UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO -- DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
PHILOSOPHY 110B, Introduction to Philosophy: Ethics and Value Theory
Mon/Wed, 2:30- 3:50
Room: EV3 4412
Office hours: Tuesday 2PM
Instructor: Benjamin Nelson – bsnelson @ uwaterloo.ca
Website: http://blsnelson.wordpress.com/teaching/
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is an examination of ethics and value theory in the Western philosophical tradition.
Ethics is the study of virtue, goodness, morality, and their inter-connections. Morality is the study of
the things we are generally obligated to do according to a virtuous authority. Value theory is the study
of the good and the valuable.
Most weeks will be dedicated to a new question related to the study of ethics. In the first place we
will learn about the subject of ethics, then we will learn theories of the morally right, and finish by
the examination of practical virtues. We will be looking at the following topics: virtue ethics; moral
psychology; value theory; consequentialism; deontology; contractarianism; particularism; theories
of responsibility; the ethics of care; the ethics of belief; and moral standing. The aim of the course
is to understand what makes each theory salient to everyday life, and to understand the logical and
practical consequences you might face once you adopt a given outlook. Serious philosophical
discussion of ethical quandaries will be peppered throughout the course, possibly including the
ethics of slavery, torture, euthanasia, terrorism, sexism, world poverty, animal ethics, abortion, and
civil disobedience.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course seeks to give students a broad survey of the key issues that philosophers discuss on
the subject of ethics. By the end of the course, participants will be able to recognize the basic
questions involved in the philosophical study of ethics and value theory, and will be able to recite
some of the answers that have been given to those questions. The participant will have the
opportunity to learn the practical skills of the philosopher: the ability to think and argue critically on
the basis of incomplete information, the close reading of difficult texts, and the ability to balance
argumentative skill with effective listening practices.
The course will place a balanced emphasis on good writing skills, argumentation skills, and
knowledge of philosophy. Students will need to complete five assignments in the course: two
blogging reports and three quizzes. Since all required course readings will be expected knowledge
for the assignments, it is very important that students both keep up with the work and attend
lectures regularly.
COURSE MATERIALS
All course materials will be online in pdf format.
You may use other versions of the material we are covering, but it is your job to make sure that you
are reading the correct parts, and to borrow a fellow student’s text (if need be) to ensure that’s the
case. DO NOT ASK THE PROF TO DO THIS FOR YOU!
Additional readings not from the text are flagged (*) and will be made available as links on this
syllabus in the Reading Schedule section below.
iClicker:
This course will take advantage of iClicker technology. Students must have an iClicker and bring it
to class in order to receive 5% participation grade. Please note that impersonation (i.e., using
absent friend’s device to record their answers) is a serious infraction and can result in a
suspension penalty.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & DUE DATES
Length
Quiz 1
NA
Blogging Report 1
1-2 pages (maximum
1500 words)
Quiz 2
NA
Blogging Report 2
1-2 pages (maximum
1500 words)
Quiz 3
NA
Reader Reply (x8)
1-2 paragraphs
iClicker (x12)
NA
Due Date
Week 3
Week 5
Value
10%
15%
Week 7
Week 9
15%
20%
Week 11
Throughout course
Throughout course
25%
10%
5%
We will go over (in brief) the ins and outs of the blog reports in the first lecture, and in more detail
as we go along for the term. You will be given plenty of warning, and lots of guidance, on how to
complete the assignments for this class. All assignments are due at the beginning of lecture on the
indicated due dates. Late submissions will be penalized 10% PER DAY (including weekends).
Students submitting late work must send Prof. Nelson an e-mail with the submission as an
attachment (functioning as a “time stamp”), and coordinate with him the submission of the paper
copy of the assignment.
LEARN (COURSE WEBSITE)
LEARN is the main mode of communication for this course after lecture and e-mail. Prof. Nelson will
be posting notes, announcements, any possible changes to the reading schedule, and grades via
LEARN. In addition, quizzes will take place over LEARN. Students may also use the Discussion
Boards to ask questions about the readings or the assignments, and to coordinate study groups, etc.
Because the LEARN site is so important, students are strongly encouraged to regularly access the
site so as not to fall behind.
Tentative schedule (subject to change):
Week # Topics
1
Introduction to Ethics & Philosophy
The subject of ethics
Assignments
Readings
None
2
Virtue
Plato: The Republic
(Thrasymachus)
(p.25-37)
What does it mean to be a virtuous
person? What is morality, apart from the
rule of the strongest?
3
Ethical egoism
Aristotle:
Nicomachean Ethics
(p. 3-5, 24-30)
QUIZ 1
Is morality altruistic or egoistic?
4
Ethical egoism, part 2
5
Value theory
BLOG 1
What is the good?
Plato: The Republic
(Glaucon &
Adaimantus) (p. 4858)
Rand: Virtue of
Selfishness
(“…Emergencies”,
p.39-45)
Bentham: Chapter 4
(p.31-34)
Mill: Hedonism (p.914; p.35-41)
Nozick: Antihedonism (all)
Ross: Pluralism (all)
Moral theory
6
Consequentialism
Consequentialism: the right is whatever
brings about the good
7
Rules and integrity
QUIZ 2
Integrity: the right is a function of our
core projects
8
Deontology
Deontology: the right is an action that
comes about through the rational good
will
9
Practical rationality
BLOG 2
Particularism: the right depends on the
demands of the context
10
Ethics of care
Oppression and justice
Ross: Prime Facie
Duties
Little
Noddings
Singer
The role of caring and sympathy in ethical
theory
11
Bentham: Chapter 1
(p.14-18)
Mill: Utilitarianism (p.
14-15, 19-27)
Hare: On Slavery (p.220)
Hooker: Rule vs. Act
Utilitarianism
Williams: Integrity
Frankfurt: volitional
necessities
Thomson: Trolley
Kant: Deontology
Foot: Abortion
QUIZ 3
Frye
Rawls
Contract theory: The right is what rational
people would agree to in the right
circumstances
12
Moral
Care standing
Non-standard cases and moral sympathy
Kant
Noddings (p.699-712)
Singer
Baier (p.721-8)
Frye (p.729-34)
THE WRITING CENTRE
There is a Writing Centre on campus that offers help to students who want to improve their
writing skills: http://elpp.uwaterloo.ca/writingcentre.html
NOTE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
The Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD), located in Needles Hall, Room 1132, collaborates with
all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities
without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic
accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the OPD at the
beginning of each academic term.
CROSS-LISTED COURSE
Please note that a cross-listed course will count in all respective averages no matter under which
rubric it has been taken. For example, a PHIL/PSCI cross-list will count in a Philosophy major average,
even if the course was taken under the Political Science rubric.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University
of Waterloo are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing
academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether
an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g.,
plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the
course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. When misconduct has
been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student
Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer
to Policy 71 - Student Discipline, http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.htm .
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life
has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 Student
Petitions
and
Grievances,
Section
4,
http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm .
Appeals: A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under Policy 70 Student Petitions and Grievances (other than regarding a petition) or Policy 71 - Student Discipline
if a ground for an appeal can be established. Read Policy 72 - Student Appeals,
http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy72.htm .
Academic
Integrity
website
(Arts):
http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/arts/ugrad/academic_responsibility.html
Academic Integrity Office (uWaterloo): http://uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/