Dr Christian Perring Office: 1601 POT Phone: 7-7171
Office Hours: TR 11am - 12pm, or by appointment
E-mail: cperring@ukcc.uky.edu URL:
http://www,uky.edu/~cperring/PHI530.html
This course is about the nature of morality and how we know what is
right. Although the primary question to be answered is "how
should I live?," much of the discussion will occur at the meta-level,
trying to sort out what is involved in answering that question. In
order to ground the discussion, we will start off by reading Norman Care's
recent book, Living With One's Past, which is a discussion of real moral
issues that face ordinary people, with a special focus on the ethical implications
of being a recovering alcoholic. We will move on to a discussion
of human nature and natural moral feelings, with James Wilson's The Moral
Sense. A quick study of Hume and Kant's moral theories will prepare
us for the contemporary metaethical debate. For approximately the
second half of the semester, we will look at recent ethical theory, and
some of the debates that preoccupy moral philosopers today: moral realism
and anti-realism, McDowell's moral sense theory, and Rawls' and Habermas'
constructivist theories. The written requirements for this course
are quite light, but students will need to immerse themselves in the readings
and should be prepared to work hard at understanding them.
Work.
Attendance is required. Worth 10%: You lose 1% of your course grade
for each class you miss without excuse. Class Participation: Worth
10%. 4 five-page papers, each worth 20%.
Grading Scale. We will not use the +/- system for this course.
90 - 100 = A 80 - 89 = B 70 - 79 = C 60 - 69 =D Below
60 = E
Schedule.
August 28 R - INTRODUCTION. I will want a page of information,
with the name you want to be called in class, last 4 digits of your SS#,
your phone number, e-mail address, major, and a list of philosophy or other
relevant classes taken. I also want a description of yourself and
explanation of your interest in the nature of morality, mentioning any
particular issues you would like to learn more about Ñ a few sentences
for each.
September 2 T - DEALING WITH ONE'S OWN IMPERFECT LIFE
Reading: NC: Ch. 1
4 R - Reading: NC: Ch. 2
9 T - Reading: NC: Ch. 3
11 R - Reading: NC: Ch. 4
16 T - Reading: NC: Ch. 5
18 R - HUMAN NATURE AND MORAL SENSE
Reading: JW: Part One
23 T - Reading: JW: Part Two (First paper due)
25 R - HUME
Reading: Hume
30 T - Reading: Hume
October 2 R - KANT
Reading: Kant
7 T - Reading: Kant
9 R - REASONS, MOTIVES, AND THE DEMANDS OF MORALITY
Reading: MDP: 19. From The Possibility of Altruism, Thomas Nagel
14 T - Reading: MDP: 21. Internal and External Reasons, Bernard Williams
16 R - Reading: MDP: 22. Skepticism About Practical Reason, Christine
Korsgaard
21 T - Reading: MDP: 23. The Sources of Normativity, Christine Korsgaard
(Second paper due)
23 R - PROBLEMS
Reading: MDP: 2. From Principia Ethica, G. E. Moore
28 T - Reading: MDP: 6. From Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong, J.
L. Mackie
30 R - METAETHICS: REALISM
Reading: MDP: 7. How to be a Moral Realist, Richard Boyd
November 4 T - Reading: MDP: 8. Moral Realism, Peter Railton
6 R - METAETHICS: ANTIREALISM
Reading: MDP: 9. How to Be an Ethical Anti-Realist, Simon Blackburn
11 T - Reading: MDP: 10. Wise Choices, Apt Feelings, Allan Gibbard
13 R - SENSIBILITY THEORIES
Reading: MDP: 11. Value and Secondary Qualities, John McDowell
18 T - Reading: MDP: 12. Projection and Truth in Ethics, John McDowell
(Third paper due)
20 R - CONSTRUCTIVISM
Reading: MDP: 14. Kantian Constructivism in Moral Theory, John Rawls
25 T - [buffer zone]
December 2 T - Reading: MDP: 15. Contractualism and Utilitarianism,
T. M. Scanlon
4 R - Reading: MDP: 16. Discourse Ethics: Notes on a Program of Philosophical
Justification, Jurgen Habermas
9 T - [buffer zone]
15 M - (Fourth paper due)