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SyllabusEthicsFall 2001Marist CollegeDr. Greg MosesCourse Description: In this course we will survey five texts that represent six great voices in moral philosophy. From the ancient age, we have Plato; from the medieval age, Augustine; and from enlightenment Europe, Hegel. To represent living philosophers, we will read Rawls and Nussbaum. The sixth voice belongs to 20th Century philosopher Arendt, who presents the work of Augustine as worthy of modern revival. Throughout our investigations, we will test the inquiries of each text for relevance to our own moral lives. In the end, students will be asked to write their own explorations of prospective models for ethical reflection. Course Method: The fifteen-week semester will be divided into three parts. Each part will culminate in a paper that reviews the textual material and offers critical explorations of relevance for today. Daily work will consist of readings, short written responses, and brief small-group discussions, followed by a forum where we will review main points and issues that arise. The process is designed to sustain an exploratory attitude toward materials, inviting students to participate in critical reconstruction of meanings suggested by our texts. Because of this method, preparations not accompanied by students to class will be counted late. Required Texts (in order of use):
Course Requirements: The following areas each count for 25 percent of the final grade:
Attendance Policy: Excused absences should be documented within two weeks. More than two unexcused absences will result in the deduction of a full letter from the final grade. After more than four unexcused absences, the instructor reserves the right to issue a failing grade for the course. Praxis Report: Each student is required to undertake 12 hours of community service, attend two Praxis roundtables, and submit four pages of reflection on experience and scholarly literature related to the service activities (as part of the final paper). Weather: Class will be canceled for weather reasons only in the event of official college closing. Please check the college weather line. Sep. 4-Introduction. The study of ethical theory. Part One: Plato and Augustine In this section of the course we will review classic moral theories of Plato and Augustine, testing these theories for relevance against moral predicaments found in our own lives, portrayed in videos, experienced in community service, and faced in public debates. A midterm paper of eight pages will select a moral predicament from any of the above sources (2 pages), show how each text might be made relevant to ethical deliberation about the selected moral predicament (2 pages each, total of 4 pages), and assess our own satisfaction with these classic approaches (2 pages). Total of 8 pages due Oct. 2. Assessment will be based on completeness of assignment, attention to scholarly habits of citation, composition, soundness of arguments, difficulty, and creativity of your chosen position. Sep. 6-Justice, Piety, Wisdom & Self-Control Read: Plato, pp. 1-35. Preparation: Three paragraphs, typed. (1) Summarize the main points of the reading, (2) select a passage for critical attention, with brief evaluation, and (3) give an example of a moral situation that would be interesting to discuss in light of the passage you selected. Workshops: Share your preparations, helping to summarize, identify critical passages, and consider examples. Please be sure that each participant gets two to three minutes for presentation. Forum: On issues and applications in Plato. Select video for discussion next time (a video saturated with moral predicaments). Sep. 11-Wisdom, Knowledge, & Courage Read: Plato, pp. 36-69. Preparation: Three paragraphs, typed, as above (1) summarizing the text (2) selecting a key passage for critical response, and (3) suggesting an interesting moral predicament. Workshops: As above, please allow each participant two to three minutes for presentation. Forum: On issues and applications in Plato. Praxis: Selecting service projects. Video #1: Illustrating moral predicaments. Sep. 13-Augustine, Desire & Future Read: Arendt, Part One. Preparation: Three paragraphs: summary, critical selection, moral predicament. Workshops: Sharing presentations & applications. Forum: On love as appetite or desire. Video #1: Continuing moral predicaments. Sep. 18-Augustine, Death & Creation Read: Arendt, pp. 45-76. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral predicament. Workshops: Sharing preparations. Forum: How are the "ends" of human life not covered by desire? Praxis: Announcing service projects. Sep. 20-Augustine, Love, Choice & Charity Read: Arendt, pp. 77-97. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and community service. Workshops: Sharing preparations and reflections on community service. Forum: The cosmology of neighborly love. Video #1: Continuing illustrations of moral choice. Sep. 25-Augustine, The Twofold Source of Being & Love Read: Arendt, pp. 98-112. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral predicament. Workshops: Sharing preps. Forum: An influential approach to moral problems considered. Sep. 27-Brainstorming the First Paper Preparation: Scholarly outline, with quotes & cites of passages you plan to select for your paper, and conceptual outline with suggested arguments for your own critical review. Workshops: Sharing scholarship. Forum: Brief reports. Video #1: Continuing illustration. Oct. 2-First Paper Workshop Workshops: Sharing summaries. Forum: Selected readings. Part Two. In the first part of the course, we sampled ancient and medieval sources of moral theory. Here we turn to a seminal source of the modern continental tradition. Once again, students will be asked to write a paper that explores a moral predicament (2 pages), sets forth a textual presentation of the author's work (3 pages), and proposes a critical review of the author's relevance to the moral predicament at hand (2 pages). A seven-page paper will be due Nov. 6. Oct. 4-First Steps with Hegel Read: Hegel's Preface, pp. 1-13 & table of contents. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral issue. Workshops: Share preparations. Forum: Idea, form & content. Looking at the overall plan. Oct. 9-Concepts of Will, Freedom, & Right Read: Hegel's Introduction, pp. 12-36. Reading Notes: please focus on the numbered passages, skimming over the smaller-typed commentaries & elaborations, except for the last section, 33, Division of the Subject, which should be read completely. Try to get the overall path of thought. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral issue. Workshops: Share preparations. Video #2: Looking for will, freedom, & right. Oct. 11-Property, Contract, Wrong Read: Hegel's First Part, pp. 37-74. Note: Again, please focus on numbered sections, skimming over smaller-typed commentaries, unless you find them helpful. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral issue. Workshops: Sharing preps, working out the argument. Forum: Bringing right and wrong to possession. Video #2 Oct. 16-Moral Will, Responsibility, Intention, Conscience Read: Hegel's Second Part, pp. 75-104. Note: As before, numbered sections. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral issue. Workshops: Sharing preps, working out the argument. Forum: Volatility of morality. Video #2 Oct. 18-Review & Video Oct. 23-Ethical Life & Family Read: Hegel, 105-122. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral issue. Workshops: Sharing preps, working out the argument. Forum: From will to relationship. Oct. 25-Civil Society Read: Hegel, 122-155. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and community service. Workshops: Sharing preps & community service, working out the argument. Forum: Hegel Incorporated. Community service & civil society. Oct. 30-The State Read: Hegel, pp. 155-223. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and community service. Workshops: Share preps, & working out the argument. Forum: The end? Nov. 1-Brainstorming paper two Preparation: Scholarly outline, with quotes & cites of passages you plan to select for your paper, and conceptual outline with suggested arguments for your own critical review. Workshops: Sharing scholarship. Forum: Brief reports. Nov. 6-Second Paper Workshop Workshops: Sharing summaries. Forum: Selected readings. Part Three. In this final part of the course we will explore two contemporary US philosophers whose work is widely cited. John Rawls provides a classic liberal position. Martha Nussbaum offers critical feminism. As with previous papers, students will be asked to provide a moral issue, this time working from community service experience (2 pages), explore the approaches of each author (2 pages each, total of 4 pages), and offer a critical assessment of the value of these moral theories as approaches to issues raised in community service experience (2 pages). In addition for this final paper, students will be asked to write five pages reflecting what they would propose as a moral theory of their own. The final paper of eleven pages will be due during the scheduled final exam. Nov. 8--Political Philosophy Read: Rawls, Part I, pp. 1-38. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral issue. Workshops: Share preps, & working out the argument. Forum: On the fundamental ideas. Nov. 13-Principles of Justice Read: Rawls, Part II, pp. 39-79. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral issue. Workshops: Share preps, & working out the argument. Forum: Basic structure & distributive ideals. Nov. 15-Original Position Read: Rawls, Part III, pp. 80-134. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral issue. Workshops: Share preps, & working out the argument. Forum: Lottery from behind the veil. Nov. 20-Institutions Read: Rawls, Part IV, pp. 135-179. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and community service. Workshops: Share preps, & working out the argument. Forum: Property, goods, family, Marx? Nov. 27-Liberal Stability Read: Rawls, Part V, pp. 180-202. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral issue. Workshops: Share preps, & working out the argument. Forum: Concluding political liberalism. Nov. 29--Introducing Feminism Read: Nussbaum, Introduction, pp. 3-25. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral issue. Workshops: Share preps, & working out the argument. Forum: Feminism, liberalism, resistance. Dec. 4-Universals, Liberalism, & Religion Read: Nussbaum, Chs. 1-3. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral issue. Workshops: Share preps and present chapters. Forum: Culture, conflict, & church. Dec. 6-Africa, America, Mercy, & Lesbian Rights Read: Nussbaum, Chs. 4-7. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral issue. Workshops: Share preps and present chapters. Forum: Critical culture, feminist norms. Dec. 11-Objectification, Passion & Love Read: Nussbaum, Chs. 8-10. Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and moral issue. Workshops: Share preps and present chapters. Forum: Sex & ethics. Dec. 13-Concluding Postscripts Read: Nussbaum, Chs. 11-14 (Ch. 15 for lit students). Preparation: Summary, critical selection, and community service. Workshops: Sharing further reflections on feminism. Forum: Final preparations. Final Exam=Final Workshop-Sharing results and sample papers. Contact Information
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