1 PHIL 105 (sections 03, 04) PERSONAL VALUES Instructor: Dr. Peter Marton Classes: Tuesday, Friday 1:25 – 2:40 pm (section 03) or 2:50 – 4:05 (section 04) at 321, Sackler Science Center Office Hour: Tuesday: 12:00 – 1:00; Friday: 4:15 – 5:00 or by appointment Office Location: 3rd floor of Philosophy Dept., Beck House (11 Loudon St.) E-mail: pmarton@clarku.edu Web access: via the Cicada site (http://Cicada.clarku.edu) Course Description: "The unexamined life is not worth living" (Socrates from Plato's Apology) Most of us, want to lead a good life, a just life, a life worth living. Most of us recognize, however, that there is no simple recipe for conducting the good life. The good, just, worthy life seems more a quest than a simple goal. We have to face many questions and obstacles on our quest for the good life. To start with one: Is there one good life for all, or all of us have to forge our own path? Values – social, moral, and personal ones – help us on our quest. We might wonder, however, where these values come from and how they help us in achieving the life worth living? In case of conflicting values which ones should we prefer and which ones should we abandon? This course itself is meant to be a quest: a quest for clarifying the meaning and origin of our moral and cultural values. We will start with the exemplary life of Socrates. We will use the Apology as a springboard to formulate many of our questions and discussions. The Apology will be followed by a unit on free will. Society with its special constraints will be the topic of our next unit. We will ask the following questions: Why do we live in a state and what can justify such social arrangements? What is the nature of power and of obedience? How far should the state's power extend and how much freedom should individuals have? Moral theories and applications will be the focus of the following unit. We will discuss elements of Egoism, Kant's duty ethics as well as some of the tenets of utilitarianism. We will try to apply these theories in the moral issues of sexuality and of the concerns about future generations. A unit on punishing will conclude the semester. Texts: McGraw-Hill Reader for this course (available in the University's bookstore) Additional texts will be posted on the internet and/or distributed in class Subject Matter Goals By the end of this course you should understand the following concepts and theories:  Problems of the Free Will  Psychological and Philosophical Egoism  State of Nature and The Social Contract  The nature and problems of power and obedience  The difference between obedience and obligation 2  Moral Relativism  Utilitarianism  Kantian Duty Ethics and the Categorical Imperative  Moral consideration about Punishing, Torture and the Death Penalty Skill Development Goals: The overarching objective of the course is to strengthen your ability to:  read and interpret complex texts,  make logical inferences from various ideas and statements;  explain your own and other people's views clearly – both orally and in writing;  evaluate views and arguments;  develop your own views, both about the questions we are studying and other issues Being Prepared for Classes Philosophy is a discursive discipline and the best way to learn and practice it is through participation. Many of the topics will be explored through class discussions aided by your active involvement such as your questions, comments, reflections, etc. To contribute to such active class discussions you have to be prepared for classes in the following ways:  You have to read carefully, and be familiar with, the assigned texts.  You have to have the text and your notes at hand so you can consult them. If the assigned text was posted online, then, please, have a printout of the text! (It is still more affordable than having it in your Reader!)  Occasionally, I will ask you to look up or investigate certain concepts. You should have the result of your investigation with you in class. Course Requirements and Evaluation: (i) Online Reading Quizzes: I will regularly check your reading the material with reading quizzes before lectures and class discussions. For further information about the quizzes, please check the "Remarks on the Weekly Quizzes." o Quizzes will be posted on Cicada 2 days before the first class of the week and you have to take the quiz during these 2 days. o While you can use your textbook and your own notes, you are not allowed to cooperate with others on these quizzes. Occasionally there will be an in-class follow up quiz to enforce this policy. o The weakest two of your quizzes will be dropped. (ii) 2 of 3 "speculative" essays: During the semester I will assign topics for consideration. These topics will help you to develop your own ideas about major issues before we start to review how philosophers (past and present) approach these problems. These papers should be 2-3 typed page(s) (double lined, in ordinary 12 pts font, with at least 1" margin all around). While you have to submit two of the three assigned essays, you can submit all 3 of them in which case the least successful of the 3 will be considered as an extra credit assignment. (iii) Final project (a "reflective" essay): You have to write one longer essay on topics that I will assign later in the semester. This essay will require you to compare and contrast the discussed philosophers and philosophical issues as well as to present your own ideas and research. It should be more formal than the speculative ones and is supposed to reflect your reading and understanding of the assigned authors. 