Introduction to Ethics
80-130
Spring, 2006
Teaser Trailer
1. Have you ever wondered if Socrates could beat Superman in a fight?
2. Did you ever wake up at night questioning how Kant's categorical imperative worked for you?
3. Have you ever admired John Stuart Mill and wondered exactly what was the deal with those chops? Did they make him popular with the ladies?
Find answers to these and other burning questions this spring in Intro to Ethics.
Your Instructor
Name: David Gray, Graduate Student Extraordinaire
Office: Baker Hall 143
Work Phone: 412-268-8148
Email: degray@andrew.cmu.edu
Course Description
This course provides both a historic and thematic survey of western ethical theory. Key figures such as Aristotle, Hobbes, Kant, Mill, and Nietzsche will be presented as background to the thematic problems of relativism, egoism, and other concepts in ethical theory. Students will take part in the creative process of developing skills necessary to engage in reflective moral reasoning. This process will culminate in the use of interactive multimedia modules simulating real world scenarios involving difficult moral choices. Participating in a class ethics committee will provide students with opportunities for personal reflection on the ways moral reasoning can be used to expand our understanding of hard choices and moral dilemmas.
Important Handouts
Schedule
| Date |
Topic |
Readings |
| Jan 17 | Introductions | None |
| Jan 19 | The Euthyphro | Packet (P), pp. 5-12, 31-54 |
| Jan 24 | The Crito | P, pp. 55-71 |
| Jan 26 | Homer, Pre-Socratics, Plato | P, pp. 91-107, 113-114, 123-136 |
| Jan 31 | Plato | P, pp. 137-159 Analysis #1 Handed Out |
| Feb 2 | Aristotle | P, pp. 165-167, 179-189, 195-196 |
| Feb 7 | Hellenistic & Roman Ethics | P, pp. 195-202, 209-217, 229, 237-239 |
| Feb 9 | Augustine | P, pp. 251-257, 265-274 |
| Feb 14 | Catch-Up Day | Catch up with Past Readings Analysis #2 Handed Out |
| Feb 16 | Aquinas | P, pp. 275-276, 285-289, 297-303 |
| Feb 21 | Hobbes | P, pp. 305-320 Analysis #2 Due |
| Feb 22 | Movie Day (Extra Credit) 6:30 PM in Baker Hall A53 |
Quiz Show |
| Feb 23 | Hume | P, pp. 327-344 |
| Feb 28 | Kant | P, pp. 361-374 |
| Mar 2 | Bentham & Mill | P, pp. 385-386, 389-391, 393, 401-406 Analysis #3 Handed Out |
| Mar 7 | Nietzsche | P, pp. 407-431 |
| Mar 9 | Rawls & Habermas | P, pp. 452, 457-470 Analysis #3 Due |
| Mar 14 | No Class! (Spring Break!) | |
| Mar 16 | No Class! (Spring Break!) |
|
| Mar 21 | Relativism & Egoism | P, pp. 473-488 |
| Mar 23 | Utilitarianism | P, pp. 489-490 |
| Mar 28 | Deontological Ethics | P, pp. 491-497 |
| Mar 30 | Virtue Ethics | P, pp. 511-514 B&C, pp. 62-69 Analysis #4 Handed Out |
| Apr 4 | Ethics of Care | P, pp. 515-517 |
| Apr 6 | Casuistry | P, pp. 519-521 |
| Apr 11 | Introduction to Medical Ethics, Ethics Committees & First Case Studies | P, pp. 529-538 |
| Apr 13 | The Issue of Forgoing Treatment | M, Chapter 2 (pp., 20-26) |
| Apr 18 | No Class! (Carnival!) Movie Day (Extra Credit) |
Analysis #5 Due Crimes and Misdemeanors |
| Apr 20 | No Class! (Carnival!) |
|
| Apr 25 | The Issue of Euthanasia | M, Chapter 3 (pp., 62-65) Final Exam Handed Out |
| Apr 27 | The Issue of Abortion | M, Chapter 6 (pp., 198-208) |
| May 2 | Conflict Resolution | |
| May 4 | Last Meeting - Review | Final Exam Due |
Power Point Slides
Preface - The Life o' Socrates
Part I: History o' Western Ethical Theory
Part II: Concepts and Problems of Ethics
Part III: Applied Ethics - Medical Ethics
Postscript: Conflict Resolution
Course Packet
Edited with Commentary by Robert Cavalier
Revised and Expanded by David Emmanuel Gray
- Part I: History of Western Ethical Theory
- Preface: The Life o' Socrates (MS-Word)(Adobe-pdf)
- Section 1: Greek Moral Philosophy (MS-Word)(Adobe-pdf)
- Section 2: Hellenistic and Roman Ethics (MS-Word)(Adobe-pdf)
- Section 3: Early Christian Ethics (MS-Word)(Adobe-pdf)
- Section 4: Modern Moral Philosophy
- Section 5: 20th Century Analytic Moral Philosophy (MS-Word)(Adobe-pdf)
- Part II: Concepts and Problems of Ethics (MS-Word)(Adobe-pdf)
- Part III: Applied Ethics - Medical Ethics (MS-Word)(Adobe-pdf)
The course packet is a typesetting, revision, and expansion of Robert Cavalier's Online Guide to Ethics and Moral Philosophy. Also thanks to Robert for allowing me to adapt his slides, quizzes, and other materials for use in this course.
Useful Links
Routledge Encyclopedia
of Philosophy -- http://www.rep.routledge.com/index.html
Sweet online resource! Go here first. There is also a CD-ROM version available
from CMU's Hunt Library.
Past Masters Site -- http://library.nlx.com
CMU has special access to many classical texts within the history of philosophy.
You can use this site to locate specific passages relevant to the course
presentations.
Episteme Links -- http://www.epistemelinks.com
This is the general gateway to Philosophy on the Internet.
Ethics Updates --
http://ethics.acusd.edu/index.html
This is the best site to locate issues relating to Moral Philosophy. Updated
daily (!).
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
-- http://plato.stanford.edu
Another good online encyclopedia for philosophy.
Answers
1. Scholars still debate on who would be superior -- Superman or Socrates -- but as Jeremy puts it, "I bet Socrates could confuse the hell out of Superman."
2. I certainly know that this question has plagued me on many the sleepless night.
3. Actually J.S. Mill was popular with the ladies -- and not just because of those dapper chops. He was an advocate for women's rights.
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