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PHIL 2525 Contemporary Moral IssuesLECTURES AND READINGS FOR THE 2011/2012 ACADEMIC YEAR |
You are expected to print out the readings and annotate them for class discussion and as review for eventual test time. But because some of these readings may be amended or added to as current events intrude on our subject, it would be wise not to get too far ahead with your printing. Please check back each week.
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Text: The Elements of Moral Philosophy James Rachels (sixth edition)
1. Introductions: You, Me and the Course Requirements Case study: The Walrus and the Carpenter Lewis Carroll Too good to pitch...9-year old is barred 9-year-old boy told he's too good to pitch Also read the "Art or Child Abuse" links in the class blog 2. Reasoning and Moral Reasoning “The case for Moral Objectivity” A Dangerous Idea (blog) “Some Arguments Against Objective Moral Values” A Dangerous Idea (blog) Case study: Ring of Gyges Discussion: Good Sport...Bad Sport Legalize drugs in sports, Ethicist says ------------------------------ 3. What are we talking about? "What is Morality?" (Elements Ch. 1) Case study: Robert and Tracy Latimer The Law and Robert Latimer CBC News Latimer Council of Canadians with Disabilities (For more background, you might take a look at the CCD's Latimer Archives ) Robert Latimer.net Robert Latimer's Home Page Discussion: The right to die: Suicide and Euthanasia Australian 'right to die' case Vancouver library bans suicide 'how-to' workshop Euthanasia means no repeat customers ---------------------------- 4. Is everything relative? (Is morality invented or discovered?) "The Challenge of Cultural Relativism" (Elements Ch. 2) “Morality as Custom” Herodotus The Nature of Morality by William Shaw “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights” The United Nations Charter Case study: Honour killings Honour Killings in Canada: even worse than we believe Safe Houses in India to Protect Newlyweds Discussion: Culture as moral and/or legal defence: Yale surrenders------------------------------ 5. Is everything subjective? "Subjectivism in Ethics" (Elements Ch. 3) Case study: Leopold and Loeb A little more reading about the 1924 Leopold and Loeb case Discussion: "The Ashley Treatment" and Katie Thorpe Conflicting views: Hysterectomy an abuse of human rights This is not eugenics-- it is one mum's tough decision ------------------------------ STUDY WEEK ------------------------------ 6. Does morality come from God? "Does Morality Depend on Religion?" (Elements Ch. 4) A. J. Jacobs' year of living biblically Ted Talks video The Year of Living Biblically A. J. Jacobs (read some of the side pages...) Where does morality come from if not from God? Case Study: Roy Moore's Monument Discussion: The Ten Commandments (there's no requirement to read every word of this Wikipedia article, but if you're not familiar with the Ten Commandments, you should poke around here for some background...) Here is the King James version, Exodus 20, plain and simple...and Exodus 21 Another view: Happy 10 Commandments Day The Jewish Atheist Blog
-------------------------- 7. Movie and discussion Crimes and Misdemeanors -------------------------- 8. Are Religion and Morality on the same side? The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5 to 7) God vs. Science Time Magazine Suggested: Is God Poison? MacLeans Magazine Case Study: Dorothy Day Catholics, Condoms, and Africa Interview with Stephen Lewis Carnegie Council --------------------------------- 9. Is ‘me first’ all right? "Ethical Egoism" (Elements Ch. 5) Lec 9 PowerPoint Suggested: Ayn Rand on YouTube (The Phil Donahue Show) Suggested: Ayn Rand: The Playboy Interview 1964 Discussion: Lifeboat Ethics: the case against helping the poor Garrett Hardin Psychology Today 1974 An answer to lifeboat ethics David Burgess Theology Today 1978 --------------------------------- 10. What do we owe each other? "The Idea of a Social Contract" (Elements Ch. 6) Letter from a Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr. Suggested: The Prisoner's Dilemma (a fiendish cyberspace game)
--------------------------------- 11. MIDTERM ------------------------------ 12. Movie and discussion Frozen River --------------------------------- CHRISTMAS BREAK
---------------------------------- 13. Do the needs of the many always outweigh the needs of the few? "The Utilitarian Approach" (Elements Ch. 7) Suggested: Utilitarian Theories Suggested: Utilitarianism John Stuart. Mill Case Study: Peter Singer Wikipedia A Philosophical Self-Portrait Peter Singer Suggested: Peter Singer (his own home page) Discussion: The Singer Solution to World Poverty New York Times 1999 A Utilitarian Call to Action (get out and do something if you want to call yourself a Utilitarian) 14. Problems for Utilitarianism? "The Debate over Utilitarianism" (Elements Ch. 8) Case Study: Peter Singer Wikipedia A Philosophical Self-Portrait Peter Singer "A man with plastic shoes and ironclad principles" An interview Why we all should give away 25% of our pay Suggested: Peter Singer (his own home page) Discussion: The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas Ursula K. LeGuin (if you prefer Omelas in pdf) ------------------------------------------------- 15. Is morality discovered or invented? "Are There Absolute Moral Rules?" (Elements Ch. 9) Lec 15 PowerPoint A Categorical Imperative for Science Journalists Case Study: Hiroshima and Nagasaki (and other terror bombings) Morality, Reduced to Arithmetic NYTimes Suggested: Hiroshima and Nagasaki Wikipedia Discussion: All's Fair in Love and War?
---------------------------- 16. Movie and discussion Groundhog Day -------------------------------- 17. What makes us worthy? "Kant and Respect for Persons" (Elements Ch. 10) Discussion: Nozick's Experience Machine Wikipedia Cypher and Agent Smith (Youtube clip from the movie) ---------------------------------- 18. Which is best: Justice or care? "Feminism and the Ethics of Care" (Elements Ch. 11) Ethics of Care Wikipedia In a Different Voice: Selected Passages (Carol Gilligan) Suggested: Feminist Ethics Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Discussion: --------------------------------- STUDY WEEK --------------------------------- 19. Can you practice your way to morality? "The Ethics of Virtue" (Elements Ch. 12) Aristotle: Ethics and the Virtues Philosophy Pages Nichomachean Ethics: Themes, ideas and arguments SparkNotes ------------------------------------------ 20. Movie and discussion Sling Blade Handout -------------------------------------------------- 21. What is the relationship between legality and morality? Activity: The Abortion Debate: Judith Thomson's Unconscious violinist Discussion: United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights Discussion: The Sherrice Iverson Story Strohmeyer confided to friend ... Mother rages against indifference Protesters want student expelled --------------------------------------------------- 22. Can we learn the art of living? "What Would a Satisfactory Moral Theory Be Like?" (Elements Ch. 13) Case Study: The ethics of erasing a bad memory Time Magazine (because we didn't get to it last week) More regret virtue than vice and here Discussion: Recent multi-disciplinary developments in Moral Theory ------------------------------------------ 23. Transhumanism Lec 23 PowerPoint In Defense of Posthuman Dignity Better Living through Transhumanism Science is blurring the line between humans and animals Animal-Human hybrids: is there a limit to how far bioscientists are willing to go? --------------------------------------- 24. Catch-up and Review Lec 24 PowerPoint Please watch the videos at the end that we didn't have time for...
Is it wrong to select a deaf embryo? This couple want a deaf child: should we try to stop them?
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