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PHL382 Agency and the Self 3 Credit points

Unit Guide Semester 1, 2012

Department of Philosophy

Undergraduate Unit Guide

Department of Philosophy

PHL382: Agency and the Self, Credit Point : 3

Semester 1, 2012

Students in this unit should read this unit guide carefully at the start of semester. It contains important about the unit. If anything in it is unclear, please consult one of the teaching staff in the unit.

TEACHING STAFF

Unit Convenor Name: Dr Paul Formosa Email: [email protected] Office: W6A 735 Consultation hours: Wednesdays 2-3 pm

General enquiries Name: Clara Wong Phone: 9850 8837 Email: [email protected] Office: W6A 739

CLASSES

For lecture and classrooms please consult the MQ Timetable website: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au. This website will display up-to-date information on your classes and classroom locations. The timetable as it stands at present is listed below (see the above website for up-to-date details).

On-Campus Sessions

2 Lectures Dates Location Lecture See below Wednesday 9-11am E5A-130

Tutorials Date Time Location Session 1 See below Wednesday 12-1 pm X5B-251 Session 2 See below Wednesday 1-2 pm X5B-251

All students must attend the 2 hour Lecture and 1 Tutorial session each week. See the detailed Weekly Schedule (below) for details.

Changes made to previous offerings of the unit

Previous offerings of this unit have been worth 4 credit points. Since this offering of the unit is worth 3 credit points, some material has been cut from previous offerings of the unit, some of the content has been updated, some new background material has been added, and the assessment requirements have been modified.

ABOUT THIS UNIT

This unit explores some of the central issues in contemporary philosophical . The unit is divided into three sections. However, before commencing these three sections there will be a background lecture which explores the influential views on personal and selfhood defended by and , as well as the accounts of agency and defended by Hume and . These background views serve as a foundation for much of the contemporary literature. The first section focuses on freedom of the will, the and value of autonomy and debates about whether autonomy is compatible with socialisation. In the second section we discuss a range of issues concerning , including the implications of luck and causal determination for responsibility, whether moral responsibility requires an ability to do otherwise, and the conditions under which persons should be exempted from responsibility for their actions. The third section focuses on contemporary theories of , exploring the differences between metaphysical, practical and narrative theories of identity.

Section 1: Autonomy and Critical Reflection (Weeks 3-5) Many philosophers consider the capacity for critical reflection to be a defining feature of human agents and to underlie our capacity for autonomous decision- making and action. But what does critical reflection involve and how is it best understood? And why do we value autonomy? In addressing these and other questions, we will examine a range of contemporary theories of autonomy and the debates raised by them, beginning with Harry Frankfurt‘s classic analysis of freedom of the will and Gary Watson‘s well-known reply to Frankfurt. The Frankfurt-Watson debate will form the background to a discussion of more recent accounts of autonomy, which focus on the relationship between autonomy and socialisation and examine the ways in which oppressive socialisation can interfere with autonomy and the capacities for critical reflection.

Section 2: Moral Responsibility and Freedom (Weeks 6-8)

3 One of the core features of moral agency is that we regard moral agents as morally responsible for their actions. Indeed, the practices of attributing moral responsibility to persons, holding them accountable for their actions, and thereby making them liable for praise or blame, reward or punishment, are central to our moral and legal frameworks. Some philosophers have raised doubts, however, about the basis and justification of these practices. We will begin this section of the unit by considering the phenomenon of ‗moral luck‘, first discussed by and , and its implications for our conceptions of moral responsibility. We will then assess Peter Strawson‘s famous account of moral responsibility as constituted by ‗reactive attitudes‘. Strawson‘s account attempts to tackle a number of important issues, including whether moral responsibility is compatible with causal determination, what kind of freedom is necessary for moral responsibility, and the conditions under which persons are, or should be, exempted from moral responsibility for their actions. In this section of the unit we will also consider what might be meant by the commonly stated claim that moral responsibility requires the ability to do otherwise and we will assess the plausibility of this claim. Finally, we will consider a range of views that link moral responsibility with the capacity to respond to reasons.

Section 3: Personal, Practical and Narrative Identity ( Weeks 9-13) In his book , Derek Parfit develops what he calls a reductionist account of personal identity. He argues famously that personal identity does not and that the of a person‘s life and the between these experiences can be described impersonally, that is, without reference to the person who is the of those experiences. Parfit develops his account of personal identity via a number of experiments designed to test our about whether bodily continuity or some form of psychological continuity is central to what matters to us when we are concerned for our future survival. Following examination of Parfit‘s central claims and arguments, we will consider a range of critical responses to his views, particularly those of , Marya Schecthman and Paul Ricoeur. These responses raise the questions of what constitutes the unity of a person‘s life and how best to characterise the peculiar, first -personal, of our own experiences, bodies and memories. Their theories and arguments also help clarify the difference between metaphysical, practical and narrative approaches to the issues of agency and selfhood.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

All academic programmes at Macquarie seek to develop graduate capabilities. These are:

COGNITIVE CAPABILITIES

1. Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly , 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

4 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 independent ly 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 and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

INTERPERSONAL OR SOCIAL CAPABILITIES

5. Effective Communication We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms 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 . 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 , 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.

PERSONAL CAPABILITIES

5 8. Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative We want our graduates to have emotional 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 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.

Note: The numbers listed at the end of each Learning Outcome indicate how it is aligned with the Graduate Capabilities.

