PHIL 410A: READING ASSIGNMENTS
1. Texts.
The following texts are available for purchase at the University Book
Store: Judith Jarvis Thomson, The
Realm of Rights (RR) [because this book is temporarily out of print, we have
received permission to reproduce it as a course reader]; John Stuart Mill, On
2. Class Reader. There is a Class Reader [Referred to as
"READER" below] that is also available for purchase at the University
Book Store.
3. Electronic Reserve. In order to avoid your having to buy another
text and to save on royalties, I have put the two
WEEK
#1 (Mar. 31 – April 4): Introduction
2. Judith Thomson (RR),
Chapters 3 and 4, pp. 79-122.
WEEK
#2 (Apr. 7-11): Natural Rights
WEEK
#3 (Apr. 14-18): Utilitarian
BY MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY, APR. 15: Draft of part (a) of Paper #1 should be uploaded to the PHIL 410 Peer Review site as Paper #1. For more information, see the Web posting for Paper #1.
BY MIDNIGHT ON THURSDAY, APR.
17: Comment on two drafts in Peer
Review. Use the Paper #1 Peer Review
Checklist, which is accessible on the PHIL 410 Web site.
DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY,
APR. 21: Final version of Paper #1 turned
in to the PHIL 410 electronic dropbox.
There is a link to the electronic dropbox on the PHIL 410 Web site. The filename should begin with your last
name.
2.
J.S. Mill, OL, Chaps. 1-3.
[NOTE: In Chapter 1, on page 18,
line 2, "neither" should be "either". The sentence should read: “A person may cause evil to others not only
by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable
to them for the injury.”]
WEEK
#4 (Apr. 21-25):
MIDTERM REVIEW QUESTIONS to be
distributed in class on Friday, Apr 25.
2. Friedrich A. Hayek, The Constitution of
3. Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.; 1999), pp. 170-182. READER pp. 138-144.
WEEK
#5 (Apr. 28 – May 2):
Social Contract
DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY, APR.
29: Original Position assignment
posted on the PHIL 410 GoPost site. For
more information on the assignment, see the instructions on the PHIL 410 Web
page. This assignment will set the stage
for a class field trip behind the Veil of Ignorance to the Original Position on
Wed. Apr. 30. Please read all the posted
answers to the assignment on Wednesday before coming to class. In class, it will be assumed that everyone is
familiar with those postings. To get full
credit for the assignment, you must be in class for the discussion, unless your
absence is excused.
READINGS:
1. John Rawls, PL, Chapter
1 (partial), pp. 3-28; Chapter 2 (partial), pp. 47-54;
WEEKS
#6-7 (May 5-16): The Priority of
MIDTERM EXAM IN CLASS ON MON.,
MAY 5.
2. Refresh your memory of Mill's discussion of
liberty of thought and discussion (Chapter 2 of OL).
3.
Joel Feinberg, "Limits to the Free Expression of Opinion", from
Feinberg and Gross, eds., Philosophy of Law, 2nd ed. (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co.; 1980). READER, pp. 3-18.
4.
T.M. Scanlon, "A Theory of Freedom of Expression", from Philosophy
and Public Affairs, (Winter 1972).
READER, pp. 19-41.
5. [OPTIONAL,
NOT REQUIRED] T.M. Scanlon, "Freedom of Expression and Categories of
Expression",
WEEKS
#8-9 (May 19-30): Paternalism and Autonomy Rights
DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON WED., MAY 28: Draft of Part I of term paper should be uploaded to the PHIL 410 Peer Review. For more information, see the term paper information posted on the PHIL 410 Web site.
DUE BY NOON ON FRIDAY, MAY 30: Comments on two drafts in Peer Review. Use the Peer Review Checklist on the PHIL 410 Web site.
2.
Gerald Dworkin, "Paternalism", in Sartorius, ed., Paternalism (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1983). READER, pp. 145-154.
3.
Gerald Dworkin, "Paternalism: Some
Second Thoughts", in Sartorius, ed., Paternalism. READER, pp. 155-158.
4.
Thomas C.Schelling, "Ethics, Law, and the Exercise of Self-Command",
in
5. "The Avuncular State", The Economist (April 8, 2006). READER, pp. 159-168.
6. William J. Talbott, "Weak and Strong Legal Paternalism", excerpt from Human Rights and Human Well-Being. READER pp. 51-94.
7.
Ronald Dworkin, Thomas Nagel, Robert Nozick, John Rawls, Thomas Scanlon, and
Judith Jarvis Thomson, "The Philosopher's Brief",
WEEK
#10 (Jun 2 – Jun 6): Conclusion
DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY, JUNE
2: Complete draft of term paper to be
turned in to the PHIL 410 electronic dropbox.
There is a link to the electronic dropbox on the PHIL 410 Web site. The filename should begin with your last
name.
IN CLASS ON FRI., JUNE 6: Course Evaluation
DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON THURSDAY, JUNE 12: Final version of term paper to be turned in to the PHIL 410 electronic dropbox. There is a link to the electronic dropbox on the PHIL 410 Web site. The filename should begin with your last name. REASONABLE EXTENSIONS OF TIME WILL BE GRANTED. IF POSSIBLE, AN EXTENSION OF TIME SHOULD BE REQUESTED IN ADVANCE OF THE DEADLINE. INCOMPLETES WILL ONLY BE GRANTED IN EXTRAORDINARY CASES.