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Philosophy Vernon Pratt vice Doris SchroederDschroeder@uclan.ac.uk Tel. 01772 892550 |
PI2214Lecture: Friday 11-12, Harris 117 Seminars 1,2Friday 12-13, Harris 117 Friday 13-14, Vernon 80
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Foundations of EthicsModule Value – 1 (Single Module)Year - 2Semester 1PrerequisitesCompletion of Year 1 |
The Centre specialises in Applied Ethics but is firmly of the view that Applied Ethics must be grounded in a sound basis of philosophical work, including work in Meta-Ethics. This module will introduce students to different theories about the foundation of ethics and to ongoing debates about the status of moral judgements; and enable them to reflect on the basis of normative positions.
Syllabus/Content
| Week |
Date |
Content |
| 1 |
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Kant's theory of ethics 1 |
| 2 |
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Kant's theory of ethics 2 |
| 3 |
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Aristotelian ethics 1 |
| 4 |
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Aristotelian ethics 2 |
| 5 |
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Ethical relativism 1 |
| 6 |
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Reading Week |
| 7 |
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Ethical relativism 2 |
| 8 |
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The naturalistic fallacy |
| 9 |
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Utilitarianism 1 |
| 10 |
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Utilitarianism 2 |
| 11 |
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Ethical intuitionism |
| 12 |
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Environmental ethics |
Teaching and Learning Strategy
A combination of formal lecture and ‘workshop’ sessions in which a particular theme, as represented in a section or chapter relating to one of the syllabus topics, is examined in detail.
By the end of the module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate the ability to undertake conceptual analysis of key terms in ethical debates
2. Outline and discuss central problems and theories in meta-ethics
3. Present a critical analysis of these approaches
4. Present a reasoned argument on a particular topic in ethics
One essay (2,500 words) and one seen examination in which the student writes answers to two questions in two hours from the assessment. The two assessments are equally weighted at 50% each.
The following is intended to guide your reading. The basic texts have been chosen to give you a foundational grasp of the issue in question, and as such are essential reading, The “further reading” section is geared towards deepening this grasp. However, please feel free to explore other relevant texts if you cannot get hold of these, or if there is another text you would like to incorporate. You should aim to carefully read at least 10 pages (minimum) of serious philosophical reflection on the relevant issue each week, before your seminar.
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Core text |
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Sterba, J. (ed.) (1998) |
Ethics – The Big Questions, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, 170 ETH. THIS BOOK IS ON RESTRICTED LOAN FOR YOU! |
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Week 1 |
16 / 10 / 03 |
Kant’s Ethics 1 |
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Essential Reading |
· Immanuel Kant 'Duty and Categorical Rules', excerpt in Sterba, chapter 19, also available on-line, see Web Resources. |
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Further Reading
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· Piers Benn, Ethics, Chapter 4, UCL Press, London, 1997, 170 BEN. · Thomas Hill, 'Kantianism', in Hugh La Follette (ed), The Blackwell Guide to Ethical Theory, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, Chapter 12, 2000, 170 BLA. THIS BOOK IS ON RESTRICTED LOAN FOR YOU! |
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Week 2 |
23 / 10 / 03 |
Kant’s Ethics 2 |
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Essential Reading |
· Fred Feldman, 'Kantian Ethics', excerpt in Sterba, chapter 20. |
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Further Reading
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· H.B. Acton, Kant's Moral Philosophy, Macmillan, London, 1970, 171 ACT. · Allen Wood, Kant’s Ethical Thought, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1999, 170 KAN THIS BOOK IS ON RESTRICTED LOAN FOR YOU · Immanuel Kant in Mary J. Gregor (ed) Practical Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1996, 170/KAN, THIS BOOK IS ON RESTRICTED LOAN FOR YOU |
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Week 3 |
06 / 11 / 03 |
Aristotelian ethics 1 |
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Essential Reading |
· Aristotle, ‘The Virtuous Life’, excerpt in Sterba, chapter 25. |
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Further Reading
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· Aristotle, The ethics of Aristotle : the Nicomachean ethics, Penguin, Harmondswoth, 1955, 170 ARI. THIS BOOK IS ON RESTRICTED LOAN FOR YOU! |
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Week 4 |
25 / 09 / 03 |
Aristotelian Ethics 2 |
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Essential Reading |
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Further Reading |
· Piers Benn, Ethics, Chapter 7, UCL Press, London, 1997, 170 BEN.
