Dr. Julie A. Allen
allenj@yorku.ca
Office Location:  S445 Ross Building
Phone Number:  (416) 736-2100 ext. 77541

Office Hours:  In person office hours TBA or by appointment

Virtual office hours will be available by appointment

This course is designed as an introduction to moral philosophy from an historical and critical point of view.  The philosophers we'll study investigate central questions concerning human conduct and character.  This course explores some of the most important and influential ethical theories developed in the tradition of Western philosophy.  We will carefully study a selection of canonical texts, including works by Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Kant, and Mill.  We will consider issues arising from these texts which are relevant to both normative and meta-ethics.  Although the course focuses on historical works and a comparison of the moral doctrines therein expressed, we will undertake this study with an eye to their recurrent influence within contemporary moral philosophy.

Technical requirements for taking the course:  This is an in-person course.  Nevertheless, you will need the technology required to access eClass.  This means you will need a York email address and probably you will need a Passport York account.

Here are some useful links for student computing information, resources and help:

Student Guide to Moodle

Zoom@YorkU Best Practices 

Zoom@YorkU User Reference Guide

Computing for Students Website

Student Guide to eLearning at York University

To determine Internet connection and speed, there are online tests, such as Speedtest, that can be run.]

There are six required books for this course.

Plato. Protagoras. Trans. G.M.A. Grube. Hackett, 1992.   ISBN: 0-87220-094-9

Plato. Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, (Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo.) Trans.Stanley Lombardo & Karen Bell, Hackett, 1981.  N.B.  Only the Euthyphro will be read in this course. ISBN: 0-87220-633-5

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics. Trans. David Ross.  O.U.P. 1980.  ISBN: 0–19-283408-x

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan. Ed. John Gaskin.  Oxford University Press, 1998. (Selections)

ISBN: 0–19-2834883

Immanuel Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals.  Trans. James W. Ellingson.  Hackett, 1993.

John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism. Ed. George Sher.  Hackett, 1979.

Short analysis & summary assignment                                              10%

Two  short essays  (20% each)                                                           40%

Lecture Participation & Participation exercises                              15%

Final Exam                                                                                               35%

This is an accelerated course and as such you should be aware that the reading and assignment requirements will be intensive. In addition to meeting three hours twice each a week, Tuesdays 10:30 am to 1:30 and Thursdays 10:30 – 1:30, efforts will be made to include discussion opportunities that will emulate a tutorial context for discussion that is typical for the course in non-accelerated contexts.  Thus, given that we are a smaller group than usual, I will be measuring your participation in the course, both via attendance and participation via discussion, asking questions you have in class, and contributing to some of the questions I will ask the class as we proceed through the readings and topics.

Students will learn canonical answers to the following questions:

What is "ethics"?  Is there a difference between "ethics" and "morality"?

What do we mean by the terms `good', ‘valued’ or ‘pious’ or ‘holy’?  Is something good because it is desirable or desirable because it is good?

What relation, if any, is there between morality and various accounts of "human nature"?

Is there something which is the good for human beings? How does the good relate to happiness or eudaimonia?

Additionally, students will be provided with the tools to develop their ability to analyse a text and provide a critical summary of central arguments.