Why Be Good? An Introduction to Ethics
Syllabus
Course Description
What is there to live for? Is there anything worth pursuing apart from money, love, and your own desires? How can we live an ethical life? This course is an introduction to philosophical ethics. It will be structured around twelve topics, such as: Do you have a moral duty to donate most of your money to charity? Are we unfree and thus not responsible for anything? Is moral virtue a matter of luck? If someone you love dies and you’re not upset, does that mean you never really cared about them? In addition to thinking about particular ethical issues, we will discuss some of the most powerful and persuasive theories in moral philosophy, including utilitarianism (the view that an action is right if it promotes happiness), deontology (the view that an action is right if it is done from duty), and virtue ethics (the view that an action is right if one has the right moral character or virtues).
LECTURE SCHEDULE
July 1
• Lecture 1 — 10:15am - 11:30am
• Famine, Affluence, and Morality
• Lecture 1 slides (coming soon)
• [Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.]
• Lecture 2 — 11:45am - 1:00pm
• Moral Saints
• Lecture 2 slides (coming soon)
• [Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3.]
July 7
• Lecture 3 — 3:15pm - 4:30am
• Absolute Moral Rules
• Lecture 3 slides (coming soon)
• [Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.]
• Lecture 4 — 4:45pm - 6:00pm
• The Grounds of Morality
• Lecture 4 slides (coming soon)
• [Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3.]
July 10
• Lecture 5 — 1:45pm - 3:00pm
• Moral Luck
• Lecture 5 slides (coming soon)
• [Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.]
• Lecture 6 — 3:15pm - 4:30pm
• The Impossibility of Moral Responsibility
• Lecture 6 slides (coming soon)
• [Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.]
• Also: Lecture on Writing a Philosophy Essay
July 15
• Lecture 7 — 10:15am - 11:30am
• Happiness and Harm
• Lecture 7 slides (coming soon)
• [Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4.]
• Lecture 8 — 11:45am - 1:00pm
• Love and Death
• Lecture 8 slides (coming soon)
• [Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4.]
July 21
• Lecture 9 — 8:45am - 10:00am
• Psychological Egoism
• Lecture 9 slides (coming soon)
• [Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4.]
• Lecture 10 — 10:15am - 11:30am
• When to Psychologize
• Lecture 10 slides (coming soon)
• [Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4.]
July 28
• Lecture 11 — 10:15am - 11:30am
• The Duty to Speak Your Mind
• Lecture 11 slides (coming soon)
• [Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4.]
• Lecture 12 — 11:45am - 1:00pm
• Moral Grandstanding
• Lecture 12 slides (coming soon)
• [Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.]