Difference between revisions of "Summer 2014 Online Ethics Reading Schedule"

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Return to [[Ethics Florence Summer 2014]]
  
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==Monday May 19, 2014==
  
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==May 19 UNIT ONE ==
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:*Course Introduction
  
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Readings: Ariely (7); Haidt, Intro and Ch. 1 (27)
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==Tuesday May 20, 2014==
  
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Focus: Try to track the major research findings in Ariely's article. Identify factors that influence cheating and the implications that Ariely draws from this. Haidt's introduction just gives you some of the big claims the book will defend. Track these briefly. Chapter one starts to explore the metaphor of the rider and elephant. Unpack the metaphor and connect it to the research Haidt cites. Note also overview Haidt gives of past (20th century) theories of morality. The discussion of Schweder and Turiel's theories will be a little difficult, but note the summary on p. 22 and 26.
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:*Ariely, "Why We Lie"
  
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Readings: Singer, Ch. 1, About Ethics, Practical Ethics (15)
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==Wednesday May 21, 2014==
  
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Focus: Singer's chapter gives you some arguments against strong relativism. Follow also his reasons for thinking about "universalizability" as a defining trait of ethics, one that leads to utilitarianism, among other positions.  Create Edit Delete  
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:*Haidt, Righteous Mind (RM), Intro and Chapter 1, "Where Does Morality Come From?"
  
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==May 24 UNIT TWO ==
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==Thursday May 22, 2014==
  
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Readings: Aristotle, Bk. 1 (13 single spaced)
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:*Haidt, "The Divided Self"
  
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Focus:Aristotle's classic analysis takes you through a number of topics: how various "ends" or goals in life are organized, an identification and argument for the ultimate goal of human existence (spoiler alert: it's happiness!) and a basic definition of happiness. (Unless you're a philosophy major or minor, you can skip section 6.) In the last section (13), he tells us a bit about the nature of the soul, since a "rational principle" is one of the key terms in the definition. Track all this and you're on your way to a blessed existence. But you do also need "buona fortuna"!
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==Monday May 26, 2014==
  
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Readings: Aristotle Book 2 (10)
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:*Haidt, Chapter 2, "The Intuitive Dog and It's Rational Tail"
  
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Focus: Aristotle is giving his account of virtue here, a kind of psychology of character. This is typically referred to as his theory of the "golden mean." If you feel a bit lost with the reading, check out the wiki page on Aristotle's moral theory or, better, the online Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
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==Tuesday May 27, 2014==
  
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==May 29 UNIT THREE ==
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:*Haidt, Chapter 3, "Elephants Rule"
  
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Readings: Haidt, Ch. 2 (25)
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==Wednesday May 28, 2014==
  
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Focus: Haidt starts with a critique of philosophical rationalism. Then track his contrast among Plato, Hume, and Jefferson. Don't worry so much about the history of moral psychology or Haidt's own intellectual biography, but do try to get his reasons (related to the roach juice and soul selling research) for moving from a "Jeffersonian" model to what he calls "social intuitionism." Follow his account of the rider and elephant.
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:*de Waal, "Morally Evolved"  
  
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Readings: Haidt, Ch. 3 (20);
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==Thursday, May 29, 2014==
  
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Focus: This chapter mostly develops ideas layed out in Chapter 2. It's really about getting to know the elephant.
 
  
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Readings: Haidt, Ch. 4 (23)
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:*de Waal, "Morally Evolved"
  
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Focus:The chapter is paired with Chapter 3 in the sense that it provides research and reasoning about the second part of the hypothesis that, "Intuitions come first, strategic reasoning second."
 
