PHILOSOPHY 14:  INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS

Professor Seeley

3308 Boylan Hall

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

 

The aim of this course is to:  1) to introduce students to the discipline of philosophical ethics by 2) working through some of its foundational works.  Our approach will be both historical and topical, as we will try to fit these historical theories into a more contemporary framework.  Along the way the student will be introduced to characteristic philosophical methods.  These methods are designed to help one think clearly and critically about arguments in general, and are indispensable tools for evaluating ethical problems.

 

 

 

REQUIREMENTS:

 

There will be one  4 - 5 page writing assignment, one 8 page writing assignment, and a final exam.  The goal of these writing assignments is to encourage student to think through ethical problems on their own.  Philosophical ethics is, as the name suggests, part of the broader discipline of philosophy.  Philosophy is a discipline concerned with the ways we as people use reason to support our beliefs, and reasoning is an active pursuit.  As a result, student class participation will be factored into the final grade.  To ensure studentsŐ preparedness there will be occasional pop reading quizzes, and, on occasion I will ask that students hand in written summaries of the readings.  Students are reminded that attendance is mandatory and tardiness not tolerated. 

 

 

 

TEXTS: All texts are available at the college bookstore.

 

-  Moral Philosophy:  A Reader, ed. Louis Pojman (Indianapolis, IN: Hackett) 1998.  (P)

-  Philosophical Ethics, Stephen Darwall (Boulder, CO: Westview Press), 1988. (D)

-  The Elements of Moral Philosophy, James Rachels (New York: McGraw-Hill), 1999.  (R)

-  Readings on eDisk. (eDisk)

 

 

 

READINGS:  What follows on Page 2 is a provisional schedule of readings.  This schedule may change, as may the readings within it, as a result of class interests and time constraints.  Any changes will be announced in class prior to the date of the change of assignment. 

 

 

 

Finally: How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice practice practice.  The same is true of  understanding philosophy.  In order to understand it, you must practice doing it.  We will DO a lot of philosophy in class.  But the process starts at home with you carefully working through the arguments in each reading.  As a result, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for you to keep on top of the readings

 

 

 

Topic 1:  Introduction: 

Darwall                               What is Philosophical Ethics? (pp. 3-14)     D

Darwall                               Metaethics (pp. 17-84)  D

 

 

Topic 2:  Cultural Relativism: 

Herodotus                          Custom is King (pp. 20) P

Harman                              Ethics & Observation (The Nature of Moral Theories, New York: Oxford                                                    

                                             University Press, 1977, pp. 3-10)  eDisk

Benedict                             A Defense of Ethical Relativism (pp.33-37) P

Pojman                               A Defense of Ethical Objectivism (pp. 38-52) P

 

 

Topic 3:  Ethical Egoism: 

Hobbes                               Egoism as the Beginning of Morality (pp. 62-71) P

Darwall                               Hobbes II (pp. 97-108) D

Rachels                              A Critique of Ethical Egoism (pp. 79-86) P

Kahane                               Sociobiology, Egoism, & Reciprocity (pp. 87-103) P

 

 

Topic 4:  Utilitarianism: 

Rachels                              Utilitarianism (pp. 96-121) R

Bentham                             The Principle of Utility (excerpted from An Introduction to the Principles of                                 

                                             Morals & Legislation, pp. 483-486) P

Mill                                       Utilitarianism (pp. 141-146) P

Williams                              A Critique of Utilitarianism (pp. 168-178) P

Singer                                 Famine, Affluence, Morality, Philosophy & Public Affairs, 1(3), 1972, pp. 521-                                          

                                             528) eDisk

 

 

Topic 5:  Rules, Laws, & Duties:  

Rachels                              Kant & Ethics (pp. 122-142) R

Kant                                     The Foundation of Ethics (pp. 194-214) P

Feldman                             An Examination of Kantian Ethics (pp. 214-228) P

Ross                                    What Makes an Action Right? (pp. 229-238) P

Frankena                            A Reconciliation of Ethical Theories (pp. 239-246) P

 

 

Topic 6:  The Idea of a Social Contract: 

Rachels                              The Idea of a Social Contract (pp. 143-161) R

Rousseau                          The Social Contract, Book I (New York: Meridian, 1975, pp. 8-23) eDisk

Rawls                                  A Theory of Justice (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, pp. 598-616)

Thoreau                              Civil Disobedience (New York: Prometheus Books, 1998, pp. 11-46) eDisk                             

 

Topic 7:  Virtue Ethics: 

Aristotle                              Virtue Ethics (pp. 247-259) P

Twain                                  Huckleberry Finn

Bennett                               The Conscience of Huckleberry Finn (pp. 271-286 P

MacIntyre                           The Nature of Virtues (pp. 271-287) P

Frankena                            A Critique of Virtue-Based Ethics (pp. 264-270) P

Nussbaum                         Non-Relative Virtues: An Aristotelian Approach (from The Quality of Life, New

                                             York: Clarendon Press, 2002, pp. 242-269) eDisk