The learning outcomes of this unit are : (Link to graduate capabilities in brackets): A. A general knowledge of some of the major theories and current debates in contemporary philosophical accounts of autonomy, selfhood, moral responsibility, and personal identity. (1, 3, 6, 7, 9) B. An ability to understand and analyse arguments in the relevant literatures. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) C. An ability to evaluate these theories and arguments critically. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9) D. The ability to develop your own view or perspective through consideration and analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit. (2, 3, 4, 8, 9). E. Clarity of thought; clarity of verbal expression; clarity of written expression and exposition. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). F. An ability to undertake independent research. (1, 2, 3, 9).

UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS

In order to complete this unit you must: 1. Attend ALL lectures and tutorials regularly and participate in class. Internal students MUST attend at least 70% of both lectures and tutorials, but should (if they can) attend ALL lectures and tutorials. Lecture and tutorial attendance will be monitored. Since there are 12 lectures and 10 tutorials, internal students must attend at least 8 lectures and 7 tutorials to be eligible for participation marks. External students MUST listen to recordings of the lectures and post regularly (i.e. each week) to online forums. External students must contribute posts to at least 7 weekly discussion forums no later than 14 days after the lecture to which the discussion refers to be eligible for participation marks. 2. Prepare for tutorials by reading the essential readings for that week and come to tutorials prepared to discuss them. 3. You must complete and submit all assessment tasks to a satisfactory standard and by the due dates.

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An important part of philosophy is engaging in an active dialogue with others. In philosophy we do indeed care what YOU think - but you need to communicate how your relate to the issues at hand, you need to provide reasons, and you need to defend your opinion against at least some of the strongest objections that other people raise. The lecture / tutorial attendance or online contribution component will be assessing your willingness and ability to participate in this process. Lecture and tutorial participation and attendance marks will be awarded on the basis of a student‘s willingness and ability to engage in the philosophical process by participating in a living discussion / dialogue and frequency of attendance. It is your responsibility to ensure that your work and/or study commit ments do not clash with your tutorial commit ments for this unit of study.

Standard expectations of intellectual integrity, honesty and acknowledgement of the work of others apply to all submitted work. Standard expectations of courtesy and respect apply to online disc ussions. (See http://online.mq.edu.au/docs/neti.ht ml for further guidelines.)

ONLINE DISCUSSION TASKS: The online discussion tasks mainly involve your understanding, balance/thoroughness and critical engagement. All students are encouraged to make posts throughout the semester consisting either of original posts or responses to others. However, external students MUST contribute to online discussion (in lieu of tutorial participation), whereas internal students are encouraged but not required to make and respond to posts.

Assessment tasks

Assessment Summary

Task Task Name % Due Date 1 Take home exam 1 15 Monday 2nd April, 4pm 2 Take home exam 2 15 Monday 14th May, 4pm. 3 Take home exam 3 15 Tuesday 12th June, 4pm 4 Research Essay 45 Friday 1st June, 4pm 5 Participation & attendance 10 Ongoing Total: 100%

Linked unit Linked graduate Task Weight Due date outcomes capabilities 1 15% Monday 2nd A, B, C, D, E 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 April, 4pm

Description:

Take home exam 1.

Take-home tests are short answer tests which are designed to test your comprehension of the essential readings and arguments in the first section of the unit, and your ability to present your understanding of the readings clearly and

7 succinctly. You are expected to write no more than 1 page per question (approximately 500 words). You must answer 4 questions. You are not expected to undertake research beyond the essential readings.

Handed out: Monday 26th March. Available from 9am Online. Due: Monday 2nd April, 4pm.

Linked unit Linked graduate Task Weight Due date outcomes capabilities 2 15% Monday A, B, C, D, E 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 14th May, 4pm.

Description: Take home exam2. For details see task 1. This short-answer test will cover material from the second section of the unit. Handed out: Monday 7th May. Available from 9am Online. Due: Monday 14th May, 4pm.

Linked unit Linked graduate Task Weight Due date outcomes capabilities 3 15% Tuesday A, B, C, D, E 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 12th June, 4pm

Description:

Take home exam 3. For details see task 1. This short-answer test will cover material from the third section of the unit.

Handed out: Monday 4th June. Available from 9am Online. Due: Tuesday 12th June, 4pm.

Linked unit Linked graduate Task Weight Due date outcomes capabilities 4 45% Friday 1st A, B, C, D, E, F 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 June, 4pm

Description: Research Essay:

The research essay is designed to develop your ability to engage with a topic in depth. This develops your ability to express, analyse and organise key ideas clearly and systematically, and to provide a sustained argument. You are expected to undertake independent research on your essay topic and demonstrate originality in your essay. As such, you must critically engage with the relevant literature beyond

8 the essential readings. The detailed further readings provide a place to start your research, as well as those books in the reserve collection for the unit. You may also wish to consult the Philosopher’s Index database (available online in the library).

Word length: 2500 words.

Linked unit Linked graduate Task Weight Due date outcomes capabilities 5 10% Ongoing A, B, C, D, E 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Description:

An important part of philosophy is engaging in an active dialogue with others. In order to demonstrate this skill you must attend and participate in BOTH lectures and tutorials. This mark is allocated on the basis of your attendance and the quality of your participation in tutorial discussions and lectures throughout the semester. Internal students must attend at least 70% of tutorials and lectures to be eligible for the participation mark. If you do not attend at least 8 lectures and 7 tutorials you will receive 0 marks for attendance and participation. If you meet this minimum requirement, then your mark will be awarded on the basis of your overall attendance and the quality of your participation throughout the semester. It is your responsibility to ensure that your work and/or study commit ments do not clash with your tutorial and lecture commit ments for this unit of study. External students must listen to recordings of all the lectures regularly. Further, to be eligible for the participation mark externa l students must post comments (of a reasonable standard) to at least 70% of online tutorial discussion forums in a timely manner. If you do not participate in at least 7 online tutorial discussion forums within 14 days of their opening you will receive 0 marks for attendance and participation. If you meet this minimu m requirement, then your mark will be awarded a mark on the basis of the amount and the quality of your participation throughout the semester. It is your responsibility to ensure that your work and/or study commit ments do not clash with your tutorial commit ments for this unit of study.

