Philosophy 1300, Fall 2018

Michael Thompson
1029E CL
(412) 445 7433
Office Hours: Weds 3-5

Ethical Theory

This course is an elementary introduction to contemporary ethical theory. Our principal topic, normative ethics, seeks out the principles upon which we ought to act. That is, it aims to discover what things are actually right and wrong, and to make sound judgments about the matter. The principal question we will consider here is whether to accept the sort of view philosophers call "utilitarianism" or, more broadly, "consequentialism." We will consider some topics under the heading of the rationality of morality, and other meta-ethical topics as they arise and according to student interest.

The readings for the course will be a series of essays and short extracts from books.

The requirements for the course will be two seven page papers, each counting equally. Class participation will count for about 20% the calculation of the final grade.

1 Double effect, killing & letting die

• Elizabeth Anscombe, "Mr Truman's Degree"

• Philippa Foot, "Abortion and the Doctrine of Double Effect"

• Jonathan Bennett, "Whatever the Consequences"

2 Numbers

• John Taurek, "Should the Numbers Count?"

• Some notes on Taurek by Thompson

• Elizabeth Anscombe "Who is Wronged?" -- a brief defense of a Taurek-like thesis.

• Derek Parfit, "Innumerate Ethics" -- a typical critique of Taurek.

3 Self defense

• Judith Thomson "Self-Defense"

• Michael Otsuka "Killing the Innocent in Self-Defense"

• Judith Thomson, "A Defense of Abortion"

4 The coherence of consequentialism

• Philippa Foot "Utilitarianism and the Virtues"

• Peter Geach, "Good and Evil"

• Samuel Scheffler, "Agent-Centred Restrictions, Rationality, and the Virtues"

  Derek Parfit, "Prudence, Morality and the Prisoner's Dilemma"

• Robert Nozick, "Anarchy, State & Utopia, Ch. 3"
  We are interested here especially in pp. 28-33

5 The Morality Concept vs Narrower Practical Concepts

• Elizabeth Anscombe, "Modern Moral Philosophy"

• Philippa Foot, "Moral Beliefs"

6 Objections to so-called realism about morality and value

• Sharon Street, "A Darwinian Dilemma"

• Gilbert Harman, The Nature of Morality, Ch 1-2

7 Contractualist arguments: Gauthier and Scanlon

• David Gauthier, "Morality and Advantage"

• David Gauthier, "Reason and Maximization"

• T. M. Scanlon, "Contractualism and Utilitarianism"

8 Why be moral?: Prichard and Foot

• H A Prichard, "Does Moral Philosophy Rest on a Mistake?"

• Philippa Foot, "Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives"

9 Why be moral? McDowell and Foot

John McDowell, "Are Moral Imperatives Hypothetical?"

Philippa Foot, "Does Moral Subjectivism Rest on a Mistake?"