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PHIL-100: Metaethics

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PHIL-100: Metaethics $ÜÕ!$ÜuÕ{ nTwÜ!MTu ü-Tv-ÏÊ-}ª: MeTaeThics Summer z§Ë@ — u{!: ˧: þam-Ëz:Ëþpm — WhiTe-Gravenor § Clark Donley — [email protected] ­!*u Mvv*CnM — MnC\Üu uÕ -*$Ü Ï Õn!MÜ ­ÜM!TüuTÕ Are There moral TruThs? If so, are They universal or relaTive? Is moraliTy merely an expression of, for example, our emoTions? Is God necessary for moraliTy? Can we undersTand and explain moraliTy from a purely scienTiûc or naTuralisTic poinT of view?Some of The mosT gripping quesTions in life are abouT The naTure and sTaTus of moraliTy itself. In conTemporary philosophy, These quesTions are cenTral To a ûeld known as “meTaeThics.” MeTaeThics aims To undersTand and To explain The naTure and grounds of moraliTy, moral discourse, and moral pracTice. In This course, sTudents will learn how To Think philosophically abouT meTaeThical quesTions and The answers conTemporary philosophers (such as ChrisTine Korsgaard, David Enoch, Sharon STreeT, JL Mackie, and oThers) have proposed To Them. Work for The course will include regular homework (such as shorT reading responses of Ë-z pages), a midTerm exam, a ûnal exam, and acTive parTicipaTion. No prior knowledge of meTaeThics is required. } uÜuM • _e companion TexT for This course is Andrew Fisher, MeTaeThics:An InTroducTion (Durham, UK: Acumen, z§ËË). IT provides a clear inTroducTion To conTemporary meTaeThics. •All oTher Texts will be made available elecTronically. Ë k !ÜnT!ÜÜuM *­ *MMÜMMÜu STudents will be assessed on The basis of The following (subjecTTo revision): ITem PercenTage MidTerm Exam z§% Final Exam z§% ParTicipaTion z§% Response Papers and Homework §% Exams. Exams will assess boTh conTenT knowledge and The philosophical skills TaughT in The course. _e ûnal exam will be cumulaTive and sTudents musT earn a passing grade on iT in order To pass The course. Response papers and Homework. STudents will submiT regular shorT Ë–z-page response pa- pers and/or compleTe homework assignments on The reading. _ese will ensure preparaTion for class and readiness for discussion. ParTicipaTion. AcTive parTicipaTion is imporTanT. _is includes making insighTful com- ments, lisTening and responding ThoughTfully To classmaTes, and compleTing relevanT in-class assignments. ATTendance. ATTendance is mandaTory. STudents are permiTTed one (Ë) unexcused absence. Aer one unexcused absence, a sTudenT’s grade will suòer signiûcanTly: The sTudenT’s par- TicipaTion grade will be reduced, and, for each addiTional unexcused absence, one full leTTer grade will be deducTed from The sTudenT’s overall grade in The course. To pass This course iT is necessary ThaT sTudents Turn in all assignments, Take all exams, pass The ûnal exam, meeTThe aTTendance requirements, and adhere To academic honesTy policies. **­ÜT TuÜ$!Tu STudents are required To know and To sTricTly adhere To GeorgeTown UniversiTy’s academic inTegriTy and honesTy policies. All suspecTed violaTions will be reporTed To The honor coun- cil. Any violaTion of These policies will resulT in a failing grade for The assignmenT and, if premediTaTed or deemed oTherwise suõcienTly grave, for The course. z uÜu*uTwÜ M-Ü­nvÜ Õ !Ü*­T$M DaTe Topic Reading Week Ë 6/ËË/Ë@ InTroducTion 6/Ëz/Ë@ Non-naTuralisT Realism • David Enoch, "Why I am an ObjecTivisT AbouT EThics (And Why You Are, Too)" •Fisher, MeTaeThics, ch. , pp. þþ-@§ 6/Ëh/Ë@ • Russ Shafer-Landau on moral realism, selecTions •Fisher, MeTaeThics, ch. þ, pp. 6h–6@,ÇË–ÇÇ 6/Ë /Ë@ God and MeTaeThics • Philip L. Quinn, "_eological volunTarism" •Fisher, MeTaeThics, ch. þ, pp. 6@–ÇË • PlaTo, EuThyphro, selecTions 6/Ëþ/Ë@ •Erik Wielenberg, value and virTue in a Godless Uni- verse, selecTions Week z 6/ËÇ/Ë@ NaTuralisT Realism • Nicholas STurgeon, "EThical NaTuralism" 6/Ë/Ë@ • PeTer RailTon, "Moral Realism" •Fisher, MeTaeThics, ch. , pp. @ –6§ 6/z§/Ë@ Error _eory • J.L. Mackie, EThics: InvenTing RighT and Wrong, ch. Ë •Fisher, MeTaeThics, ch. h 6/zË/Ë@ • STephen Finlay, "_e Error in Error _eory" 6/zz/Ë@ • Jonas Olson, "In Defense of Moral Error _eory" Week h 6/zþ/Ë@ EvoluTion and EThics • Richard Joyce, _e MyTh of MoraliTy, selecTions 6/z@/Ë@ • Sharon STreeT, "A Darwinian Dilemma for RealisT _eories of value" 6/z6/Ë@ Open-QuesTion ArgumenT • G.E. Moore, Principia EThica, ch. Ë •Fisher, MeTaeThics, ch. Ë 6/zÇ/Ë@ Review and CaTchup Day 6/z/Ë@ MIDTERM EXAM (exam day, no readings) Week Ç/Ë/Ë@ Expressivism:EmoTivism •A.J. Ayer, "CriTique of EThics and _eology" •Fisher, MeTaeThics, ch. z Ç/z/Ë@ NoncogniTivism • Schroeder, NoncogniTivism in EThics, selecTions Ç/h/Ë@ • New wave expressivism OR Blackburn’s Quasi- realism Ç/ /Ë@ RelaTivism and SubjecTivism • SubjecTivism, reading TBD Ç/þ/Ë@ • Harman, "Moral RelaTivism" •Fisher, MeTaeThics, ch. 6 ConTinued on nexT page h ConTinued from previous page DaTe Topic Reading • Rachels "_e Challenge of CulTural RelaTivism" Week þ Ç/Ç/Ë@ ConsTrucTivism • Carla Bagnoli, "ConsTrucTivism in MeTaeThics" Ç//Ë@ KanTian ConsTrucTivism • SelecTions from KanT’s Groundwork •ChrisTine Korsgaard, Sources of NormaTiviTy, selec- Tions Ç/˧/Ë@ Humean ConsTrucTivism • SelecTions from Hume • Sharon STreeT, "Coming To Terms wiTh ConTingency" Ç/ËË/Ë@ Review and CaTchup Day Ç/Ëz/Ë@ FINAL EXAM (exam day, no readings) .
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