PHI 3670, Ethical Theory, Spring 2001

MWF 2:00-2:50 in CL1-105

University of Central Florida

Dr. Nancy Stanlick/ E-mail: stanlick@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu

Office:  HFA 411-I/Hours MWF 9:30-10:45, M 4:00-4:30 and by appt.

Phone 407-823-5459; Dept. 407-823-2273

On-Line Syllabus

It is not required that you use this on-line syllabus, but it is strongly suggested that you do.  Announcements, links, review questions and other information relevant to this course will appear here.  If you need copies of review questions or this syllabus, computer labs may be used or you can use your own computer and printer.

Details will be added  to the schedule throughout the semester.

Quick Links

Academic Integrity

Message Board

Wadsworth site

Electronic Books

Electronic Research Page

Dept. of Philosophy site

Due on Jan. 19th!!

Paper topics,  etc.

Paper dates changed….

 

General Course Description and Objective:  PHI 3670 is a course in ethical theory, encompassing major ethical theories from virtue theory in ancient Greece to contemporary approaches to ethics.  In addition, some major practical/theoretical issues will be explored through the backdrop of primary theories of ethics.  Among the theories to be discussed are the virtue theoretical approaches to ethics from Plato and Aristotle, the deontological ethical theory of Immanuel Kant, classical and contemporary utilitarianism, feminist ethics, and contemporary virtue theory.  Among the practical issues are the ethical significance of emotion, self-control and courage, supererogation and welfare, animals and the environment, self-respect, friendship, and moral responsibility.  You will be able to identify and discuss in some detail major ethical theories and apply them to problems and concepts of a practical and theoretical nature.

Texts:  Denise, Peterfreund and White, Great Traditions in Ethics (abbrev. GTIE), 9th ed.  Wadsworth and Mike Martin, Everyday Morality (abbrev. EM), 3rd ed.  Wadsworth.  There are additional materials on reserve or available on-line through electronic research sources.  These are listed in the schedule below.

Course Requirements, Grades, Attendance Policy, and Related Issues:

Requirements:  Two examinations and a term paper (see the link at the end of this paragraph for information on paper options and requirements) are required and determine your grade for the course.  Examinations will be primarily essay-based, though there may be questions in “objective” format.  Examination dates will be announced in class and are listed in the schedule (below).  Examinations are based on readings, lectures and assignments completed or assigned prior to the date of their administration.  All examinations are sectional. The final examination is NOT cumulative.  Exams and the paper count equally in determining your final grade.  View Paper Requirements, due date, etc.

Grades and Grading Scale:  A, 90-100; B, 80-89; C, 70-79; D, 60-69.  Grades are not negotiable.  See the link to academic integrity.  There is NO EXTRA CREDIT offered or available in this course.

Attendance Policy:  Attendance is strongly encouraged and expected but it is not considered in determining your grade for the course.  You do not get “credit” for showing up for class – being in class is (one would think) a given.  Much of the material covered in class may not appear in the texts, readings, or articles.  Though I will not take attendance on a regular basis (or at all), your participation in class and your attentive presence can and will make a very significant difference in your appreciation of the issues, problems, theories and subject matter we will discuss – and in your grade.  If you miss a class, you are responsible for obtaining notes and any other information or assignments you missed.  Office hours are held to attend to academic matters relevant to this course.  They are not held to repeat a lecture already given in class.

Missed Examinations/Late or Missing Papers and other requirements:  If you are not present on a day on which the first examination is administered and if you have missed the examination for a good, legitimate and verifiable reason, you may make it up within three (3) class meeting days of its initial administration.  Be aware that a test taken late may be different from the one given on the original test day.  After three class meeting days have passed, you may not take the test and must forfeit the grade (receive a 0 for it).  If you miss the mid-term examination without a good, legitimate and verifiable reason, your only option is to receive a 0 for it.  Good, legitimate and verifiable reasons include illnesses and religious holidays. There is NO PROVISION FOR MAKING UP THE FINAL EXAMINATION.  So, don’t miss it.  Incomplete grades are given only under appropriate circumstances.

            The due date for term papers is listed in the schedule below (March 21 for paper 1 and April 20 for paper 2).  One letter grade (10 points) will be subtracted from your earned grade for every weekday the paper is late.  No paper will be accepted after three working days beyond the due date.  So turn it in on time.  Remember to submit the form distributed with the short version of the syllabus by 1/19/2001.  Failure to submit this form will reduce your final average by 3 points.

Note:  The schedule below is meant only as a guide.  Changes and alterations in the schedule, scheduled topics, or examination dates may be necessary to facilitate completion of all major sections listed below.  Also note that additional material may be added from time to time, either through lectures, Internet sources (such as additions and links within this syllabus), journal articles, or any other appropriate sources.  If they are to be added, they will be announced in class or noted in this syllabus as needed.

