PHL132 Philosophy, Morality and Society 3 Credit Points

Unit Guide Semester 1, 2012

Department of Philosophy http://www.phil.mq.edu.au/ GENERAL INFORMATION Convenor and teaching staff Position: Convenor Name: Dr Mianna Lotz Email: [email protected] Phone: (02) 9850 8804 Office: W6A Room 734 Other information: Office Hours: Mondays 12-1pm

Position: Lecturer Name: Dr Robert Sinnerbrink Email: [email protected] Phone: (02) 9850 9935 Office: W6A Room 724 Other information: Office Hours: TBA

Position: Lecturer Name: Professor Catriona Mackenzie Email: [email protected] Phone: (02) 9850 8865 Office: W6A Room 726 Other information: Office hours: TBA

For general enquiries

Position: Departmental Administrator Name: Clara Wong Email: [email protected] Phone: +61 2 9850 8837 Office: W6A 739

Staff consultation hours and tutor details will be available on the unit website.

- 2 - ACADEMIC CONTENTS Unit Description This unit provides an introduction to major topics in ethics, moral theory and contemporary political philosophy.

Ethics focuses on questions concerning what constitutes a good life for human beings. Moral theory is the systematic endeavour to understand moral concepts and to justify moral theories and principles. Contemporary political philosophy is centrally concerned with questions of social justice. Thus the questions that will interest us in this unit include: What is the nature of morality? What is a just society? What are our moral obligations towards one another? Moral philosophers throughout history have pondered these "big ethical questions", and have sought to answer them. We will join a long tradition of moral philosophy in examining these questions and seeking answers to them. There are three broad sections, with a number of different topics within each section.

The first section, Ethics and the Good Life, focuses on the nature of happiness. Is pleasure essential to happiness? Or does the pursuit of pleasure harm our chances of lasting fulfillment? Must we be virtuous in order to be happy? What is the relationship between happiness and moral duty?

The second section, Foundations of Morality, explores the sources of morality, the objectivity of moral judgment, and the nature of two major moral theories: Kantianism and Utilitarianism. We consider questions like: Is morality based ultimately in self-interest? Are there moral principles that everyone is bound by reason to recognize? Or is the validity of moral standards relative to specific societies and cultures?

In the third section, Contemporary Problems of Justice, we turn to the principles of justice that prevail, or ought to prevail, in the modern world. What is the role of the state in bringing about just distributions of social resources? What are the obligations of wealthy nations to those less fortunate? What obligations do we have towards immigrants and refugees?

By enabling students to think clearly and carefully about these questions, the unit develops key skills required for ethically informed local and global citizenship. Unit Outcomes By the end of the unit, we hope that you will be able to: 1. Understand a number of different philosophical theories concerning:

the good life the nature of morality our specific moral obligations the nature of justice;

2. Understand the merits of different social and ethical theories, along with some of the famous objections to them;

3. Engage critically with philosophical theories and arguments;

- 3 - 4. Explain and present philosophical theories and arguments clearly in both an oral and written form;

5. Express and defend your own ideas with clarity and rigour, and in a logical, structured argument;

6. Actively participate in philosophical group discussion;

7. Engage constructively and respectfully with the views of other students in the unit, even if you disagree with them. Graduate capabilities

1. Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

2. Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

3. Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

4. Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

5. Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms

- 4 - effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

6. Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

7. Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

8. Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

9. Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially. Student Workload

Activity: Teaching Week: Student Weeks: Per Semester: Per Week:

Lecture 2 13 1.73 Tutorial 1 12 0.80 Reading 4 13 3.47 Assignments 40 2.67 Total: 8.67

- 5 - ASSESSMENT IN THIS UNIT

Assessment at a glance

Task: Weight: Due Date: Linked Unit Linked Brief Outcomes: Graduate Description: Capabilities: Reading Exercise 20% 4pm Fri 30 1, 4 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 1000 word precis March and analysis of philosophical text Essay 1 35% 4pm Mon 7 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1,500 word essay May 9, Essay 2 35% 4pm Mon 4 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1,500 word essay June 9, Internal Students: 10% Throughout 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Tutorial Tutorial semester 7, 9, attendance and participation participation in class discussion External students: 10% Throughout 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Attendance and On-campus semester 7 7, 9, participation in sessions and on-campus online sessions (2), plus participation contributions to website Discussion Board

Assessment Tasks The Reading Exercise is designed to assist you to learn how to read a philosophical text and analyse a philosophical argument. You should write this as a short essay, but use the questions provided to help you structure your answer. You are not expected to use additional sources for this exercise, other than the readings in the Unit Reader.

The Essays are designed to test the depth of your understanding of a particular topic, your capacity to understand and analyse philosophical arguments, to structure a logical argument and to develop your own point of view, informed by the relevant literature. For essays you are expected to read beyond the Unit Reader. You should consult the list of additional readings included in this handout for recommended readings relevant to each topic covered in lectures.

Participation: Internal students will be assessed on their attendance and contributions to the tutorial discussions. Tutorial participation requires more than simply attendance. Students are expected to have done the required reading for each week, and to come to tutorials prepared to discuss and debate issues arising from the reading. Attendance at a minimum of 75% of tutorials is, under normal circumstances, a requirement for passing the unit.

- 6 - External students will be assessed on contributions to the compulsory on-campus sessions. Participation in on-campus sessions requires more than simply attendance. Students are expected to come to these sessions prepared. This means having listened to the iLectures, read the required readings, and being ready to discuss and debate issues arising from the unit content. Participation in the PHL132 Discussion Board is also taken into account for external students (only). where this would give you a higher mark.

Please consult your tutor or one of the lecturers if any aspect of an assessment task is not clear to you.