Assignment submission

Hard Copy Submissions Written work must be submitted through the Arts Student Centre (via the appropriate assignment box) on Level 1, W6A (for internal students) or via COE (for external students). Internal students must print and attach a completed coversheet to all submitted work. A personalised assignment coversheet is generated from the student section of the Faculty of Arts website at: http://www.arts.mq.edu.au/current_students/undergraduate/admin_central/coversh eet.

Please provide your student details and click the Get my assignment coversheet button to generate your personalised assignment cover sheet. No other coversheets will be provided by the Faculty.

9 External students should go to the following website for more information on how to submit their assignments via COE. Submission options at COE include handing in hard copies, mailing hard copies, or emailing (but do NOT email your assignments directly to the lecturer). See: http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/centre_for_open_education/sub mission_of_assignments/

Return of marked work During semester, marked work will be returned to internal students via tutorials or lectures.

External students' assignments will be returned through COE via mail.

Extensions and special consideration

Extensions and Penalties All work must be submitted on time unless an extension has been granted. Requests for extensions must be made in writing (including email) BEFORE the due date and will only be considered on serious grounds. Extensions will not be given unless good reasons and appropriate evidence (e.g., medical certificates, counsellor's letters) are presented at the earliest opportunity. Please note that work due concurrently in other subjects is NOT an exceptional circumstance and does not constitute a legitimate reason for an extension.

If the assessment is submitted after the due date and an extension has not been granted then the work will be graded normally (out of 100). For each day the work is late 5% will be deducted from the grade. For example, if the work was graded as 70/100 and was handed in 2 days late, the work would receive a mark of 60/100. If the work is submitted later than five days after the due date, the work will be marked but no comments will be provided. If the work is not submitted within ten working days after the due date, then the work will receive a mark of 0 for that assessment item.

Special Consideration Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/special_consideration/policy.html

Applying for Special Consideration Students applying for Special Consideration circumstances of three (3) consecutive days duration, within a study period, and/or prevent completion of a formal examination must submit an on-line application with the Faculty of Arts. For an application to be valid, it must include a completed Application for Special Consideration form and all supporting documentation.

The online Special Consideration application is found at: http://www.arts.mq.edu.au/current_students/undergraduate/admin_central/special_ consideration.

UNIVERSITY POLICY ON GRADING University Grading Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

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The grade a student receives will signify their overall performance in meeting the learning outcomes of a unit of study. Grades will not be awarded by reference to the achievement of other students nor allocated to fit a predetermined distribution. In determining a grade, due weight will be given to the learning outcomes and level of a unit (ie 100, 200, 300, 800 etc). Graded units will use the following grades.

High Distinction Provides consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding in relation to the learning outcomes. There is substantial originality and in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem solving approaches; critical evaluation of problems, their solutions and their implications; creativity in application as appropriate to the discipline.

Distinction Provides evidence of integration and evaluation of critical ideas, and theories, distinctive insight and ability in applying relevant skills and in relation to learning outcomes. There is demonstration of frequent originality in defining and analysing issues or problems and providing solutions; and the use of means of communication appropriate to the discipline and the audience.

Credit Provides evidence of learning that goes beyond replication of content knowledge or skills relevant to the learning outcomes. There is demonstration of substantial understanding of fundamental concepts in the field of study and the ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; convincing argumentation with appropriate coherent justification; communication of ideas fluently and clearly in terms of the conventions of the discipline.

Pass Provides sufficient evidence of the achievement of learning outcomes. There is demonstration of understanding and application of fundamental concepts of the field of study; routine argumentation with acceptable justification; communication of information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline. The learning attainment is considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to the specified outcomes.

Fail Does not provide evidence of attainment of learning outcomes. There is missing or partial or superficial or faulty understanding and application of the fundamental concepts in the field of study; missing, undeveloped, inappropriate or confusing argumentation; incomplete, confusing or lacking communication of ideas in ways that give little attention to the conventions of the discipline.

HD High Distinction 85-100 D Distinction 75-84 Cr Credit 65-74 P Pass 50-64 F Fail 0-49

11 REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND/OR MATERIALS

REQUIRED ESSENTIAL READING

A Unit Reader will be made available from the bookshop and will contain the required essential readings for each week.

RECOMMENDED READING As well as the required reading, recommended further readings for each topic are listed below. When researching for further material the best place to start is to consult the Philosopher’s Index database (available online in the library).

For general background and introductory material, try the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (http://setis.library.usyd.edu.au/stanford/contents.html). Be wary of using other online encyclopedias, such as Wikipedia, as the entries are not written by academic experts.

UNIT WEBPAGE AND TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

Online units can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/.

PC and Internet access are required. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement. Please consult teaching staff for any further, more specific requirements.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Academic honesty is an integral part of the core values and principles contained in the Macquarie University Statement: http://www.mq.edu.au/ethics/ethic-statement-final.ht ml.

