|
Mr. Van
Norden |
Office:
Rockefeller Hall 207 |
This course is an introduction to some of the issues, methods and classic texts of philosophy. Among the topics we will address are the following: Is ethics purely subjective? Can we know anything? Can we trust our senses (sight, hearing, etc.)? Do humans only act out of self-interest? Can we do evil for the sake of evil? What makes life worth living?
All the books for this class are influential
and widely admired classic texts.
There will be some lectures in this class,
but also much discussion, and several written assignments. Regular attendance
and at least some class participation is required. There is a final exam but no midterm.
This document last modified January 23, 2007.
Reserve Readings (available in the library):
N.B.: All books are available through the Vassar College Book Store. Some required readings are articles that are on reserve in the library.
In brief, your final grade is based on the
following:
¬…
Attendance, class
participation and response questions:
10% of final grade
¬…
Paper (400-1200 words,
due Feb. 5), 25% of final grade
¬…
Paper (400-1200 words,
due Mar. 5), 25% of final grade
¬…
Paper (400-1200 words,
due Apr. 9), 25% of final grade
¬…
Final exam: 15% of final grade
A substantial portion of your grade for the papers
will depend on the quality of your writing and manuscript preparation. The
topics for the papers are listed on the syllabus below under their due
dates. I shall frequently refer to my online A Supplement to
Strunk and White (follow the link at left). Papers may not be hand-written, and must be double-spaced. And,
whatever else you do, proofread your papers before handing them in! (Remember: a spell-check program is no substitute for
proofreading!) You should also buy a stapler if you do not already own
one. Unstapled papers will be handed back to you to be stapled before
I will grade them.
Unexcused late papers will drop 1/3
letter grade per class meeting after the due date. (That is, an A paper that
should have been handed in on a Tuesday will receive an A- if it is handed in
Thursday, and a B+ if it is handed in the next Tuesday.) Excuses must be
approved through the Dean of Studies Office (x5255).
Regular attendance and at least some class
participation are required in this course. (If you are too shy to speak up
in class, I count talking to me during office hours toward class
participation.) Absences can only
be excused by the Dean of Studies Office (x5255).
Part of your participation grade will be
based on response questions that you will write about the readings. When response questions are due, write
two questions about the assigned readings on a sheet of paper, put your name on
the paper (so I can give you credit) and hand them in at the beginning of class.
These could be questions about points you did not understand,
disagreements you had, or simply observations about aspects of the readings
that you found interesting. These
are not brief essays! They are just
intended to make sure you have given some thought to the readings. Every
Monday, you will either have a paper due or have to hand in response questions.
I am very happy to go over outlines and/or
rough drafts of papers with you before you write the final draft! However, I am afraid that I cannot
accept re-writes of papers. So
just do your best on the paper you hand in.
The readings should
be completed before the class meeting under which they are listed, and then
re-read after the class in which they are discussed. Many
readings are on reserve in the library. It is a good idea to get to
the library early to do the readings, so that you are not waiting while
everyone else reads them. You may also wish to make your own photocopies
of these readings, but that is not a requirement.
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Lect. 1 |
Topics: Course introduction, overview, and mechanics. |
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Applied Ethics |
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Lect. 2 |
Topic: What difference does philosophy make? Read Elizabeth Anscombe, "Mr. Truman's Degree," and Peter Singer, "Famine, Affluence and Morality" (both on reserve in the library). Assignment: Hand in at the beginning of this class two questions or comments that were suggested by the readings. Make sure to put your name on the sheet you hand in. (These could be questions about points you did not understand, disagreements you had, or simply observations about aspects of the readings that you found interesting.) Optional reading: Thomas Nagel, "War and Massacre" (on reserve in the library). |
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Lect. 3 |
Topic: What difference does philosophy make? Read James Stockdale, "The World of Epictetus" (on reserve in the library). |
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Relativism and Pluralism |
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Lect. 4 Mon., Feb. 5 |
Cognitive and ethical relativism. Read B.W. Van Norden, "What Is Relativism?"(follow the link to the left). Response paper due (400-1200 words): Briefly answer each of the following questions, based on "What Is Relativism?" Explain why cognitive relativism is supposed to be self-contradictory. Explain why this argument does NOT apply to ethical relativism. Explain why ethical relativism does not entail tolerance of the views of others. Finally, present an argument either in favor or relativism, or against relativism, or against a particular argument you have heard in favor of or against relativism. (Consult my online A Supplement to Strunk and White for advice about punctuation, grammar and formatting.) |
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Lect. 5 |
Read Martha Nussbaum, "Non-Relative Virtues: An Aristotelian Approach" (on reserve). Optional reading: Isaiah Berlin, "Alleged Relativism in 18th Century Thought" (on reserve). |
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Logic |
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Lect. 6 |
Topics: Deductive arguments. Read Cahn et al., "The Elements of Argument," pp. 1-8 (on reserve in the library). Assignment: Hand in at the beginning of this class two questions or comments that were suggested by the readings. Make sure to put your name on the sheet you hand in. (These could be questions about points you did not understand, disagreements you had, or simply observations about aspects of the readings that you found interesting.) |
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Lect. 7 |
Topic: Inductive arguments and inference to the best explanation. Read Cahn et al., "The Elements of Argument," pp. 8-19 (on reserve in the library). N.B. It is okay if you do not distinguish between "Hypothesis Testing" and "Inference to the Best Explanation." You can think of Hypothesis Testing as just a special case of Inference to the Best Explanation. |
Epistemology: Skepticism |
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Lect. 8 |
Topic: Skepticism (i.e., the view that we cannot
know anything). Read Descartes, selections from Meditations on First
Philosophy, Synopsis, Meditation I
and part of Meditation II, pp. 54-64 (to first paragraph), and Descartes, Discourse
on Method, Part 4. Assignment: Hand in at the
beginning of this class two questions or comments that were suggested by the
readings. Make sure to put your
name on the sheet you hand in.