A handout entitled Writing Essays in Philosophy is attached to the end of this Study Guide. Make sure that you read it carefully before writing your essays. All sections of this handout are important, but pay special attention to the section on Plagiarism, for which the penalties can be severe. If you still have doubts as to how to present your work or how to avoid plagiarism, please consult your tutor.

Topics for the essays will be distributed at least three weeks in advance of the due date. Essay topics, reading lists, and other course information are distributed at lectures. All handouts and notes will also be available on the PHL132 website.

Attendance You can enrol in PHL132 either as an Internal, Internal-Composite or as an External student.

Internal mode internal Non-Composite students are expected to attend lectures.

Internal Composite Students listen to the weekly lectures online via ilearn, and attend one tutorial per week.

If you are enrolled as an internal student (composite or non-composite) tutorial attendance is compulsory, and is taken into account in determining your final mark. If you know you cannot attend a particular tutorial, it is a good idea to let your tutor know in writing or by email, in advance if possible, or as soon as you can.

Tutorials run for eleven weeks, starting in Week 2. A full tutorial list will be displayed on the Philosophy notice boards (W6A level 7 corridor) at the beginning of the first week. You should consult the list before attending your first tutorial.

External mode: If you are enrolled as an external student, as well as listening to the recorded lectures you must attend two on-campus sessions to cover the course material. The on-campus sessions are on Saturday 31 March and Saturday 26 May, 2012. Full details and schedule will be sent direct to external students.

Discussion Board All students are encouraged to participate in informal discussions via the unit website Discussion Board. This is optional for internal students, and is a free and open space for you to ask questions and talk with each other. The Discussion Board is moderated by a tutor and the

- 7 - unit convenor. For internal students, questions specifically for tutors or lecturers should be emailed directly to them, rather than posted on the Discussion Board.

Examination(s) There is no examination for PHL132.

Assignment submission The Reading Exercise and Essays must be submitted in hard copy with a signed Philosophy Cover Sheet, as well as electronically submitted to the Turnitin Anti-Plagiarism system. Full instructions will be provided in lectures and tutorials.

On successful submission of your assignment, Turnitin will issue a paper ID which MUST be written clearly on your assignment Cover Sheet. Please print a hard copy of your assignment from your original electronic document and attach it to your Cover Sheet. Your hard copy must be identical to your Turnitin copy, and must be submitted to the appropriate Collection Box at the Student Enquiries Office (W6A Ground Floor) by the due date/time of the assignment.

See the section Writing Essays in Philosophy, later in this Study Guide, for more information on plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Extensions and penalties Extensions of less than one week may be granted by your tutor if reasonable grounds are provided. All email extension requests must mention the Unit Code in the Subject Heading. Extension requests of more than one week must be made in writing to the unit convenor, Mianna Lotz. Details of approved extensions must be noted on your assignment Cover Sheet.

Essays handed in later than the due date where no extension has been granted, or later than the extension date, will lose 1 mark for each day late (eg if your mark is 24/35 but your essay is two days late, you will receive 22/35).

All essays must be submitted within 14 days of the essay due date. No essay will be accepted after this time unless there are very special circumstances and, preferably, a Special Consideration application has been submitted and approved. Please contact the Arts Faculty Enquiry Office (W6A Ground Floor) for information about Special Consideration applications. NOTE: Due to time restrictions at the end of semester, extensions will only be granted for Essay 2 under serious circumstances.

Returning assignments Marked work will be returned to students with comments in tutorials approximately three weeks after submission. External students will receive their work back through COE. The final essay, and any work not collected in tutorials, will be available for collection from the Faculty of Arts Student Enquiry Office (W6A Ground Floor).

If you do not understand the comments made on a piece of work, or are unclear about the basis on which your grade was assigned, you should talk to your tutor. If this is inappropriate or you

- 8 - are still unsatisfied, please contact the unit convenor, Mianna Lotz, by email. If you believe that your assessment task has been lost, please contact the Student Enquiry Office on the Ground Floor of W6A. Your claim will be logged and tracked in a database of lost assignment claims and kept on file for up to five years. DELIVERY AND RESOURCES Delivery: Day, External This unit will use: Blackboard, iLecture Times and Locations for Lectures and Tutorials For current updates, lecture times and classrooms please consult the MQ Timetables website: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au. Lecture 1: Tuesday 09:00am, X5B T1 Lecture 2: Tuesday 10:00am, X5B T1

Tutorials: Please confirm at MQ Timetables: https://timetables.mq.edu.au/2012/ Locations are subject to change at the start of semester, so please ensure that you check your tutorial venue prior to attending your first tutorial in Week 2. Required and recommended resources Unit Reader: There is no set textbook for the unit. However, all students must obtain a copy of the unit reader, Philosophy, Morality and Society: Selected Readings.

This is compulsory reading and will be extensively used in lectures and tutorials. It can be purchased from the Co-op Bookshop and should be available in the first week of lectures. It is compulsory to purchase a copy of this Reader. Bring it to all lecture and tutorials. (NB: make sure you purchase the Semester 1 2012 edition).

A list of additional readings is provided at the end of this handout. These may be used for essay writing and further reading for lectures. All readings are held in the Library. Some (but not all) readings are available through e-reserve.

The web page for this unit can be found at the mq ilearn website: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/ iLectures will be recorded using the iLecture/Echo system, and can be downloaded from the link on the PHL 132 iLearn site.

- 9 - POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Macquarie students are expected to read and comply with the University plagiarism policy (located at http://www.student.mq.edu.au/plagiarism/).