Its fundamental is that all staff and students act with integrity in the creation, development, application and use of ideas and information. This means that:

All academic work claimed as original is the work of the author making the claim. All academic collaborations are acknowledged. Academic work is not falsified in any way When the ideas of others are used, these ideas are acknowledged appropriately.

The link below has more details about the policy, procedure and schedule of penalties that will apply to breaches of the Academic Honesty Policy which can be viewed at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.ht ml

In particular, pay close attention to the definitions of deception and plagiarism.

12 Deception: includes, but is not limited to, false indication of group contribution, false indication of assignment submission, collusion, submission of a work previously submitted, creating a new article out of an existing article by rewriting/reusing it, using the same data to form the same arguments and conclusion, presenting collaborative work as one‘s own without acknowledging others‘ contributions, cheating in an examination or using others to write material for examination.

Plagiarism: Using the work or ideas of another person and presenting this as your own without clear acknowledgement of the source of the work or ideas. This includes, but is not limited to, any of the following acts:

copying out part(s) of any document or audio-visual material or computer code or website content without indicating their origins using or extracting another person's concepts, experimental results, or conclusions summarising another person's work submitting substantially the same final version of any material as another student in an assignment where there was collaborative preparatory work use of others (paid or otherwise) to conceive, research or write material submitted for assessment submitting the same or substantially the same piece of work for two different tasks (self-plagiarism).

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Macquarie University provides a range of Student Support Services. Details of these services can be accessed at: http://www.deanofstudents.mq.edu.au/ or http://www.campuslife.mq.edu.au/campuswellbeing

Another useful support service is provided by the Learning Skills unit which you can find at: http://www.mq.edu.au/learningskills/.

Arts Student Centre Phone: +61 2 9850 6783 Email: [email protected] Office: W6A/Foyer

Centre staff are there to smooth the way into university life; answer questions; give informed advice; provide a sympathetic ear; de-mystify uni ways and procedures.

The Faculty Assessment Coversheet and Arts online submissions for Special Approval, Special Consideration, Grade Review and Grade Appeal are located at: www.arts.mq.edu.au/current_students/undergraduate.

13 WEEKLY SCHEDULE:

Lecture 1: 29 February. Unit outline & brief introduction. Week 1

NO tutorial this week

Lecture 2: 7 March. Background on Identity and Agency: Locke, Week 2 Hume and Kant.

NO tutorial this week. Start of Topic 1: Autonomy and Critical Reflection

Lecture 3: 14 March. Frankfurt on freedom of the will, Watson Week 3 on motives and values.

Tutorial 1: 14 March. Frankfurt on freedom of the will, Watson on motives and values.

Lecture 4: 21 March. ‗Deep Self‘ and integration theories. Week 4

Tutorial 2: 21 March. ‗Deep Self‘ and integration theories. Take home exam 1 handed out: 26 March.

Lecture 5: 28 March. Competence and relational theories of Week 5 autonomy.

Tutorial 3: 28 March. Competence and relational theories of autonomy. Take home exam 1 due: 2 April.

Start of Topic 2: Moral Responsibility and Freedom

Lecture 6: 4 April. Moral Luck. Week 6

Tutorial 4: 4 April. Moral luck.

(Holidays: 6 April - 22 April)

Week 7 No Lecture: 25 April - Public Holiday.

Lecture 7: 2 May. Moral responsibility and ‗reactive attitudes‘. Week 8 Tutorial 5: 2 May. Moral responsibility and ‗reactive attitudes‘.

Take home exam 2 handed out: 7 May.

Week 9 Lecture 8: 9 May. 'Could have done otherwise‘ and moral responsibility.

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Tutorial 6: 9 May. 'Could have done otherwise‘ and moral responsibility.

Take home exam 2 due: 14 May.

Topic 3: Personal, Practical and Narrative Identity Week 10 Lecture 9: 16 May. Parfit: Persons, Bodies, and Survival.

Tutorial 7: 16 May. Parfit: Persons, Bodies, and Survival.

Lecture 10: 23 May. Practical Identity: Korsgaard. Week 11 Tutorial 8: 23 May. Practical Identity: Korsgaard.

Lecture 11: 30 May. Narrative Self-Constitution.

Week 12 Tutorial 9: 30 May. Narrative Self-Constitution.

Research Essay due: 1 June.

Take home exam 3 handed out: 4 June.

Lecture 12: 6 June. Narrative Identity and the Self. Week 13

Tutorial 10: 6 June. Narrative Identity and the Self.

Week 14: Take home exam 3 due: 12 June.

Essential and Further Readings All essential readings are reprinted in the PHL382 unit reader, available from the bookshop. You must read the essential readings BEFORE the lecture and tutorial. These are the minimu m required reading for the unit and for the take home tests.

All further readings are optional and are a good place to start if you wish to undertake further research. The further readings will assist you to develop an expanded understanding of the issues discussed in lectures, but will not be tested in the take-home exams. However, further reading will be required for the research essay.

ESSENTIAL READINGS:

Week 1 (29 February). Lecture 1: Unit outline & brief introduction [No tutorial this week] No reading!

15 Week 2 (7 March). Lecture 2: Background on Agency and Identity: Locke, Hume and Kant [No tutorial this week] Essential reading: 1. Selections from Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Book II. Chapter 27 'Of Identity and Diversity'. Sections. 1-11, 14-18, 25-26. 2. Selection from Hume's Treatise of Human Nature Book I, Part IV, Sect VI on 'Of personal identity' Book II, Part III, Sec III on 'Of the influencing motives of the will' 3. Selections from Kant's Groundwork III On autonomy: 4:446-4:463.

