Introduction to Ethics (Fall 2018)

Welcome to the course site for Samuel Taylor's Introduction to Ethics at Tuskegee University for Fall 2018. In the header here I will post any relevant announcements including reading assignments for the following week. Below you can find links to course materials such as the syllabus, handouts, links to readings etc.


ANNOUNCEMENTS (9/6): The reading for next week is as follows:
  • For Tuesday (9/11) continue reading Chapter 9 from your textbook
  • For Thursday (9/13) read Chapter 10 "Consequentialism: Its Difficulties" from your textbook.
  • NOTE: Quiz 2 will be on 9/13 and will cover the following topics: intrinsic value, instrumental value, hedonism, the epicurean defense of mental pleasures, Mill's qualitative defense of mental pleasures, advantages of hedonism, the experience machine and its relation to hedonism, autonomy, and utilitarianism and how it relates to hedonism.
  • OPTIONAL: Below you will find links to some videos that might help as you are thinking through reading and material we have been covering lately:
    1. Hedonism and the Experience Machine
    2. Experimental Philosophy and a Worry for the Experience Machine
    3. Utilitarianism Part 1 Video (Explains what the theory is and some of its attractions)
    4. Utilitarianism Part 2 Video (Explains one worry for utilitarianism and a potential response)
    5. Utilitarianism Part 3 Video (Explains the "utility monster" objection to utilitarianism... this is related to the problem of injustice and surrounding worries that we will discuss in class when we get to Chapter 10)


ANNOUNCEMENT (8/30): The reading for next week is as follows:
  • For Tuesday (9/4) read Chapter 2 "Hedonism: Its Powerful Appeal" from our textbook. Also read Nozick's "The Experience Machine" which you can find by CLICKING HERE.
  • For Thursday (9/6) read Chapter 9 "Consequentialism: Its Nature and Attractions" from our textbook. NOTE: You can skip the section titled "Slippery Slope Arguments."
  • NOTE: If you haven't finished reading the selections from J.S. Mill (from the previous announcement) then make sure to continue working through it next week. Make certain to have it finished by the end of next week.


ANNOUNCEMENT (8/28/2018): For Thursday (8/30) you should read:
  • (1) Chapter 2 of J.S. Mill's "Utilitarianism" [click here for the link], and... 
  • (2) the first THREE paragraphs of Chapter 4 of "Utilitarianism", i.e. you can stop reading when you reach the paragraph that starts "But it has not, by this alone, proved itself to be the sole criterion" [click here for the link].
  • NOTE: Our first quiz will be in class next Tuesday (9/4/2018). This quiz will cover the material on arguments including the definition of an argument, premises, conclusion, deduction, induction, validity, invalidity, and soundness. There will be at least two arguments that you will have to identify as either valid or invalid.
Course Materials (Syllabus, Handouts, Etc.)
Readings