Schedule of Assignments, Philosophy 101, Fall 2012
1. Aug 21: Introduction
The Nature of Morality
2. Aug 23: CH 1, What is Morality? James Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 7th edition, (hereafter, EMP), pp. 1-13
Objectivity, Subjectivity, and Relativism in Ethics and Aesthetics
3. Aug 28: CH 2, The Challenge of Cultural Relativism, EMP 14-31
a. Optional readings on class webpage: “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”
4. Aug 30: Holmes Rolston, “Does the Aesthetic Appreciation of Landscapes Need to be Science-Based?” on class webpage
5. Sept 4: CH 3, Subjectivism in Ethics, EMP 32-48
a. Optional readings about sexuality on class webpage: 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)
Philosophy of Religion
6. Sept 6: Richard Taylor "God," on class webpage
7. Sept 11: Bertrand Russell "Why I Am Not A Christian," on class webpage
a. Optional readings on class webpage: “Can Nonbelievers Be Saved?”; “More Atheists Shout from the Rooftops”
8. Sept 13: William James, “The Will to Believe,” on class webpage
9. Sept 18: Louis Pojman, “Faith, Hope, and Doubt,” on class webpage
10. Sept 20: Fyodor Dostoevsky, "The Sufferings of Little Children," on class webpage
11. Sept 25: Two readings: John Hick,"The Problem of Evil" and John Hick, "Evil and the Infinite Future Good" both on class webpage
12. Sept 27: CH 4, Does Morality Depend on Religion? EMP 49-63
Egoism
13. Oct 2: CH 5, Ethical Egoism, EMP 64-81
14. Oct 4: MIDTERM EXAM
Social and Political Philosophy
15. Oct 9: CH 6, The Social Contract Theory, EMP 82-97
16. Oct 11: Joel Feinberg, “Hard Cases for the Harm Principle” and “A Ride on the Bus,” both on class webpage
Utilitarianism
17. Oct 16: CH 7, The Utilitarian Approach, EMP 98-109
18. Oct 18: CH 8, Debate over Utilitarianism, EMP 110-124
PAPER PROPOSAL DUE (Friday, Oct 19th, send by email to: hettingern@cofc.edu)
19. Oct 23: 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) on class webpage
Oct 23: Campus visit and talk by author Jonathan Foer on Eating Animals
Kantian Moral Theory
20. Oct 25: CH 9, Are There Absolute Moral Rules? EMP 125-135
21. Oct 30: CH 10, Kant and Respect for Persons, EMP 136-145
Metaphysics: Mind and Body, Personal Identity, and Free Will
22. Nov 1: Thomas Nagel, “The Mind-Body Problem,” on class webpage
Tuesday Nov 6th, Election day, no class
23. Nov 8: Daniel Dennett, “Where Am I?” on class webpage
PAPER DUE (Friday, Nov 9th, hard copy--not email)
24. Nov 13: Thomas Nagel, “Free Will”” on class webpage
Feminism and Feminist Ethics
25. Nov 15: CH 11, Feminism and the Ethics of Care EMP 146-156
a. Optional readings on class webpage: Susan Kwilecki and Loretta Wilson, “Feminist Follies: Facing Facts at Fifty”; David Benatar, “The Second Sexism: Discrimination Against Men and Boys”; and “Miss Representation” (video)
26. Nov 20: John Stuart Mill, “The Subjection of Women,” on class web page
Virtue Ethics
27. Nov 27: CH 12, Virtue Ethics, EMP 157-172
Conclusions about Moral Theory
28. Nov 29: CH 13, What Would a Satisfactory Moral Theory Be Like? EMP 173-183
FINAL EXAM (For date, see syllabus)