Spring 2019 Ethics Course Lecture Notes

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Ethics

1: JAN 16

• Introduction to the Course

• Welcome

• About the Course

• Course Websites (handout)

• Approaching Ethics through contemporary research. Fields involved: Psychology, Moral Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, Behavioral Economics, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, History, Global Studies
• Major Applied Topics: Obligations to Assist, Globalization Ethics (climate, human rights, trade), Immigration

• Succeeding in the Course

• Prep Cycle - view old notes, read, note, quiz, evaluate preparation.
• Keep in Mind Course Research Questions

• Course Management
• Transparency in Pedagogy

• Some Course Dates:

Writing Workshop 2/20

SW1 due 3/4

SW2 due 3/27

Finish optional journals by 4/15

SW3 due 4/29

Critical Analysis Paper due 4/22

Final Essay due at Final Exam time.

• Required Assignments and Weight Ranges

• Critical Analysis Paper 20-30% .3
• Final Essays 20-30% .3
• Q&W 25-40 .4

2: JAN 23

• Ariely, Why We Lie (6)

• Singer, Chapter 1, "About Ethics," from Practical Ethics

• Zimbardo Experiment -- view one of the youtube videos about the experiment. read the wiki page.

3: JAN 28

• Haidt, The Righteous Mind, Intro and Chapter 1

4: JAN 30

• Lecture on Consequentialisms
• Robert Sapolsky, from Behave, Chapter 13, "Morality and doing the Right Thing, Once You've Figured Out What that Is." pp. 478-483.

5: FEB 4

• Haidt, Chapter 3, "Elephants Rule"
• Haidt, Chapter 4, "Vote for Me (Here's Why)"

6: FEB 6

• Lecture on Non-Consequentialisms

• Robert Sapolsky, C 13, "Morality..." pp. 483-493.

• The Trolley Problem

• The Trolley Problem. Variations on the Trolley Problem: [[1]]
• Self-driving cars with Trolley problems: [2]

• The Cold Logic of Drunk People

7: FEB 11

• Haidt, Chapter 5, "Beyond WEIRD Morality"
• Haidt, Chapter 6, "Taste Buds of the Righteous Mind"

8: FEB 13

• Hibbing, John R., Kevin Smith, and John R. Alford, Predisposed: Liberals, conservatives, and the biology of political difference, Chapter 1.
• Lecture: Add notes on Phil Theories
• Robert Sapolsky, C 13, "Morality..." pp. 493-500.

9: FEB 18

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

• Haidt, Chapter 8: The Conservative Advantage

10: FEB 20

• Hibbing, John R., Kevin Smith, and John R. Alford, Predisposed, Chapter 2, "Getting Into Bedrock with Politics".
• Writing workshop with old writing

11: FEB 25

• Haidt, Chapter 9, "Why Are We so Groupish?"

12: FEB 27

• Hibbing, John R., Kevin Smith, and John R. Alford, Predisposed, Chapter 4, "Drunk Flies and Salad Greens".
• Robert Sapolsky, from Behave, Chapter 14, "Feeling Someone's Pain, Understanding Soemone's Pain, Alleviating Someone's Pain." 521-535.

13: MAR 4

• Robert Sapolsky, C 13, "Morality..." pp. 501-517.
• SW1

14: MAR 6

• Robert Sapolsky, from Behave, Chapter 14, "Feeling Someone's Pain, Understanding Soemone's Pain, Alleviating Someone's Pain." 535--552.

15: MAR 18

• Singer, "Rich and Poor"

16: MAR 20

• Sachs, Jeffrey, "Can the Rich Afford to Help the Poor?" (2006)
• Jeffrey Sachs, "The Case for Aid" p. 850

17: MAR 25

• Singer, One World Now, Chapter 1, "A Changing World," (1-16)

18: MAR 27

• Singer, One World Now, Chapter 2, "One Atmosphere," (16-69)
• SW2

19: APR 1

• Syla Benhabib, "The Morality of Migration" (766-767)

20: APR 3

• Singer, One World Now, Chapter 4 "One Law," (122-149)

21: APR 8

• Macdeo, Stephen, "The Moral Dilemma of U.S. Immigration Policy Revisited: Open Borders vs. Social Justice?" (768-780)

22: APR 10

• Singer, One World Now, Chapter 3, "One Economy," (69-105)

23: APR 15

• Singer, One World Now, Chapter 3, "One Economy," (105-122)

24: APR 17

• Haidt, Chapter 10, "The Hive Switch" (221-246)

25: APR 22

• Critical Analysis Paper due

26: APR 24

• Haidt, Chapter 11, "Religion is a Team Sport" (189-221)

27: APR 29

• Haidt, Chapter 12, "Can't We all Disagree More Constructively?" (189-221)
• SW3 due

28: MAY 1

• Course Conclusion