316K Science and Philosophy: Moral MWF 1:00-2:00 GAR 3.116

“In present-day philosophy an explanation is required how an unjust man is a bad man, or an unjust action a bad one; to give such an explanation belongs to ; but it cannot even be begun until we are equipped with a sound .” G. E. M. Anscombe

“Scientists and humanists should consider together the possibility that the time has come for ethics to be removed temporarily from the hands of the philosophers and biologicized." E. O. Wilson

“I do not believe that a moral philosophy can ever be founded on a scientific basis. The valuation of life and all its nobler expressions can only come out of the soul’s yearning toward its own destiny. Every attempt to reduce ethics to scientific formulas must fail. Of that I am perfectly convinced.” Albert Einstein

Instructor: Michael Dale

Email: [email protected]

Office: WAG 421

Office Hours: XXXXXXXX & by appointment

1 Course Description: This particular version of Science and Philosophy will focus on the burgeoning field of moral psychology. The last few decades have seen unprecedented advances in the empirical sciences, particularly neuroscience, psychology, and evolutionary biology. What happens when these empirical findings—many of which undermine or at least come into conflict with our ordinary intuitions about ourselves and the world—run up against the traditionally theoretical discipline of ethics? Can they weigh in on such debates or should they be understood as mere descriptions of the world? For example, can the empirical finding that peoples’ behavior is not so much predicted by their character traits but instead by the situations that they find themselves in undermine ethics, which presupposes the existence of character traits? Or what about itself? Can the idea that shaped our moral beliefs call the objectivity of morality into question? In this class, we attempt to answer these questions. Modern moral psychology is one of the most exciting and controversial fields in philosophy today, one in which the research is progressing in a way that is having real impacts on how we think about morality. This semester we will be on the cutting edge of such research, and hopefully you can judge for yourself how much the empirical findings of science can weigh in on ethical matters.

Learning Goals: The course has three general learning goals. The first is to introduce students to the field of moral psychology as understood above. The second is to enable students to develop those skills associated with the discipline of philosophy in general – including the ability to uncover those assumptions on which particular arguments are based and to assess the arguments themselves in a rigorous fashion. Finally, students will improve their written and communications skills through generating both thoughtful class comments and philosophically sharp prose about challenging material.

Evaluation: The grade of the course will be based on the following criteria: 30%: Midterm Paper 10%: Final Paper Presentation 30%: Final Paper 30%: Class participation (including online discussion & reading quizzes—if there are any)

Reading Quizzes: I don’t like giving quizzes or exams because philosophy is not about memorization. However, I do want to make sure that you are doing the readings, so there will be reading quizzes given out randomly during the semester (and you will not know when I will give them, so yes, they are effectively “pop-quizzes”). They will test your knowledge of the reading assigned for that day. Now, if it ends up that we get through a few weeks, and it seems like people are (critically) reading the materials and coming to class prepared, then I am open to dropping the requirement altogether. In an world, there would be no knowledge based assessments in philosophy. It is up to you whether we will live in that ideal world this semester.

Midterm Paper: Students will write one midterm paper, 5-6 pages in length. You are welcome to write about whatever topic you wish, but I will provide the class with some possible prompts a few weeks before the paper is due. You are welcome to take one of your responses in the Canvas discussion and use that as a springboard for a paper.

Final Paper: Students will write one final paper, 5-6 pages in length. You are welcome to write about whatever topic you wish. However, throughout the semester, I will continuously discuss

2 potential paper topics. If you are having trouble finding a topic, feel free to come talk to me or send me an email. You can write on a topic during the first half of the class, as long as it isn’t the same topic of your midterm paper. During the last two weeks of classes, students will do a brief (3-5 minute) presentation on their final papers, in which they describe their final paper (e.g. describe their thesis, a potential objection to their thesis, and how they respond to that objection). There will then be a brief (3-5 minute) question and answer period in which other students in the class can raise objections or give comments. Try not to stress out about this presentation. It is here only to help you develop your ideas and get feedback in a low pressure, friendly environment. If you are especially worried about it, come talk to me.

Please see the following guide (by professor James Pryor) to writing a philosophical essay: http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/writing.html https://philosophy.dept.shef.ac.uk/papers/PryorWRITE.pdf

It’s worth reading right away, even before you think about writing essays, as it can help you to figure out how to engage with the texts we’ll be reading.

Class participation: As you can see, class participation is very important. Here is what that consists of:

• Regular and faithful attendance. I take this very seriously. Attendance will be taken, and unexcused absences will lower your participation grade. Habitual lateness will also lower your participation grade.

• Participation in class discussions, both verbally and on-line. Philosophy can’t be learned passively, by reading or listening to lectures. You learn philosophy by articulating views, probing those views, raising objections to them, refining them in the light of those objections, etc. Talking about philosophy with others is one of the only ways to do this. Writing is the other. Participation in class discussions is therefore required, and very important to your final grade. I recognize, however, that students sometimes find it very difficult to speak in the classroom. If you think this is you, please come talk to me about it outside of class. Class participation plus online discussion will, considered together, contribute 30% to your final grade.