In addition, students can access other relevant policies at Policy Central ( http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/). Relevant policies include:

Assessment policy Unit guide policy Special consideration policy

FEEDBACK

Feedback and unit evaluation The Faculty of Arts values student feedback and seeks to continually improve its teaching. At present, the Faculty collects student feedback in two ways:

1. Anonymous evaluation surveys which are disseminated at the completion of each unit. 2. Student feedback meetings which are held twice a year in the Faculty of Arts. These meetings are advertised on campus and all students are encouraged to attend.

Changes based on student feedback Based on feedback obtained from past students, this unit has been adapted in the following way(s): Streamlining of topics and readings, provision of assessment rubrics, provision of reading and tutorial questions.

- 10 - PHL 132: PHILOSOPHY, MORALITY, SOCIETY Additional Unit Information

LECTURE SCHEDULE

PART ONE: ETHICS AND THE GOOD LIFE Dr. Robert Sinnerbrink

1 Introduction Introduction to moral and social philosophy (Week 1 lectures 1, 2)

2 What is Happiness? 2.1 Happiness and pleasure (Epicureanism) (Week 2 lectures 3, 4) 2.2 Happiness and virtue (Stoicism) (Week 3 lectures 5, 6)

3 Happiness, Virtue and the Good (Week 4 lectures 7, 8)

PART II: FOUNDATIONS OF MORALITY Dr. Mianna Lotz

1. Challenges to Morality 1.1 Cultural diversity and moral relativism (Week 5 lectures 9, 10) 1.2 Why be moral? Egoism and self-interest theories (Week 6 lectures 11, 12)

MID-SEMESTER BREAK

2. Utilitarianism (Week 7 lectures 13, 14)

3. Kant and the Universality of Reason (Week 8 lectures 15, 16)

PART III: CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS OF JUSTICE Professor Catriona Mackenzie 1. What is a Just Society? Liberalism and Justice (Weeks 9 & 10 lectures 17, 18, 19, 20)

2. Global Justice (Weeks 11 lectures 21, 22)

3. Justice, Immigration and Refugees (Week 12, lectures 23, 24)

NB: There are no lectures or tutorials in Week 13.

- 11 - Additional Readings for Lectures and Essays

Key: (I) Indicates readings that provide useful introductory overviews. * Indicates readings that are relatively straightforward and provide a useful supplement to readings in the Phil 132 booklet of readings.

Readings not preceded by one of the above symbols are quite difficult and should only be approached after readings marked (I) and * have been read and understood.

N.B. You are not expected to read all these readings. They are listed here to supplement the readings in the booklet of readings and to provide additional sources for essays. You should however attempt to read a number of the readings relevant to the essay topic you have chosen.

Online Resources: The best online resource for Philosophy is the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP), which includes introductory articles by relevant academic experts. Do not use online encyclopedias such as Wikipedia, as the articles are not written by academic experts and may be incorrect or unreliable.

The SEP can be accessed through the University library catalogue, as an electronic reference work. Please use the SEP’s own Guidelines for how to cite articles contained therein.

SECTION ONE: ETHICS AND THE GOOD LIFE

What is happiness? (Epicureanism and Stoicism) Annas, J. The Morality of Happiness (Oxford University Press, 1993) Introduction, chs 5 & 7.

(I) Arrington, R. Western Ethics (Blackwell, 1998), ch. 4 de Botton, A. The Consolations of Philosophy (Hamish Hamilton, 2000) chs 2 & 3.

*Cottingham, J. Philosophy and the Good Life (Cambridge University Press, 1997), ch. 2.

Long A. and Sedley eds. The Hellenistic Philosophers (Cambridge University Press, 1987), sections on epicurean and stoic ethics.

Long, A. Hellenistic Philosophy (University of California Press, 1986).

*Prior, William J. Virtue and Knowledge (Routledge, 1991) ch. 4.

- 12 - (I) Rist, J. Epicurus (Cambridge University Press, 1972). (I) Rist, J. Stoic Philosophy (Cambridge University Press, 1969).

(I) Sharples, R. Stoics, Epicureans, Sceptics (Routledge, 1996), chs 5 & 6

Aristotle’s Ethics *Ackrill, J. Aristotle the Philosopher (Oxford University Press, 1981).

Annas, J. The Morality of Happiness (Oxford University Press, 1993) Introduction, chs 1 & 4.

Aristotle. Complete Works (vol 2) (Princeton University Press, 1984), Nicomachean Ethics, ch 10.

*Cottingham, J. Philosophy and the Good Life (Cambridge University Press, 1997), ch. 2.

*Fromm, E. Man for Himself (Routledge and Kegan Paul), ch. 2.

*Hutchinson, D.S., ‘Ethics’, in Barnes, J. ed., The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle, (Cambridge University Press, 1995).

*MacIntyre, A. A Short History of Ethics (MacMillan, 1966).

*Prior, William J. Virtue and Knowledge (Routledge, 1991) ch. 4.

Rorty A. O., Essays on Aristotle’s Ethics (University of California Press, 1980) chs 1 & 2.

*Urmson, J. Aristotle's Ethics (Blackwell, 1988).

Williams, B. Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy (Fontana, 1985), chs 1 & 3.

Virtue and Duty Annas, J. The Morality of Happiness (Oxford University Press, 1993) Introduction, chs 2 & 22.

(I) Arrington, R. Western Ethics (Blackwell, 1998), ch. 10

*Bond, E.J. Ethics and Human Well-Being (Blackwell, 1996), part 3.

*Schneewind, J. B., ‘Autonomy, Obligation and Virtue: an overview of Kant’s moral philosophy’, in Guyer, O. ed. The Cambridge Companion to Kant (Cambridge University Press, 1992).

- 13 - *Sullivan, R. An Introduction to Kant's Ethics (Cambridge University Press, 1994).

