Philosophy of Psychology Spring Semester 2015 CRS: PH3245 (Sect 001) CRN: Tuesdays, Thursdays 11-12:20, Gladfelter Hall 466

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1 Philosophy of Psychology Spring Semester 2015 CRS: PH3245 (Sect 001) CRN: Tuesdays, Thursdays 11-12:20, Gladfelter Hall 466 Instructor Prof. David Wolfsdorf Office: 716 Anderson Hall Office hours: flexible, but by appointment Overview Throughout its history, philosophy has taken an interest in psychology. In the theory of knowledge, philosophers have been concerned with perception, belief, concepts, and reasoning. In ethics, they have examined action, feeling, and emotion. And in metaphysics, they have been interested in the nature of mind itself and consciousness. Central to this course are topics and questions at the intersection of philosophy and contemporary psychology. The choice of topics varies from semester to semester. Spring semester 2015 will focus on moral psychology, especially the following themes: moral motivation, desire, emotion, and responsibility. The course will conclude with the topic of pain. The class does not presuppose a background in philosophy or psychology. Materials There is one book for the course: Valerie Tiberius, Moral Psychology: A Contemporary Introduction, Routlege, The book is available at the Main Campus bookstore. There is one article for the course: Murat Aydede, "Pain," Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. The article is available on Blackboard in the Content folder. Grades 4 question sets: 12.5% each = 50% Final Paper: 50% Final Paper The final paper is due on May 4 by noon, in my mailbox on the 7 th floor of Anderson Hall. 1

2 Plagiarism Cite all sources you use. If you are caught plagiarizing, you will fail the course. Note also that the Philosophy Department policy requires that the Chairperson of the department be notified in all cases of plagiarism. Conduct in Class Be on time; see the tardiness policy below. Aside from an emergency, go to the bathroom before or after class. Do not sleep in class. I reserve the right to dismiss you from class for doing this, and the dismissal will count as an absence. Be attentive and engaged, and be respectful to the rest of your classmates and the professor. Do not use cell phones or the like to communicate or text in class. I reserve the right to dismiss you from class for doing this, and the dismissal will count as an absence. Attendance Attendance is mandatory. If you cannot attend for some legitimate reason you must notify me by before class. Excuses after the fact will not be accepted, except in the case of a serious emergency. Each unexcused absence will result in a deduction of your final grade by a step; for example, from B+ to B. Finally, if you miss class (for any reason), you are responsible for finding out what the assignment for the next class is, doing the assignment, and turning it in on time. Late work will not be accepted. Tardiness If you come to class more than 20 minutes late more than once without a legitimate excuse, I reserve the right to deduct from your final grade as if your tardiness were an absence. Each subsequent such tardy attendance will be counted as an absence. Disability Statement This course is open to all students who met the academic requirements for participation. Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services at to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Statement on Academic Freedom Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # ) which can be accessed through the following link: policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=

3 Class meetings, readings, and assignment dates READINGS ARE DUE ON THE DATE GIVEN (NOT ON THE FOLLOWING CLASS MEETING) Class 1, Jan 13 What is Moral Psychology? (3-14) Class 2, Jan 15 What are Philosophers Doing Here? (15-26) Class 3, Jan 20 Moral Motivation: What It Is and Isn't (31-43) Class 4, Jan 22 Desires and Reasons (46-54) Class 5, Jan 27 Desires and Reasons (54-63) Question Set #1 due Class 6, Jan 29 Emotion and Moral Judgment (69-74) Class 7, Feb 3 Emotion and Moral Judgment (74-84) Class 8, Feb 5 Sentimentalism and Rationalism (87-96) Class 9, Feb 10 Sentimentalism and Rationalism (97-106) Class 10, Feb 12 Virtue ( ) Class 11, Feb 17 3

4 Virtue ( ) Class 12, Feb 19 The Psychology of the Responsible Agent ( ) Class 13, Feb 24 The Psychology of the Responsible Agent ( ) Question set #2 due Class 14, Feb 26 Moral Responsibility, Free Will and Determinism ( ) Class 15, Mar 10 Moral Responsibility, Free Will and Determinism ( ) Class 16, Mar 12 Why Be Moral? ( ) Class 17, Mar 17 Why Be Moral? ( ) Class 18, Mar 19 How Do We Know What Is Morally Right? ( ) Class 19, Mar 24 How Do We Know What Is Morally Right? ( ) Question set #3 due Class 20, Mar 26 Can You Get an Ought from an Is? ( ) Class 21, Mar 31 Can You Get an Ought from an Is? ( ) Class 22, Apr 2 Final Thoughts ( ) 4

5 Class 23, Apr 7 Murat Aydede, "Pain" (1-12) Class 24, Apr 9 Murat Aydede, "Pain" (12-20) Class 25, Apr 14 Murat Aydede, "Pain" (20-32) Class 26, Apr 16 Murat Aydede, "Pain" (32-42) Class 27, Apr 21 Murat Aydede, "Pain" (43-57) Question set #4 due Class 28, Apr 23 Final paper assignment distributed 5