna, Vasubandhu, Dignāga, and Śāntideva.
PHL 350: Introduction to Social and Political Philosophy
The course aims to give students an introduction to social and political philosophy. In our investigation, we are interested in understanding some of the underlying justifications that give authority to governmental power. We study several justifications and criticisms of governmental power. We also think through the problem of punishment, the moral equality of combatants in war, and the ways AI interacts with justice and governance.
PHL 355: Philosophy of Technology
This course is centered on a set of questions: What is technology?; What is AI?; How should AI and technology be used?; Who should bear responsibility for the effects of AI and technology?; How should access to AI, technology, and their benefits be distributed?; What is the relationship between AI and human minds?; What is the relationship between AI, technology, and value?
These questions are not exhaustive nor are they mutually exclusive but help us to focus our inquiry. Our aim in this course is to improve our understanding of what these questions mean, why they matter, and what kinds of answers have been proposed to them.
PHL 344: Ethical Issues in Health Care
In this course, we study ethical issues that arise in health care. We first look at different ethical frameworks used when considering issues in the medical field. We then take a closer look at the concepts and questions that arise while thinking about medical ethics. Some of the ideas we discuss concern the following: consent, autonomy, disability, justice in health care, the distribution of scarce resources, and abortion.
PHL 101: Introduction to Philosophy
This course is an introduction to the field of philosophy. We cover a range of historical and modern material. We examine issues in ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, and political philosophy.
IAH 231B: Media, Propaganda, and Justice
This course is focused on the following questions: What is justice?; What is propaganda?; How do justice and propaganda relate to each other?; What is the role of media for both propaganda and justice?
Publications
Aaron Schultz (2021) Vasubandhu, Reactive Attitudes, and Attentional Freedom, Asian Philosophy, 31:2, 178-194, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09552367.2021.1883879
Goodman, Charles and Aaron Schultz (2020) Prajñākaramati on Śāntideva’s Case Against Anger: A Translation of Bodhicaryāvatāra-pañjikā VI.1-69, Journal of Indian Philosophy, 48, 503–540, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10781-020-09429-y(0123456789().,-vol(V0)123456789().,-volV)