Williams, B. Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy, chs 4 & 10.

SECTION TWO: FOUNDATIONS OF MORALITY

Challenges to Morality *Richard Brandt, ‘Ethical Relativism’ in Paul Edwards (ed.), The Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, (New York: MacMillan, 1967), vol. 3.

*Gilbert Harman, The Nature of Morality: an Introduction to Ethics, (New York: Oxford UP, 1977), Chs. 5, 8. 9.

Jack W. Meiland & Michael Krausz (eds.), Relativism: Cognitive and Moral, (Notre Dame: Notre Dame University Press, 1982). See essays by: Gilbert Harman, ‘Moral Relativism Defended’ (originally published in Philosophical Review, vol. 84 1975, pp. 3-22; Geoffrey Harrison, ‘Relativism and Tolerance’, (originally published in Ethics, vol. 86, 1976, pp. 122-135); David Lyons, ‘Ethical Relativism and the Problem of Incoherence’, (originally published in Ethics, vol 86, 1976, pp. 107-121;

Alasdair MacIntyre, Whose Justice? Which Rationality?, (Notre Dame: Notre Dame University Press, 1988), Ch. 18.

*J.L. Mackie, Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong, (Penguin, 1977), Ch. 1.

Thomas Nagel, The Last Word, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997).

(I) James Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 3rd Edition, (McGraw Hill, 1999), ch. 2.

Nicholas Sturgeon, ‘Moral Disagreement and Moral Relativism’ in Ellen Frankel Paul, Fred D. Miller, Jeffrey Paul, eds., Cultural Pluralism and Moral Knowledge, (Cambridge: Cambridge UP,1994).

*Paul Taylor, ‘Ethical Relativism’ in George Sher (ed.) Moral Philosophy (Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1987).

Bernard Williams, Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy (Fontana, 1985), ch. 9.

David Wong, Moral Relativity, (University of California Press, 1984).

- 14 - Why Be Moral? Egoism and Self-Interest Theories (I) Kurt Baier, ‘Egoism’ in Peter Singer (ed.), A Companion to Ethics, (Oxford: Blackwell, 1991).

*Alasdair MacIntyre, ‘Egoism and Altruism’, in Paul Edwards (ed.), The Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, (New York: MacMillan, 1967), vol. 2.

Derek Parfit, ‘Prudence, morality and the prisoner’s dilemma’, Proceedings of the British Academy, 65 (1979).

J. Harsanyi, ‘Morality and the theory of rational behaviour’, Amartya Sen and Bernard Williams, Utilitarianism and Beyond, (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1982).

*Richard Taylor, ‘On the Socratic Dilemma’ in Louis Pojman (ed.), Ethical Theory: Classical and Contemporary Readings, (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1989).

*James Rachels, ‘Egoism and Moral Skepticism’ in C. Sommers & F. Sommers, Vice and Virtue in Everyday Life: Introductory Readings in Ethics, (Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1985).

(I) James Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 3rd Edition, (NY: McGraw Hill, 1999), Chs. 5 & 6.

Peter Singer, ‘Why Act Morally?’ Practical Ethics, Ch. 10, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979).

Utilitarianism * Will Kymlicka, Contemporary Political Philosophy, 2nd edition, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002), ch. 2.

(I) Philip Pettit, ‘Consequentialism’ in Peter Singer (ed.), A Companion to Ethics, (Oxford: Blackwell, 1991), pp. 230-240.

Robert E. Goodin, ‘Utility and the good’ in Peter Singer (ed.), A Companion to Ethics, (Oxford: Blackwell, 1991), pp. 241-248.

R.M. Hare, ‘Ethical theory and utilitarianism’ in Amartya Sen & Bernard Williams (eds.), Utilitarianism and Beyond, (Cambridge, 1982).

*J.J. Smart, ‘An outline of a system of utilitarian ethics’ in J.J. Smart and Bernard Williams, Utilitarianism: For and Against, (Cambridge, 1973), pp. 3-73.

*Bernard Williams, ‘A critique of utilitarianism’ in ethics’ in J.J. Smart and Bernard Williams, Utilitarianism: For and Against, (Cambridge, 1973), pp. 77-150. Excerpts reprinted in the PHIL132 book of readings.

- 15 - Kant and the Universality of Reason *Marcia Baron, Kantian Ethics Almost Without Apology, (Cornell UP, 1995), Ch. 4

(I) Nancy (Ann) Davis, ‘Contemporary deontology’ in Peter Singer (ed.), A Companion to Ethics, (Oxford: Blackwell, 1991), pp. 205-218.

(I) James Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, Ch. 10

* J. B. Schneewind: ‘Autonomy, obligation, and virtue: An overview of Kant’s moral philosophy’ in, The Cambridge Companion to Kant, Paul Guyer (ed.) (Cambridge U.P. New York, 1992)

* Christine Korsgaard, Creating the Kingdom of Ends, (Cambridge UP, 1996), esp. Chs. 3 & 4

Barbara Herman, The Practice of Moral Judgment, (Harvard U.P., 1993), esp. Chs. 1, 4 & 5

* Thomas E. Hill Jr., ‘Humanity as an End in Itself’, Ethics 91 (1980): 84-99.

* Thomas E. Hill Jr. ‘Kant’s Theory of Practical Reason’ Monist 72 (1989): 363-383.

SECTION THREE: CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS OF JUSTICE

1. Liberal Justice (I) Robert E Goodin and Philip Pettit (eds), A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy (Oxford: Blackwell, 1993), chs 11 & 22.

** Norman Daniels, (ed) Reading Rawls: critical studies on Rawls' A Theory of Justice (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1989), especially essays by Nagel, Dworkin, Lyons and Scanlon.