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Week 5 |
04 / 12 / 03 |
Ethical Relativism 1 |
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Essential Reading |
· Piers Benn, Ethics, Chapter 1, 'Authority and Relativism' UCL Press, London, 1997, 170 BEN. |
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Further Reading |
· Martha Nussbaum, ‘Non-Relative Virtues’, excerpt in Sterba, chapter 26 (you will have read this in week 8). |
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Week 6 |
04 / 12 / 03 |
Reading Week |
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Essential Reading |
· |
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Week 7 |
04 / 12 / 03 |
Ethical Relativism 2 |
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Essential Reading |
· Piers Benn, Ethics, Chapter 1, 'Authority and Relativism' UCL Press, London, 1997, 170 BEN |
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Further Reading |
· Simon Blackburn, 'Relativism', in Hugh La Follette (ed), The Blackwell Guide to Ethical Theory, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, Chapter 2, 2000, 170 BLA. THIS BOOK IS ON RESTRICTED LOAN FOR YOU! · David Wong, ‘Relativism, in Singer, Peter (ed): A Companion to Ethics, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, Chapter 39, 1993, 170 COM. |
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Week 8 |
11 / 12 / 03 |
The Naturalistic Fallacy? |
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Essential Reading |
· David Hume, 'On Reason and the Emotions', excerpt in Sterba, chapter 8. · Alan Gewirth, 'The Justificatory Argument for Human Rights', excerpt in Sterba, chapter 11. |
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Further Reading |
· G.E. Moore Principia Ethica, Chapter 1, Cambridge University Press, London, 1903, 170/MOOxx · John Searle, How to Derive "ought" from "is" ', excerpt in Sterba, chapter 4. · Antony Flew, 'On not Deriving "ought" from "is" ', excerpt in Sterba, chapter 5. |
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Week 9 |
02 / 10 / 03 |
Utilitarianism 1 |
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Essential Reading
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· John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism, excerpt in Sterba, chapter 14 (for the whole book, see Mary Warnock (ed.): Mill: Utilitarianism, On Liberty, Essay on Bentham, Fontana, London, 1962, 171.5 UTI). |
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Further Reading
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· Jeremy Bentham, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation , Chapters I and IV, on web (see web resources) or in Bentham, Jeremy, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, Athlone, London, 1970, 340.1 BEN. · Mill, J.S. and Bentham, J. Utilitarianism and other Essays, Penguin Classics, Harmondsworth, 1987, 192MIL THIS BOOK IS ON RESTRICTED LOAN FOR YOU! · Piers Benn, Ethics, Chapter 3, UCL Press, London, 1997, 170 BEN. · Philip Pettit, ‘Consequentialism’, in Singer, Peter (ed): A Companion to Ethics, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, Chapter 19, 1993, 170 COM. · R. G. Frey 'Act Utilitarianism', in Hugh La Follette (ed), The Blackwell Guide to Ethical Theory, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, chapter 9, 2000, 170 BLA. THIS BOOK IS ON RESTRICTED LOAN FOR YOU! |
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Week 10 |
09 / 10 / 03 |
Utilitarianism 2 Consequentialism and its Critics |
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Essential Reading |
· Bernard Williams, 'Against Utilitarianism', excerpt in Sterba, chapter 15. |
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Further Reading |
· Kai Nielsen, 'Traditional Morality and Utilitarianism', excerpt in Sterba, chapter 16. · John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, Subsection 5, Classical Utilitarianism, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1972, 340.11 RAW. |
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Week 11 |
13 / 11 / 03 |
Feminist Ethics and its Critics |
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Essential Reading |
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Further Reading |
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Week 12 |
20 / 11 / 03 |
Environmental Ethics |
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Essential Reading |
· Peter Singer, 'All Animals are Equal', excerpt in Sterba, chapter 37. |
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Further Reading |
· Robert Elliot, ‘Environmental Ethics', in Singer, Peter (ed): A Companion to Ethics, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, Chapter 19, 1993, 170 COM. · Tom Regan, ‘Animal Rights, Human Wrongs’, in: Environmental Ethics, Vol.2, No.2, 1980, pp.99-120. · J. Baird Callicott, ‘Animal Liberation: A Triangular Affair’, in: Environmental Ethics, Vol.2, No.4, 1980, pp.311-338. |
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Some of the main ethics texts we will be discussing this term are available freely on the web
Jeremy Bentham An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation Available on the internet at the following sites:
· http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Bentham-Project/info/wwwtexts.htm
· http://www.la.utexas.edu/labyrinth/ipml/ipml.toc.html
John Stuart Mill: Utilitarianism
Available on the internet at the following site:
· http://www.library.adelaide.edu.au/etext/m/m645u
· http://www.utilitarianism.com/mill1.htm
Immanuel Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals
· http://www.swan.ac.uk/poli/texts/kant/kantcon.htm
Other Internet Resources
Lawrence Hinman's ethics update: http://ethics.acusd.edu
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://www.utm.edu/research/iep
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/
How to write a philosophy essay: http://www.cofc.edu/~portmord/tips.htm
Philosophy in Cyberspace: http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~dey/phil/index.htm
General philosophy resource: http://www.epistemelinks.com
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Philosophy Vernon Pratt vice Doris SchroederDschroeder@uclan.ac.uk Tel. 01772 892550 |
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PI2214
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COURSEWORK QUESTIONS
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Select one of the following questions for your coursework:
· Outline one major criticism against utilitarianism (your choice) and try to defend the theory against this criticism.
