Meeting

Date

Topic

Reading

1

January 8

Introductory Information

-

2

January 10

Overview of Theories

-

 

 

VIRTUE THEORY

AND RELIGIOUS ETHICS

3

January 15

Plato

Gorgias, Republic , 6-19

4

January 17

Aristotle

Continue Plato; Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, 20-34

-Notes on Aristotle's Ethics and Political Theory


5

January 22

Epicurus and Epictetus

Selections from several works of Epicurus and Epictetus, 35-59

6

January 24

Augustine and Aquinas

Selections from works of Augustine and Aquinas, 60-88

7

January 29

Overview of Virtue Theory

6 virtue theories - overview in class only.

8

January 31

Library Research

A research librarian will demonstrate the use of library resources

9

February 5

Philosophy of Friendship

Aristotle – Bks. VIII and IX of Nicomachean Ethics – see http://books.mirror.org AND
Cicero, "On Friendship," available online at:  

10

February 7

Philosophy of Friendship

M. Montaigne, "Of Friendship," at http://www.unc.edu/courses/reli032h/montaign.htm AND R.W. Emerson, "Of Friendship" at http://books.mirror.org

 

  MODERN

ETHICAL

THEORIES

11

February 12

Thomas Hobbes

From Leviathan and Rudiments, 89-102

-"Map" of Hobbes's ethics/politics in class

-Link to Hobbes Notes

-Another link:  Egoism


12

February 14

Butler, Hume

From Sermons and Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, 118-142

-Links to Butler and Hume


13

February 19

Kant & Mill

From Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, 143-156; From Utilitarianism , 157-171

-"Map" of Kant and Mill - in class

- Kant and Mill Notes

- Act and Rule Utilitarianism


14

February 21

Review for Midterm

In-class and sample test/review questions here

15

February 26

MIDTERM EXAM

 

 

 

PRAGMATISM

AND CRITIQUES OF ETHICAL THEORIES

16

February 28

Supererogation

Susan Wolf, “Moral Saints,” The Journal of Philosophy, 79, 8 (August 1982), 419-39.    JSTOR - available on-line through UCF Library

16

February 28 & Mar. 5

Supererogation

Joel Feinberg, "Supererogation and Rules," in the journal, Ethics, 1961, pp. 276-288 - available online through JSTOR. This article makes explicit reference to Urmson's article on supererogation.  NOTE:  If you are writing a paper on supererogation, please note that some of the best articles will probably have to be obtained though interlibrary loan.  So see what you want now so that you get them in time.

17

March 5

James

What Makes a Life Significant.  Link:   http://www.emory.edu/EDUCATION/mfp/jsignificant.html

18

March 7

Dewey

From Quest for Certainty , 228-241

 

March 12-14

 

 

Spring Break

19

March 19

Marx

From Selected Writings , 187-201

20

March 21

Nietzsche

From various sources, 213-227

 

 

THE   20TH

CENTURY AND BEYOND

21

March 26

Sartre, Williams


From Existentialism and Human Emotions and Morality:  An Introduction to Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy, 279-289, 353-361
TERM PAPER INFORMATION


22

March 28

Sarte, Williams, Ayer, Stevenson

Move Sartre and Williams and Ayer & Stevenson (264-278) here; NOTE SOME MINOR CHANGES IN ORDER OF PRESENTATION BETWEEN HERE AND APRIL 9.

- Notes on emotivism


23

April 2

Moore & Ross

From Principia Ethica and The Right and the Good, 242-253, 254-263


24

April 4

John Rawls
302-313: Ethics and Social Justice

25

April 9

Kurt Baier and Annette Baier

From The Moral Point of View and "Trust and Antitrust", 290-301 and 326-340

26

April 11

Self Respect and Human Value


R.W. Emerson, “Self-Reliance” – go to http://books.mirror.org - it is the second essay in the First Series.

AND INFO IN CLASS ON RELATED SOURCES

27

April 16

Continue Self Respect and Human Value


Jean Hampton - article on reserve - "The Wisdom of the Egoist..."

28

April 18

FINAL EXAM
THE FINAL EXAM WILL BE IN CLASS, TODAY, THE LAST REGULAR CLASS MEETING DAY.

29

Finals Week

-

-THE FINAL FOR THIS COURSE WILL NOT BE GIVEN DURING FINALS WEEK.  SEE APRIL 18.