Why Be Good? An Introduction to Ethics
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
June 28
Lecture 1 — 1:45pm - 3:00pm
Famine, Affluence, and Morality
Lecture slides
[Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8.]
Lecture 2 — 3:15pm - 4:30pm
Moral Saints
Lecture slides
[Supplementary readings: 1, 2, & 3.]
July 3
Lecture 3 — 1:45pm - 3:00pm
Absolute Moral Rules
Lecture slides
[Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5.]
Lecture 4 — 3:15pm - 4:30pm
The Grounds of Morality
Lecture slides
[Supplementary readings: 1, 2, & 3.]
July 5
Lecture 5 — 1:45pm - 3:00pm
Moral Luck
Lecture slides
[Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7.]
Lecture 6 — 3:15pm - 4:30pm
The Impossibility of Moral Responsibility
Lecture slides
[Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5.]
Also: Lecture on Writing a Philosophy Essay
July 10
Lecture 7 — 10:15am - 11:30am
Happiness and Harm
Lecture slides
[Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, & 4.]
Lecture 8 — 11:45am - 1:00pm
Love and Death
Lecture slides
[Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, & 4.]
July 17
Lecture 9 — 11:45am - 1:00pm
Psychological Egoism
Lecture slides
[Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, & 4.]
Lecture 10 — 1:45pm - 3:00pm
When to Psychologize
Lecture slides
[Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, & 4.]
July 24
Lecture 11 — 10:15am - 11:30am
The Duty to Speak Your Mind
Lecture slides
[Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, & 4.]
Lecture 12 — 11:45am - 1:00pm
Moral Grandstanding
Lecture slides
[Supplementary readings: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6.]
SEMINAR SCHEDULE
June 29
Seminar 1 — 1:45pm — Group 1
Seminar 1 — 3:15pm — Group 3
Seminar 1 — 4:45pm — Group 2
July 4
Seminar 2 — 1:45pm — Group 1
Seminar 2 — 3:15pm — Group 3
Seminar 2 — 4:45pm — Group 2
July 6
Seminar 3 — 1:45pm — Group 1
Seminar 3 — 3:15pm — Group 3
July 7
Seminar 3 — 3:15pm — Group 2
July 13
Seminar 4 — 11:45am — Group 3
Seminar 4 — 1:45pm — Group 2
Seminar 4 — 3:15pm — Group 1
July 20
Seminar 5 — 11:45am — Group 1
Seminar 5 — 1:45pm — Group 3
Seminar 5 — 3:15pm — Group 2
July 27
Seminar 6 — 11:45am — Group 3
Seminar 6 — 1:45pm — Group 1
Seminar 6 — 1:45pm — Group 2