Does Moral Psychology Have Anything to Teach Moral Philosophy?
PHIL 4010: Senior Seminar
This course examines a venerable and vexing philosophical issue: how can we relate the picture of ourselves offered by the natural sciences with our own conception of ourselves as rational beings susceptible to moral evaluation? We will consider a number of philosophical texts that employ an understanding of psychological findings in order to interpret, understand, and challenge traditional philosophical moral theorizing. We will include: the relation of "is" and "ought," the empirical critique of virtue ethics, some varieties of realism and relativism regarding ethics, and questions over free will.

Course Requirements

Assessment for the course will be based on three written assignments, each 3-4 pages in length, and one ***OPTIONAL*** rewritten paper, 5-7 pages in length. (DUE DEC 12).

Suggested topics for the first essay.
Suggested topics for the second essay.
Suggested topics for the third essay. Due Dec. 3.

Note:
Attendance in this course is not mandatory, but you are responsible for the material presented in class. I am not responsible for representing material to you that you have missed, and I will not do so. If you are absent, take responsibility for getting notes from a classmate.

Late policy:
Late work will be penalized. If you have a planned absence or a conflict with another class, make arrangements with me in advance to avoid penalty. If you have an unexpected emergency (e.g. the death of a relative or a medical problem), plan to present me with documentation of it. Unexcused late work will be penalized at the rate of 1 letter grade per week.

Topics and Calendar