Ethics - Spring 2017
Texts: James Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy
Plato, Gorgias
Paul Bloom, Just Babies
Week
1
1/16
2
1/23
1/30
4
2/6
5
2/13
6
2/20
7
2/27
8
3/6
9
3/13
10
3/20
11
3/27
12
4/3
13
4/10
14
4/17
15
4/24
16
5/1
Topics
Introduction to Ethics
Relativism
Subjectivism
Morality and Religion
Egoism and Altruism
Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism
Kantian Ethics
S
SPRING
BREAK
The good life
The good life
The good life
Social contract theory
Moral development
Moral development
Moral development
Moral development
Summing up
Core Reading
Rachels, Ch. 1
Rachels, Ch. 2
Rachels, Ch. 3
Rachels, Ch. 4
Rachels, Ch. 5
Rachels, Ch. 7
Rachels, Ch. 8
Rachels, Ch. 9
Rachels, Ch. 10
Plato, Gorgias
Plato, Gorgias
Plato, Gorgias
Rachels, Ch. 6
Bloom, Ch. 1, 2
Bloom, Ch. 3, 4
Bloom, Ch. 5, 6
Bloom, Ch. 7
Rachels, Ch. 11 (Ethics of care)
Supplements
Simon Blackburn on moral relativism (Phil Bites - 14 min podcast)
Justin McBrayer, Facts and Opinions (NYT article 3-2-15)
Westacott, Who really believes the ten commandments?
'The new age of Ayn Rand' (Guardian article)
Singer, "The Singer solution to world poverty"
Peter Singer on the Colbert Report
Philosophy Bro's version of Singer's argument
"Utilitarianism" Encyclopedia Britanica
Warburton on J.S. Mill's Utilitarianism (13 min. podcast)
Act v Rule Utilitarianism (IEP)
Explanation of Kant's Categorical Imperative (handout)
Warburton on Kant's ethics (14 minute podcast)
IEP article on Kant's Metaphysics (Section 8 on his ethics)
SEP article on Kant's Moral Philosophy
Ogden Nash, Two poems about duty
The structure of Plato's Gorgias (handout)
The sophists (20 min. podcast)
Plato's Socrates (18 min podcast)
Life and work of Plato (19 min podcast)
Socrates' refutation of Gorgias
Virtue meets its match: (20 min podcast on the Gorgias)
Socrates's distinction b/w crafts and 'knacks' (handout)
Some Socratic paradoxes in the Gorgias
Socrates' refutation of hedonism
The enviable/admirable distinction
Philosophy Bites - 17 min podcast on Hobbes
Philosophy Bites - 17 min podcast on Hobbes' social contract
Thomas Hobbes (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Short overview of research method in study of infant morality (5 min video)
Paul Bloom, webinar on the subject of Just Babies (45 min)
Kohlberg's stages of moral development
"Are babies born biased?" (5 min CCN piece)
Paul Bloom,"Can prejudice ever be a good thing?"
"Born good" (13 min doc. about the Yale research into child morality)
Jonathan Haidt, "Moral roots of liberals & conservatives" (TED talk)
Assignment
Mon, Jan 30: Quiz on first 3 chapters of Rachels
Mid-term exam, Wed. March 1
Last class is on Monday, May 1st
Final Exam: Monday, May 8th, 1:15 - 3:15 AU Spring 2017 Final Exam Schedule