            Note:  Review questions may be added from time to time.  Watch the table below for additions.  Review questions are designed for review of major concepts presented throughout the course and do not necessarily reflect actual content, format, number, or sort of questions that will appear on examinations.

            The message board link was created for use in this and other courses as an on-line forum for discussion of review questions and concepts between and among people registered for this and other courses.  I occasionally check the message board and perform maintenance on it, but do not necessarily contribute to your on-line discussions. When you use the board, please use your real name and put your e-mail address in the appropriate field.  Anonymous postings or notes posted with the use of an alias should not be used on the board and will be deleted by its administrator.  Please do not use any person’s name but your own when you post messages, answers to review questions, questions of your own, or any comments.  It is a good idea to make it clear in the subject field the course for which you are posting a message since there will be around 400 people from 4 different courses using the message board.

 

Schedule:

Weeks

Dates

Topic

Martin, EM

Denise et. al. GTIE

Additional Readings and lecture notes links

Other Information, links, etc.

1 - 8

Jan 8 – March 2

Egoism, Subjectivism and Emotivism

 

This section (egoism, subjectivism, emotivism) will be completed on 1/31/01.

 #1 4-20

#2 Hobbes 103-119

#3 Hume 134-148

#4 Butler 120-133

#5 A.J. Ayer & C.L. Stevenson 288-304

#6 Ayn Rand – notes on her arguments and others for ethical egoism; critique

--Basic Background on Ethical Theories

--Basic Notes on Hobbes – edited 1/21/2001

--More on Hobbes

~Hume

~Joseph Butler

~Sample paper on emotivism

Remember that this syllabus is constantly evolving – links and additional information are added regularly.

 

Due January 19th – go to document

 

 

Utility, Rights, Duty and Pragmatism – Utilitarianism

 

This section (Utilitarianism) begins on 2/2/01.

#1 21-42

#2 Mill 166-182

#3 Sidgwick, 217-229

#4 Moore, 263-275

#5 J.J.C. Smart, “Extreme and Restricted Utilitarianism,” Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 6. No. 25 (Oct. 1956), pp. 344-354.  JSTOR

 

Paper/Notes on Act and Rule Utilitarianism

 

#6 John Searle, “How to Derive an Ought from an Is” in Phillipa Foot, Theories of Ethics, BJ21.F6 1967.

 

 

 

Notes on Mill and Kant – basic, from Intro course

 

No notes are posted on Smart, Searle, Moore – in class only.

 

Copies distributed in class - Searle.

 

 

Rights-Based Morality and The Ethics of Duty

 

#3 Kant, 149-165

#4 W.D. Ross, 276-287

#5 William Frankena, 375-end

#6 John Rawls, 331-344.

#1 Locke, from Second Treatise of Government, esp. chs. 1,2,3,4, and 5 (See http://books.mirror.org).

#2 J.L. Mackie, “Can There Be a Right-Based Morality?” in Studies in Ethical Theory, (Midwest Studies in Philosophy, Vol. 3), ed. French, Uehling and Wettstein, Univ of Minnesota Pr., 1978 (BJ1012.s86 1980) and reprinted in J. Waldron, Theories of Rights, (JC 571.T44 1984) (NY: Oxford UP, 1984), pp. 168-181.

Rights-Based Morality – notes on Mackie and Raz

 

Basic Background on Locke – on-line notes.

 

Kant and Mill notes again, from intro course.

 

Kant begins 2/19/01.

 

Copies – Mackie & Raz distributed in class.  If you didn’t get one, come by during my office hours to pick one up.

 

No on-line notes for Ross, Frankena or Rawls.

 

 

Pragmatism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#1 John Dewey, 247-262

 

 

Essays by William James have been deleted from schedule.

 

 

 

Virtue Theory

#1 43-61

#2 Plato, 6-22

#3 Aristotle, 23-39

#4 Epicurus 40-53

Mid-term exam – contents: Rand, Hobbes, Hume, Butler, Emotivism, Smart, Searle, Mill, Moore, Kant, Ross, Rawls, Locke, Mackie, Raz, Dewey, Plato, Aristotle

 

Link to Review Questions – posted on 3/1.

 

The Feminist Ethics Mid-term is on-line and three of your review questions are identical to theirs.  You may want to see it to see the sorts of questions you could have on your test.  In fact, they might be downright useful.  Remember, however, that yours is an in-class exam and the questions may not be quite so detailed.

 

 

Midterm Exam March 9 – review questions will be posted on-line or distributed in class.

Mar 19-Apr. 23

 

SYLLABUS CLARIFICATIONS FOR SPRING BREAK TO END OF TERM APPEAR BELOW IN BLUE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continue Virtue Theory

 

#1 Epicurus, 40-53 and Epictetus, 54-68

#2 Aquinas, 87-102

#5 Phillipa Foot, 345-357

 

#3 G.E.M. Anscombe, “Modern Moral Philosophy,” Philosophy, Vol. 33 (January 1958), pp. 1-15.  JSTOR.