(I) Chandran Kukathas and Philip Pettit, Rawls: A Theory of Justice and its Critics (Cambridge: Polity Press, 1990), esp. chs. 2, 3 & 4.

(I) Will Kymlicka, ‘The Social Contract Tradition’, in Peter Singer (ed.), A Companion to Ethics (Oxford: Blackwell, 1991).

*Will Kymlicka, Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction, 2nd edition (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2002), Ch. 3, Sections 1-3. Alan Ryan, ‘John Rawls’ in Quentin Skinner (ed.), The Return of Grand Theory in the Human Sciences, (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1985).

2. Global Justice *Brian Barry, ‘Humanity and Justice in Global Perspective’ in Goodin and Pettit (eds.), Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Anthology, (Oxford: Blackwell, 1997)

- 16 - Simon Caney, ‘Cosmopolitanism and the Law of Peoples’, Journal of Political Philosophy, 10(1), 2002: 95-123

Charles Jones, Global Justice: Defending Cosmopolitanism, (Oxford University Press, 1999)

David Miller, ‘Against Global Egalitarianism’, Journal of Ethics, vol. 9, 2005: 55-79

*Thomas Pogge, World Poverty and Human Rights: Cosmopolitan Responsibilities and Reforms, (Cambridge: Polity, 2002), especially Ch. 4

*Thomas Pogge (ed.), Global Justice, (Oxford: Blackwell, 2001), especially essays by Beitz, Pogge, Hinsch, Caney, Gosepath, O’Neill and Zaneti

John Rawls, The Law of Peoples, (Harvard University Press, 1999)

Samuel Sheffler, Boundaries and Allegiances: Problems of Justice and Responsibility in Liberal Thought, (Oxford University Press, 2001), Chs. 2, 5, 7

(I) Peter Singer: One World: The Ethics of Globalisation, (Melbourne: Text Publishing, 2002), especially Ch. 5

(I) Peter Singer, ‘Famine, Affluence and Morality’, Philosophy & Public Affairs 1(3), 1972: 229-43.

3. Justice, Immigration and Refugees Phillip Cole, Philosophies of Exclusion: Liberal Political Theory and Immigration (Edinburgh University Press, 2002)

Phillip Cole and Doris Schroeder, ‘Justice beyond Borders’, Res Publica, 10, 107- 113, 2004.

*Michael Dummett, On Immigration and Refugees, (Routledge, 2001)

Michael Dummett, ‘Immigration’, Res Publica, 10, 115-122, 2004

Matthew Gibney, Ethics and Politics of Asylum: liberal democracy and the response to refugees, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004)

*W. Maley et al. Refugees and the Myth of the Borderless World (ANU, 2002)

*Robert Manne, ‘Sending them Home, Refugees and the New Politics of Indifference’, Quarterly Essay, Issue 13, 2004

Charles Taylor, ‘Democratic Exclusion (and Its Remedies?)’, in Alan C. Cairns et al (eds) Citizenship, Diversity and Pluralism (McGill Queen’s University Press, 1999).

- 17 - PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy is not studied much in schools so many students come into philosophy courses with only a vague idea of what to expect. Sometimes, they will have formed an understanding of philosophy (perhaps from the way the word is used in the media) that bears little resemblance to the subject as it is studied at universities. On other occasions, students find that the philosophical questions that they are most interested in are not those studied in introductory courses.

The best advice is to be patient. If you are puzzled in the early lectures and tutorials, or if the issues discussed are not quite what you expected, try to put your preconceptions on one side and to engage with the questions raised. It often takes students a little while to find their feet in philosophy. When you do so, it is often an exciting experience.

In the long run, you will discover that the best way to work out what philosophy is, is to do it— to think about the issues raised, to read the work of great philosophers, to gain some understanding of the history and tradition of philosophy, and— perhaps most important of all — to come to your own views on important philosophical questions.

This last point is important. In philosophy, we are not so much concerned with the answers you arrive at as the process by which you get there. Philosophy is an activity, not a set of facts or doctrines. You will find that philosophy courses are less concerned to tell you what to think than to teach you how to think for yourself. Your tutors and lecturers will ask you to reflect on your views, to give reasons for them, to take into account the views of others, and to understand and evaluate arguments. Often you will be forced to change your mind in unexpected ways. Even when you do not, you will find that you understand your own views much better.

Philosophy is also a social skill, and a source of pleasure. Make friends with other philosophy students. Talking about philosophy, discussing shared problems and arguing about issues you feel strongly about are very important ways of developing your philosophical ability and knowledge. This also helps you develop a careful, tolerant attitude to difficult questions.

Philosophy has the reputation of being a highly abstracted and ‘unworldly’ activity. However, you will be amazed to discover how philosophical issues arise all the time in everyday discussion, politics and social life. Try to think of philosophy not merely as a subject to be studied at certain times and then put aside, but as an aspect of life. You will find that you get a lot more out of philosophy— and perhaps out of life too!

Reading and Writing Philosophy You are not expected to do a lot of reading, but you will have to read very carefully. If you do the reading for tutorials and lectures beforehand, you will get a lot more out of them. This is time-consuming so do not leave it till the last minute. Remember that philosophy is demanding, and you are not likely to understand an article on first reading. Do not despair if you find it a bit challenging to begin with – that is normal in Philosophy!

Researching and writing an assignment or essay is when you will learn most (and discover how much you do not know). So give yourself time to do justice to yourself and your topic. Read the section ‘Writing Philosophy Essays’ below and talk to your tutor and friends about your chosen topic.

- 18 - WRITING PHILOSOPHY ESSAYS

Writing a philosophy essay provides you with the chance to work out what you think about an important philosophical question. Sometimes, you will already know what you think (at least, you will think that you know). In this case, working on the essay will provide you with the opportunity to reflect on and clarify your thinking - and perhaps to change your mind.

