Philosophy 105
Introduction to Ethics
Fall 2012
Section 5
Tuesday/Thursday 11:00-12:15
Furman 209
Instructor: Gary Jaeger, Ph.D.
Office Phone: (615)322-2065
gary.a.jaeger@vanderbilt.edu
Office: Calhoun 006B
Office Hours: Th 2-4
Course Description:
Ethics is the study of how one should live. This course will examine the different ways that
philosophers have tried to answer that question through the ages. Most of the course will be
devoted to reading the history of ethics. We will start in the ancient Greek period reading Plato,
Aristotle, Epicurus and Epictetus. We will continue in the modern Period reading Hobbes, Hume,
Kant, Bentham, and Mill. We will end the course seeing how contemporary philosophers have
responded to these figures from the history of philosophy. Throughout the course, we will trace
the development of three trends in ethical theory, which have become known as utilitarianism,
deontology, and virtue ethics.
Required Texts:
Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues (5th edition) eds. S. M. Cahn & P. Markie.
Course Work and Requirements:
You will be responsible for doing the assigned reading in preparation for each class. Make a
habit of rereading and be prepared to discuss the texts in your weekly discussion section. You
will take two exams and write two papers.
Grading:
20% First Take Home Exam (Due 9/27)
20% First Paper (Due 10/30)
20% Second Take Home Exam (Due 11/15)
20% Second Paper (Due 12/10)
20% Attendance, Participation and Other Assignments
Attendance Policy
Attendance at all lectures is expected. Attendance at weekly discussion sections is required. You
will be allowed to miss one discussion section for illness, religious holidays, trips for athletics or
other activities, etc. Your attendance and participation grade will go down ½ letter grade for each
additional section you miss beyond that one. Only in very rare cases will exceptions be made.
Please don’t be late to class.
Academic Honesty:
All the work that you turn in must be work done by you specifically for this course. Plagiarism is
grounds for failure in this course.
Course Schedule
8/23
8/28
8/30
9/4
9/11
9/13
9/18
9/20
9/25
9/27
10/2
10/4
10/9
10/11
10/16
10/18
10/23
10/25
10/30
11/1
11/6
11/8
11/13
11/15
11/17
11/20
11/22
11/27
11/29
12/4
12/6
12/10
Introduction
Plato, Euthyphro, pp. 5-16
Plato, Republic, Books VI & VII, pp. 96-107
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book I, pp. 124-134
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Books II & III, pp. 134-147
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book VI & VII, pp. 151-161
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book VIII & IX, pp. 161-169
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book X, pp. 169-177
Take Home Exams Distributed
Epicurus, “Letter to Menoeceus” and “Leading Doctrines,” pp. 178-183
Epictetus, Enchiridion, pp. 203-214
Take Home Exams Due
Hobbes, Leviathan, pp. 236-246
Fall Break
Hume, Treatise of Human Nature, pp. 276-287
Hume, Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, pp. 288-281
Hume, Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, pp. 301-312
Paper Topics Distributed
Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, preface and chapter 1, pp. 313-312
Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, chapter 2, pp. 322-333
Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, chapters 2-3, pp. 333-346
Bentham, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, pp. 353-361
Papers Due
Mill, Utilitarianism, chapters 1&2, pp. 362-375
Mill, Utilitarianism, chapters 3&4, pp. 375-383
Mill, Utilitarianism, chapter, pp. 383-395
Take Home Exams Distributed
Brandt, “Some Merits of One Form of Rule Utilitarianism,” pp. 639-656
Williams, “A Critique of Utilitarianism,” pp. 657-672
Take Home Exams Due
Thanksgiving break
Thanksgiving break
Herman, “On the Value of Acting from the Motive of Duty,” pp. 592-605
Wolf, “Moral Saints,” pp. 790-802
Paper Topics Distributed
Anscombe, “Modern Moral Philosophy,” pp.527-539
Nussbaum, “Non-Relative Virtues: An Aristotelian Approach,” pp. 755-774
Moore’s Principia Ethica, pp. 459-464
Papers Due