  
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==June 02 UNIT FOUR ==
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==Monday June 2, 2014==
  
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Readings: de Waal, Intro and 5-21.(16)
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:*Short Break
  
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Focus: de Waal's now famous essay begins with a discussion of the various positions evolutionists, including contemporary biologists, took (and still take) with respect to the continuity or discontinuity between or moral nature and our evolution history. Track the "who's who" and "why" in this segment and what he means by "veneer theory"
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==Tuesday June 3, 2014==
  
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Readings:de Waal (21-42)
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:*Haidt, Chapter 4, "Vote For Me"
  
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Focus: This section on animal empathy is filling with great anecdotes and examples, but also presents de Waal's so-called "russian doll" model for understanding empathy in hominids (apes and humans). Track definitions of sympathy and empathy and, if you missed the definition of ToM, go back to intro. xvi, or check the wikipedia page on "theory of mind". Bring your favorite anecdote to class.
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==Wednesday June 4, 2014==
  
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Readings:de Waal (42-58)
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:*Haidt, Chapter 5, "Beyond WEIRD Morality"
  
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Focus: Track de Waal's research on reciprocity and fairness (and its limits) in capuchin monkeys. Note what we says about morality and out-group violence. At the end of the essay there is a nice connection with Haidt and Hume.
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==Thursday June 5, 2014==
  
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Readings: de Waal essays, Singer, p. 140-151.(11)
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:*Haidt, Chapter 6, "Taste Buds of the Righteous Mind"
  
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Focus: You can skip the last 7 pages of Singer's essay since they address a different issue than de Waal's main essay. As with the Koorsgard essay, you get a really good philosopher disagreeing with a primatologist on philosophical grounds. Try to track Singer's use of "reason" and "emotion." What would Haidt say? (WWHS?)
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==Monday June 9, 2014==
  
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==June 06 UNIT FIVE ==
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:*Haidt, Chapter 7, "The Moral Foundations of Politics"
  
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Readings: Rachels, Ch. 6 (15)
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==Tuesday June 10, 2014==
  
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Focus: The main focus in this chapter is social contract theory and the Prisoner's Dilemma.
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:*Haidt, Chapter 9, "Why are we so Groupish?"
  
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Readings: Haidt, Ch. 5 (17)
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==Wednesday June 11, 2014==
  
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Focus: After some hard work on philosophy this week, we get back to Haidt. Note the project of part two of the book, showing there's more to morality than harm and fairness. Haidt's experiences make up a lot of the chapter, but try to catch what he's saying about WEIRD morality and Shweder's ethics of autonomy, community, and divinity. The connection between anthropology and psychology is also important.
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:*Haidt, Chapter 10, "The Hive Switch"
  
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Readings: Haidt, Ch. 6 (16)
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==Thursday June 12, 2014==
  
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Focus:This is a pretty important theoretical chapter. Follow the "moral taste receptors" analogy, the overview of utilitarianism and kantianism, and the chart on page 125.
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:*Sandel, Utilitarianism
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:*Singer, One World, Chapter 1, "A Changing World"
  
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==June 11 UNIT SIX ==
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==Monday June 16, 2014==
  
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Readings: Haidt, Ch. 7 (27)
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:*Sandel, Rawls
  
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Focus: Readings: Rachels, Ch. 9 (10)
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==Tuesday June 17, 2014==
  
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Focus: This short non-technical introduction to Kant focuses on the question of whether there are moral absolutes and the Kantian analysis of cases such as false promises and lying. Track the arguments about hypothetical and categorical imperatives and criticisms of Kant's view.
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:*Singer, "Rich and Poor"
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:*Sachs, Jeffrey, from ''The End of Poverty,'' Chapter 15, "Can the Rich Afford to Help the Poor?"
  
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==June 17 UNIT SEVEN ==
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==Wednesday June 18, 2014==
  
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Readings:Rachels, Ch. 7, "The Utilitarian Approach" p. 98-109 (11)
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:*Koorsgard, "Morality and the Distinctiveness of Human Action"
  
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Focus: This article helps you appreciate the radicalness of utilitarianism by comparing its analyses of three applied ethics topics: euthanasia, marijuana legalisation, and obligations to non-human animals. Track the traditional vs. utilitarian approaches and we'll have some small group discussion of at least two of the topics.
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==Thursday June 19, 2014==
  
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Readings: Hinman, Ch. 8, pp. 242-254 (12)
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:*Group Applied Topic Discussion
  
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Focus: In this short reading you get a summary of classical concepts of justice from Plato, but mainly a summary of John Rawls theory of justice. Rawls' theory is one of the most widely read today so try to track the major concepts. We'll try to apply it in class to some contemporary political justice questions.
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==Monday June 23, 2014==
  
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Readings: Singer, Ch. 2 - Equality and Its Implications, p. 38-53 (15)
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:*Haidt, Chapter 12, "Can't We all Disagree more Constructively?"
  
