Philosophy

Week 1: January 11          Course Organization

Readings: No Readings

 

Week 2: January 18          Meta-Ethics Issues & Problems

Readings:  (1) G. E. Moore, exerpt from "Principia Ethica"; (2) Ludwig Wittgenstein, "Lectures on Ethics".

 

Week 3:  January  25          Meta-Ethics Issues & Problems

Readings: (1) Ludwig Wittgenstein, "Lectures on Ethics" & excerpt from the Tractatus; (2) Charles Stevenson, "The Emotive Meaning of Ethical Terms; (3) Gilbert Harman, "Ethics and Observation"; (4) J. L. Mackie, excerpt from "Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong".

Update: The readings for next week are in the meta-ethics folder outside my door. One packet for each of you. We'll begin by concluding our discussion of Wittgenstein's meta-ethics. Then we'll move on to the new readings. (I'm looking forward to reading Stevenson again: solid philosopher!). Thanks to all for getting us off to a good start.

 

Readings: (1) J. L. Mackie, excerpt from "Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong"; (2) T.L.S. Sprigge, "Is the Esse of Intrinsic Value Percipi? Pleasure, Pain, and Value."

Update: We'll discuss two readings next week. First we'll look at Mackie and then Sprigge (in my mailbox for pickup) for a rather different take on intrinsic value. Two fine papers. I look forward to it. Let's stick to our slow reading technique. Slow and steady wins the race in philosohy. (If we need an extra copy of the reading for guests let me know and I'll make one.)

 

 

(1) T.L.S. Sprigge, "Is the Esse of Intrinsic ValuePercipi? Pleasure, Pain, and Value."  (2) Sprigge, "Are There Intrinsic Values in Natue?"

Update: Above is the first essay assigment. I upped the word count to 1000 from 750 to give you all a bit more breathing room. But you should still strive for concision and 750 words will do. I'll add another reading by Monday. Next class I'd also like to use the white board to try and map out the lay of the metaethical land: i.e. the various semantic, ontological, and epistemtic views encountered thus far. 

 

Update: Let's meet tomorrow at 1:15 since Elizabeth can't make it till then. The second reading is in my mailbox. 

 

1) T.L.S. Sprigge, "Is the Esse of Intrinsic ValuePercipi? Pleasure, Pain, and Value."  (2) Sprigge, "Are There Intrinsic Values in Natue?"; (3) Peter Railton, "Moral Realism". 

Update: We'll finish up our discussion of Spigge on Wednesday and take another run a "moral realism" with Railton. It's a longish paper, and there is a copy for each of you outside my mailbox.: