Spring 2008 – Tentative Reading/Exam Schedule
___________________________________________________________________________________Week 1
Monday, January 14 (—Happy Birthday, L.L. Cool J!)
Introduction to Course Objectives
Wednesday, January 16 (—Happy Birthday, Kate
Moss!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. What is the Euthyphro Dilemma? What is Divine
Command Theory (DCT)? What two problems are purportedly raised for DCT by the
Euthyphro Dilemma?
2. Retell the account given by Brody of how someone comes to own a piece of
property. Retell the account given by Brody of how someone comes to be the
steward of a piece of property. How do these notions of property-ownership and
stewardship apply to Brody’s defense of DCT? How does Brody apply these
concepts when considering (a) suicide?, (b)
vegetarianism?
___________________________________________________________________________________Week 2
Monday, January 21
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Wednesday, January 23 (—Happy Birthday, Humphrey
Bogart!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. What is a moral agent? What is a moral patient?
Reproduce what Mackie refers to as “The Problem of Evil” (POE). Reproduce what Mackie refers to as “The
Paradox of Omnipotence.”
2. State and explain one of the “adequate solutions” to the POE, according to
Mackie. State and explain two of the “fallacious solutions” to the POE according
to Mackie, making sure to note why Mackie finds these supposed solutions
problematic. Do you find the POE convincing in demonstrating that God does not
exist? Why or why not?
___________________________________________________________________________________Week 3
Monday, January 28 (—Happy Birthday, Jackson
Pollock!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Describe what Mavrodes refers to as a “Russellian World.” Describe what
Mavrodes refers to a “Russellian Benefit.” Reproduce and discuss Mavrodes’s
moral argument for the existence of God. Do you find his argument compelling?
Why or why not?
2. Mavrodes anticipates three objections to his position. Reproduce each of the
three objections. Reproduce Mavrodes’s response to each of the three
objections. Does Mavrodes adequately respond to the objections? Why or why not?
Wednesday, January 30 (—Happy Birthday, Saul
Alinsky!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Reproduce each of the two accounts (with each of the account’s two
variations) which Clifford uses to emphasize that belief formation is a moral
activity. Clifford addresses two commonly held misconceptions about the assumed
innocence of forming and maintaining beliefs, emphasizing why Clifford takes
these positions to be erroneous. Discuss these two misconceptions in detail.
2. Clifford anticipates the following objection to his position: “‘But,’ says
one, ‘I am a busy man; I have no time for the long course of study which would
be necessary to make me in any degree a competent judge of certain questions,
or even able to understand the nature of the arguments.’ Then [this person]
should have no time to believe.” First, explain the objection in detail.
Second, provide and discuss Clifford’s response to this objection. Which two
things, according to Clifford, may we rightly appeal to in forming beliefs?
___________________________________________________________________________________Week 4
Monday, February 4 (—Happy Birthday, Rosa Parks!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Aristotle writes: “Every skill and every inquiry, and similarly every action and
rational choice, is thought to aim at some good…But it
is clear that there is some difference between ends: some ends are activities,
while others are products which are additional to activities. In cases where
there are ends additional to the actions, the products are by their nature
better than the activities.” Discuss, in detail, what Aristotle means to convey
in this passage; feel free to use examples. Define the term “happiness” as it
is used by Aristotle.
2. What does Aristotle mean by “function”? Why, according to Aristotle, is it
not the case that the function of the human species is living? – sentience? What, according to Aristotle, is the function of
the human species? Reproduce what was referred to in class as The Argument from
Function (AF). The AF is valid; but, in your opinion, is the argument sound?
Why or why not?
Wednesday, February 6 (—Happy Birthday, Bob Marley!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Describe what Aristotle refers to as virtue. Provide two examples of virtues
mentioned in the Nicomachean Ethics;
and, provide the two vices which accompany each of these virtues. How,
according to Aristotle, is the moral agent to attain virtue(s)? Using one of
the examples of virtue which you’ve already provided, describe how the moral
agent is to attain and internalize that particular virtue. Does this seem
plausible? Why or why not?