· Choose a moral dilemma (e.g. abortion) and write a utilitarian defence of your own opinion (but remember, always try to use primary and secondary sources to support your view).
· “Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law”. Explain and give examples of where this moral theory would come into conflict with a utilitarian theory.
· Categorical Imperative 1: “Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law”. Categorical Imperative 2: “Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means”. Outline the difference between these two formulations and explain which you prefer and why.
· Choose one form of the categorical imperative and apply it to a practical moral problem of your choice.
Deadline: 10 November 2003
(Essays should be submitted by 4.30pm to the Centre for Professional Ethics Office, Vernon Building. Please include a cover sheet and put your essay in the appropriate box).
Word Limit: 2,500 Words
Please note: It is the responsibility of the student to retain all marked course work until completion of their degree.
ESSAY TIPS IDEALLY YOU SHOULD:
1. Allow yourself enough preparation time.
2. Do lots of relevant background reading. Make notes on important points as you go along, and how you might object to/ develop them. Remember though that just to mention a piece of reading in passing is not enough - you must show that you have understood any quoted position.
3. Before you start your essay, make a plan. Decide what exactly the question is asking. Then think about how you are going to answer it, point by point. Try and order your points so that there is a coherent development in your argument, culminating in your conclusion. If necessary make the structure of your essay explicit using sub-titles.
4. Your essay should have an introduction, generally stating how you will answer the question. In your introduction, it might be appropriate to briefly analyse all the main concepts in the question title.
5. Explain every point you make properly, with original examples to illustrate it where possible. Accompany every major claim you make with supporting reasons (this is very important).
6. Make explicit the relevancy of every point to the question if it is not obvious. This increases clarity, and stops you going off on tangents.
7. Remember, an essay which focuses deeply on only one point is better than an essay which makes several points shallowly. It is particularly impressive to a) state a claim A; b) give a possible objection B to claim A; c) consider a possible response C to objection B; d) consider a possible response D to response C; and so on!
8. Make your conclusion the culmination of your argument. Do not include any major new points which you have not already discussed in the body of the text.
9. When you have finished your essay, read it through. Ask yourself: have I answered all aspects of the question? Is my argument coherent? Do I understand what I mean well enough to be able to explain it clearly to someone if they asked me? If you don’t, then it is unlikely that the marker will understand either.
ESSAY TIPS TRY TO AVOID:
1. “Listing” points you have read without offering any critical analysis of them. Instead, after briefly explaining the grounds for a particular claim of an author, explain which aspects of it you find persuasive, or which aspects you find implausible, and give reasons for your view.
2. Making broad claims without giving any supporting reasons. Without supporting arguments you will get no credit for any claim, no matter how intuitively appealing or apparently obvious it seems.
3. Rhetorical questions and hyperbole. Avoid statements like: “It is obvious that..”; “Everyone would agree that..”; “To think the contrary would be ridiculous”; etc. Avoid rhetorical questions; answer them instead. Avoid appeals to authority - the fact that many wise and learned philosophers have thought x in the past is not acceptable as a reason for thinking x true. Your only legitimate tool of persuasion is rational argument.
4. Unclear metaphors. If you use metaphors make sure their meaning is clear.
5. Historical detail e.g. spending the first paragraph saying who John Stuart Mill was, when and where he was born etc.
6. Lack of structure. The marker should not have to piece together the argument you are making; it should all be laid out neatly, so it can be understood straight away.
7. Too many personal anecdotes. Do not use personal anecdotes as a substitute for argument. If you do choose to include them, use them only to illustrate your argument.
8. Over-long sentences with lots of clauses. Keep sentences short and easy to understand.
9. Copying from the lecture notes; or reproducing their structure with the minimum of changes.
| Web version created 14:08:04 | Presented by VP A module of the BA Philosophy programme Center for Professional Ethics | University of Central Lancashire | e-mail kcarruthers1@uclan.ac.uk |
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