Philosophy 361
Ethics
Darwall
Fall 2007
SYLLABUS
Required Texts [available through Shaman
Drum Bookshop,
313 S. State Street]
Stephen Darwall, Philosophical
Ethics (PE)
John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism
(U)
Immanuel Kant, Groundwork
of the Metaphysics of Morals (G)
Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals (GM)
Aristotle, Nicomachean
Ethics (NE)
Carol Gilligan, In
A Different Voice (DV)
ELECTRONIC
RESERVES (ER)
accessible
from electronic syllabus
on the Course
Materials page,
which is linked to Philosophy
361 web page. Some are in JSTOR; the
Cudworth excerpt is
from Past Masters; and the rest are from
University
Reserves. The links on the
electronic syllabus will work if you are on the UM network, and the
readings from University Reserves seem to work even if you
aren't, if you authenticate. Otherwise, you will need to
access through the University
Library database search page. Click the "Name" tab.
Then:
For JSTOR, type in "JSTOR," go to
"Advanced Search," type in the title, check "Title" and "Philosophy"
and "Search."
For Past Masters, type in "Past Masters," go
to "British Philosophy: 1600-1900," then click "+" next to "L. A.
Selby-Bigge," then "+" next to "British Moralists," then
"+" next to "Volume II," then "Ralph Cudworth."
Course
Web Page: www.umich.edu/~sdarwall/Phil361.html
(linked
to my
home page): www.umich.edu/~sdarwall
Tentative
Schedule of Lectures and
(‘Req’ = Required Reading
‘Rec’ = Recommended
September 5 Fundamental philosophical issues in ethics
Req: PE: 3-14
10 Mill I
Req:
U:
Rec:
PE:
109-113
12 Mill II
Req: U: first two paragraphs of Ch. 2 and all of Ch. 4
Bentham,
Introduction
to Principles of Morals,
Rec: PE: 113-122
17 Mill III
Req: U: paragraphs 3-17 of Ch. 2 (pp. 7-17 in Sher’s edition)
19 Mill IV
Req:
U: rest
of Ch. 2 (pp. 17-26 in Sher) and all of
Rec: PE: 123-132
24 Mill V
Req:
U:
Rawls, "Two Concepts of Rules," ER
Rec: PE: 132-138
Mill, On
26 Metaethics: the Basic Questions
Req:
Harman, "Ethics
and Observation," ER
PE: 17-26
October 1 Naturalism
Req: PE: 27-38
3 Theological Voluntarism
Req: PE: 39-47
Excerpts
from Ralph Cudworth, A Treatise Concerning
Eternal and Immutable
Morality, 248-252, ER
FIRST PAPERS DUE
8 Ideal Judgment Theories
Req: PE: 55-61
Firth,
"Ethical
Absolutism and the Ideal Observer," ER
Rec: Rawls, "An Outline of a Decision Procedure for Ethics," ER
10 Relativism
Req: PE: 63-70
17 Noncognitivism
Req: PE: 71-79
Ayer, "Critique of Ethics," ER
22 Kant I
Req: G: Preface
Rec: PE: 139-147
Christine
Korsgaard, G, Introduction
24 Kant II
Req:
G:
Rec: PE: 147-152
29 Kant III
RQR: G: reread Ch. 1; first half of Ch. 2 (to Ak. 4:428)
Rec: PE: 152-163
31 Kant IV
Req:
G: rest
of Ch. 2 (Ak. 4:428-
Rec: PE: 163-169
November 5 Kant V
Req: G: reread Ch. 2
(Three) excerpts
from Rawls, A Theory of Justice,
1, 2, 3 ER
7 Kant VI
Req:
G:
Rec: PE: 169-173
12 Nietzsche I
Req: GM, Preface and First Essay
Rec: PE: 177-186
14 Nietzsche II
Req: GM, Second Essay
Rec: PE: 186-190
19 Aristotle I
Req: NE: Bk. 1
Rec: PE: 191-201
21 Aristotle II
Req: NE: reread Bk. 1; Bk. 2
Rec: PE: 203-208
26 Aristotle III
Req: NE: reread. Bk. 2; Bk. 3; and Ch. 3-9 of Bk. 4
Rec: PE:
208-210
SECOND PAPERS
DUE
28 Aristotle IV
Req: NE: Bk. 8 and Bk. 9
December 3 Aristotle V
Req: NE: Bk. 6
Rec: PE: 210-216
5 A Critique of traditional moral philosophy: relationships and particularity
Req: DV: 1-63
Rec: PE: 217-221
10 Self, other, and morality
Req: DV: 64-105,128-150
Rec: PE: 221-228
17 Final
Exam (
Course
Requirements: two essays (one, 4-6 pages,
and the
other, 8-10 pages), the Critical Reading Project (including one 2-page
paper), a
final exam, and attendance and active
participation in lectures and discussion section, weighted in the
following
percentages: 1st paper, 15%; Critical
Reading Project 15%; 2nd paper, 30%; final exam, 30%; attendance and
participation in lecture and discussion section, 10%.
The final exam will be given Monday, December 17,
My office hours will be
Tuesday, 1-3 p.m, at 2227 Angell Hall,
and also by appointment. Lei Zhong, who will also
lead sections, will hold office hours as well, which he will announce. We
encourage you to come in to talk to us about the course. I
can also be reached by email (
Finally,
plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct are morally wrong, a
violation of