• Online discussions. These can be found in the “discussions” section on Canvas. I will create a discussion thread for every week (1 per week), usually posing one or more questions on the reading. Before the first class of the week, go to the relevant discussion thread and write (roughly) 250 – 500 words in answer to the question or questions posed. You will all be able to view one another’s posts, and are encouraged to respond to one another, in addition to answering the questions yourself. Contributions must be posted by 7:00 AM on the day of the class to which they are relevant (usually Monday), so that I will have time to read them before class. (You are, of course, welcome to add more to a thread later on, to continue a previous discussion.) At the end of the semester, I will look over all of your discussion-thread answers, and give you a grade based upon them considered together with your class participation. Students may skip contributing to the

3 discussion thread on up to two occasions over the course of the semester without penalty to their grade.

• The purpose of this requirement is three-fold:i) It is intended to help you to think about the assignment before class, so that it will be easier for you to ask questions and contribute to discussions in class.ii) It is intended to help me to see, before class, what questions a reading has raised for you, how you’re interpreting it, what difficulties you’re having with it, etc.iii) Most importantly, it is intended to help foster discussions among you, which you can continue off-line, out of class.

Electronic Devices: In general, I’m not a big fan of electronic devices, and I don’t like having them in class, as they are usually a distraction to both you and the people around you. However, if using a computer or another electronic device is genuinely helpful to you, come talk to me, and we can probably work something out.

Deadlines: I take essay deadlines very seriously. I am happy to grant reasonable requests for extensions, when asked well in advance of an essay due-date. However, unless you have specific permission from me, in advance, to hand in an essay late, late essays will be subject to a penalty of one grade increment per day late. I.e., one day late takes you from an A to an A-, two days to a B+, three days to a B, four days to a B-.... On the other hand, if asked sufficiently in advance, I will grant reasonable requests for extensions.

Required Texts:

There is one required text for this course:

Introduction to by Scott M. James

All other texts can be found on Canvas.

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Course Schedule

What is Moral Psychology? Jan 23 Class Introduction: No Reading Jan 25 Is/Ought Distinction: Intro to Evolutionary Ethics, pp. 132-138

Introduction to Ethics: Jan 28 J. S. Mill: “What Utilitarianism Is” Jan 30 : “Famine, Affluence, and Morality” Feb 1 Further Discussion: No Reading

Introduction to Ethics: Deontology and Virtue Feb 4 Deontology: Feb 6 : Feb 8 Further Discussion: No Reading

Social Darwinism and Sociobiology Feb 11 Social Darwinism: Intro to Evolutionary Ethics, pp. 121-126 ???

Feb 13 E. O. Wilson: Feb 15 Further Discussion: No Reading

Situationism I Feb 18 John Doris: Lack of Character: pp. 15-27 Feb 20 John Doris: Lack of Character: pp. 27-51 Feb 22 No Required Reading Recommended Reading: Miller: “ and Virtue Ethics”

Situationism II Feb 25 John Doris: Lack of Character: pp. 53-61 Feb 27 John Doris: Lack of Character: pp. 128-154

5 Mar 1 Further Discussion: No Reading

Neuroscience and Ethics I Mar 4 How to Write a Philosophy Paper Reading: Jim Pryor: “Guidelines on Writing a Philosophy Paper” Mar 6 Josh Greene: Mar 8 Josh Greene:

Neuroscience and Ethics II Mar 11 Josh Greene: Mar 13 Josh Greene: Mar 15 Josh Greene: Midterm Paper Due (bring hard copy to class)

March 16-23: Spring Break!

The I Mar 25: No class Mar 27 Intro to Evolutionary Ethics, pp. 29-47 Mar 29 Chandra Sripada: “Nativism and Moral Psychology,”

The Evolution of Morality II April 1 Chandra Sripada: “Nativism and Moral Psychology,” April 3 : “Is Morality Innate?” April 5 Jesse Prinz: “Is Morality Innate?”

Moral Relativism & The Expanding Circle April 8 Jesse Prinz: The Emotional Construction of Morals, pp. April 10 Peter Singer: The Expanding Circle: pp. 87-125 April 12 Further Discussion: No Reading

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Evolutionary Debunking I April 15 Intro to Evolutionary Ethics, pp. 161-177 April 17 Intro to Evolutionary Ethics, pp. 178-186 April 19 Further Discussion: No Reading

Evolutionary Debunking II April 22 Intro to Evolutionary Ethics, pp. 187-209 April 24 Further Discussion: No Reading April 26: No class

Presentations April 29: Presentations 1-6 May 1: Presentations 6-12 May 3: Presentations 12-18

Presentations May 6: Presentations 18-24 May 8: Presentations 24-30 May 10: Final Thoughts: No Reading Final Papers Due

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Student & Responsibilities • You have a right to a learning environment that supports mental and physical wellness. • You have a right to respect. • You have a right to be assessed and graded fairly. • You have a right to freedom of opinion and expression. • You have a right to privacy and confidentiality. • You have a right to meaningful and equal participation, to -organize groups to improve your learning environment. • You have a right to learn in an environment that is welcoming to all people. No student shall be isolated, excluded or diminished in any way.

