PHIL
440A: READING ASSIGNMENTS
Week
#1 (June 20-June 24)
Monday
June 20: Introduction
NO
Tuesday
June 21 Readings: Objective To-Be-Pursuedness?
(1) G.E.
Moore, "Non-Naturalism and the Indefinability of the Good", ET,
paragraphs 5-11 and 13 [you may skip paragraph 12], pp. 507-512.
(2) J.L.
Mackie, "The Subjectivity of Values", ET, pp. 548-558.
Wednesday June 22 Readings: Objective To-Be-Doneness?
(1) David Hume, "On Reason
and the Emotions: The Fact/Value Distinction", ET, pp. 500-506.
(2) Elijah
Millgram, "Was Hume a Humean?", READER pp. 64-73.
Thursday
June 23 Readings: Internalism/Externalism
Read the
first half of the Korsgaard essay, then read the
Williams essay, then read the remainder of Korsgaard:
(1) Christine
Korsgaard, "Skepticism About Practical
Reason", Sections I-V, READER pp. 81-87.
(2) Bernard
Williams, "Internal and External Reasons", READER pp. 74-80.
(3) Christine
Korsgaard, "Skepticism About
Practical Reason", Sections VI-VIII, READER pp. 87-91.
Friday
June 24 Readings: Objective
Values/Objective Reasons
(1) Thomas
Nagel, “The View from Nowhere”, ET, pp. 134-143.
(2)
Jean Hampton, "Rethinking Reason", READER pp. 3-20.
Week
#2 (June 27-July 1)
Monday
June 27 – Tuesday June 28: Evolution and Ethics
Monday
Readings: (1) Michael Ruse, "Evolution and Ethics: The Sociobiological Approach", ET,
pp. 640-656.
(2) Elliott
Sober, "Prospects for an Evolutionary Ethics", ET, pp. 656-667.
Tuesday
Reading: (1)
Gilbert Harman, "Moral Nihilism", ET, pp. 568-577.
Wednesday
June 29 - Thursday June 30: Utilitarianism
Wednesday
Readings: (1) Mill, "Utilitarianism", ET: Chap. II, pp. 199-210 and Chap. V, pp. 217-230.
NOTE: THIS IS A PARTIAL SELECTION FROM THE MILL
READING.
(2)
Bernard Williams, "Against Utilitarianism", ET, pp. 245-254.
Thursday
Reading: (3) John Hospers, “Rule-Utilitarianism”, ET,
pp. 255-264.
PART II OF MIDTERM EXAM given out
in class. Take-home essay due in the
PHIL 440 Collect It drop box by midnight (more or less) on Tuesday, July 5.
Friday
July 1: Midterm Review
No
Reading Assignment.
Week
#3 (July 5-8)
NO CLASS
ON MONDAY JULY 4.
Tuesday
July 6: Part I of Midterm Exam in Class.
Bring an exam booklet to class for this part of the exam.
Part
II of the Midterm Exam due in the PHIL 440 Collect It drop box by midnight
(more or less).
Wednesday
July 6 – Friday, July 8: Kantian Moral
Theory
Wednesday
Readings: (1) Immanuel Kant, "The Foundations of
the Metaphysic of Morals", ET, Chap. 2, pp. 291- 309. NOTE:
THIS IS A PARTIAL SELECTION FROM THE KANT READING.
(2) Robert Nozick, “Side Constraints”, ET,
Section 2-3, pp. 265-268. BEGIN WITH
SECTION 2; YOU MAY IGNORE SECTION 1.
Thursday
Readings: (1) David Gauthier, "Morality and
Advantage", ET, pp. 98-106.
(2) Jonathan
Bennett, "The Conscience of Huckleberry Finn", EXCERPTS, READER pp.
21- 25 and pp. 31-32.
Friday
Readings: (1) T.M.
Scanlon, "Contractualism and Utilitarianism",
READER, pp. 119-132.
Week
#5 (July 11-15)
Monday
July 11 – Tuesday July 12: The Ethics of
Care
Monday
Readings: (1) Carol Gilligan, "Moral Orientation
and Moral Development", READER pp. 33-40.
(2) Annette
C. Baier, "Hume, the Women's Moral Theorist?", READER pp. 41-50.
RECOMMENDED,
NOT REQUIRED: Susan Glaspell, “A Jury of
Her Peers”, available on the Web at:
http://www.learner.org/interactives/literature/story/fulltext.html
Tuesday
Reading: (3) Marilyn
Friedman, "Beyond Caring", READER pp. 51-63.
Wednesday
July 13 – Thursday July 14: Virtue
Ethics
Wednesday
Readings: (1) Aristotle, "The Ethics of
Virtue", EXCERPTS, ET, Book I, Sections 7-8 ONLY, pp. 406-409 and
Book II, pp. 413-419 [OMIT BOOKS III AND IV].
(2) Alasdair
MacIntyre, "The Nature of the Virtues", ET,
pp. 457-471.
Thursday
Readings: (1) Walter Schaller, “Are Virtues No More
Than Dispositions to Obey Moral Rules?”, ET,
pp. 450-457.
Friday
Readings: (1) Bernard Williams, “Knowledge, Science,
Convergence,” READER, pp. 133-144.
(2)
Ronald Dworkin, "Objectivity and Truth: You'd
Better Believe It". READER pp. 92-113 ONLY.
You are not required to read the section beginning with "Internal
Skepticism".
PART II OF THE FINAL EXAM (take-home
part) will be given out in class. It
will be due in the PHIL 440 Collect It drop box at midnight (more or less) on
Friday, July 22.
Week
#5 (July 18-20)
Monday
Readings: *William J. Talbott, “What Is Moral
Sensitivity and How Could We Have Acquired It?”, READER
pp. 145-164.
Tuesday
July 19: Final Exam Review
No
Reading Assignment.
Wednesday,
July 20: In-Class Final Exam
Bring an
exam booklet to class with you.