TOPIC 1: AUTONOMY AND CRITICAL REFLECTION

Week 3 (14 March). Lecture 3 & Tutorial 1: Frankfurt on freedom of the will, Watson on motives and values

Essential reading: 1. Harry Frankfurt, ‗Freedom of the will and the of a person‘; Journal of Philosophy, 68(1), 1971 2. Gary Watson: ‗Free Agency‘, Journal of Philosophy, 72 (1975) 3. Harry Frankfurt: ‗The importance of what we care about‘, Synthese, 53 (no. 2, 1982), pp. 257-72.

Week 4 (21 March). Lecture 4 & Tutorial 2: ‘Deep Self’ and integration theories Essential reading: 1. Marilyn Friedman: ‗Autonomy and the Split-Level Self‘, Southern Journal of Philosophy, vol. 24, no. 1, 1986, pp. 19-35 2. Susan Wolf: ‗Sanity and the of Responsibility‘ in Schoeman (ed.): Responsibility, Character and the Emotions (1987), pp. 46-62.

Week 5 (28 March). Lecture 5 & Tutorial 3: Competence and relational theories of autonomy Essential reading: 1. Catriona Mackenzie & Natalie Stoljar: ‗Autonomy Refigured‘, in Mackenzie & Stoljar (eds.) Relational Autonomy (2000): pp. 3-22. 2. Diana Meyers: ‗Personal Autonomy and the Paradox of Feminine Socialization‘ Journal of Philosophy, 84(11) (1987), pp. 619-28 3. Paul Benson: ‗Autonomy and Oppressive Socialisation‘, Social Theory and Practice, XVII, 3 (1991): 385-408

TOPIC 2: MORAL RESPONSIBILITY AND FREEDOM

Week 6 (4 April). Lecture 6 & Tutorial 4: Moral Luck. Essential reading: 1. Thomas Nagel: ‗Moral Luck‘ in Mortal Questions, (New York: Cambridge UP, 1979) 2. Bernard Williams: ‗Moral Luck‘ in Moral Luck, (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1981)

Holidays: (6 April - 22 April)

Week 7 (25 April): No Lecture.

16 Week 8 (2 May). Lecture 7 & Tutorial 5: Moral responsibility and ‘reactive attitudes’ Essential reading: 1. Peter Strawson: ‗Freedom and Resentment‘ in P.F. Strawson, Freedom and Resentment and Other Essays, (: Methuen, 1974) 2. Gary Watson: ‗Responsibility and the Limits of : Variations on a Strawsonian Theme‘, in Schoeman (ed.) Responsibility, Character and the Emotions, (1987)

Week 9: (9 May). Lecture 8 & Tutorial 6: ‘Could have done otherwise’ and Moral Responsibility Essential Reading: 1. A.J. Ayer: ‗Freedom and Necessity‘, in Philosophical Essays, (Macmillan, London, 1954). 2. Harry Frankfurt:‗Alternate possibilities and moral responsibility‘, Journal of Philosophy, 66, no. 23, 1969 3. Susan Wolf: ‗Asymmetrical Freedom‘, Journal of Philosophy, 77 (1980), pp. 151- 60.

TOPIC 3: PERSONAL, PRACTICAL AND NARRATIVE IDENTITY

Week 10 (16 May). Lecture 9 & Tutorial 7: Parfit: Persons, Bodies, and Survival Essential reading: 1. Derek Parfit: ‗What we believe ourselves to be‘ [Ch 10], ‗How we are not what we believe‘ [Ch. 11] in Reasons and Persons (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1984). 2. Susan Wolf: 'Self-interest and Interest in Selves', Ethics 96 (1986).

Week 11 (23 May). Lecture 10 & Tutorial 8: Practical Identity: Korsgaard Essential reading: 1. Christine Korsgaard: ‗Personal Identity and the Unity of Agency: A Kantian Response to Parfit‘, Philosophy and Public Affairs10 (2), 1989 2. Korsgaard: 'Self-Constitution in the Ethics of and Kant' in The Constitution of Agency (Oxford: OUP, 2008).

Week 12 (30 May). Lecture 11 & Tutorial 9: Narrative Self-Constitution Essential reading: 1. Catriona Mackenzie: ‗Practical Identity and Narrative Agency‘ in Catriona Mackenzie & Kim Atkins (eds.) Practical Identity and Narrative Agency, (New York: Routledge, 2008), pp. 1-17. 2. Marya Schechtman: ‗The Narrative Self-Constitution View‘, Ch. 5 of The Constitution of Selves, (Ithaca NY: Cornell University Press, 1996).

Week 13 (June 6). Lecture 12 & Tutorial 10: Narrative Identity and the Self Essential reading: 1. Paul Ricoeur: Oneself as Another, translated by Kathleen Blamey, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992), Study 5: ‗Personal Identity and Narrative Identity‘.

FURTHER READINGS There are a few books from which a number of essential and further readings are cited. These are in the Reserve Section in the library. To locate items in Reserve go to the library Catalogue, select 'reserve' and type in the unit code (PHL382).

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Week 2 (7 March). Lecture 2: Background: Locke, Hume and Kant Further reading: See the following articles in the online Stanford encyclopaedia of philosophy. On Locke: Locke, John (William Uzgalis), and moral philosophy (Patricia Sheridan). On Hume: moral philosophy (Rachel Cohon), and on (Paul Russell). On Kant: view of and of self (Andrew Brook), moral philosophy (Robert Johnson), Kant and Hume on (Lara Denis).