It also provides you with the opportunity to learn about the views of significant philosophers and to develop your own views in critical relation with theirs.

Finally, writing a philosophy essay provides you with the opportunity to present your views in a form appropriate for public discussion. It requires you to provide reasons why others should accept your views; it also means that your views are subject to the critical scrutiny of others.

RESEARCH For 100 and 200 level units, the major research required is reading - carefully and critically – the book, articles, etc., on the reading lists provided. You may if you wish seek other relevant material in the library, or on the web, but use it very cautiously. If in doubt about its relevance, consult your tutor.

In later undergraduate units, you will be encouraged to undertake independent research and will be given advice as to how to go about it.

Before you start reading, however, you should think carefully about the topic. Make sure you know what it means, and if possible, work out what your own - tentative - views are. If you do not find the recommended books and articles relevant, this may well mean that you have misunderstood the question. Think more about the topic, and talk to fellow students and/or your tutor, before you proceed any further.

It is not necessary to read a lot for most philosophy essays. The Reading Lists for Philosophy Essays are usually a good deal shorter than those of other Humanities and Social Science Subjects. However it is very important to read with care and attention. Try to work out what the author is saying and what his/her reasons are. Take special care to read and consider authors with whom you disagree. Think about how you might criticise their arguments, and how they might respond to your criticisms. But also ask yourself whether an author’s arguments give you reason to reconsider your own position. Think of reading as a way of entering into a dialogue with the author.

Always make notes on your reading. Even scrappy notes are useful reminders when you want to recall what you have read.

WRITING Before you start writing, draw up a rough plan of your projected essay, covering all the relevant issues.

As you write, you will find that issues that originally seemed easy are more difficult than you had thought, and sometimes you will find that you want to change direction, or even your mind, as you write. It is not uncommon to discover that you need to do more reading. So it is very important to leave yourself enough time to do this.

- 19 - When you have completed your first draft, you need to make sure that you have covered all the issues, and that it develops in a coherent fashion from beginning to end. (Often you will find that you have changed course half way through and that the early material may no longer be relevant to your conclusion).

It is important to give yourself enough time to spend a day or two thinking about your first draft, and then to rewrite it for submission.

Your final aim must be to present your views so that they are comprehensible and plausible to your reader. By and large, your marker will be less concerned about the positions you adopt than with your ability to provide reasons for them. (Of course, there are some positions that are more difficult to support than others.) So, whatever view you argue for, make sure that you have provided reasons why your reader should take it seriously and that you have taken into account possible objections to it (especially those canvassed in the reading list). That you believe it is not a reason for your reader to believe it. Use argument rather than assertion, and reason rather than rhetoric.

Things to bear in mind: • Give yourself time to think about your essay. Good philosophy cannot be done in a hurry or at the last minute. • Have a plan, but be flexible about it. • Give yourself time to rewrite. • Provide reasons that will persuade others that your views are correct or plausible. • Show that you have read and understood the views of the main philosophers who have contributed to the debate (ie. those who appear on the reading list). • Show that you have considered the main alternatives to your position and can criticise them effectively. • Make sure that you have covered all the required aspects of the essay topic. If there are specific questions asked, make sure that you have answered them all. • Avoid pretentiousness. Try to write as simply as is compatible with what you are trying to say. Do not try to impress your reader with inflated language and terminology. • Most branches of philosophy have their own technical terms (‘jargon’). Before you use these terms, make sure that you understand them. • If possible, do not sit on the fence. Try to argue for a position, though taking into account its problems and the criticisms that have been made of it. • Do not assume that your reader already knows what you are talking about. If you are talking about an author or an example, provide enough detail for someone who does not know your source to understand what you are talking about (and incidentally, to show that you know what you are talking about). • Quote sparingly. Use quotation to illustrate your argument, not to replace it. • Do not simply reproduce lecture notes. Where you make use of lecture notes, provide a reference. If you use lecture material without acknowledgment, you will be guilty of Plagiarism (see below). • If possible, ask someone else (friend, parent, sibling) to read the first draft of your essay, to help identify areas where your essay may need to be clarified or expanded.

- 20 - PLAGIARISM

The Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1971; republished 1987) defines ‘Plagiarism’ as: [T]he wrongful appropriation or purloining, and publication as one’s own, of the ideas, or the expression of the ideas (literary, artistic, musical, mechanical, etc.) of another.

If in writing an essay, you present material taken - either directly of indirectly - from the work of someone else and do not acknowledge this, you will be guilty of plagiarism.

Deliberate plagiarism is dishonest. It is a form of cheating and will be heavily penalised. Normally, when an essay is found to contain deliberate plagiarism it is given no marks without the opportunity to resubmit. If there is evidence of systematic plagiarism, more severe disciplinary action will be taken.

Inadvertent plagiarism is more common. Often students do not realise that they have to acknowledge material they have taken from others or do not know how to do so. However, even inadvertent plagiarism allows the plagiarist an advantage over fellow students. It also shows that a student does not know how to go about writing academic essays. It will always be heavily penalised.

The only way to avoid plagiarism is to acknowledge your sources. See the section on REFERENCING for information on how to do this.

A statement of the University’s Academic Honesty policy is available at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Discussing and comparing your work with that of other students is an excellent idea. However, the warning against plagiarism operates here as well. Do not copy the work of other students, or present their ideas as your own. (It is perfectly legitimate to acknowledge insights gained from friends.)

There are borderline cases. Since most of philosophical thinking involves coming to terms with the ideas of others, it sometimes hard to draw a line separating what you have gained from others and what you have contributed yourself. You must use your common sense, but if in doubt, err on the side of caution and acknowledge the influence and its source.