2. Describe what we referred to in class as The Golden Mean. In discussing this
concept, Aristotle makes an important distinction between the mean “in respect
of the thing itself,” and as it stands “relative to us.” Discuss the difference
between these two senses of mean by appealing to examples (you may use either
Aristotle’s or your own). Is Aristotle being too optimistic to think that we
can become virtuous (as he intends to use the term “virtuous”) moral agents?
Why or why not?
___________________________________________________________________________________
Week 5
Monday, February 11 (—Happy Birthday, Thomas
Edison!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Regarding giving, what is the virtue (i.e., the
golden mean)? Name and describe the corresponding vice of deficiency. Name and
describe the corresponding vice of excess. Regarding giving in large amounts, what is the virtue (i.e.,
the golden mean)? Name and describe the corresponding vice of deficiency. Name
and describe the corresponding vice of excess. You should be prepared to
recognize these virtues and vices in examples.
2. Regarding capability of greatness (and recognition of this), what is the
virtue (i.e., the golden mean)? Name and describe the corresponding vice of
deficiency. Name and describe the corresponding vice of excess. Regarding
private relations with others, what is the virtue (i.e., the golden mean)? Name
and describe the corresponding vice of deficiency. Name and describe the
corresponding vice of excess. You should be prepared to recognize these virtues
and vices in examples.
Wednesday, February 13 (—Happy Birthday, Peter Gabriel!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Describe what Aristotle refers to as incontinence. Provide an example of an
incontinent person. What is the opposite of incontinence? Describe what
Aristotle refers to as brutishness. Provide an example of a brutish person.
What is the opposite of brutishness?
2. What is The Problem of Incontinence (PI)? What is Socrates’ Solution to the
PI? What is Aristotle’s Solution to the PI?
___________________________________________________________________________________
Week 6
Monday, February 18 (—Happy Birthday, Toni Morrison!)
Exam I of III – Don’t forget your blue books!
Wednesday, February 20 (—Happy Birthday, Angelina Grimké!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Define a priori. Provide one example
of the a priori. Define a posteriori. Provide of example of the a posteriori.
2. Kant writes: “Since my aim here is directed properly to moral philosophy, I
limit the question proposed only to this: is it not thought to be of the utmost
necessity to work out for once a pure moral philosophy, completely cleansed of
everything that may be only empirical and that belongs to anthropology?”
Explain what Kant means, here.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Week 7
Monday, February 25 (—Happy Birthday, Pierre-Auguste Renoir!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Describe what Kant means by “the good will.” Why, according to Kant, is the
good will the only thing that “can be considered good without limitation”?
Reproduce Kant’s argument against the Aristotelian virtue theory of ethics, in
Section I. Do you think that Kant’s argument is successful? Why or why not?
Reproduce Kant’s argument against the utilitarian theory of ethics (i.e., The
Argument from the Presence of Reason), in Section I. Do you think that Kant’s
argument is successful? Why or why not?
2. Retell the account that Kant gives involving the shopkeeper. What is this
account supposed to demonstrate? According to Kant, what is the motivation for
the shopkeeper’s action? Retell the account that Kant gives involving the
philanthropist. What is this account supposed to demonstrate? According to
Kant, what the motivation for the philanthropist’s action? Define “duty,” as
Kant uses this concept. What is the different between acting “in accord with
duty,” and acting “from duty”?
Wednesday, February 27 (—Happy Birthday, Ralph Nader!)
___________________________________________________________________________________
Week 8
Monday, March 3 (—Happy Birthday, Jean Harlow!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. What sorts of entities are moral agents according
to Kant? Why are only these entities moral agents, i.e., what feature sets
these entities apart from others? Define “imperative,” as Kant uses the
concept. Describe what Kant refers to as “hypothetical imperatives.” Provide
one exam of a hypothetical imperative, and explain why it’s merely
hypothetical. Describe what Kant refers to as the “categorical imperative.”
Provide Kant’s first formulation of the categorical imperative, and explain why
it’s categorical rather than merely hypothetical.
2. In Section II, Kant discusses several different applications of the
categorical imperative – e.g., “Someone feels sick of life because of a series
of troubles…,” “Another finds himself urged by the need to borrow money [and]
well knows that he will not be able to repay it…,” “A third finds in himself a
talent [but] prefers to give himself up to pleasure…,” “[A fourth] does not
care to contribute anything to the welfare of the needy…,” (Kant, p.31-33).
Reproduce two of these cases, and explain how the categorical imperative is
applied in each case; and, what Kant suggests that the moral agent should do in
each case.
Wednesday, March 5 (—Happy Birthday, Penn
Jillette!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. See questions for March 3, 2008.
2. See questions for March 3, 2008.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Week 9
Monday, March 10 (—Happy Birthday, Sharon
Stone!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Define “perfect duties” and “imperfect duties,” as Kant uses these terms.
Provide one example of each. Provide Kant’s reformulation of the categorical
imperative, and explain what the imperative demands of all moral agents. In
Section II, Kant discusses several different applications of his reformulation
of the categorical imperative – e.g., “Someone who has suicide in mind…,” “he
who has in mind to make a false promise to others…,” “[the neglect of]
predispositions to greater perfections…,” “contribution to the happiness of others…,”
(Kant, p.38-39). Choose two of these cases, and explain how the reformulation
of the categorical imperative is applied in each case; and, what Kant suggests
that the moral agent should do in each case.
2. Describe what Mappes means by the immoral “use” of another person, making
sure to note the two ways in which this can occur. In what way is Mappes’s
position Kantian in nature? Reproduce one of the examples involving medical
research that Mappes uses to illustrate what he means by the immoral use of another
person. Reproduce one of the examples involving human sexual interaction that
Mappes uses to illustrate what he means by the immoral use of another person.
What are the two kinds of proposals that Mappes discusses in the article? How
may we determine which of the two kinds of proposal a particular proposal is?
Provide one example of each.
Wednesday, March 12 (—Happy Birthday, Jack Kerouac!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Chadwick
considers three reasons for why, according to Kant, a moral agent may not sell
her organs. Discuss the three reasons that Kant provides. List, and discuss,
the three reasons why Chadwick finds Kant’s arguments to be unsatisfactory.
Chadwick considers one reason for why, according to Harré, a moral agent may not sell (some of) her organs. Discuss
this argument along with the reason that Chadwick takes Harré’s position to be
unsatisfactory.
2. Reproduce, in as much detail as is needed, Chadwick’s argument for why it is
morally impermissible to sell one’s organs. Is her argument Kantian in nature? Why
or why not? In your opinion, do moral agents have duties to themselves? If so,
what sorts of things do they have duties to refrain from doing to themselves? And, why? If not, why do you think moral agents have no
duties to themselves?
______________________________________________________________________________ Spring Break
Monday,
March 17 – Friday, March 21
No Class – Spring Break
___________________________________________________________________________________
Week 10
Monday, March 24 (—Happy Birthday, Harry
Houdini!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Define “murder,” as Murphy uses the term; and, provide
one example. Define “innocence,” as Murphy uses the term; and, provide one
example. Murphy writes: “Combatants are those anywhere within the chain of command or responsibility – from bottom to top.” Explain
what Murphy means, here; and, provide one example of a “combatant,” in this
sense.
2. What is a “prima facie” duty? Provide one example. In closing, Murphy argues
that one has a duty not to kill the innocent in an “absolute” sense. What does
he mean by this? Imagine a scenario where one may save the lives of millions,
but in order to do so she must sacrifice the life of one baby. What would
Murphy suggest that we should do in such a situation? Why? In what way is
Murphy’s position Kantian in nature? Do you agree with Murphy, here? Why or why
not?
