Welcome to PHIL 381, Ethical Theory

Fall 2008, with Gary Varner

MWF 12:40-1:30 in Bolton Hall room 018

Note: You will need an ID and a password to retrieve most of the materials linked below. That's because some of these are copyrighted materials. As a registered student in the class, the fair use doctrine entitles you to download a copy for your own use in the course, but it may be illegal for you to distribute the files or in any other way reproduce them. If you're a student in the class, I will give you an ID and a password to use.

Readings, handouts, and web sites used (by week number)

  1. Welcome, overview of the course
    1. DRAFT Syllabus.
    2. Constructing an ethical theory: three cases for discussion.
    3. Some Basic Terminology.

  2. Mill's Utilitarianism
    1. Mill's Utilitarianism.
    2. Questions to answer on chapters 1&2.
    3. Questions to answer on chapters 3&4.
    4. Questions to answer on chapter 5.

    Rights theories

    1. Hohfeld's "Rights and Jural Relations".
    2. Questions to answer on Hohfeld's essay.
    3. Feinberg's "The Nature and Value of Rights."
    4. Questions to answer on Feinberg's essay.

  3. Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals
    1. Questions to answer on chapter 1.
    2. Herman's "On the Value of Acting from the Motive of Duty": one journal page per PDF page, two journal pages per PDF page
    3. Questions to answer on Herman's essay.
    4. Questions to answer on chapter 2.
    5. Questions to answer on chapter 3.

    Virtue theory

    1. Hursthouse's "Virtue Theory and Abortion".
    2. Questions to answer on Hursthouse's essay.

    Hare's two-level or "Kantian" utilitarianism

    1. Reading TBD.

Other resources

  1. You should be familiar with the provisions of the TAMU Student Rules, especially those dealing with the following: If you need guidance on what counts as plagiarism, first work through this on-line exercise: http://philosophy.tamu.edu/~gary/intro/plagiarism.index.html, then ask your instructors if you have any questions.

  2. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is a top-notch reference work on philosophy.

  3. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy is also pretty good.

  4. You might be interested in attending some of the Philosophy Department's public talks or colloquia.