Importantly, this includes acknowledging any internet sites consulted for the essay.

REFERENCING

The main point of referencing is to satisfy the requirement of academic honesty and courtesy to the author of the ideas you are using (see PLAGIARISM above). It is also necessary to make it easy for your reader to locate and check your sources.

There are various conventional ways of doing this, and some disciplines show a marked preference for one convention over others. In philosophy, there is no one established convention. If you have had to learn a method of citation for some other discipline, then

- 21 - you are welcome to use it in philosophy.

The main thing is to learn one method and stick to it. Do not try to make up your own. If you have not already adopted a referencing convention, then you could use the following one, which is widely used in the humanities.

Indicate direct quotation in one of two ways: • For relatively short passage, use quotation marks. • For longer passages (eg. the quotation from The Oxford English Dictionary above), display the quote in an indented and separate paragraph. Do not use quotation marks. Provide the source of the passage in an endnote or footnote.

For paraphrased material, or where your arguments draw on the work of another, you should cite the source in the same way.

At the end of the quotation or paraphrased material, put a number (superscript preferably, otherwise in brackets) after the relevant text. Usually this will be at the end of the sentence (after the full stop).

This number will refer to an endnote or a footnote. Use whichever suits you (but not both). Most word processing programmes make this easy.

In the first reference to a particular work, give full details.

There are different conventions as to how this should be done for monographs (ie. books on a single theme, usually - though not always - single authored); for chapters in edited collections; and for journal articles.

The following illustrate the relevant conventions: 1. Thomas Nagel, What Does it All Mean?: A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy (NY: Oxford University Press, 1987), p. 44.

2. Amelie O. Rorty, ‘The Place of Contemplation in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics’, in Amelie Rorty (ed.) Essays on Aristotle’s Ethics, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1980): 377-394, see p. 380

3. Will Kymlicka, ‘Liberal Individualism and Liberal Neutrality’, Ethics 99 (4), 1989: 883- 905, see p. 883.

Please follow these examples precisely (down to punctuation marks, their position, etc.).

If you refer to material contained in lectures, do so as follows: 4. Robert Sinnerbrink, Lecture on Epicureanism, Macquarie University, Lecture 4, March 2010.

In subsequent references, cut out the publisher details, name of collection, journal details, etc., and if you like, give an abbreviated version of the title. Thus: 5. Nagel, What Does it All Mean?, p. 49 6. Rorty, ‘The Place of Contemplation in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics’, p. 381.

- 22 - 7. Kymlicka, ‘Liberal Individualism and Liberal Neutrality’, p. 884. 8. Sinnerbrink, Lecture 12, March 2010. Avoid Latin abbreviations such as ibid., op.cit., loc.cit., etc.

At the end of the essay, provide a bibliography containing all and only those works you have referred to in the body of the essay. Do not include work you should have used, but have not.

The bibliography will reproduce the information contained in the first reference, with the following differences: • The surname will now come first, followed by the given name(s) - reversing the order in the notes; • There will be no brackets around the publication details for monographs and collections (these were in brackets in the notes). The list will be in alphabetical order.

Thus: BIBLIOGRAPHY Kymlicka, Will: ‘Liberal Individualism and Liberal Neutrality’, Ethics 99 (4), 1989: 883-905

Nagel, Thomas: What Does it All Mean?: A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy (NY: Oxford University Press, 1987).

Rorty, Amelie O: ‘The Place of Contemplation in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics’, in Amelie Rorty (ed.) Essays on Aristotle’s Ethics, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1980): 377-394.

Note that reference to material provided in Unit Readers should proceed as above, but you may add the note: Accessed in PHL132 Unit Reader, Semester 1, 2012. In other words, you should get in the habit of always citing the original publication details of the material you are using. This will always be provided for you in the Unit Reader, and also in the Unit Guide.

If you have problems not covered by these examples, use your common sense or consult your tutor. Alternatively, you may wish to consult one of the various Style Manuals available in bookshops or the Macquarie Library, eg. The Chicago Manual of Style.

WHEN YOU GET YOUR ESSAY BACK The essay will have been given a grade (HD, D, C, P etc.). You should also receive a grading rubric with a paragraph or so of comments, plus marginal annotations where necessary. The grading rubric and the comments should point out the strengths and weakness of the essay, and give you advice as to how your essay might be improved. There will also be general discussion of the essays in tutorials, and you should raise problems there. But you should also see your marker for individual discussion if you need more advice, or have problems with the marking.

If you think you have been misunderstood, the problem is almost certainly that you have not made yourself clear. However, if you have genuine problems with the grade given or the comments made, and you cannot resolve these with your tutor, see the unit convenor, Mianna Lotz. (The Philosophy Code of Practice has more detail about what you should do in the case of complaints.)

- 23 - OTHER ADVICE ON WRITING ESSAYS These notes are intended to help you write philosophy essays. Macquarie University also provides a number of excellent services intended to provide support to students and to help with academic writing in general.

For general student study support information see: http://www.futurestudent.mq.edu.au/undergraduate/AccessingStudentSupport/StudySuppo rt/index.html#WritingHelp

Additional writing skills information is also available at: http://www.sss.mq.edu.au/learning/undergrad/writing.htm

The university also provides brief Writing Skills courses. These are designed for Australian and English speaking students.

For details see: http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/support/writing_skills/brochure.htm

Or contact Sue Spinks, Department of Linguistics. Email: [email protected], phone 9850 8770, room C5A 531.

There is also a Writing Skills Advisory Service which offers individual help. For details see: http://www.coe.mq.edu.au/writing.html

Appointments can also be made in person through the Centre for Open Education in X5B, or by phone on 9850 7470.