For more on Kant (with plenty of references), see my papers: Formosa, Paul. "From Discipline to Autonomy: Kant‘s Theory of Moral Development." In Kant and Education: Interpretations and Commentary, edited by Klas Roth and Chris Surprenant. New York: Routledge, 2011. ———. "Kant on the Highest Moral-Physical Good: The Social Aspect of Kant‘s Moral Philosophy." Kantian Review 15, no. 1 (2010). ———. "Kant on the Limits of Human Evil." Journal of Philosophical Research 34 (2009): 189-214. ———. "Kant on the Radical Evil of Human Nature." The Philosophical Forum 38, no. 3 (2007): 221-245. ———. "A Life without Affects and Passions: Kant on the Duty of Apathy." Parrhesia: A Journal of Critical Philosophy (forthcoming).

TOPIC 1: AUTONOMY AND CRITICAL REFLECTION General background reading: Gerald Dworkin, The Theory and Practice of Autonomy, (Cambridge UP, 1988), Chs. 1 & 2 Robert Kane, A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will, (New York: OUP, 2005), Ch. 9

More further readings on autonomy: Joel Feinberg: ‗Autonomy‘, Ch. 18 of The Moral Limits of the Criminal Law, Part III (OUP, New York, 1986). Reprinted in John Christ man (ed.) The Inner Citadel, (New York: OUP, 1989) Owen Flanagan: ‗Identity and Strong and Weak Evaluation‘ in Amelie Rorty & Owen Flanagan (eds.) Identity, Character and Morality (Boston: MIT Press, 1990) (A critique of Taylor, see below) Charles Taylor: ‗Responsibility for Self‘ in Amelie Rorty (ed.) The Identities of Persons (University of California Press, 1976) Thomas Nagel: The View from Nowhere, (OUP, New York, 1986), Part VII Robert Young: Personal Autonomy: Beyond Negative and Positive (Croom Helm, 1986), esp. chs. 1-6; also ‗Autonomy and the Inner Self‘, American Philosophical Quarterly 17, no.1 (Jan.1980). Reprinted in Christ man (ed.) The Inner Citadel John Christ man: ‗Autonomy: A Defense of the Split -level Self‘, Southern Journal of Philosophy, 25 (3), (1987): 281-93 (A reply to Friedman, ‗Autonomy and the Split - level Self‘ in essential readings) Benett Helm: ‗Integration and Fragmentation of the Self‘, Southern Journal of Philosophy 34 (1996): 43-63; ‗Freedom of the Heart‘, Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 77 (1996): 71-87 Irving Thalberg: ‗Hierarchical Analyses of Unfree Action‘, Canadian Journal of Philosophy, 8(2), June (1978). Reprinted in Christ man (ed.) The Inner Citadel (A critique of Frankfurt)

18 Marya Schechtman: ‗Self-Expression and Self-Control‘, Ratio, 17 (2004): 409-427 (on Frankfurt) Paul Benson: ‗Feminist Second Thoughts about Free Agency‘, Hypatia, 5 (3), Fall, (1990); ‗Free Agency and Self-Worth‘, Journal of Philosophy, 91(12) (1994): 599- 618 John Christ man: ‗Autonomy and Personal History‘, Canadian Journal of Philosophy, 21(1), March (1991); ‗Feminism and Autonomy‘, in Nagging Questions: in Everyday Life, ed. by Dana Bushnell, (Rowman & Littlefield, 1997) ‗Liberalism, Autonomy, and Self-transformation‘, Social Theory and Practice, 27(2), 2001: 185-206 Marina Oshana: ‗Personal Autonomy and Society‘, Journal of , 29(1), 1998: 81-102; ‗Autonomy and Self-Identity‘, in John Christ man and Joel Anderson (eds.) Autonomy and the Challenges to Liberalism (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2005): 77-97 Susan Wolf: Freedom within Reason (Oxford UP, New York, 1990), Ch. 4 Joel Anderson and Axel Honneth: ‗Autonomy, Vulnerability, Recognition, and Justice‘, in Christ man & Anderson, eds. Autonomy and the Challenges to Liberalism: 127-149 Paul Benson: ‗Taking Ownership: Authority and Voice in Autonomous Agency‘, in Christ man & Anderson, eds. Autonomy and the Challenges to Liberalism: 101-126 John Christ man: ‗Relational Autonomy, Liberal Individualism and the Social Constitution of Selves‘, Philosophical Studies, 117, 2004: 143-164 Marilyn Friedman: ‗Feminism and Autonomy: Rethinking the Feminist Critique‘ in Diana Meyers (ed.) Feminists Rethink the Self, (Westview Press, Boulder, 1997); Autonomy, Gender, Politics (Oxford University Press, New York, 2003), esp. Ch. 1-3 Catriona Mackenzie & Natalie Stoljar (eds): Relational Autonomy: Feminist Perspectives on Autonomy, Agency and the Social Self (New York: OUP, 2000) Diana Meyers: Self, Society and Personal , (New York: Columbia UP, 1989), especially Parts 2 & 3

Week 3 (14 March). Lecture 3 & Tutorial 1: Frankfurt on freedom of the will, Watson on motives and values Further reading: Harry Frankfurt: ‗Identification and wholeheartedness‘ in Ferdinand Schoeman (ed.) Responsibility, Character and the Emotions (New York: Cambridge UP, 1987). Harry Frankfurt: Taking ourselves seriously and getting it right (Stanford: Stanford UP, 2006). Harry Frankfurt: Necessity, Volition, and Love, (New York: Cambridge UP, 1999), Chs. 7-14 Sarah Buss & Lee Overton (eds.) The Contours of Agency: Essays on Themes from Harry Frankfurt, (Cambridge, MA.: MIT Press, 2002)

