Intro to Philosophy 2012 Hettinger

Introduction to Philosophy

	Ned Hettinger, Fall 2012 Syllabus Schedule of Assignments Spring Philosophy Courses Explanation of quiz scores Explanation of exam scores Paper Assignment Possible Articles for Papers Suggestions for Writing Your Philosophy Paper Please evaluate this course! Go directly to coursereview.cofc.edu or use the course-instructor evaluation channel/box on the student tab in MyCharleston Final Exam Study Questions	Why Major/Minor in Philosophy? GRE scores by Major How to Major/Minor in Philosophy Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Eating Animals Events
Date	Readings for Class	Class Notes	Miscellaneous
Thurs, Nov 29	Conclusions about Moral Theory CH 13, What Would a Satisfactory Moral Theory Be Like? EMP 173-183	Rachels' Moral Theory	"God or Atheism: Where Does the Evidence Point?" Wed, Nov 28, 8pm, Physicians (Free quiz opportunity)
Tues, Nov 27	Virtue Ethics CH 12, Virtue Ethics, EMP 157-172	Rachels on Virtue Ethics	Temple Grandin Public Lecture, Nov 27, 7:00 pm. Sottile Theatre (Free quiz opportunity) Bekoff, Going to Slaughter: Should Animals Hope to Meet Temple Grandin? Are Animals Autistic Savants?
Tues, Nov 20	Feminism and Feminist Ethics John Stuart Mill, “The Subjection of Women” (starts at right column toward the bottom)	Mill on Feminism	Feminism Women/Gender Studies at CofC Myths That Make It Hard To Stop Campus Rape Non Stranger Rape ACLU Files Suit To Allow Women In Combat Positions Myth of Male Decline Why Do They Hate Us? Feminist Follies: Facing Facts at Fifty When we Hated Mom Video: Miss Representation America the Beautiful trailer SC Among Top Ten States in Which Women Killed by Men
Thurs, Nov 15	CH 11, Feminism and the Ethics of Care, EMP 146-156	Rachels on Feminist Ethics
	Metaphysics		Fate of Oxen at Green Mtn College
Tues, Nov 13	Thomas Nagel, “Free Will”	Nagel on Free Will	Adventures in Rationalism, Mon, Nov 12, 6:30, Randolf Hall (Free Quiz Opportunity)
Fri, Nov 9: PAPER DUE (hard copy--not email, to 14 Glebe inside mailbox, 3pm)
Thurs, Nov 8	Daniel Dennett, “Where Am I?”	Dennett on Personal Identity and Mind/Body	Thomas Nadelhoffer, “Believing in Free Will: A Philosophical Psychological Investigation” Thurs Nov , 3:15 – 4:45, ECTR 113. (Free Quiz Opportunity)
Thurs, Nov 1	Thomas Nagel, “The Mind-Body Problem”	Nagel on Mind and Body	Eating Loved Farm Animals
	Kantian (Non-Consequentialist) Moral Theory
Tues, Oct 30	CH 10, Kant and Respect for Persons, EMP 136-145	Rachels on Kantian Respect for Persons Utilitarianism versus Retributivism
Thurs, Oct 25	CH 9, Are There Absolute Moral Rules? EMP 125-135	Rachels on Kant and Absolute Rules
Tues, Oct 23	Eating Animals Jonathan Foer, from Eating Animals (“The Life and Death of a Bird,” pp. 129-137 and “I am the Last Poultry Farmer,” pp. 110-115) 6 finalist in essay contests (in red circle on left) New York Times Essay Contest on Why Ethical to Eat Meat		Eating Animals Tues, Oct 23, 5pm TD Arena: Talk by author Jonathan Foer on Eating Animals (Free Quiz Opportunity) Additional times to meet Foer: 2:00-3:00p, Stern Center Ballroom (First Year and Honors College Students and others) 3:15-4:00p, Stern Center Ballroom (Jewish Student Union, Jewish Studies faculty and students and others) (Free Quiz Opportunity) Where Cows are Happy and Food is Healthy Kristof, Please Wince (response to above and attack on Foer) College to Slaughter & Serve Beloved Oxen
Fri, Oct 19: PAPER PROPOSAL DUE (email to: hettingern@cofc.edu)	Utilitarianism
Thurs, Oct 18:	CH 8, Debate over Utilitarianism, EMP 110-124	Rachels on Debate over Utilitarianism
Tues, Oct 16	CH 7, The Utilitarian Approach, EMP 98-109	Rachels on Utilitarianism (Ch 7)
	Social and Political Philosophy
Thurs, Oct 11	Joel Feinberg, “Hard Cases for the Harm Principle” (and optional: “A Ride on the Bus”)	Feinberg on Liberty-Limiting Principles
Tues, Oct 9	CH 6, The Social Contract Theory, EMP 82-97	Rachels on Social Contract
Thurs, Oct 4 MIDTERM EXAM	Midterm exam study questions		(Free Quiz Opportunity) Why Women Still Can't Have It All Friday, Oct 5, Noon, Library 227 Article for above Myth of Male Decline
Tues, Oct 2	Egoism CH 5, Ethical Egoism, EMP 64-81	Rachels on Egoism
	Philosophy of Religion		Woodstock for Atheists Debate between Atheist and Theist at CofC Alabama Governor: Only Christians are my Brothers Christians Debate: Was Jesus for Small Government? An example of religion caused violence? Should Wives Obey?! Belief in Evolution/Creationism
Thurs, Sept 27	CH 4, Does Morality Depend on Religion? EMP 49-63	Ch 4, Rachels on Morality and Religion
Tues, Sept 25	John Hick,"The Problem of Evil" and John Hick, "Evil and the Infinite Future Good" (2 readings)	Hick's Theodicy	Carol Adams Sexual Politics of Meat Talk details Tues, Sept 25, 4pm, RSS 235 (free quiz opportunity)
Thurs, Sept 20	Fyodor Dostoevsky, "The Sufferings of Little Children"	Dostoevsky on Problem of Evil Possible Theodicies	Animal Minds Panel Animal Neuroethics Paper Thurs, Sept 20, 3:30, RS Smalls 235 (free quiz opportunity) about Dostoevsky
Tues, Sept 18	Louis Pojman, “Faith, Hope, and Doubt”	Pojman on Religious Belief
Thurs, Sept 13	William James, “The Will to Believe”	James on Will to Believe	about William James
Tues, Sept 11	Bertrand Russell, "Why I Am Not A Christian" Optional readings: “Can Nonbelievers Be Saved?” and “More Atheists Shout from the Rooftops”	Russell on Christianity	Art and Politics: Russian Feminist Punk Band Friday 9/7, 3:15 about Bertrand Russell
Thurs, Sept 6	Richard Taylor "God"	Taylor's Cosmological Argument	Kalam Cosmological Argument Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on Cosmological Argument
	Objectivity, Subjectivity, and Relativism in Ethics and Aesthetics
Tues, Sept 4	CH 3, Subjectivism in Ethics, EMP 32-48 Optional readings about sexuality: Sheila Lintott and Sherri Irvin and, “Sex Objects and Sexy Subjects: A Feminist Reclamation of Sexiness”; Talia Mae Bettcher, “Without a Net, Starting Points for Trans Stories”; Simon Blackburn on Truth and Lust (video)	Rachels on Subjectivism	bell hooks Friday Aug 31, 2pm, Sotille Theater (free quiz opportunity)
Thurs, Aug 30	Holmes Rolston, “Does the Aesthetic Appreciation of Landscapes Need to be Science-Based?”	Rolston on Aesthetic Appreciation of Landscapes
Tues, Aug 28	CH 2, The Challenge of Cultural Relativism, EMP 14-31 Optional readings: “Battle Over Patriotism Curriculum”; “Men Stoned to Death for Adultery”; “The Ritual: Disfiguring, Hurtful, Wildly Festive” and “Village by Village, Circumcising a Ritual”; “Do Korean Men Still Beat Their Wives? Definitely”	Rachels on Cultural Relativism	Female Genital_Cutting:_Tolerating_the Intolerable by_Xiaorong Li
Thurs, Aug 23	ICH 1, What is Morality? James Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 7th edition, (hereafter, EMP), pp. 1-13	Rachels, Ch 1: What is Morality?	Thompson, "A Defense of Abortion" Noonan, "An Almost Absolute Value in History" Rachels on "Killing versus Letting Die"
Tues, Aug 21	Introduction		Philosopher attack ad (humor) Kant













			Religion Cite with Phil of Religion articles Woodstock for Atheists Debate between Atheist and Theist at CofC Cite with Phil of Religion articles Alabama Governor: Only Christians are my Brothers Christians Debate: Was Jesus for Small Government?
			Death Penalty Flaws in Death Penalty Research 20 Years Defending Death Row Inmates
			Animals New York Times Essay Contest on Why Ethical to Eat Meat Eating Animals Events


			Feinberg, A Ride on the Bus
			Video: Simon Blackburn on Truth and Lust