(These could be questions about points you did not understand,
disagreements you had, or simply observations about aspects of the readings
that you found interesting.) |
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Lect. 9 |
Topic: Against skepticism. Read John Hospers, "A Critique of Skepticism" (on reserve). Optional reading: Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature, Book I, Part IV, Section VII, pp. 263-274. |
Epistemology: Empiricism |
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Lect. 10 |
Topic: Empiricism (i.e., the view that we get knowledge only from sight, hearing, and other senses). Read Hume, Treatise, Book I, Part I, Sections I-V, pp. 1-15. Assignment: Hand in at the beginning of this class two questions or comments that were suggested by the readings. Make sure to put your name on the sheet you hand in. (These could be questions about points you did not understand, disagreements you had, or simply observations about aspects of the readings that you found interesting.) |
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Lect. 11 |
Topic: Empiricism (continued). Read Hume, Treatise, Book I, Part I, Section VII, pp. 17-25. |
Epistemology: Philosophy of Science and Kantian Epistemology |
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Lect. 12 Mon., Mar. 5 |
Paper due (at least 1200 words): Briefly answer all of the following questions. According to Hume, what is the difference between an "impression" and an "idea"? What makes an idea or impression "simple" or "complex"? What kinds of impressions are there (besides simple and complex)? According to Hume, can I form an idea of something that I have not directly experienced myself? Pick at least one example of a simple mathematical truth, such as the Pythagorean Theorem or 2+2=4. (You can even use one of those examples.) Explain why you think that Hume can or cannot reduce this to sensory knowledge. Make sure to argue for your position. Class Topic: The pre-modern European worldview. Read the pages at this link on the Ptolemaic-Aristotelian worldview and this link on the Copernican worldview. Optional readings: Thomas S. Kuhn, "The Two Sphere Universe in Aristotelian Thought" and Kuhn, "Recasting the Tradition: Aristotle to the Copernicans," both on reserve. |
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Lect. 13 |
Topic: Kantian Epistemology. Required Readings:
Optional reading: Here is an outline of all of Kuhn's Structure. |
Spring Break |
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Philosophy of Mind |
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Lect. 14 |
Topic: Substances and selves. Readings:
Assignment: Hand in at the beginning of this class two questions or comments that were suggested by the readings. Make sure to put your name on the sheet you hand in. (These could be questions about points you did not understand, disagreements you had, or simply observations about aspects of the readings that you found interesting.) |
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Lect. 15 |
Topic: The Hermeneutic Alternative. Alasdair MacIntyre, "The Virtues, the Unity of Human Life and the Concept of a Tradition" (on reserve). Optional reading: Immanuel Kant, "Transcendental Deduction (B)," sections 16-18, pp. 152-158, on reserve. |
Egoism |
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Lect. 16 |
Topic: Psychological and Ethical Egoism. Read James Rachels, "Egoism and Moral Skepticism" (on reserve). Assignment: Hand in at the beginning of this class two questions or comments that were suggested by the readings. Make sure to put your name on the sheet you hand in. (These could be questions about points you did not understand, disagreements you had, or simply observations about aspects of the readings that you found interesting.) Note: Compassion is a feeling of
happiness caused by the belief that other people are experiencing
happiness or well-being, OR a feeling of sadness caused by the belief that other
people are suffering or living poorly. |
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Lect. 17 |
Topic: Egoism, Altruism and Evolutionary Theory. Darwin, The Descent of Man, selection (on reserve). |
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Meta-Ethics |
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Lect. 18 Mon., April 9 |
Topic: Are ethical claims "felt"
or judged by reason? Read Hume, selections from Treatise, Book II, Part III, Section III, pp. 413-418, and
Book III, Part I, Sections I-II, pp. 455-476. Especially read pp. 413-418. Questions to consider: What is Hume's primary
conclusion in these sections of the Treatise? What are his arguments for these conclusions? Are
they rationally persuasive? Response paper due (at least 600
words): Write on ONE of the following topics: (1) Briefly answer all of the following questions: What is the difference between
psychological egoism and ethical egoism? What is the difference between an action being
self-interested and its being selfish?