Week 4 (21 March). Lecture 4 & Tutorial 2: ‘Deep Self’ and integration theories Further reading: John Christ man: ‗Autonomy: A Defense of the Split-level Self‘, Southern Journal of Philosophy, 25 (3), (1987): 281-93 Irving Thalberg:‗Hierarchical Analyses of Unfree Action‘, Canadian Journal of Philosophy, vol. VIII, no. 2, June (1978) Thomas Nagel: The View from Nowhere, (New York: OUP, 1986), Part VII Susan Wolf: Freedom Within Reason (New York: OUP, 1990), Chs. 1 & 2

Week 5 (28 March). Lecture 5 & Tutorial 3: Competence and relational theories of autonomy

19 Further reading: Natalie Stoljar, N. 2000. ‗Autonomy and the Feminist ‘ in C. Mackenzie & N. Stoljar (eds.), Relational Autonomy: Feminist Perspectives on Autonomy, Agency and the Social Self. (New York: OUP, 2000): 94-111 Anderson, Joel, and John Christman, eds. Autonomy and the Challenges to Liberalism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Christman, John. "Relational Autonomy, Liberal Individualism and the Social Constitution of Selves." Philosophical Studies 117 (2004): 143-64. Mackenzie, Catriona. "Relational Autonomy, Authority and Perfectionism." Journal of Social Philosophy 39, no. 4 (2008): 512-33. Mackenzie & Stoljar (eds.) Relational Autonomy (2000).

TOPIC 2: MORAL RESPONSIBILITY AND FREEDOM General background reading: : ‗Why Do We Want Free Will?‘, Ch. 7 of Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting, (Cambridge, MA.:MIT Press, 1984) Robert Kane: A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will, Chs. 7, 8 & 10

Week 6 (4 April). Lecture 6 & Tutorial 4: Moral Luck. Further reading: Judith Andre:‗Nagel, Williams, and Moral Luck‘, Analysis, 43, pp. 202-7, 1983 Claudia Card: ‗Responsibility and Moral Luck‘, Ch. 2 of The Unnatural Lottery: Character and Moral Luck (Philadelphia: Temple UP, 1996) Dana Nelkin, ‗Moral Luck‘ (2004), Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, url: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-luck/ : The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophhy (Cambridge UP, 1986), Chs. 1 & 11 Amelie Rorty: ‗Agent Regret‘ in Amelie Oskenberg Rorty (ed.) Explaining Emotions (University of California Press, 1980) Margaret Urban Coyle: ‗Moral Luck?‘, Journal of Value Inquiry 19 (1985): 319-25 Judith Jarvis Thomson: ‗Morality and Bad Luck‘, Metaphilosophy, 20, (1989), pp. 203-21

Week 7 (25 April): No Lecture.

Week 8 (2 May). Lecture 7 & Tutorial 5: Moral responsibility and ‘reactive attitudes’ Further reading: R. Jay Wallace: Responsibility and the Moral Sentiments, (Harvard UP, 1996), Chs. 2-4 Galen Strawson: ‗On ―Freedom and Resent ment‖‘, in Fischer & Ravizza (eds.) Perspectives On Moral Responsibility. Reprinted from Galen Strawson, Freedom and Belief, (Oxford UP, 1986) Susan Wolf: ‗The Importance of Free Will‘, Mind, 90 (1981), pp. 386- 405. Reprinted in Fischer & Ravizza (eds.) Perspectives On Moral Responsibility

Week 9: (9 May). Lecture 8 & Tutorial 6: ‘Could have done otherwise’ and Moral Responsibility Further reading: Daniel Dennett: ‗Could Have Done Otherwise‘, Ch. 6 of Dennett, Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting (MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. 1984)

20 Michael Zimmerman: ‗Moral Responsibility, Freedom, and Alternate Possibilities‘, Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, 63 (1982), pp. 347-58 R. Jay Wallace: Responsibility and the Moral Sentiments, Appendix 2 Gary Watson, ‗Two Faces of Responsibility‘, Philosophical Topics, 24/2, 1996: 227- 48. Reprinted in Gary Watson, Agency and Answerability, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2004) John Martin Fischer: ‗Responsiveness and Moral Responsibility‘ in Schoeman (ed.) Responsibility, Character and the Emotions (1987) John Martin Fischer& Mark Ravizza: ‗Responsibility and Inevitability‘, Ethics, 101 (1991), pp. 258-78 R. Jay Wallace: Responsibility and the Moral Sentiments, Chs. 5 & 6 Susan Wolf: Freedom Within Reason, Chs. 4-6. Daniel Dennett: ‗I Could Not Have Done Otherwise – So What?‘, Journal of Philosophy, 81 (1984), pp. 553-65 Harry Frankfurt: ‗What we are morally responsible for‘, in The importance of what we care about (A reply to Van Inwagen - below) Patricia Greenspan: ‗Unfreedom and responsibility‘, in Schoeman (ed.) Responsibility, Character and the Emotions P. Van Inwagen: ‗The Incompatibility of Free Will and ‘, Phil. Studies, 27 (1975), pp. 185-99. Reprinted in Watson (ed.) Free Will; ‗Ability and Responsibility‘, Philosophical Review, 87 (1978), pp. 201-224 : ‗Moral Responsibility, Freedom, and Compulsion‘, American Philosophical Quarterly, 11, (1974), pp. 1-14; ‗Acting for Reasons‘, Philosophical Review, 95 (1986), pp. 511-46 Paul Benson: ‗Feeling Crazy: Self-worth and the Social Character of Responsibility‘ in Mackenzie & Stoljar (eds.) Relational Autonomy (critique of Fischer & Ravizza) David Velleman: ‗What Happens When Someone Acts?‘, Mind, 101 (1992), pp. 461- 81. Reprinted in Fischer & Ravizza, Perspectives on Moral Responsibility

