Philosophical Ethics (Fall 2017)

INSTRUCTOR: Dr Bradley Rettler

CONTACT: rettlerb@gmail.com

OFFICE HOURS: Monday 1-2, Tuesday 2-4, and by appointment

OFFICE: Collins B25

MAILBOX: Collins 101

Course Website: http://ethics.bradleyrettler.com

Resources

Course Syllabus

Schedule and Readings (readings are to be done by the day they are listed)

Introduction

Aug 31: Introduction, Euthyphro, especially pp 6ff

Sept 4: NO CLASS (Labor Day)

Meta-ethics

Sept 7: Divine Command Theory, "Good Minus God" by Louise Antony

Sept 11: Relativism, "Why our Children Don't Think There are Moral Facts" by Justin McBrayer

Sept 14: Meta-ethics, concluded

Utilitarianism

Sept 18: Utilitarianism, Book 1 (Sample Critical Paper)

Sept 21: Utilitarianism, Book 2

Sept 25: Utilitarianism, Book 3

Sept 28: Utilitarianism, Book 4

Oct 2: Utilitarianism, Book 5

Oct 5: Bernard Williams, "A Critique of Utilitarianism", especially sections 2-5, most especially section 3

Oct 9: NO CLASS (Columbus Day)

Oct 12: Utilitarianism, Concluded

Example Critical Paper 1

Example Critical Paper 2

Example Critical Paper 3

Deontology

Oct 16: Groundwork, Preface and Book 1

Oct 19: Groundwork, Book 1 Continued

Oct 23: Groundwork, Book 2

Oct 26: Groundwork, Book 2 Continued

Virtue Ethics

Oct 30: Nicomachean Ethics, Book I

Nov 2: Nicomachean Ethics, Book II

Nov 6: Nicomachean Ethics, Book III

Nov 9: Nicomachean Ethics, Book V

Nov 13: Nicomachean Ethics, Book VII

Nov 16: Nicomachean Ethics, Book X

Nov 20: Nicomachean Ethics, Concluded
Nov 23: NO CLASS (Thanksgiving)

Final Paper Guidelines

Applied Ethics

Nov 27: Thomson, "Killing, Letting Die, and the Trolley Problem"

Nov 30: Thomson, "A Defense of Abortion"

Dec 4: Marquis, "Why Abortion is Immoral"

Dec 7: Singer, "Famine, Affluence, and Morality"