PHIL 440
End of Class Questions
June 20, 2011:
(a) What is the act utilitarian’s proposal for
necessary and sufficient conditions for moral rightness/wrongness?
(b) Give the most persuasive counterexample that you
can to the AU proposal.
(c) If the counterexample were persuasive, would it
be a counterexample to necessity or sufficiency? Explain.
June 21, 2011:
Explain Moore’s Open Question Argument.
June 22, 2011:
Use textual evidence from the Hume reading to argue that Hume is not an
instrumentalist and/or is a practical reason anti-realist.
June 23, 2011:
Explain what makes Korsgaard an externalistW about
practical reasons.
June 24, 2011:
Quiz
June 27, 2011:
Explain one of the two ways in which Sober extends Hume’s Thesis (you
must say what Hume’s Thesis is).
June 28, 2011:
According to Harman what is the important disanalogy
between observation in science and observation in ethics (You must explain and
use the observation1/observation2 distinction in your
answer.)
June 29, 2011:
What does Williams mean by saying that act utilitarianism alienates from
our moral feelings? (Use an example in
your answer.)
June 30, 2011:
What is Hospers’ reply to the argument that the optimal set of moral
rules would all have the AU exception?
(Use an example in your answer.)
July 1, 2011:
Class vote.
July 5, 2011:
Midterm Exam.
July 6, 2011: If it were
successful, would the first version of the categorical imperative provide
purely descriptive necessary and sufficient conditions for moral
rightness? Explain.
July 7, 2011:
Explain the difference between a prudent person and a prudent but
“trustworthy” person (i.e., a “moral person”).
July 8, 2011:
Consider Scanlon’s formula for moral wrongness. Does he regard it as an attempt to give non-moral
(either purely descriptive or instrumental rationality) necessary and
sufficient conditions for moral wrongness?
Explain.
July 11, 2011:
In the story, “A Jury of Her Peers”, which perspective
do you favor, justice or care?
Explain.
July 12, 2011:
Name and explain the three ways that Friedman claims that caring
involves justice.
July 13, 2011:
Explain the difference between internal and external goods. Use an example.
July 14, 2011:
According to Schaller, which of the three elements of the Standard View
is the virtue of gratitude an exception to?
Explain.
July 15, 2011:
Explain the Super-Duper companions in guilt argument.
July 18, 2011:
What is Talbott’s conception of sensitivity of
moral belief (or degrees of belief)?
Explain.
July 19, 2011:
In-class vote.
July 20, 2011:
Final Exam.