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 (Sept. 25-27): Introduction and Begin Natural Rights
2. Judith Thomson (RR), Introduction,
part 1, pp. 1-4, and Chapters 3 and 4, pp. 79-122.
WEEK
#2 (Oct. 2-4): More on Natural Rights
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 (Oct. 9-11): Utilitarian Liberty Rights.
DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON MON. OCT. 8: Part (a) Of Paper #1, Posted On PHIL 410 GoPost Site.
BY NOON ON TUESDAY OCT. 9: Read the submissions and send me an email message with your vote for the best one.
READINGS:
1. Isaiah
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 (Oct. 16-18): Liberty and Well-Being
DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY OCT. 15: 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.
MIDTERM REVIEW
QUESTIONS TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN CLASS ON THURSDAY OCT. 18.
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. 121-127.
WEEK
#5 (Oct. 23-25):
Social Contract Liberty Rights
DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON WEDNESDAY OCT.
24: 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. Oct. 25. 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.
MIDTERM REVIEW IN SECOND HOUR ON THURSDAY OCT. 25.
READINGS:
1. John Rawls, PL, Chapter
1 (partial), pp. 3-28; Chapter 2 (partial), pp. 47-54;
WEEK
#6 (Oct. 30 –
Nov. 1): Freedom of Expression
MIDTERM EXAM IN
CLASS ON TUES. OCT. 30.
READINGS: 1. John Rawls, PL,
Chapter 8 (entire), pp. 289-371.
WEEK
#7 (Nov. 6-8): 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.
WEEK
#8 (Nov. 13-15): Begin Paternalism and Autonomy Rights
TERM PAPER TOPIC MUST BE APPROVED BY THE BEGINNING OF CLASS ON THURSDAY NOV. 15.
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. 128-137.
3.
Gerald Dworkin, "Paternalism: Some
Second Thoughts", in Sartorius, ed., Paternalism. READER, pp. 138-141.
4.
Thomas C.Schelling, "Ethics, Law, and the Exercise of Self-Command",
in
WEEK #9 (Nov. 20): More on Paternalism and Autonomy Rights
DUE BY BY MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY NOV. 19: Term Paper Part I Posted On The Phil 410 GoPost Site.
VOTE BY EMAIL FOR THE BEST PART I BY NOON ON TUESDAY NOV. 20.
READINGS: 1. William J. Talbott, "Weak and Strong Legal Paternalism". READER pp. 51-94.
WEEK
#10 (Nov. 27-29): Conclusion of Paternalism and Autonomy Rights
DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY NOV. 27: Term Paper Part II (Exposition) Submitted To The PHIL 410 Electronic Dropbox.
READINGS: 1.
Ronald Dworkin, Thomas Nagel, Robert Nozick, John Rawls, Thomas Scanlon, and
Judith Jarvis Thomson, "The Philosopher's Brief",
2. "The Avuncular State", The Economist (April 8, 2006). READER, pp. 142-151.
WEEK
#11 (Dec. 4-6): Term Papers Discussions and Course Evaluation
DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY DEC. 4: 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 the Tuesday class we will have
a discussion of term papers. In the
Thursday class we will recap the course and do the course evaluation.
READINGS: No Assigned Readings
DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON WEDNESDAY DEC. 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.