3 (iv) Final Cumulative Exam will cover the entire material of the course. You can use your books and notes during the exam ("open book exam"). (v) Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. o I will NOT excuse absences due to appointment (medical or with your advisor, other instructors). o If you have to leave during class, please, try to inform me in advance, or, as you leave the class, please, leave a note on my desk with your name and reason of leaving. o 0 - 3 absences (excused or unexcused): no consequences (other than missed quizzes) 4-9 absences: 2% will be taken for each absence from your final grade 10 or more absences: No final grade will be given. (vi) Participation: As I mentioned earlier, your participation is important for the success of this class and so it will be a significant part of your final grade. (vii) Cicada: You are also required to participate in discussions on Cicada's Forums. Post your comments on the readings, class discussions or on relating issues and also check in regularly to see your classmates' contributions to the discussions. You have to post at least one original comment and at least 3 reflections (comments or questions) on others' posts once every 3 weeks. Please, respect others while you are commenting on their views, especially if you do not agree with them! (viii) Extra Credit: "Afterthought essays." After class meetings you may turn in – for extra credit – short essays that reflect on some aspects of the lecture and/or discussions. Your essay must be o concise (not longer than 1 typed page with usual characters) o should be relevant, substantial, and should offer a fresh insight to the topic o it should be submitted (via e-mail or in person) within 36 hours after the class meeting o obviously, no afterthought essay can be submitted to a class you did not attend! o Preferably, please, post your short essay on Cicada's Forums! Quizzes 20% Two of the three short, "speculative" essays 20% (10% each) Final project 20% Final exam 20% Participation (in class and on Cicada) 20% Extra credits 3rd short, speculative essay up to 5% afterthought essays (up to 2% each) Laptop Policy: Using laptop during classes is a privilege. I assume that the only reasons you use it is to take notes and occasionally to search for information relevant to the class discussion. At the end of the class meeting you might be asked to submit and/or post your class notes on Cicada. (Alternatively, you can blog your notes on Cicada and share them with the class). If you a Failing to comply with this request or having notes below expectations will lead to the suspension/loss of the laptop privilege. 4 Notices: (i) You should keep a hard copy of any written assignments (essays) you turn in! (ii) Your quiz and essay grades will be available in your Cicada gadebook. (iii) Unforeseen events may cause the schedule of assignments to change. If there is a change in the number or importance of any of the assignments, each assignment's effect on your grade may also change, but you will receive notice of any such changes. (iv) No "incomplete" will be assigned except in cases of real emergency, in which cases it must be approved by the department chairperson. (v) A doctor's certificate or such verifiable documentation will be required to make-up missed deadlines or exam. Accommodation for Students with Special Needs or Disabilities If you have any special need, please inform me about it in your e-mail or visit me during my office hours, to describe your special situation. Writing Center: You are encouraged to visit Clark's Writing Center – located in the Corner House - at anytime during semester. The Writing Center suggests that you "Come early in the writing process, especially if you feel that you would benefit from help with developing a thesis and help with the overall structure of a paper." The center is "happy to work with you before you've written anything, when you have an early draft or when you're polishing a final draft of a writing project." For more information go to the Writing Center's website at http://www.clarku.edu/departments/writingatclark/center.cfm READING SCHEDULE (This schedule is tentative. Were any change necessary, it would be announced in class and on the course's Cicada site.) Most assigned readings are in the McGraw-Hill Reader (R) Page numbers refer to the Reader's own page numbering (numbers in black circles on top of the page). Some of the readings will be posted on the course's Cicada site. Week Date Topic Readings Assignments September 2 Introduction 1 September 5 Identity and choices Camus: The Guest (available via Cicada) 1st essay to be assigned September 9 1st Reading Quiz 2 September 12 Personal Values: Socrates' Example Plato: Apology (available via Cicada) September 16 2nd Reading Quiz 3 September 19 Free Will or Determinism, I Selected texts on Minds and Machines (available via Cicada) Davis: "Please Don't Tell me How the Story Ends" (R, pp. 1 – 11) Blanchard: "The Case for Determinism" (R, pp. 18 – 29) 1st essay is due September 23 3rd Reading Quiz 4 September 26 Free Will or Determinism, II Taylor: "Fatalism" (R, pp. 30 – 38) Sartre: Existentialism is Humanism (R, pp. 51 – 68) September 30 4th Reading Quiz 2nd essay is assigned 5 October 3 Lawless Island -- State of Nature Hobbes: Leviathan (selections, available via Cicada) Locke: Second Treatise of Government (selections, available via Cicada) October 7 5h Reading Quiz 6 October 10 Power and Obedience Foucault: from the History of Sexuality (available via Cicada) Milgram: The Perils of Obedience (available via Cicada) 2nd Essay is due October 14 7 October 17 The State and its Powers Hobbes: Leviathan (selections, available via Cicada) Locke: Second Treatise of Government (selections, available via Cicada) 6th Reading Quiz October 21 7th Reading Quiz Final project to be introduced 8 October 24 Freedom of Speech Mill: from On Liberty (available via Cicada) Hentoff: "Free speech on Campus" (R, pp. 79 – 83) October 28 8th Reading Quiz 3rd essay to be 9 assigned October 31 Relativism Davis: "The Land of Certus" (R, pp. 95 – 100 -- suggested) Rachels: The Challenge of Cultural Relativism and Subjectivism in Ethics (R, pp. 101 – 136) November 4 9h Reading Quiz 10 November 7 Egoism Ayn Rand: John Galt's Speech (mini version, available via Cicada) Rachels: Egoism (R, pp. 69 – 89) Davis: Those Who Help Themselves (R, pp. 137 – 143) 3rd essay is due November 11 10th Reading Quiz 11 November 14 Kantianism Kant: from the Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals (selections, available via Cicada) Mappes: Sexual Morality and the Concept of Using Another Person" (R, pp. 155 – 172) November 18 11th Reading Quiz 12 November 21 Utilitarianism Mill: from Utilitarianism (selections, available via Cicada) Kavka: from The Futurity Problem (R, pp. 173 – 183) November 25 Bagaric, Clarke vs. Manderson: "Is Torture Ever Justified?" (R, pp. 184 – 204) 12th Reading Quiz 13 November 28 On Torture Thanksgiving Break December 2 13th Reading Quiz 14 December 5 Punishing Kafka: In the Penal Colony (available via Cicada) Selected Text on Punishment (available via Cicada) December 9 No Class – Monday schedule 15 December 12 The Death Penalty Welch vs van den Haag: "Should the Death Penalty be Abolished?" (R, pp. 205– 232) 14th Reading Quiz FINAL EXAMS: Section 03: 4:00 – 6:00 pm, Thursday, December 18 Section 04: 8:00 – 10:00 am, Thursday, December 18