PHIL 410A: READING ASSIGNMENTS

Readings should be done BEFORE the first class in the week for which they are assigned, except for the first week. Please consult the discussion questions posted on the Web before doing the readings. Those discussion questions will help you identify the important issues in the readings. The readings will be found in the following sources:

1. Texts. The following texts are available for purchase at the University Book Store: Judith Jarvis Thomson, The Realm of Rights (RR); John Stuart Mill, On Liberty (OL); and John Rawls, Political Liberalism (PL).

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 required Berlin essays and the Hayek reading on electronic reserve [E-RESERVE].

WEEK #1 (Jan. 5-7): Introduction and Begin Natural Rights

READINGS: 1. Isaiah Berlin, "Two Concepts of Liberty", pp. 118-172. E-RESERVE

2. Judith Thomson (RR), Chapters 3 and 4, pp. 79-122.

WEEK #2 (Jan. 12-14): More on Natural Rights

DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON WED., JAN. 13: Part A Of Paper #1, Posted On Phil 410 GoPost Site.

BEFORE CLASS ON THURSDAY, JAN. 14: Read the submissions and send me an email message with your vote for the best one.

READINGS: 1. Judith Thomson (RR), pp. 205-217; 225-226; 229-234, 239-288; 348-373. Then read the following selections from Chapter 6: pp. 149-153; 158-163; 170-175.

WEEK #3 (Jan. 19-21): Utilitarian Liberty Rights.

BY MIDNIGHT ON WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20: 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 of the paper should begin with your last name.

READINGS: 1. Isaiah Berlin, "John Stuart Mill and the Ends of Life", pp. 173-206. E-RESERVE

2. J.S. Mill, OL, Chaps. 1-2. [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 (Jan. 26-28): Liberty and Well-Being

MIDTERM REVIEW QUESTIONS TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN CLASS ON THURSDAY, JAN. 28.

READINGS: 1. J.S. Mill, OL, Chaps. 3-5.

2. Friedrich A. Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1960), Part I, Chapters 1-3; Part II, Chapter 9. E-RESERVE

3. Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.; 1999), pp. 170-182. READER pp. 138-144.

WEEK #5 (Feb. 2-4): Social Contract Liberty Rights

DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3: 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 Thurs. Feb. 4. Please read all the posted answers to the assignment on Thursday 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;

WEEK #6 (Feb. 9-11): Freedom of Expression

MIDTERM EXAM IN CLASS ON TUES. FEB. 9.

READINGS: 1. John Rawls, PL, Chapter 8 (entire), pp. 289-371.

WEEK #7 (Feb. 16-18): More on Freedom of Expression

READINGS: 1. Refresh your memory of Mill's discussion of liberty of thought and discussion (Chapter 2 of OL).

2. 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.

3. T.M. Scanlon, "A Theory of Freedom of Expression", from Philosophy and Public Affairs, (Winter 1972). READER, pp. 19-41.

[OPTIONAL, NOT REQUIRED] 5. T.M. Scanlon, "Freedom of Expression and Categories of Expression", University of Pittsburgh Law Review 40 (1979). READER, pp. 114-130.

WEEK #8 (Feb. 23-25): Begin Paternalism and Autonomy Rights

TERM PAPER TOPIC MUST BE APPROVED BY THE BEGINNING OF CLASS ON THURSDAY, FEB. 25.

READINGS: 1. Joel Feinberg, "Legal Paternalism", in Sartorius, ed., Paternalism (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1983). READER, pp. 42-50.

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 Sterling M. McMurrin, ed., Liberty, Equality, and Law (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1987). READER, pp. 95-113.

WEEK #9 (Mar. 2-4): More on Paternalism and Autonomy Rights

DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON THURS., MAR. 4: Draft of Part I of term paper should be turned in to the PHIL 410 electronic dropbox. For more information, see the term paper information posted on the PHIL 410 Web site.

READINGS: 1. William J. Talbott, "Weak and Strong Legal Paternalism", excerpt from Human Rights and Human Well-Being. READER pp. 51-94.

2. Ronald Dworkin, Thomas Nagel, Robert Nozick, John Rawls, Thomas Scanlon, and Judith Jarvis Thomson, "The Philosopher's Brief", New York Review of Books (March 27, 1997). READER, pp. 131-137.

3. "The Avuncular State", The Economist (April 8, 2006). READER, pp. 159-168.

WEEK #10 (Mar. 9-11): Conclusion

DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY, MAR. 9: Complete draft of term paper to be turned in to the PHIL 410 electronic drop box. There is a link to the electronic drop box on the PHIL 410 Web site. The filename should begin with your last name.

IN CLASS ON THURS., MAR. 11: Course Evaluation

READINGS: No Assigned Readings

DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON WEDNESDAY, MAR. 17: 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.