PHGA 5014 Modern Ethical Theories
Professor John Davenport
Spring 2007
Friday, 1:00–3:00

This course is an introductory survey of major theories and themes in twentieth-century moral philosophy, beginning with the British intuitionists, emotivism, neo-Hobbesian contract theory, and the development of utilitarianism.  We will focus on arguments against moral egoism and on contemporary neo-Kantian or deontological critiques of utilitarianism before turning to some case studies (criminal punishment and euthanasia).  There will a short unit on MacIntyre's virtue ethics and another natural law ethics, but these are the foci of other graduate ethics courses. Likewise, we will not cover contemporary continental ethics (e.g. Levinas and Habermas) or feminist "care" ethics, since these are also the topics of other graduate seminars.  Rather, Modern Ethics Theories focuses on the ‘mainstream’ positions in twentieth-century Anglo-American moral philosophy that claim to provide systematic foundations for moral norms. The emphasis is on the shape and foundation of the different systems of moral norms, rather than on metaethical problems that lie in the background of these theories (such as the nature of our motives, or the kind of freedom necessary for responsibility, or the metaphysical status of non-moral or 'natural' values/goods).

This course does not assume much background other than a passing familiarity with the history of modern philosophy.  We will briefly review the central tenets of Kant’s and Mill’s work as an introduction to our themes, and then concentrate on key primary readings in twentieth-century ethics, with the help of some secondary articles that help explain these works and place them in context.  The course has five main units:

1. The British intuitionists, emotivism, varieties of relativism.

2. 20th century Hobbesian egoism: rational choice theories of morality.

3. 20th century utilitarianism and its problems.

4. The neo-Kantian revival of 1960-2000.

5. Applications: criminal justice and euthanasia.

We will also contrast divine command and natural law theories with these 20th century developments and moral particularism at the end of the course (time permitting). Although several of the works we consider will be related to the foundation of political ethics, we will be looking at them more as contributions the theory of moral norms rather than with regard to their political implications (e.g., for democratic theory).

As a 5000-level seminar, this course is designed to serve students of widely varying levels of prior preparation in moral philosophy.  Students with less preparation need only concentrate of gaining a solid understanding of the different theoretical approaches, while students with more background will be able to take on more advanced questions in the final paper with my guidance.  In addition to providing a review of key themes in moral theory which could be useful for comprehensive examinations, this seminar should provide a basis for doing further work in contemporary debates.

Assignments

• 1 short essays with a choice between particular questions on the readings;

• 1 take-home test on readings in mid-semester with short-answer questions;

• 1 oral report to the class on a given reading for the day (2-page written summary and questions)

• 1 longer paper (10-15 pages +) on a topic of the student's choice, directly related to our readings but possibly bringing in other sources.  (Depending on the student’s level of preparation, this can be a critical review of two or more course readings, or an essay focusing on euthanasia or criminal justice or other applications, or even a draft of a possible journal article).

Readings will include (tentative list):

• Mark Timmons, Moral Theory: An Introduction (Rowman and Littlefield, 2002)

• W.D. Ross, The Right and the Good (Hackett Publishing)

• R. M. Hare, Freedom and Reason (Oxford University Press, 1963 + reprinted 1997)

• John Rawls, A Theory of Justice, Rev. Ed. (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1999).

 Course packet including selections from:

• G. E. Moore, Principia Ethica (Prometheus Books)

• John Rawls, A Theory of Justice.

• David Gauthier, Morals By Agreement

• Joel Feinberg's critique of "Psychological Egoism"

• Bernard Williams's "Critique of Utilitarianism"

• Derek Parfit, Reasons and Persons (Oxford University Press).

• T.M. Scanlon’s “Contractualism and Utilitarianism”

• Kurt Baier’s The Rational and the Moral Order

• Christine Korsgaard, The Sources of Normativity.

• James Rachels, "Active and Passive Euthanasia"

Tentative Schedule

• Week 1: Introduction: An Overview of Moral Theories. Timmons ch.1.

• Week 2: Divine Command Ethics, classical Natural Law, and Moral Relativism: Timmons, chs. 2-4.

• Week 3: Moore’s intuitionist moral objectivism and its development from 19th cent. classical utilitarianism. Timmons ch.5.

• Week 4: Ross’s intuitionist theory of values and rights.

• Week 5: Egoistic rational choice theories of morality: David Gauthier.

• Week 6: MacIntyre's argument against egoism. After Virtue, chapter 14; Timmons ch.9.

• Week 7: Feinberg's neo-Aristotelian critique of Egoism. Utilitarian arguments against egoism: Parfit and Scanlon.

• Week 8: Ideal observer utilitarianism: R.M. Hare. Timmons ch.6.

• Week 9. Kant and Korsgaard. Timmons ch.7; Korsgaard's “The Authority of Reflection” in The Sources of Normativity.

• Week 10: An objective welfarist neo-Kantianism: Rawls’s Theory of Justice

• Week 11: Rawls continued.

• Week 12: Applications: Criminal Justice.

• Week 13: Applications: Euthanasia. Rachels and court cases.

• Week 14: Conclusion: Applications continued; student projects.