Grading Scale
Free Quiz Procedures
Midterm Quiz Grade Explanation
Paper Assignment
Possible Paper Topics
Suggestions for Writing Your Philosophy Paper
MISCELLANEOUS
Conclusions about Moral Theory
Tues, Apr 19: CH 13, What Would a Satisfactory Moral Theory Be Like? EMP 175-184
Conclusions about Moral Theory
Virtue Ethics
Thurs, Apr 14: CH 12, Virtue Ethics, EMP 159-174
We will do course evaluations at beginning of class, bring smartphone/computer
To evaluate this course click here
Philosophy Bachelors Essay preentations, Friday, Mar 15, 2:00 in ECTR111
Graduating senior Aubrey O’Brien ("Explaining Boredom and a Naturalistic Account of Virtue Ethics") and Steven Sanborn ( "Dog in Sheep’s Clothing: Doing Anti-Luck Epistemology Well")
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Helen Longino, “Putting Social Epistemology of Science Into Practice”
Thursday 4/14/16 at 6:30 pm in Alumni Hall, Randolph Hall
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Feminism and Feminist Ethics
Apr 12: Class discussion on Feminism (sign up for one, read all)
Procedure for group discussions
12:15 sign-up sheets
1:40 sign-up
sheets
Feminism and Feminist Ethics
Feminism
Women/Gender Studies at CofC
Are Woman Human? by Catherine McKinnon,
U.S. Women's Soccer Team Members File Federal Equal-Pay Complaint
Feminist Perspectives on Objectification
Bechdel Test Movie List
Why Women Still Can't Have It All
"As a Muslim woman, I see the veil as a rejection of progressive values" by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
Why Do They Hate Us?
Feminist Follies: Facing Facts at Fifty
When we Hated Mom
America the Beautiful trailer
SC Among Top Ten States in Which Women Killed by Men
Brazil's Obsession with Plastic Surgery
(Anti)Feminist Humor: Is this funny? Is it sexist? (video)
David Benatar, “The Second Sexism: Discrimination Against Men and Boys” (35 pages)
Friday, Apr 8, PAPER DUE
Paper copy--not email, due by 1pm, 14 Glebe, inside mailbox
Thurs, Apr 7: CH 11, Feminism and the Ethics of Care EMP 147-158
Thursday, April 7 at 4:15 in 14 Glebe
Elaina Cole (Computer Science major, CofC), Copy of Paper
"Teenage Wasteland: The 1980s Teen Comedy as a Revitalized Screwball Comedy”
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Metaphysics: Mind and Body, Personal Identity, and Free Will
Tues, Apr 5: Thomas Nagel, “Free Will”
Metaphysics: Mind and Body, Personal Identity, and Free Will
Sustainability Week (April 4-9th) (Flier)
Wed, Apr 6, 12pm, Addlestone Library, Rm 227
Chair of Geology, Mitch Colgan
“Climate Change in the Arctic and What it Means to Charleston”
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Wed, Apr 6, 12-1, Stern Ballroom
Institutional Racism
Green Bag Lunch Series
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Wed, Apr 6, 2-3, Stern Ballroom
The Social Side of Contraception
Women's Health Research Team and Women's and Gender Studies at CofC
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Thurs, Mar 31: Daniel Dennett, “Where Am I?" (good copy)
Where Am I?” (copy with missing letters)
Thurs, Mar 31, 6pm: “American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity, and Making a Difference,” Bryan Stevenson, Sottile Theatre, 44 George Street
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Tues, Mar 29: Thomas Nagel, “The Mind-Body Problem
Undisciplined Religion Research: Queer Topics at the Boundaries of the Field
Dr. Claudia Schippert, University of Central Florida
Wed, March 30, 3:30 - 5pm, Wells Fargo in the Beatty Center, 5 Liberty St
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Kantian Non-Consequential (Deontological) Moral Theory
Thurs, Mar 24: CH 10, Kant and Respect for Persons, EMP 137-146
Kantian Non-Consequential (Deontological) Moral Theory
Rachels on Kant and Respect for Persons
Rachels on Kantian Retributivism and Untilitarianism on Punishment
Thurs, Mar 24 at 4:15 in 14 Glebe Lounge
Immoral Art: Moral and Aesthetic Impact of Bad Characters in Film (particularly animated film)
Aesthetic Work Group meeting led
by Caroline Requierme (CofC, Computing and the Arts major)
Background paper on Morality and Art
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Thurs, Mar 24,7pm: Cracks in the Glass: Possibilities and Challenges for SC Women in Public Service
Wachovia Auditoruim,
Beatty Center (5 Liberty)
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Tues, Mar 22: CH 9, Are There Absolute Moral Rules? EMP 126-136
Friday, Mar 18: PAPER PROPOSAL DUE
(send by email to: hettingern@cofc.edu)
Paper Assignment
Possible Paper Topics
Utilitarianism (continued)
Mar 17: CH 8, Debate over Utilitarianism, EMP 111-125
Utilitarianism (continued)
Bag It:
A
a documentary which explores the plastic pollution problem (film synopsis)
Thursday, March 17th, 7pm Addlestone Library 227
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Plastic State of Mind (video humor)
Environmental Philosophy
Tuesday, Mar 15: Dale Jamieson on Respecting Nature, Climate Change and the Anthropocene
Jamieson & Nadzam, "The Anthropocene" from Love in the Anthropocene
Jamieson, "Respect for Nature" from Reason in a Dark Time: Why The Struggle Against Climate Change Failed and What it Means for our Future
Environmental Philosophy
Jamieson, The Anthropocene: Love it or leave it
Tues, Mar 15, 3:15, Alumni Center, 86 Wentworth
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Peter Singer interviewing Dale Jamieson on Reason in a Dark Time (56 min video)
Audio of Jamieson talking about his book
Maps of sea level rise Charleston area
Naming Hurricanes After Politicians who Deny Climate Change (video, humor)
Thursday, Mar 3: Ned Hettinger, “Age of Man Environmentalism & Respect for an Independent Nature”
Utilitarianism
Tues, Mar 1: CH 7, The Utilitarian Approach, EMP 99-110
Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism
Douglas Husak, “Four Points about Drug Decriminalization”
Animals
Marty's Place
New York Times Essay Contest on Why Ethical to Eat Meat
Give Thanks for Meat (Pro eating meat essay contest winner; if interested see also other finalists essays)
Silverman's Wager (Parody on Pascal's Wager)
Thursday, Feb 25: MIDTERM EXAM
Greedy Lying Bastards
(About the people and organizations casting doubt on climate science)
Join Students for Social Innovation and the Vegan Club for their next documentary
Thursday, February 25th, 7pm,
Addlestone Library 227,
Film Synopsis
(Free quiz opportunity)
From Subjective Physicalism to Panpsychism
Robert J. Howell, Southern Methodist University
Thursday, Feb 25, Library rm. 227 3:15pm
(Free quiz opportunity)
Social and Political Philosophy
Tuesday, Feb 23: CH 6, The Social Contract Theory, EMP 82-98
Social and Political Philosophy
Aesthetics Work Group, Tues, Feb 23, 3:30, 14 Glebe
"The Quest for a Common Standard: Wittgenstein and Kant on the Rules of Art”
Hanne Appelqvist (University of Helsinki)
(Free quiz opportunity)
Social and Political Philosophy
Joel Feinberg, “Hard Cases for the Harm Principle”
(and “A Ride on the Bus”)
Racial Equality
Freedom Summer Links
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Legal Scholar: Jim Crow Still Exists In America (audio)
White Privilege
“Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh
Egoism
Thursday, Feb 18: CH 5, Ethical Egoism, EMP 64-81
Egoism
An Argument Against Egoism
Does Money Make You Mean? (10 min audio)
Ayn Rand on Evils of Altruism (9 min video)
Thurs, Feb 11: Problem of Evil
Fyodor Dostoevsky, "The Sufferings of Little Children"
John Hick,"The Problem of Evil"
John Hick, "Evil and the Infinite Future Good"
About Dostoevsky
About John Hick
Women in Philosophy (WIP) Movie Night
Ex Machina, Monday, Feb 15, 5pm, Maybank 206
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
"What is a Musical Work?" by Drew Wyckoff (Philosophy and Biology major, CofC)
Friday 2/12 at 3:30, 14 Glebe Lounge
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Tues, Feb 9: William James, “The Will to Believe”
EVOLUTION SUNDAY: A Religious Naturalist Goes to the State Board of Education
Sunday, February 14 Two services – 8:30 and 11:00 AM Circular Congregational Church 150 Meeting Street, Rev. Dr. Jeremy Rutledge
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
The Antievolutionists: From the Scopes Trial to Intelligent Design
by Dr. Ronald L. Numbers
Tuesday, Feb 9, 4:30 PM CofC School of Sciences and Math Auditorium
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
About William James Wiki on James
Climate Change and Pascal’s Wager (9 min video)
The Origin of The Controversy: Revisiting the Battlefields of Science and Religion
Monday, February 8 at 7:00 PM Gage Hall, 4 Archdale Street (3 blocks south of campus)
Dr. Ronald L. Numbers
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
"Activism vs. Antagonism: Socially-Engaged Art from Bourriaud to Bishop and Beyond.”
Thursday, February 4 at 3:30, 14 Glebe, Philosophy Lounge
Aesthetics Work Group meeting discussion by Jay Miller (Philosophy, Warren Wilson College) on his attached paper on contemporary performance art.
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
Tuesday, Feb 2: Class discussion about religion topics
Procedure for group discussions
What you signed up for 12:15 1:40
Religion and Science
Faith and Science Can Find Common Ground
Religion and Violence
'Not In God's Name' Confronts Religious Violence With A 'Different Voice' NPR author interview (includes audio)
Religion and Politics
Conservative Christians Are Still Fighting Gay Marriage, But It's An Uphill Battle Against The Courts
Religious Pluralism
Christian Split: Can Nonbelievers Be Saved?
Atheism
'Woodstock For Atheists': A Moment For Nonbelievers (includes audio)
Science and Religion
Americans' Views on Evolution
Defending Darwin
Religion and Violence
Not in God's Name: Confronting Religious Violence (about the book, includes video)
Wiki on Sam Harris' The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
Religion and Politics
Christians Debate: Was Jesus for Small Government?
Alabama Governor: Only Christians are my Brothers
Kentucky Clerk Refusing to Issue Marriage Licence to Gay Couple (video)
Atheism and Secular Humanism
Seven Facts about Atheists
“More Atheists Shout from the Rooftops”
Debate between Atheist and Theist at CofC
Review of Philip Kitcher's Life After Faith: The Case for Secular Humanism
**Richard Dawkins, How an Atheists Looks at Sex, Death, and the Meaning of Life (video)
Do the New Atheists Have Any New Ideas? (5 min video debate with Dan Dennett)
Local Humanist and Atheists Groups
Secular Humanists of the Low Country
CofC Atheist-Humanist Alliance
CofC Secular Student Alliance Facebook page
Thursday, Jan 28: Richard Taylor "God"
"THE HOUSE I LIVE IN"
(Has the War on Drugs Been Effective?)
Thursday, 1/28, 7pm in SSMB129
(Free Quiz Opportunity)
(Free quiz = attend event, send brief--1 or 2 paragraphs--email describing main ideas of event and your ideas in response to hettingern@cofc.edu within one week and receive credit for a quiz.)
Free Quiz opportunity on "Covers" Friday, Jan 22, 14 Glebe 3:30
Trans-Sexuality
Tuesday, Jan 26: Julia Serano, "Intrinsic Inclinations: Explaining Gender and Sexual Diversity"
Trans-Sexuality
Alison Bechdel, "Trans-Dykes to Watch Out For" (comic strip article in power point)
Talia Mae Bettcher, “Without a Net, Starting Points for Trans Stories”
Elinor Burkett, What Makes a Woman? (A feminist critique of trans?) and critique of that essay
Juggling Gender (25 min video interview with Jennifer Miller, circus entertainer, professor, and woman with a beard)
Subjectivity and Objectivity
Thursday, Jan 21: CH 3, Subjectivism in Ethics, EMP 33-48
Subjectivity and Objectivity
Cultural Relativism
Tuesday, Jan 19: CH 2, The Challenge of Cultural Relativism, EMP 15-32
Cultural Relativism
Thursday, Jan 14: Class discussion about cultural relativism examples. Procedure for discussions
American superiority? "Battle Over Patriotism Curriculum”
Cruel and unusual punishments? “Men Stoned to Death for Adultery ”
Female genital cutting? “The Ritual: Disfiguring, Hurtful, Wildly Festive” and “Village by Village, Circumcising a Ritual”
Husbands beating wives? “Do Korean Men Still Beat Their Wives? Definitely”
Women wearing a veil in public? Should there be restrictions on wearing the niqab? - five-minute video debate
Wiki on prevalence of female genital cutting
Female Genital _Mutilation: Tolerating_the Intolerable by_Xiaorong Li
"As a Muslim woman, I see the veil as a rejection of progressive values" by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
The Nature of Morality
Tuesday, Jan 12: CH 1, What is Morality? James Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 8th edition, (hereafter, EMP), pp. 1-14
David Wasserman, “Killing Mary to Save Jodie: Conjoined Twins and Individual Rights”
Peggy Battin: Choosing the Least Worst Death (20 min Ted Talk)
Difference between 8th and 7th editions of Rachels Text Page 1 Page 2
Feminism
Melinda Gates on Unpaid Work
Catherine McKinnon, Are Woman Human?
U.S. Women's Soccer Team Members File Federal Equal-Pay Complaint
Feminist Perspectives on Objectification
Wiki on Bechdel Test
Bechdel Test Movie List
Why Women Still Can't Have It All
Myths That Make It Hard To Stop Campus Rape
"As a Muslim woman, I see the veil as a rejection of progressive values" by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
Myth of Male Decline
Why Do They Hate Us?
Feminist Follies: Facing Facts at Fifty
When we Hated Mom
Miss Representation Trailer
America the Beautiful trailer
SC Among Top Ten States in Which Women Killed by Men
Brazil's Obsession with Plastic Surgery
(Anti)Feminist Humor: Is this funny? (video)
David Benatar, “The Second Sexism: Discrimination Against Men and Boys” (35 pages)
Help With Writing
Racial Equality
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Legal Scholar: Jim Crow Still Exists In America (audio)
White Privilege
“Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh
Virtue Ethics
Martha Nussbaum, Transitional Anger (Is Anger Rational?)
Sex
Simon Blackburn's book on Lust
Book Review of Blackburn's Lust
Trans-sexuality
Talia Mae Bettcher, "Without a Net: Starting Points for Trans Stories"
Alison Bechdel, "Trans-Dykes to Watch Out For" (comic strip article)
Elinor Burkett, What Makes a Woman? (Feminism versus Trans?)
Critique of "What Makes a Woman" (above)
Julia Serano, "Intrinsic Inclinations: Explaining Gender and Sexual Diversity"
Juggling Gender (25 min video interview with Jennifer Miller, circus entertainer, professor, and woman with a beard)
Animals
New York Times Essay Contest on Why Ethical to Eat Meat
Give Thanks for Meat (Pro eating meat essay contest winner; if interested see also other finalists essays)
Death Penalty
Flaws in Death Penalty Research
20 Years Defending Death Row Inmates
Philosophy of Religion
Site with Phil of Religion articles (all pro?)
Religion and Environment
Pope Francis on Environment (Cafaro summary of his views)
For Faithful, Social Justice Goals Demand Action on Environment
Religion and Science
Faith and Science Can Find Common Ground
Beliefs in Evolution/Creationism
Michael Dowd talk at CofC on "Religious Naturalism" (video)
Religion and Violence:
'Not In God's Name' Confronts Religious Violence With A 'Different Voice' NPR author interview
Wiki on Sam Harris' The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
Religion and Politics
Limits on Discrimination based on 1st Amendment Religious Freedom: Baker Must Bake Cake for Homosexuals
Courts rule against Religion Based Discrimination against Homosexuals
Christians Debate: Was Jesus for Small Government?
Alabama Governor: Only Christians are my Brothers
Atheism and Secular Humanism
“Can Nonbelievers Be Saved?”
“More Atheists Shout from the Rooftops”
Woodstock for Atheists
Debate between Atheist and Theist at CofC
Review of Philip Kitcher's Life After Faith: The Case for Secular Humanism
Richard Dawkins, How an Atheists Looks at Sex, Death, and the Meaning of Life (video)
Do the New Atheists Have Any New Ideas? (5 min video debate with Dan Dennett)
Local Humanist and Atheists Groups
Secular Humanists of the Low Country
CofC Atheist-Humanist Alliance
CofC Secular Student Alliance Facebook page
Darwin Week
The Origin of The Controversy:
Revisiting the Battlefields of Science and Religion
Monday, February 8 at 7:00 PM
Gage Hall
Dr. Ronald L. Numbers
Gage Hall
Dr. Ronald L. Numbers
The Antievolutionists:
From the Scopes Trial to Intelligent Design
Tuesday, February 9 at 4:30 PM
CofC School of Sciences and Math Auditorium
Dr. Ronald L. Numbers
CofC School of Sciences and Math Auditorium
Dr. Ronald L. Numbers
EVOLUTION SUNDAY
A Religious Naturalist Goes to
the State Board of Education
Sunday, February 14
Two services – 8:30 and 11:00 AM
Circular Congregational Church
150 Meeting Street
Rev. Dr. Jeremy Rutledge
Two services – 8:30 and 11:00 AM
Circular Congregational Church
150 Meeting Street
Rev. Dr. Jeremy Rutledge
Environment
Jamieson, "The Anthropocene" from Love in the Anthropocene
Jamieson, "Respect for Nature" from Reason in a DarkTime: Why The Struggle Against Climate Change Failed and What it Means for our Future
Hettinger, "Defending Aesthetic Protectionism"
Climate Change and (some, not all, in) the Republican Party
Faith, Morality, and the Environment: Portrait Global Warming's Six Americas
GRE scores by Major
Discussion of above
Philosophy a Practical Major?
Reasons to Major in Philosophy
Liberal Arts Grads Win Long-Term
About the CofC Philosophy Major
Euthanasia
Peggy Battin: Choosing the Least Worst Death (20 min Ted Talk)
Egoism
