Philosophy: Ethics
Course No. 05-09-211-70
Fall 2006, MW 4-5:40
Bldg. 1, Room 2000
Mr. Robison
Syllabus
Week 1
Monday, September 4th
Topic: Requirements and aims of course; providing reasons for beliefs
Wednesday, September 6th
Topic: Providing reasons for beliefs, again. Overview of moral visions.
Assignment: Arguments at http://www.rit.edu/~wlrgsh/courses_deduction.html.
Week 2
Monday, September 11th
Topic: Ethical questions permeate our lives--as illustrated in "Two Tars." Utilitarianism.
Assignment: Mill, Chapters 1 & 2 of UtilitarianismWednesday, September 13th
Topic: The fundamentals of utilitarianism.
Assignment: See the outlines at http://www.rit.edu/~wlrgsh/Mill.html.
Exam #1
Week 3
Monday, September 18th
Topic: Utilitarianism, conscience and justification of the theory
Assignment: Mill, Utilitarianism, Chapters 3 & 4Wednesday, September 20th
Topic: Utilitarianism and justice
Assignment: Mill, Utilitarianism, Chapter 5
Week 4
Monday, September 25th
Topic: Utilitarianism and justice again
Assignment: Chapter 6 of Robison & Reeser, Ethical Decision-Making in Social Work, downloadable at http://www.rit.edu/ethics/SWEthics.html.Wednesday, September 27th
Topic: Justice yet again
Assignment: Reread relevant portions of Robison & Reeser; for a summary of the differences between substantive and procedural justice and a look at procedural justice, go to http://www.rit.edu/~wlrgsh/courss_justice.html
Exam #2
Week 5
Monday, October 2nd
Topic: Onto Kant! An overview
Assignment: Christine Korsgaard, Introduction of Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals, vii-xxxWednesday, October 4th
Topic: The initial details for Kant
Assignment: Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals, 1-18
Week 6
Monday, October 9th
Topic: Kant's categorical imperative
Assignment: Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals, 19-51
Wednesday, October 11th
Topic: Kant Again
Assignment: Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals, 19-51
Exam #3
Week 7
Monday, October 16th
Topic: Comparison of Mill and Kant
Assignment: Reread Korsgaard's Introduction
Wednesday, October 18th
Topic: Problems with Kant
Week 8
Monday, October 23rd
Topic: Kant, cleaning up. Paper assignment? Discussion of issues you may be having in writing yours.
Wednesday, October 25th
Topic: Onto Aristotle! On the highest good and happiness.
Assignment: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 1-32
Exam#4
Week 9
Monday, October 30th
Topic: Virtues
Assignment: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 33-53
Wednesday, November 1st
Topic: The preconditions of virtue and examples of virtue
Assignment: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 53-115
Paper due. No tardy papers accepted. Send pdf to wlrgsh@rit.edu.
Week 10
Monday, November 6th
Topic: Particular virtues
Assignment: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 53-115 again
Wednesday, November 8th
Topic: Overview of moral visions
Exam #5