TOPIC 3: PERSONAL, PRACTICAL AND NARRATIVE IDENTITY General background reading: Eric Olson: ‗Personal Identity‘ (2007), Stanford Encylopedia of Philosophy, url: http://plato.standford.edu/entries/identity-personal/

Week 10 (16 May). Lecture 9 & Tutorial 7: Parfit: Persons, Bodies, and Survival Further reading: Bernard Williams: The Self and the Future‘ in Williams, Problems of the Self, (Cambridge UP, 1973) P.F. Strawson: ‗Persons‘, Ch. 3 of Strawson, Individuals: An Essay In Descriptive Metaphysics, (Methuen, 1959) Daniel Dennett: ‗Where am I?‘, in Dennett, Brainstorms, ref. Ch. 17 Susan Wolf: ‗Self-Interest and Interest in Selves‘, Ethics 96 (1986) Jonathon Dancy (ed.) Reading Parfit, (Oxford: Blackwell, 1997), espec ially essays by Mark Johnson, Simon Blackburn, Judith Jarvis Thomson and John McDowell Sydney Shoemaker, ‗Persons and their Pasts‘, American Philosophical Quarterly, 7, 1970: 269-85 (on quasi- memory) Daniel Dennett: ‗Conditions of Personhood‘ in Amelie Rorty, ed. The Identities of Persons, (University of California Press, 1976). Reprinted as Ch. 14 of Dennett, Brainstorms: Philosophical Essays on Mind and Psychology, (Sussex: Harvester Press, 1985)

21 Tamar Szabo Gendler: ‗Exceptional Persons: On the Limits of Imaginary Cases‘ in Shaun Gallagher and Jonathon Shear (eds.) Models of the Self, (UK: Imprint Academic, 1999): 447-466 Thomas Nagel: ‗Brain Bisection and the Unity of Consciousness‘ in Nagel, Mortal Questions Kathleen Wilkes: Real People: Personal Identity Without Thought Experiments (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1988), Ch. 1 Bernard Williams: ‗Imagination and the Self‘ in Problems of the Self Harold Noonan: Personal Identity, (London, Routledge, 1989), Ch. 9 Stephen Darwall: ‗Scheffler on Morality and Ideals of the Person‘, and Samuel Sheffler: ‗Ethics, Personal Identity, and Ideals of the Person‘. Both in Canadian Journal of Philosophy, 12 (1982), pp. 229-64 Marya Schechtman, The Constitution of Selves, (Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1996) Chs. 1-3

Week 11 (23 May). Lecture 10 & Tutorial 8: Practical Identity: Korsgaard Further reading: Christine Korsgaard: The Sources of Normativity, (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1996), Lecture 3. ———. The Constitution of Agency. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. ———. Self-Constitution. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Susan Brison: ‘Outliving Oneself: Trauma, Memory and Personal Identity‘, in Feminists Rethink the Self, ed. by Diana Meyers, (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1997) Catriona Mackenzie & Kim Atkins (eds.) Practical Identity and Narrative Agency, (New York: Routledge, 2008)

Week 12 (30 May). Lecture 11 & Tutorial 9: Narrative Self-Constitution Further Reading: Marya Schechtman, ‗Experience, Agency and Personal Identity‘, Social Philosophy and Policy, 22(2), 2005: 1-24 John Christman: ‗Narrative Unity as a Condition of Personhood‘, Metaphilosophy, 35(5), 2004: 695-713 Catriona Mackenzie & Kim Atkins (eds.) Practical Identity and Narrative Agency, (New York: Routledge, 2008) Richard Wollheim: The Thread of Life, (Cambridge UP, Cambridge, 1984) Ch. 1 Carole Rovane: The Bounds of Agency: An Essay in Revisionary Metaphysics (Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1998), Ch. 1

Week 13 (June 6). Lecture 12 & Tutorial 10: Narrative Identity and the Self Further Reading: J. David Velleman: Self to Self (Cambridge: CUP, 2006). Paul Ricoeur: ‘Life in Quest of Narrative‘ and ‗Narrative Identity‘ in On Paul Ricoeur: Narrative and Interpretation. David Wood, ed. (London: Routledge, 1991), pp. 20-33 & 188-99. Marya Schechtman: ‗Empathic Access: The Missing Ingredient in Personal Survival‘, Philosophical Explorations, 4 (2), 2001. Reprinted in Raymond Martin & John Baressi (eds.) Personal Identity (Malden, MA.: Blackwell, 2002): 238-259 Catriona Mackenzie: ‗Personal Identity, Narrative Integration and Embodiment‘ in s. Campbell, L. Meynell, S. Sherwin (eds.) Embodiment and Agency, (Philadelphia: Penn State UP), forthcoming 2008. Galen Strawson: ‗Against Narrativity‘, Ratio XVII, December 2004: 428-452 (critique of narrative approaches to identity)

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