Wednesday, March 26 (—Happy Birthday, Sandra Day O’Connor!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Kant writes: “But what is the mode and measure of punishment which public
justice takes as its principle and standard? It is just the principle of
equality, by which the pointer of the scale of justice is made to incline no
more to one side than the other. It may be rendered by saying that the
undeserved evil which anyone commits on another is to be regarded as
perpetuated on himself.” Explain what Kant means,
here. How, according to Kant’s position, should The State punish the thief? How
should The State punish the murder? Is Kant’s theory of punishment consistent
with what we know of his moral philosophy? Why or why not?
2. Define what Nathanson refers to as “equality retributivism.”
According to equality retributivism, how should The State punish murderers?
Reproduce the two reasons, in as much detail as needed, which Nathanson gives for why we should reject equality
retributivism. Define what Nathanson refers to as
“proportional retributivism.” According to proportional retributivism, how
should The State punish murderers? Why, according to Nathason,
does proportional retributivism fail in providing support for the death
penalty? Discuss one (of the two) “symbolic messages” that abolition of the
death penalty would send to society. Do you agree with Nathanson’s
position? Why or why not?
___________________________________________________________________________________
Week 11
Monday, March 31 (—Happy Birthday, Rene
Descartes!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. According to Foot, are the imperatives which make up the rules of etiquette
better describe as hypothetical imperatives or categorical imperatives? Would
Kant agree with Foot, here? Discuss. According to Foot, are the imperatives
which make up club rules better be described as hypothetical imperatives or
categorical imperatives? Would Kant agree with Foot, here? Discuss. According
to Foot, are the imperatives which make up morality better described as
hypothetical imperatives or categorical imperatives? Would Kant agree with
Foot, here? Discuss.
2. Discuss, in as much detail as is needed, Foot’s response to the Kantian
claim that immorality amounts to irrationality. Foot closes her article with
the following passage: “Perhaps we should be less troubled than we are by fear
of defection from the moral cause; perhaps we should even have less reason to
fear it if people thought of themselves as volunteers banded together to fight
for liberty and justice and against inhumanity and oppression.” In your
opinion, how do you think Kant would respond to Foot, here?
Wednesday, April 2 (—Happy Birthday, Marvin
Gaye!)
Exam II of III – Don’t forget your blue books!
___________________________________________________________________________________
Week 12
Monday, April 7 (—Happy Birthday, Billie
Holiday!)
Required
Study Questions: TBA
1. Define “Consequentialism.” Define “Utilitarianism.” Define “Psychological
Hedonism.” What is the primary difference between Bentham's version of the
theory and Mill's formulation? Is Utility, in your opinion, the greatest good,
i.e., should we appeal to the Principle of Utility in choosing each of our
actions? Why or why not?
2. Briefly reproduce the five objections to Utilitarianism discussed in class.
Reproduce Mill’s response to each of the five objections? In your opinion, is
his defense successful? Explain.
Wednesday, April 9 (—Happy Birthday, J. William Fulbright!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Define “Rule Utilitarianism,” making sure to point out how it differs from
traditional “Act” Utilitarianism. In what way is Rule Utilitarianism similar to
Kantianism? In what way is the theory different from Kantianism? Hospers opens
his article by offering four accounts which are intended to demonstrate that
Act Utilitarianism cannot be right. Reproduce any two of the four accounts.
Explain why, according to Hospers, each of these accounts should cause us to
doubt the validity of Act Utilitarianism. Describe what course of action the
Rule Utilitarian would take in each of the two cases which you discuss.
2. In class, we discussed two potential objections to Rule Utilitarianism.
Reproduce these objections in as much detail as is needed. Next, reproduce
Hospers’s response to the two objections. Between Act Utilitarianism and Rule
Utilitarianism, which seems more plausible? Why?Required
___________________________________________________________________________________
Week 13
Monday, April 14 (—Happy Birthday, Annie
Sullivan!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. What does Mill mean by “dead dogma”? What does Mill mean by the
“tyranny of the majority”? According to Mill, ideas can be (1) entirely true,
(2) entirely false, or (3) partially true. For each of these cases how does he
argue, on Utilitarian grounds, that we should not suppress the idea? What is the only legitimate reason for
government coercion regarding speech according to Mill? In your opinion, when –
if ever – is the government justified in censoring a person or organization?