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Focus: In this part of the Chapter, Singer discusses how his egalitarianism would apply to economic inequalities, affirmative action, and, to a lesser extent, disability ethics.
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==Tuesday June 24, 2014==
  
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==June 19 UNIT EIGHT ==
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:*Write Exam Essays
  
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Readings: Haidt, Ch. 10 (25)
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==Wednesday June 25, 2014==
  
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==June 21 UNIT NINE ==
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:*Write Exam Essays
  
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Readings: Singer, Rich and Poor (28)
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==Thursday June 26, 2014==
  
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Focus:
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:*Turn in final papers
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Readings: Haidt, Ch. 11, p. 246-264 (18)
 
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Focus:
 
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Readings: Haidt, Ch. 11, part 2, p. 264-273(9)
 
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Focus:
 
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==June 23 UNIT TEN ==
 
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Readings: Haidt, Ch. 12 (35)
 
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June 25 UNIT ELEVEN - Papers and take home exams. You should be able to finish your course work by June 28th.  Create Edit Delete  
 
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©2014 by Mark Alfino, Department of Philosophy, Gonzaga University.
 

Latest revision as of 15:37, 7 May 2014

Return to Ethics Florence Summer 2014

Monday May 19, 2014

  • Course Introduction

Tuesday May 20, 2014

  • Ariely, "Why We Lie"

Wednesday May 21, 2014

  • Haidt, Righteous Mind (RM), Intro and Chapter 1, "Where Does Morality Come From?"

Thursday May 22, 2014

  • Haidt, "The Divided Self"

Monday May 26, 2014

  • Haidt, Chapter 2, "The Intuitive Dog and It's Rational Tail"

Tuesday May 27, 2014

  • Haidt, Chapter 3, "Elephants Rule"

Wednesday May 28, 2014

  • de Waal, "Morally Evolved"

Thursday, May 29, 2014

  • de Waal, "Morally Evolved"


Monday June 2, 2014

  • Short Break

Tuesday June 3, 2014

  • Haidt, Chapter 4, "Vote For Me"

Wednesday June 4, 2014

  • Haidt, Chapter 5, "Beyond WEIRD Morality"

Thursday June 5, 2014

  • Haidt, Chapter 6, "Taste Buds of the Righteous Mind"

Monday June 9, 2014

  • Haidt, Chapter 7, "The Moral Foundations of Politics"

Tuesday June 10, 2014

  • Haidt, Chapter 9, "Why are we so Groupish?"

Wednesday June 11, 2014

  • Haidt, Chapter 10, "The Hive Switch"

Thursday June 12, 2014

  • Sandel, Utilitarianism
  • Singer, One World, Chapter 1, "A Changing World"

Monday June 16, 2014

  • Sandel, Rawls

Tuesday June 17, 2014

  • Singer, "Rich and Poor"
  • Sachs, Jeffrey, from The End of Poverty, Chapter 15, "Can the Rich Afford to Help the Poor?"

Wednesday June 18, 2014

  • Koorsgard, "Morality and the Distinctiveness of Human Action"

Thursday June 19, 2014

  • Group Applied Topic Discussion

Monday June 23, 2014

  • Haidt, Chapter 12, "Can't We all Disagree more Constructively?"

Tuesday June 24, 2014

  • Write Exam Essays

Wednesday June 25, 2014

  • Write Exam Essays

Thursday June 26, 2014

  • Turn in final papers
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