PHI 140 Introduction to Ethics - Bishop's University

PHIL 140: Introduction to Ethics Bishop’s University, Fall 2013 Don Beith Office Hours: Wednesday 4:30-5:30pm, Divinity 25. [email protected] Course Meets: Monday, Wednesday 3:00pm-4:30pm, Nicolls 04 Description This course will study and discuss some of the most important ethical theories and ideas in Western philosophy: virtue ethics, deontology, consequentialism, existentialism, feminism and civil rights advocacy. We will begin by studying some of the greatest works of ethical philosophy from the ancient Greek world. We will study the figures of Antigone and Socrates, and we will read the works of Plato and Aristotle, who argue that becoming a good person is a constantly demanding practice, one that requires careful learning. Next, we will turn to the work of Immanuel Kant, who inaugurates a new science of subjectivity in the modern world. Kant demonstrates that ethical life is not an option for us, by showing that our freedom obligates us to recognize the goodness of just action and the value of other free beings. To conclude the course, we will discuss the contemporary works of Simone de Beauvoir and Martin Luther King Jr.. These thinkers explore the difficulties we face in becoming free beings, and the ethical obligation we have to make the world a site for other people to realize their own freedom. We will also discuss the issue of violence, and the question of whether it can ever be right to meet an injustice with injustice. You should be prepared to spend time studying these challenging texts and reflecting on the issues of how to live a good and just life. To learn and succeed in a philosophy class, you need to come to class already familiar with the text and ready to discuss the difficult issues there. These texts are extremely rewarding and provide systematic resources to help you understand what it means to be human, and how to live a good life, and studying and discussing them carefully is your main assignment in this class.

Required Texts: (All texts are available from the bookstore or on Moodle.) Sophocles, Antigone. Plato, Five Dialogues. Aristotle, selections from Nicomachean Ethics (available online). Immanuel Kant, The Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity. Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from the Birmingham County Jail" (available online).

Course Schedule: You must carefully read each text before coming to class. The challenge of reading philosophy is not just to gather facts from a text, but to think about the matters being discussed there carefully. These are hard texts, so you should expect to spend much time with them, but they repay careful study. Come to class ready to discuss these texts, and be prepared to reread them and carefully study them. 9 September, Sophocles, Antigone 11 September, Sophocles, Antigone 16 September, Sophocles, Antigone 18 September, Plato, Apology 23 September, Plato, Apology 25 September, no class 30 September, Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 1.7, 1.13 (online) 2 October, Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 2.1,2.2, 10.9 (online) Short Paper Due 7 October, Immanuel Kant, Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, Section 1 9 October, Immanuel Kant, Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, Section1 14 October, Thanksgiving Monday, no class 16 October, Immanuel Kant, Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, Section 2 21 October, Immanuel Kant, Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, Section 2 23 October, Immanuel Kant, Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, Section 2 24 October, Drop Date: Last day to drop the course without penalty. 28 October, In-Class Test 30 October, no class 4 November, Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity, Chapter 2 6 November, Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity, Chapter 2 11 November, Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity, Chapter 3. Section 2 13 November, Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity, Chapter 3. Section 2 18 November, Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from The Birmingham County Jail" (online) Paper Due 20 November, Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from the Birmingham County Jail" (online) 25 November, Martin Luther King, Plato, Crito 27 November, In-Class Test

Evaluation: Short Paper

- 10%

2 October

A 500 word paper explaining an argument from Sophocles or Plato. In-Class Test - 30% 28 October A test with short answer questions on Plato, Aristotle, and Kant. Paper

- 30% 18 November A 1000 word paper using the philosophy of Simone de Beauvoir to analyze the ethical actions and arguments of either Antigone or Socrates.

In-Class Test - 30% 27 November This test will involve one written essay response on the question of justice in Martin Luther King Jr. and Plato's Crito. N.B. Plagiarism: Presenting the work of others as your own is a serious academic offense, and it will be treated accordingly. Consult the Bishop’s Calendar for official procedures. Writing, Study Help: Please consult me during my office hours, by email or telephone. I am happy to assist you with reading and writing, or to talk with you about developing your philosophical ideas. Also, the University has a writing resource center and tutors, which I encourage you to use. Secondary Sources: These are not necessary in this course. You should not consult secondary literature without discussing it with me first, and you should not use any in your papers. This class is about working with the primary texts. If you for any reason consult outside sources, you must properly cite them in your work.