Why Be Good? An Introduction to Ethics

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).

Marking Criteria

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.]