2. Let's assume that a group which advocates the torture of squirrels petitions
a city council for a permit to hand out pamphlets outside of a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals) fundraiser. Let's also assume that the group's idea – that we should
torture squirrels – is entirely wrong. According to Mill, what are the two
reasons why we should allow the group to distribute the pamphlets and engage in
dialogue anyway? Do you agree with Mill, here? Discuss.
Wednesday, April 16 (—Happy Birthday, Anatole France!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. In class we discussed people living in a state of
“absolute poverty.” Describe what living in such a state involves, and how this
differs from the poverty present in, for instance, the
2. Singer anticipates many objections to his position; of these, we discussed
five in class. Reproduce any three of these five objections. Reproduce Singer’s
response to each of the three objections you’ve chosen. Does Singer adequately
respond to each of these objections? Why or why not? In your opinion, to what
extent – if any – are affluent moral agents obligated to aid suffering persons
in the
___________________________________________________________________________________
Week 14
Monday, April 21 (—Happy Birthday, Iggy Pop!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Define “Euthanasia,” as Singer uses the term. List and define the three
different types of euthanasia which Singer discusses. Provide one example of
each type of euthanasia. For each type of euthanasia, discuss whether you are
for its legalization or against its legalization – and, why.
2. Why would a utilitarian, like Singer, hold that voluntary euthanasia should
be made available to human beings who are suffering from some incurable and
debilitating diseases? When arguing for the availability of voluntary
euthanasia, Singer discusses possible objections to his position. Provide and
discuss any two of these objections. And, provide and discuss Singer’s response
to each of the objections. Why would a utilitarian, like Singer, hold that
non-voluntary euthanasia should be made available for human beings who are
suffering from some incurable and debilitating diseases? In cases involving
incurably ill or severely disable infants, who, according to Singer, should
make the ultimate decision as to whether the infant lives or dies? What goes
into this decision-making process?
Wednesday, April 23 (—Happy Birthday, William Shakespeare!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. Retell the story of Fred, which Norcross opens his article with. How does
Norcross use the story in order to argue for vegetarianism/veganism?
In your opinion, is Norcross’s story successful in condemning the actions of
meat-eaters? Why or why not? Why, according to utilitarian theory, are
non-human animals to be considered as moral patients?
2. Norcross goes on to consider three salient differences between
Fred’s actions and that of the average human meat-eater. Provide each of these
differences. Provide Norcross’s reason for holding that none of the three
differences are morally relevant. Discuss what Norcross refers to as the
“Texan’s Challenge.” Do you think that the Texan’s Challenge is a successful
defense of meat-eating? Why or why not?
___________________________________________________________________________________
Week 15
Monday, April 28 (—Happy Birthday, Jay
Leno!)
Required
Study Questions:
1. What does Goodpaster mean by “moral consideration”?
What does Goodpaster mean by “moral rights”? What does Goodpaster mean by
“moral significance”? What sorts of entities are candidates for moral
consideration according to the basic Kantian theory which Goodpaster discusses?
What sorts of entities are candidates for moral consideration according to the
more sophisticated Kantian theory which Goodpaster discusses? What sorts of
entities are candidates for moral consideration according to Utilitarian
theory? What sorts of entities are candidates for moral consideration according
to Goodpaster’s theory? Which of these theories seem
the most plausible? Why?
2. What does Feinberg mean by “interests”? What does Goodpaster mean by
“interests”? What sorts of interests – according to Goodpaster’s
theory – do trees have? Goodpaster closes his article by considering and
responding to numerous objections to his account. Provide any two of these
objections. And, provide Goodpaster’s response to
each of the two objections.
Monday, April 30 (—Happy Birthday, Willie Nelson!)
Exam III of III – Don’t forget your blue books! Also, papers are due at the beginning of class.
These materials are not endorsed, approved,
sponsored, or provided by or on behalf of the University of
Arkansas, Fayetteville; however, the ghost of Emma Goldman
is, no doubt, looking upon them as we speak—and, nodding with approval.