Introduction to the Philosophical Foundation of Ethics

Spring 2008

Syllabus

Texts:

Handouts

James Rachels: The Elements of Moral Philosophy

J. P. Sterbra: Morality in Practice

Contents

Introduction What is Morality?

Morality, habit, culture and religion

Moral reasoning

Outline 1

Discussion

Part I

Handouts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aristotelianism

Aristotelianism Summary

Aristotle's Virtue Ethics

Kantianism

First Section of Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals

Second Section of Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals

Utilitarianism

Confuciucianism

Daoism

Buddhism

Cultural Relativism

Direct Reading

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Key Concepts for the First Exam

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Discussion on Cultural Relativism

 

Part II

Tiles' Moral Measures

Sources of validity (ch.3)

Reading Assignments: Tiles pp. 1-23; 50-72

Conflict and the search for standards (ch. 4)

Reading Assignments: Handouts 2.3 and Tiles pp. 73-101

Man as the measure (ch. 5)

Reading Assignments: Tiles pp. 101-125

The measure of law (ch.7)

Reading Assignments: Tiles pp.153-183

The end as a standard (ch. 9)

Reading Assignments: Tiles pp. 213-242

Pleasure as the measure (ch.10)

Reading Assignments: Tiles pp. 243-272

 

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Case Study

 

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Key Concepts (2) for the First Exam

(Some concepts in the above link overlapped with the following link. For your final (Tiles' book part), please focus on the questions in the following link only)

Questions for Tiles' Book

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Part III

Sterbra's Morality in Practice

Morality in practice:

Abortion and euthanasia

(euthanasia)

Family morality in practice

Reading Assignments: Judith Thomson's "A Defence of Abortion," Don Marquis' "Why Abortion is Immoral"

Sex equality

Sexual harassment

Homosexual conduct

Reading Assignments: Christina Hoff Sommers's "Philosophers Against Family," Warren Farrell's "Is Male Power Really a Myth?" Barbara Gutek's "Understanding Sexual Harassment at Work," Supreme Court of the US, "Harris V. Forklift Systems Inc." John Finnis' "Homosexual Conduct is Wrong"

Near and distant peoples

Environment Ethics

Animal rights

Gun control and world peace

Punishment and Responsibility

Reading Assignments:Garrett Hardin's "Lifeboat Ethics: The Case against Helping the Poor," Peter Singer's The Solution to World Poverty,"   Philip J.Cook and Hens Ludwing's "Guns in America" (Handout for Gun Control), Peter Singer's All Animals Are Equal," and Karl Menninger's "The Crime of Punishment"

 

 

 

Movie & Discussion

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Movie & Discussion

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Some links:

http://www.ctgpc.com/

three gorges dam

Changes in Three Gorges Dam

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