Online support is available through the Writing Gateway, via the MQ online learning website.

UNDERGRADUATE CODE OF TEACHING PRACTICE

This document sets out the policies of the Philosophy Department at Macquarie University in relation to undergraduate teaching matters. Consequently, it serves both as a guide to what undergraduate students can reasonably expect from philosophy staff in the way of assistance with their studies and to assist philosophy staff in fulfilling their teaching obligations towards undergraduate students. It is intended to supplement, not to replace, the existing Code of Teaching Practice for the Faculty of Arts, which sets out the broader expectations on staff in the Faculty of Arts as a whole.

Departmental Policy on the Return of Essays and Assignments Students undertaking any undergraduate philosophy course can expect (except in exceptional circumstances, such as the serious illness of the person responsible for marking them) that their essays or assignments will be returned to them within three weeks of official submission or the date on which the essay is due (in the case of essays which are handed in early). The ‘Official Submission’ date is that recorded by the Faculty of Arts Student Centre. (Thus, if their essay/assignment is officially submitted on the due date, they can expect that it will be returned to them with a mark and comments within three weeks of the due date. However, if the essay is officially recorded as having been handed in later than the due date, students should expect that the essay will be returned with at least a mark within three weeks of that later submission date. Essays that

- 24 - are handed in before the due date should be returned to the student with a mark and comments within three weeks of the due date.)

Departmental Policy on the Late Submission of Work

To help students submit their work on time, essay and assignment questions should be handed out at least three weeks in advance of the due date; ideally, a month in advance.

All essays/assignments which are officially received after the due date, and where no extension has been granted by the lecturer in charge of the course or by a tutor in advance, may have up to 5% of the total marks allocated for that piece of work deducted for each day (including weekends and public holidays) that the work is overdue. For example, if a piece of work is out of a total of 20 marks, a student may lose 1 mark for each day the essay is late. Late penalties must be applied consistently across all students in a given course.

All lecturers and tutors should inform students of the late penalties for essays/assignments at the beginning of the course (preferably in writing in the course information handout) and again when essays/assignments are distributed, and encourage students who may need an extension to request it before the essay/assignment is due in order to avoid lateness penalties. Students should be notified at he beginning of a course (preferably, in the course information handout) of exactly how the course will be assessed.

Students who officially submit their work later than one week after the due date, where no extension has been granted and where there are no other extenuating circumstances, should expect to receive only a mark for that piece of work. Markers are under no obligation in these circumstances to provide comments on the work.

Departmental Policy on Extensions for Late Work

Where a student cannot hand in a piece of work by the due date because of illness or other personal difficulties, the student is entitled to ask for an extension for that piece of work. The extension means that marks will not be deducted for lateness. In order to receive an extension, the student may be requested to provide evidence of illness or personal difficulties in the form of a medical certificate or supporting letter from a counselor. In such cases, the student is entitled to an extension only for the period mentioned in the certificate or supporting letter. Other excuses for the late submission of work, such as other work due at the same time or involvement in extra- curricular activities, do not entitle the student to an extension and are not reasonable excuses for late submission of work.

Departmental Policy on Essay Comments

Comments on students’ work should engage with the work and should include suggestions as to how the student may improve their work in future. The tone of the comments should be encouraging, emphasizing the things that the essay did well, as well as mentioning the areas in which there is room for improvement and any suggestions the marker has about how the student might achieve that improvement. Markers should try to avoid focusing their comments solely on the respects in which the work is inadequate; and should be careful to avoid making comments that are abusive or offensive. Markers should also be careful that the comments are consistent with the mark given the piece of work. So, for

- 25 - example, the comments on a piece of work that is given a mark that is equivalent to a pass should include comments about how that piece of work could be improved, as well as comments about what the essay did well.

In general, the space allotted for comments on marking rubrics is a good guide to the length of comments expected. Markers may wish to make marginal comments on points of detail, in addition to those given on the rubric.

Where students’ essays or assignments require improvement in English grammar and expression, they should be strongly encouraged to make use of the Writing Skills Advisory Service. (The advisory service makes available an A4-size information page that can be attached to essays, informing students of the range of services offered by the Advisory Service and contact details. Markers are encouraged, where appropriate, to attach these information sheets to essays).

Staff should set aside at least one hour of consultation time per unit in which they are teaching to make themselves available to talk to students. Students should be informed of these consultation times. (In large first-year courses, a rotation system for tutors’ consultation hours may be used: the net effect is that at least one tutor—and before important essay deadlines several tutors—will be available for consultation each week.)

Procedures for Resolving Complaints about Teaching and Harassment Undergraduate students in philosophy should expect to work in an environment that is friendly, encouraging and intellectually stimulating, in the absence of discriminatory treatment on the basis of race, sex, sexuality, physical disability, culture or ethnicity. Where a student has a complaint in relation to an undergraduate philosophy course or member of staff, they should be made aware of the availability of the following avenues for making that complaint heard:

In the first instance, students with a complaint about a particular course are encouraged to approach their course tutor. If that is inappropriate in the circumstances, or if the tutor is not in a position to deal with the complaint satisfactorily, they should then approach the lecturer in charge of the course. If this does not prove satisfactory or is inappropriate, they may approach the Head of Department or, in the final instance, the Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning of the Faculty of Arts, to resolve their complaint. Students are encouraged to take their grievances to the above people in that order, unless special circumstances make that inappropriate.

Each Faculty also has a Student Grievance Officer to whom students enrolled in the Faculty may be referred at any point. Where the grievance is particularly serious (such as sexual harassment) it may be prudent to refer the student to the Student Grievance Officer in the first instance.

- 26 -