 

#4 Michael Stocker, “The Schizophrenia of Modern Ethical Theories” in Journal of Philosophy 73, 14 (August 12, 1976):  453-66.  JSTOR

Paper 1 is due on March 21.

 

 

Relativism, Conventionalism, Pluralism and Multiculturalism

#1 62-80

#3 Nietzsche 230-246

#4 Sartre 305-316

#5 Kurt Baier 317-330

#2 In-class discussion of ethical relativism – article by Rachels omitted.

 

 

 

Religious Ethics

 

 

#1 81-92

 

 

#3 Kierkegaard 183-199

 

#2 Plato, Euthyphro (go to http://books.mirror.org)

 

 

 

 

 

Feminist Ethics

#4 93-109

 

 

 

 

 

Continue Feminist Ethics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#1 Annette Baier, 358-374

 

#2 Virginia Held, “Feminist Transformations of Moral Theory,” Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Vol. 50, Supplement (Autumn, 1990), pp. 321-344.  JSTOR

 

#3 Annette Baier, “What Do Women Want in a Moral Theory?”  Nous, Vol. 19, No. 1, 1985 APA Western Div. Meetings (Mar, 1985), pp. 53-65.  JSTOR

 

 

 

 

 

Race & Ethnic Identity

#1 110-124

 

 

 

 

 

Morality and the Emotions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#1 249-261

 

#2 Leslie Farber, “The Faces of Envy,” in Kruschwitz and Roberts, The Virtues (Belmont, CA:  Wadsworth, 1987), pp. 164-170.  ON RESERVE OR IN CLASS.

 

#3 Lawrence Blum, “Compassion,” from Explaining Emotions, ed. Amelie O. Rorty, (Berkeley:  Univ. California Pr., 1980), 507-518.  ON RESERVE OR IN CLASS.  Also in Kruschwitz and Roberts, pp. 229-236

 

#4 TBA

 

 

 

Self Control and Courage

 

#1 294-307

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ethics of Friendship

#1 237-248

 

#2 Aristotle – Bks. VIII and IX of Nicomachean Ethics – see http://books.mirror.org

 

#3 R.W. Emerson – source TBA – on reserve or in class.

#4 Michel Montaigne –source TBA – on reserve or in class.

 

 

 

 

Supererogation and Welfare Ethics

#1 380-392

 

#2 Susan Wolf, “Moral Saints,” The Journal of Philosophy, 79, 8 (August 1982), 419-39.  JSTOR

 

#3 Others on Supererogation – TBA – Urmson and Susan Hale – on reserve or in class.

 

 

 

 

 

Self Respect and Human Value

 

#1 264-279

 

#2 R.W. Emerson, “Self-Reliance” – go to http://books.mirror.org.

 

#3 Thomas E. Hill, Jr., “Servility and Self-Respect,” The Monist, Vol. 57, No. 1 (January 1973), pp. 87-104.

 

#4 Jean Hampton, “The Wisdom of the Egoist,” in Self-Respect, ….. – on reserve or in-class.

 

 

 

 

Apr 9-13

Abortion and Human Value

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#1 126-140

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#2 Judith Jarvis Thomson, “In Defense of Abortion,” Philosophy and Public Affairs, 1, no. 1 (1971), 47-66.  JSTOR.

 

#3 Don Marquis, “Why Abortion is Immoral,” in Jour. Phil. – online.

 

#4 Walter Sinnot-Armstrong – “You Can’t Lose What you Ain’t Never Had:  A Reply to Marquis on Abortion – on-line.

 

 

 

Euthanasia and Human Value

#1 336-348

 

James Rachels on Active and Passive Euthanasia – on reserve or in-class.

 

 

 

Moral Responsibility

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#1 310-323

 

#2 Virginia Held, “Can a Random Collection of Individuals be Morally Responsible?”  The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 67, No. 14 (Jul 23, 1970), pp. 471-481.  JSTOR.

 

#3 Sartre from Being and Nothingness and Aristotle from Nic. Ethics – on reserve or in class.

Paper 2 is due April 20

 

 

Animals and the Environment

#1 141-152, 153-168

 

#2 Carol Adams, “Bringing Peace Home:  A Feminist Philosophical Perspective on the Abuse of Women, Children and Animals, HYPATIA, pp. 63-84, vol. 9, no. 2, spr. 1994.

 

 

Apr 23

Last Day of Classes

Review for Final Exam, Closing Comments

 

 

 

REVIEW FOR FINAL EXAM

 

Final Exam

 

 

 

 

Friday 4/27 from 1:00-3:50

 

Remember to turn in the form (distributed with the short version of the syllabus) by 1/19/2001.  It is a course requirement.