With these rights come responsibilities: • You are responsible for taking care of yourself, managing your time, and communicating with the teaching team and with others if things start to feel out of control or overwhelming. • You are responsible for acting in a way that is worthy of respect and always respectful of others. • Your experience with this course is directly related to the quality of the energy that you bring to it, and your energy shapes the quality of your peers’ experiences. • You are responsible for creating an inclusive environment and for speaking up when someone is excluded. • You are responsible for holding yourself accountable to these standards, holding each other to these standards, and holding the teaching team accountable as well.

Personal Pronoun Use (She / He / They / Ze / Etc) Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student’s legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records.

University Policies Academic Integrity Each student in the course is expected to abide by the University of Texas Honor Code: “As a student of The University of Texas at Austin, I shall abide by the core values of the University and uphold academic integrity.” Plagiarism is taken very seriously at UT. Therefore, if you use words or ideas that are not your own (or that you have used in previous class), you must cite your sources. Otherwise you will be guilty of plagiarism and subject to academic disciplinary action, including failure of the course. You are responsible for understanding UT’s Academic Honesty and the University Honor Code which can be found at the following web address: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acint_student.php

8 Q Drop Policy If you want to drop a class after the 12th class day, you’ll need to execute a Q drop before the Q- drop deadline, which typically occurs near the middle of the semester. Under Texas law, you are only allowed six Q drops while you are in college at any public Texas institution. For more information, see: http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/csacc/academic/adddrop/qdrop

University Resources for Students Your success in this class is important to me. We will all need accommodations because we all learn differently. If there are aspects of this course that prevent you from learning or exclude you, please let me know as soon as possible. Together we’ll develop strategies to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course. There are also a range of resources on campus:

Services for Students with Disabilities This class respects and welcomes students of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. If there are circumstances that make our learning environment and activities difficult, if you have medical information that you need to share with me, or if you need specific arrangements in case the building needs to be evacuated, please let me know. I am committed to creating an effective learning environment for all students, but I can only do so if you discuss your needs with me as early as possible. I promise to maintain the confidentiality of these discussions. If appropriate, also contact Services for Students with Disabilities, 512-471-6259 (voice) or 1-866-329- 3986 (video phone). http://ddce.utexas.edu/disability/about/

Counseling and Center Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress.

All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. You are not alone. There are many helpful resources available on campus and an important part of the college experience is learning how to ask for help. Asking for support sooner rather than later is often helpful.

If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support. http://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/individualcounseling.html

The Sanger Learning Center Did you know that more than one-third of UT undergraduate students use the Sanger Learning Center each year to improve their academic performance? All students are welcome to take advantage of Sanger Center’s classes and workshops, private learning specialist appointments, peer academic coaching, and tutoring for more than 70 courses in 15 different subject areas. For more information, please visit http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/slc or call 512-471-3614 (JES A332).

Undergraduate Writing Center: http://uwc.utexas.edu/ Libraries: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/ ITS: http://www.utexas.edu/its/

9 Student Emergency Services: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/emergency/

BeVocal BeVocal is a university-wide initiative to promote the idea that individual Longhorns have the power to prevent high-risk behavior and harm. At UT Austin all Longhorns have the power to intervene and reduce harm. To learn more about BeVocal and how you can help to build a culture of care on campus, go to: wellnessnetwork.utexas.edu/BeVocal.

Important Safety Information: If you have concerns about the safety or behavior of fellow students, TAs or Professors, call BCAL (the Behavior Concerns Advice Line): 512-232-5050. Your call can be anonymous. If something doesn’t feel right – it probably isn’t. your instincts and share your concerns.

The following recommendations regarding emergency evacuation from the Office of Campus Safety and Security, 512-471-5767, http://www.utexas.edu/safety/ Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and assembling outside.

• Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building. • Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class. • In the event of an evacuation, follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors. Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office. • Link to information regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be found at: www.utexas.edu/emergency

Title IX Reporting Title IX is a federal law that protects against sex and gender based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual misconduct, dating/domestic and stalking at federally funded educational institutions. UT Austin is committed to fostering a learning and working environment free from discrimination in all its forms. When sexual misconduct occurs in our community, the university can: 1. Intervene to prevent harmful behavior from continuing or escalating. 2. Provide support and remedies to students and employees who have experienced harm or have become involved in a Title IX investigation. 3. Investigate and discipline violations of the university’s relevant policies.

Faculty members and certain staff members are considered “Responsible Employees” or “Mandatory Reporters,” which means that they are required to report violations of Title IX to the Title IX Coordinator. I am a Responsible Employee and must report any Title IX related incidents that are disclosed in writing, discussion, or one-on-one. Before talking with me, or with any faculty or staff member about a Title IX related incident, be sure to ask

10 whether they are a responsible employee. If you want to speak with someone for support or remedies without making an official report to the university, email [email protected] For more information about reporting options and resources, visit titleix.utexas.edu or contact the Title IX Office at [email protected].

The following recommendations regarding emergency evacuation from the Office of Campus Safety and Security, 512-471-5767, http://www.utexas.edu/safety/

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