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