Give an example of a kind of action that seems to not be
self-interested. Consider the
following claim: "It was
purely self-interested of you to save that drowning child; you only did it
because the suffering of the child made you feel sad." Explain why this is a bad
argument. (2) Briefly answer all
of the following questions: What
is the difference between psychological egoism and ethical egoism? According to Rachels, what reason is
there for you not to engage in action that harms another person (even if the
action does not harm you)?
Consider a psychopath who had no compassion or concern for other
humans: would Rachels say that
the psychopath has a reason not to harm others? Does Rachels "beg the question" against ethical
egoism? Explain why you think
Rachels does or does not present a rationally persuasive argument against
ethical egoism. Make sure to
argue for why you think Rachels is correct or incorrect. On any of these papers, consult my online A Supplement to
Strunk and White for advice about punctuation, grammar and formatting. |
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Topic: Hume on reason and emotion in ethics. Read Philippa Foot, "Hume on Moral Judgment" (on reserve).l |
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Normative Ethics: Deontology |
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Lect. 20 |
Topic: Deontological Ethics. Read Immanuel Kant, "What Is Enlightenment?" (on reserve) and Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, Part 2. Assignment: Hand in at the beginning of this class two questions or comments that were suggested by the readings. Make sure to put your name on the sheet you hand in. (These could be questions about points you did not understand, disagreements you had, or simply observations about aspects of the readings that you found interesting.) Note: Elizabeth Anscombe, whom we read at the beginning of the course, and Thomas Nagel are deontologists. |
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Lect. 21 |
Topic: Deontological Ethics (continued). Read Kant, "Kant-Herbert Correspondence" (on reserve). Optional Reading: Immanuel Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, Preface, Part 1, Part 3 and "On a Supposed Right to Lie." |
Normative Ethics: Utilitarianism |
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Lect. 22 |
Topic: Utilitarianism and Pleasure. Readings:
Assignment: Hand in at the beginning of this class two questions or comments that were suggested by the readings. Make sure to put your name on the sheet you hand in. (These could be questions about points you did not understand, disagreements you had, or simply observations about aspects of the readings that you found interesting.) Note: Peter Singer, whom we read at the beginning of the course, is a utilitarian. |
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Lect. 23 |
Topic: Utilitarianism, Deontology and Feminism. Read (1) John Stuart Mill, "On the Subjection of Women" (on reserve), and (2) John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism, Chapter 5: On the Connection between Justice and Utility, in Troyer, ed., The Classic Utilitarians, pp. 127-145. |
Normative Ethics: Virtue Ethics |
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Lect. 24 |
Class Topic: Virtue ethics on "living well" and the goal of human life. Read "How to Read the Summa" (on the web) and then read St. Thomas Aquinas, Treatise on Happiness, beginning with Question V, Article 8, and then read all of Question II, and then proceed to Question III, Article 5 and Article 8. If you have time, read all of Questions I-V. Review Aristotle, Physics, Book 2, Chapter 3 and Chapter 8 (on reserve). (James Stockdale and Martha Nussbuam, both of whom we read at the beginning of the course, are virtue ethicians.) Assignment: Hand in at the
beginning of this class two questions or comments that were suggested by the
readings. Make sure to put your
name on the sheet you hand in.
(These could be questions about points you did not understand,
disagreements you had, or simply observations about aspects of the readings
that you found interesting.) |
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Lect. 25 |
Topic:
Aquinas (continued). |
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Lect. 26 |
Course evaluations will be handed out
today, so do not miss this class! |
It is impossible to understand philosophy after one reading. Even professional philosophers must read a philosophical text at least twice in order to understand it. So make sure to read every assignment in this course at least twice!
I do not recommend reading additional outside sources on the topics covered
in this course. (Many secondary books and translations are very unreliable.)
Just read, re-read, and re-re-read the assignments. You are encouraged to
discuss the readings, lectures and paper topics with other students and with
the instructor. However, you must write up your papers by yourself. In
addition, if you use any quotations, phrases or even ideas in your papers
that you did not come up with on your own, you must acknowledge this fact in a
citation. Failure to do so is plagiarism (a serious offense)! It does not make any difference whether the source is
a book, encyclopedia article, oral conversation, web site or anything else.
Cite it!
My office hours are your time! Make use of them! In lecture, you are one of several
dozen students. In my office hours, you usually get one on one attention. Take
advantage of this opportunity!
Academic accommodations are available for
students with documented disabilities. Please schedule an appointment with the
instructor early in the semester to discuss any accommodation that may be
needed for the course. All accommodations must be approved through the Office
of Disability and Support Services (ext. 7584) as indicated in their accommodation
letter.
If you want to take additional courses in philosophy in the future, you can ask me or other members of the department for recommendations. In particular,