Philosophy 8
Introduction
to Moral Philosophy
Winter 2003
Prof. Rex Gilliland
208B Thornton Hall
Phone: 6-9390
Office
Hrs: MW
Prof. Susan Brison
312
Phone: 6-3133
Office
Hrs: MW
Course Description: This course offers an historically-oriented introduction to moral philosophy. We will focus on the works of John Stuart Mill, Immanuel Kant, Aristotle, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Simone de Beauvoir, reading their texts carefully and examining their moral theories critically.
Lectures: Monday and
Wednesday,
Discussion sections:
Sec. #3—Friday
Sec. #4—Friday
Sec.
#6—Friday
Sec.
#7—Friday
Assignments:
In-class, one-hour midterm exam (2/3) 25%
In class, one-hour midterm exam (2/21) 25%
Cumulative, two-hour final exam (TBA) 40%
Discussions (including 5 one page papers) 10%
There will be a one page paper due at the beginning of each discussion section (except for the last one). The assignments for these papers will be handed out in lecture the Wednesday prior to section. These papers should be no longer than one typed, double spaced page with 12 point font and 1 inch margins.
Required Texts: plus occasional handouts
Mill, John Stuart, Utilitarianism.
Mill,
John Stuart, On the Subjection of Women
Kant, Immanuel, Ethical Philosophy
Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics (trans. Irwin), Second Edition
Nietzsche, Friedrich, On the Genealogy of Morals (trans. Kaufmann)
De Beauvoir, Simone, The Ethics of Ambiguity
All texts are available to be purchased at Wheelock Books.
Miscellaneous:
We strongly encourage students with disabilities, including invisible disabilities like
chronic diseases and learning disabilities, to discuss with us after class or during our office hours appropriate accommodations that might be helpful to them.
The Academic Honor Principle will be enforced; you should familiarize yourself with it.
The use of books and/or notes during an exam, for example, constitutes a violation of the Honor Principle.
Schedule:
1/6 Introduction to course and to utilitarianism (Bentham handout)
1/8 Mill, Utilitarianism, chs. 1 and 2 (pp. 1-25)
1/10 discussion sections Short Paper Topic #1
1/13 Mill, Utilitarianism, chs. 3 and 4 (pp. 26-40)
1/14 (x-hour) Mill, Utilitarianism, ch. 5 (pp. 41-63)
1/15 Mill, On the Subjection of Women (all)
(no discussion sections this week)
1/20 class cancelled for MLK Jr. day, moved to x-hour
1/21 (x-hour) Kant, Grounding Section 1 (pp. 7-17)
1/22 Kant, Grounding Section 2 (pp. 19-48)
1/24 discussion sections (on both Mill and Kant) Short Paper Topic #2
1/27 Kant, Metaphysical Principles of Virtue (pp. 82-111)
1/29 Kant, MPV (pp. 112-133), and “On a Supposed Right to Lie” (pp. 162-166)
1/31 discussion sections Short Paper Topic #3
2/3 First Midterm Exam Study Guide
2/4 (x-hour) Aristotle, Bk. I (pp. 1-18)
2/5 Aristotle, Bk. II and Bk. III, chs. 1-5 (pp. 18-40)
2/7 classes
cancelled for Winter Carnival, moved to x-hour
2/10 Aristotle, Bk. III, chs. 6-12 and Bk. IV (pp. 40-67)
2/12 Aristotle, Bk. V, (pp. 67-85)
2/14 discussion sections Short Paper Topic #4
2/17 Nietzsche, Preface and 1st Essay (pp. 15-56)
2/18 (x-hour), Nietzsche, 2nd Essay (pp. 57-96)
2/19 Nietzsche, 3rd Essay (pp. 97-163)
2/21 Second Midterm Exam (entire class meets in
Carpenter 13 from
2/24 Du Bois and De Beauvoir (handout)
2/26 De Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity Ch. I-II (pp. 7-73)
2/28 discussion sections
3/3 De Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity Ch. III sec. 1-3 (pp. 74-114)
3/5 De Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity Ch. III sec. 4-5, and Conclusion
(pp. 115-159)
3/7 discussion sections
3/11 Final
Exam