Ethics
April 10 – May 1
Focusing on theories of well-being, morality, and the good life
1 Readings and Videos
| Due | Readings and Videos |
|---|---|
| Th, Apr 10 | Reading: Roger Crisp, “Well-Being” and Plato, Republic 357a–367e Videos: Wi-Phi: Happiness, Lessons 1–5 |
| Tu, Apr 15 | Reading: Philosophy Illustrated, pp. 19–22; and Nozick, “Happiness,” pp. 99–117. Videos: Wi-Phi: Happiness, Lessons 6–10 Optional: Robert Nozick, “The Pursuit of Happiness,” in Forbes ASAP (Includes simulation and VR variations of the experience machine.) |
| Apr 17–21 | Easter Break |
| Tu, Apr 22 | Reading: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, bks. 1 and 2 Videos: Wi-Phi: Good Life, Episodes 1–4 |
| Th, Apr 24 | Reading: Philosophy Illustrated, pp. 7–10; Mengzi 2A 6.1–6.7; James Rachels, “The Challenge of Cultrual Relativisim”; Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from Bermingham Jail” |
| Tu, Apr 29 | John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism, pp. 8–17; Philosophy Illustrated, pp. 15–18, 31–34; James Rachels, “The Divine Command Theory” |
| Th, May 1 | Argument Evaluation Prep: Reread/study James Rachels, “The Challenge of Cultrual Relativisim” |
2 Notes and Presentations
- Well-Being, Justice, and the Good Life (slides, outline)
- Dan Haybron, “Concepts relating to happiness and well-being” (PDF)
- Well-Being: Part 1 (slides, outline)
- Well-Being: Part 2 (slides, outline)
- Introduction to Ethics (slides, outline)
- Consequentialism (slides, outline)
- Deontological Ethics (slides, outline)
- God and Morality (slides, outline)
3 Assignments
| Available | Due | Assignment |
|---|---|---|
| In-class | Th, May 1 | Argument Evaluation 4 |
| Th, Apr 10 | Mon, May 5 | Extra Credit Assigment |
| Tu, Apr 29 | Tu, May 6 | Self-Assessment Quiz 5 |
| Tu, Apr 29 | Mon, May 12 | Cumulative Self-Assessment (not graded; use it to prepare for the final) |
| In-class | Tu, May 13 | Final Exam (Time: 8 AM; Place: Xavier Hall 122) |
References
Aristotle. 2009. The Nicomachean Ethics. Edited by Lesley Brown. Translated by W. D. Ross. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Crisp, Roger. 2021. “Well-Being.” In The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, edited by Edward N. Zalta, Winter 2021. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2021/entries/well-being/.
Gendler, Tamar. 2021a. “Happiness Lesson 3: Is Happiness Just About Feeling Good?” Wireless Philosophy. October 20, 2021. https://www.wi-phi.com/modules/happy/#LS3.
———. 2021b. “Happiness Lesson 4: Is Happiness Just about Getting What You Want?” Wireless Philosophy. October 25, 2021. https://www.wi-phi.com/modules/happy/#LS4.
———. 2021c. “Happiness Lesson 7: Is Overcoming Inner Conflict the Key to Happiness?” Wireless Philosophy. November 24, 2021. https://www.wi-phi.com/modules/happy/#LS7.
———. 2021d. “Happiness Lesson 8: What Does Inner Harmony Look Like?” Wireless Philosophy. November 29, 2021. https://www.wi-phi.com/modules/happy/#LS8.
———. 2021e. “Happiness Lesson 10: How Can Our Friends Help Us Build the Habits of a Happy Life?” Wireless Philosophy. December 13, 2021. https://www.wi-phi.com/modules/happy/#LS10.
Haybron, Daniel M. 2008. The Pursuit of Unhappiness: The Elusive Psychology of Well-Being. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Kant, Immanuel. (1786) 2011. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. Edited and translated by Jens Timmermann and Mary Gregor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
King, Martin Luther, Jr. 1963. “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963.
Lin, Eden. 2022. “The Experience Machine.” In Philosophy Illustrated, edited by Helen De Cruz, 19–22. New York: Oxford University Press.
Loy, Hui-chieh. 2022. “The Impartial Caretaker, by Mozi.” In Philosophy Illustrated, edited by Helen De Cruz, 15–18. New York: Oxford University Press.
Mengzi. 2008. Mengzi: With Selections from Traditional Commentaries. Translated by Bryan W. Van Norden. Indianapolis: Hackett.
Mill, John Stuart. 1879. Utilitarianism. 7th ed. Longmans, Green and Company. https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/hm4IAQAAIAAJ.
Nagel, Thomas. 2013. “The Absurd.” In Mortal Questions, 11–23. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Nozick, Robert. 1989. “Happiness.” In The Examined Life: Philosophical Meditations, 99–117. New York: Simon & Schuster.
———. 2000. “The Pursuit of Happiness.” Forbes, October 2, 2000. https://www.forbes.com/asap/2000/1002/255.html.
Plato. 2017. Euthyphro. Apology. Crito. Phaedo. Edited and translated by Christopher Emlyn-Jones and William Preddy. Loeb Classical Library 36. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. https://www.loebclassics.com/view/LCL036/2017/volume.xml.
Pojman, Louis P. 2017. “Religion Gives Meaning to Life.” In Philosophy: The Quest for Truth, edited by Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn, 10th ed., 660–62. New York: Oxford University Press.
Rachels, James. 2011. “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism.” In Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues, edited by Steven M. Cahn and Peter Markie, 5th ed., 747–54. New York: Oxford University Press.
———. 2017. “The Divine Command Theory.” In Philosophy: The Quest for Truth, edited by Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn, 10th ed., 556–58. New York: Oxford University Press.
Santos, Laurie. 2021a. “Happiness Lesson 1: Will Reaching Our Goals Make Us Happy?” Wireless Philosophy. September 30, 2021. https://www.wi-phi.com/modules/happy/#LS1.
———. 2021b. “Happiness Lesson 2: How Do Scientists Measure Happiness?” Wireless Philosophy. October 11, 2021. https://www.wi-phi.com/modules/happy/#LS2.
———. 2021c. “Happiness Lesson 5: How Well Can We Predict Our Feelings?” Wireless Philosophy. November 9, 2021. https://www.wi-phi.com/modules/happy/#LS5.
———. 2021d. “Happiness Lesson 6: Why Don’t Better Circumstances Make Us Happier?” Wireless Philosophy. November 18, 2021. https://www.wi-phi.com/modules/happy/#LS6.
———. 2021e. “Happiness Lesson 9: What Evidence-Based Steps Can We Take To Become Happier?” Wireless Philosophy. December 6, 2021. https://www.wi-phi.com/modules/happy/#LS9.
Singer, Peter. 2022. “The Drowning Child, by Peter Singer.” In Philosophy Illustrated, edited by Helen De Cruz, 11–14. New York: Oxford University Press.
Stump, Eleonore. 2011. “The Non-Aristotelian Character of Aquinas’s Ethics: Aquinas on the Passions.” Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers 28 (1): 29–43. https://doi.org/10.5840/faithphil201128114.
———. 2013. Wandering in Darkness: Narrative and the Problem of Suffering. Kindle. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Van Norden, Bryan W. 2022. “The Child at the Well, by Mengzi.” In Philosophy Illustrated, edited by Helen De Cruz, 8–10. New York: Oxford University Press.