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SAN DIEGO MESA COLLEGE
PHIL 102B
CRNS:
81696, 84448, 85367
FALL 2015
INSTRUCTOR: PROF. NINA ROSENSTAND
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY: VALUES
STUDY GUIDE, FINAL EXAM
Prof. Rosenstand’s office: SB311P.
Office hours during the finals: MTWTh 11:1512:30 and by appointment.
Messages to Prof. Rosenstand: (619) 388-2407
E-mail: nrosenst@sdccd.edu
Website: http://classroom.sdmesa.edu/nrosenst
FINAL EXAMINATIONS:
MW class 12:45: Monday Dec.14.
MW class 3:55: Monday Dec.14.
TTh class: Tuesday Dec.15.
Final meetings:
MW classes: Wednesday Dec.16
TTh class: Thursday Dec.17
Final exams will be returned during final
meetings. No-shows lose 2 points off their
final exam.
READINGS:
TMTS Ch.6, “Kant’s Deontology”
TMTS Ch.8, "Virtue Ethics" (Socrates and
Plato) pp.391-392, 396-412.
TMTS Ch.9, "Aristotle's Virtue Theory" +
Narrative: “Icarus”
Ch.10, “Contemporary Perspectives” pp. 477480, 483-485
STAY INFORMED ABOUT POSSIBLE LAST MINUTE CHANGES TO THE READINGS!
FORMAT OF THE FINAL:
USE A SCANTRON FORM # 882; PLEASE USE PENCIL #2. MAKE SURE YOUR SCANTRON ANSWERS ARE
CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS; OTHERWISE THE SCANTRON MACHINE CAN'T READ THEM. READ THE
QUESTIONS CAREFULLY. YOU MAY WRITE ON THE TEST. TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 50.
PLAGIARISM POLICY: USING UNAUTHORIZED OPEN BOOKS, ELECTRONIC DEVICES OR NOTES DURING THE
TEST, OR CONSULTING WITH OTHER STUDENTS, WILL RESULT IN AN F ON THE TEST.
There will be 12 True/False questions; each correct answer is worth 2 points.
There will be 13 Multiple Choice questions; each correct answer is worth 2 points.
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KEY CONCEPTS
Ch.6
Immanuel Kant, German philosopher
Socrates: People do morally wrong acts out of
The good will: good intentions to respect moral
ignorance
law; consequences don’t count
Socrates’ 3 parts of the psyche: reason, willpower,
“The good will shines like a jewel by its own light”
appetites (desires)
The store owner’s 4 options
3 corresponding virtues: wisdom, courage,
hypothetical imperatives: If I want X, then I must
do Y, conditional command
temperance
The categorical imperative: Absolute moral
Freud’s three parts of the psyche, inspired by
command
Plato’s Republic: id, ego, superego
Structure of cat.imp.: State your maxim,
Plato opens up the first adult school, the Academy
universalize it, ask if it is rational.
Maxim = principle for an action
Plato’s three sections of the ideal state: philosopherUniversalization = making a maxim into a universal
kings, police & military, and the general population
law
Women’s place in the ideal state determined by
Example: the man who wants to borrow money
talent, not gender. So: women in gov’t, and
autonomous lawmaker = using cat.imp. to set moral
rules for oneself
military.
Kant’s assumption: reason is universal
Primary Reading: The Republic: the virtue of
5 Criticisms: 1) Mill: Kant is referring to
reason corresponds to wisdom, the “spirited part”
consequences; 2) cat.imp. doesn’t solve conflict
(willpower) corresponds to courage, and controlled
between duties; 3) the loophole, making the maxim
appetites correspond to temperance. The combined
too specific; 4) What is rationality? Depends on
goal; 5) Cat.imp. allows for no exceptions
virtue is justice.
(example: the killer at the door)
Intrinsic value vs. instrumental value
Ch.9
Kant: rational beings should be treated as “ends-inAristotle had ambitions to take over Plato’s school,
themselves” with intrinsic value
but never succeeded. He opened up his own school,
“Ends in themselves”: respect for rational beings
including yourself
the Lyceum.
“Merely a means to an end” = instrumental value
Aristotle's theory of four causes: material, efficient,
only (taking advantage of others)
formal, final
“Means to an end” is not the same as “merely a
teleology: theory of purpose
means to an end” (use vs. abuse, disrespect)
teleological explanation vs. causal explanation
Rational persons vs. non-rational things/animals
Problems: what about humans who are not rational,
(“giraffes”)
and animals
the Golden Mean= relative mean between extremes
Kant regarded animals as things
of excess and deficiency
Kant’s last book: invented hybrid concept inexamples of virtues (courage, pride, anger, etc.)
between “person” and “thing,” for humans. Not for
happiness (eudaimonia) is the reward of virtue
animals.
But Kant was against animal experiments.
Aristotle had enormous influence on Western and
Kingdom of Ends: Kant’s utopia, using cat. imp.
Middle Eastern thinking.
and treating people with respect
Problems with ancient virtue ethics: undemocratic;
can’t solve difference of opinion.
Narrative: “The Flight of Icarus”: the Golden
Ch.8
Mean: not too high, not too low
ethics of conduct (what to do?) vs. virtue ethics
(how to be?)
Ch.10
Christianity (God gets credit for good character)
The late 20th century revival of virtue ethics
eliminated ancient virtue ethics (you take credit for
Negative role models teach good lessons
creating your own good character)
Kant did not approve of role models
virtue (arete: excellence)
The political aspect of conduct vs. character
The charges against Socrates: offending gods,
Foot: Reintroduced virtue ethics. Virtue is a matter
corrupting youth
of good intentions, not just a good disposition
Socrates’ final words: owing a rooster to Asclepius
Socratic method (dialectic method)
opinion (doxa) vs. knowledge (episteme)