A copy of the syllabus can be found here.

A link to our shared dropbox space with readings / powerpoint / in class work is here.

Below see a schedule of our readings with weblinks attached:

Schedule of Readings:

Date / Topic Assignment Due
Tues, Aug 23

Introductions

 

No assignment: personal introductions and syllabus overview

Thurs, Aug 25

 

Making Good Ethical Arguments

“The Pink Guide to Taking Philosophy Classes” 

 

Tom Regan “How not to Answer Moral Questions

Tues, Aug 30

 

Making Good Ethical Arguments

Plato,  Euthyphro (here is a web version: Euthyphro

(And audio version of the dialogue here)

(We will also work on common argument forms in class)

Recommended (but not required) reading:

http://www.iep.utm.edu/divine-c/#H3

Thurs, Sep 1

Civil Disobedience

 

Plato, Crito

 

Tues, Sep 6

 

Applied Ethics Topic: Civil Disobedience

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail

 

OR see an early draft of the letter here (audio option as well): https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/letter-birmingham-jail

Thurs, Sep 8

 

Applied Ethics Topic: Civil Disobedience

No assignment (catch up on reading).

Watch Black Power Mix Tape in class (and discussion)

 

Tues, Sep 13

 

Applied Ethics Topic: Civil Disobedience

Stokley Carmichael (Kwame Ture), 1966 “Black Power Speech

Debate Day In-Class!

Recommended but not required: Dear White America (Yancy)

Thurs, Sep 15

 

Relativism and Egoism

The Challenges of Cultural Relativism,James Rachels
Tues, Sep 20

 

Relativism and Egoism

Selections from Thomas Hobbes Leviathan

Try to read his laws of nature (Chpts 14-16). A good summary of Hobbes can be found here (sections 3-6): http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hobbes-moral/

 

Thurs, Sep 22

 

Relativism and Egoism

 

Psychological Egoism, Joel Feinberg

Tues ,Sep 27

 

Utilitarianism

Jeremy Bentham, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, Ch. 1 & Ch. 4 (pp. 8-12, 19-22, 92-94 in Troyer).
Thurs, Sep 29

 

Utilitarianism

John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism, Chapters 1 & 2 (pp. 95-115 in Troyer)

 

Tues, Oct 4

 

Utilitarianism

John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism, Chapter 4 (pp. 122-127 in Troyer)
Thurs, Oct 6

 

Utilitarianism:

Application

 

CANCELLED DUE TO STORM

 

Tues, Oct 11

 

Utilitarianism Debate Day

Utilitarianism Applied: Peter Singer, “Famine, Affluence and Morality

 

Thurs, Oct 13

 

Deontology

No assignment . Catch-up
Tues, Oct 18

 

Deontology

 

EXAM IN CLASS

Thurs, Oct 20

 

Deontology

Selections from Immanuel Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals 
Tues, Oct 25

 

Selections from Immanuel Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysic of Morals
Thurs, Oct 27

 

Deontology: Application

READING CHANGED – READ ONEILL ON FAMINE!  (from Onora O’Neill, “Between Consenting Adults”) to Onora O’Neill “Kantian Approaches to some Famine Problems” )
Tues, Nov 1

Deontology: Application

 

Kant catch up day.

*PAPER TOPICS DUE , and Directions for Paper Topics

Thurs, Nov 3

Virtue Ethics

Introduction, The Practice of Virtue (Welchman, p. xi-xxiii)

Aristotle, Book I (pp.5-20 in Welchman), Focus on Book I, sections 1,4,7,8,9,13

Tues ,Nov 8

Virtue Ethics

Aristotle, Book II, (pp 20-34 in Welchman), Focus on Book II, sections 1,2,4,6,8,9
Thurs, Nov 10

Virtue Ethics: Application

Rosalind Hursthouse, “Applying Virtue Ethics to Our Treatment of Animals” (pp. 136 -155 in Welchman) (you may skip the section titled, “Experiments on Other Animals” – roughly pages 143-250.We watched Martha Nussbaum video (can be found here) – we will watch in class.
Tues, Nov 15

Virtue Ethics: Application?

*Project Plan Due!

John Doris, selections from Lack of Character LACK OF CHARACTER (just read the first 7 pages of the PDF or 1-13 of the book). 

(Here’s a handout on Lack of Character)

Also, please look at one of the following cases:
(1) The stabbing of Catherine Genovese 

(2) Phone booth and paper dropper (pg 30-33, 36-39)

(3) Smoke in the room

(4) Princeton Theological Seminary 

Thurs, Nov 17

Virtue Ethics

Virtue Ethics catch-up day (no assigned reading). We watched the video on the Prison Experiment (found here)  and asked ourselves some questions (a full list of questions can be found here.)
 

Tues, Nov 22

Care Ethics

 

The Kohlberg-Gilligan Controversy and Moral Theory: some information about the controversy here. ( I will present on the controversy)

Start “Moral Saints” http://philosophyfaculty.ucsd.edu/faculty/rarneson/Courses/susanwolfessay1982.pdf

 

Thurs, Nov 24
NO CLASS
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Tues, Nov 29

Care Ethics

Finish  “Moral Saints” http://philosophyfaculty.ucsd.edu/faculty/rarneson/Courses/susanwolfessay1982.pdf

 

Thurs, Dec 1

Criticism of Traditional Ethical Theory

CLASS EVALS!!!

ALSO – WE WILL USE OUR POT OF DONATION MONEY AND USE OUR NEW FOUND ETHICAL REASONING SKILLS TO FIGURE OUT WHO TO DONATE THE MONEY TO! ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THIS “GIVING GAME” WILL CONSTITUTE ONE OF YOUR QUIZ GRADES!!!!

 

Tuesday, Dec 6

 

PAPERS DUE
Thursday Dec 8

FINAL EXAM

FINAL EXAM (U17: 12-2 in Ziff 100; U12: 5-7 in FIU Arena) – Students: I do not care which time you show up for as long as you take the exam this day!

 

*Grades will be posted on December 15th .