Introduction to Ethics MWF 2:30-3:20pm BRNG 1230 Morar - 1 Contact information: Instructor: Nicolae Morar (nmorar@purdue.edu) Office: PRCE 195 Office Hours: MW 3:20-4:20pm and by appointment Course Description: It is important to reflect on the moral dimension of our lives: how we ought to act, which goals are worth pursuing, and how we should relate to others. These key issues have been differently answered throughout the history of philosophy. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to some of the major ethical theories and to their application to a range of contemporary social issues. Required Texts & Materials: Mark Timmons, Conduct and Character: Readings in Moral Theory, 5 th Edition, Wadsworth Publishing, ISBN-10: 0-534-58909-X John Cottingham, Western Philosophy An Anthology (2 nd edition), abridged for Philosophy 111: Ethics, Wiley Custom Services, ISBN: 978-0-470-47450-1 Additional Readings will be posted on Blackboard (online) A (tentative) reading & discussion schedule: Section I Moral Theories WEEK 1 Introduction Aug 24 Introduction - course & syllabus (no readings) Aug 26 The Nature of a Moral Theory (Timmons 1-8) Aug 28 The Evaluation of a Moral Theory (Timmons 8-13)
Morar - 2 WEEK 2 Moral Egoism Aug 31 Plato, Republic, 2 nd book (from Complete Works) (blackboard) Emphasis on The Myth of Gyges p.999 1002 (overlapping with Timmons 16-18) Sept 2 Shoemaker Egoisms (Timmons 18-24) Sept 4 Shoemaker Egoisms (Timmons 24-34)* WEEK 3 Ethics by Authority Sept 7 Labor Day (No Class) Mortimer, Morality is based on God s Commands (Timmons 35-38) Sept 9 Plato, Euthyphro, (Complete Works) - especially p.5-13 blackboard Timmons Does morality depend on God s commands? (Timmons 39-49) Sept 11 Benedict A defense of ethical relativism (Timmons 49-54) Rachels The challenge of cultural relativism (Timmons 55-60)* WEEK 4 The Natural Law Theory Sept 14 Aquinas / Harris, The ethics of Natural Law (Timmons 61-79) Sept 16 Foot The Doctrine of the Double Effect (Timmons 79-83) Sept 18 Barcalow Problems for Natural Law Theory (Timmons 84-87) WEEK 5 Consequentialism Sept 21 Bentham The Principle of Utility (Timmons 88-94) Sept 23 Mill Defense of Utilitarianism (Timmons 94-100) Sept 25 Darwall Utilitarianism: Act or Rule? (Timmons 100 106) WEEK 6 Consequentialism + Exam 1 Sept 28 Hooker Rule - Consequentialism (Timmons 106-113) Sept 30 Review 1 st exam Oct 2 1 st exam WEEK 7 Kantian Ethical Theory Oct 5 Kant The Moral Law and the Autonomy of the Will (Timmons 115 126) Oct 7 Glasgow Kant s Principle of Universal Law (Timmons 126-139) Oct 9 - O Neill Kant on Treating People as Ends in Themselves (Timmons 139-144)
WEEK 8 Kantian Ethical Theory + Virtue Ethics Morar - 3 Oct 12 - October Break (No Class) Oct 14 Feldman On Treating People as Ends in Themselves (Timmons 144-150) Oct 16 Aristotle Virtue and Character (Timmons 151-161) WEEK 9 Virtue Ethics Oct 19 Hursthouse Normative Virtue Ethics (Timmons 161-171) Oct 21 Swanton A Virtue Ethical Account of Right Action (Timmons 172-186) Oct 23 Johnson Virtue and Right (Timmons 187-193) WEEK 10 2 nd Exam + Pluralism and Particularism Oct 26 Review 2 nd Exam Oct 28 2 nd Exam Oct 30 Ross/ McNaughton (Timmons 233-245) Section II - Problems in Ethics WEEK 11 Animal Ethics Nov 2 - Peter Singer Animal Liberation (1 st chapter) All Animals are Equal blackboard Nov 4 Lecture Cancelled [Steinbock, Speciesism and the Idea of Equality blackboard] Nov 6 - Kant The Status of Non-Human Animals, Lectures on Ethics (Cottingham 576-578)* WEEK 12 Ethics at the Margins of Life (Abortion/ Suicide/Euthanasia) Nov 9 - Thompson, A Defense of Abortion (Cottingham 590-596) Nov 11 Don Marquis, Why Abortion is Immoral blackboard Nov 13 Hume, On Suicide (Cottingham 563-568) WEEK 13 Ethics at the Margins of Life/ Environmental Ethics Nov 16 Rachels, Active and Passive Euthanasia (Cottingham 602-607) Nov 18 Leopold, The Land Ethic (Cottingham 585-590) the movie HOME available on www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxenmkaecu (and on reserve) Nov 20 Shue, Responsibility to Future Generations & the Technological Transition blackboard
WEEK 14 Global Suffering + Thanksgiving Nov 23 Singer, Famine, Affluence, and Morality (Cottingham 596-601) Nov 25 Thanksgiving Vacation (No Class) Nov 27 Thanksgiving Vacation (No Class) WEEK 15 Cloning, Genetic Enhancement, and Human Nature Morar - 4 Nov 30 Kass, The Wisdom of Repugnance (Cottingham 608-616) Dec 2 Sandel, The Case against Perfection - blackboard Dec 4 Buchannan et al., From Chance to Choice (excerpt - ch.3) blackboard WEEK 16 The Ethics of Human Nature Dec 7 Habermas, The Future of Human Nature (Chapter 1) - blackboard Dec 9 Daniels, Can anyone really be talking about ethically modifying Human Nature?- blackboard Dec 11 Review Final Exam WEEK 17 Final Exam Week Final Examination: TBA
Morar - 5 Course Requirements and Grading Policy: Three exams will be written in class. They will consist of essay, (and/or) multiple choice, (and/or) short answer questions. No late exams will be accepted without a medical certificate or proof of death in the family. I do not accept incompletes. 1) 1 st Midterm Exam (25%) on Friday October 2 nd 2) 2 nd Midterm Exam (25%) on Friday October 28 th 3) The final (comprehensive) exam (40%) is TBA (administrated during the final exam period) 4) Participation/ Attendance (10%) Attendance is mandatory. If you are not going to be in class, please let me know in advance, i.e. email me before class. Class participation is strongly encouraged. Assigned readings are to be completed prior to class. If you believe you have the flu or flulike symptoms contact ASAP the Purdue Student Health Center at (765) 494-1700. With a medical certificate in hand, I could waive your missing classes from your record. Academic Integrity Absolutely no form of academic dishonesty in any of its various manifestations will be tolerated. I take this matter very seriously. Cheating, copying, plagiarizing, etc. of any sort will at the very least result in a failing grade for that particular assignment, and may result in a failing grade in the course, as well as a formal letter being written to the Office of the Dean of Students, informing the Dean of your misconduct. In short, it can make your life miserable. I strongly encourage you, if you are at all unsure about what constitutes academic dishonesty, to look it up at www.purdue.edu/odos/osrr/integrity.htm. Ignorance on this matter is not a valid excuse. Disclaimer I reserve the right to change the contents of this syllabus and to change the schedule at any time. If changes are made, you will be notified in advance in class. * denotes that you can find other recommended readings on blackboard (on the same topic) if you are interested in. Optional (participation highly recommended extra credit up to 5% for both lectures) Bioethics Lectures Series (Fall 2009) - www.purdue.edu/bioethics Oct 28th, 2009 "When Hastened Death is Neither Killing Nor Letting Die" Tom Beauchamp - 5:30pm MRGN 121 Nov 4th, 2009 (class cancelled) Justice and Universal Health Care Coverage in the U.S Norman Daniels - 4:00pm MRGN 121*