AP/PHIL4070 3.0 M: Seminar in Moral Philosophy
Offered by: PHIL
Session
Winter 2023
Term
W
Format
SEMR
Instructor
Calendar Description / Prerequisite / Co-Requisite
An intensive examination of particular problems in moral philosophy, or intensive studies of the writings of individual moral philosophers. Topics vary from year to year. Prerequisites: At least nine credits in philosophy including AP/PHIL 3020 3.00 or AP/PHIL 3110 3.00. Course credit exclusion: GL/PHIL 4237 3.00 (may be waived with permission of the Department).
Course Start Up
Course Websites hosted on York's "eClass" are accessible to students during the first week of the term. It takes two business days from the time of your enrolment to access your course website. Course materials begin to be released on the course website during the first week. To log in to your eClass course visit the York U eClass Portal and login with your Student Passport York Account. If you are creating and participating in Zoom meetings you may also go directly to the York U Zoom Portal.
For further course Start Up details, review the Getting Started webpage.
For IT support, students may contact University Information Technology Client Services via askit@yorku.ca or (416) 736-5800. Please also visit Students Getting Started UIT or the Getting Help - UIT webpages.
Professor Robert Myers
rmyers@yorku.ca
Office Location: S423 Ross Building
Phone Number: (416) 736-2100 Ext. 77556
Metaethical realism is often put forward as a reductive view. For example, it has been argued by some utilitarians that the property of being right just is the property of maximizing overall happiness. In recent years, however, various forms of non-reductive realism have been proposed. We will be looking carefully and critically at two influential proposals of this sort, Philippa Foot’s non-reductive naturalism and Tim Scanlon’s non-naturalism.
Classes will be held in person. Students will need internet access to the course eClass site.
Principal texts:
- Philippa Foot, Natural Goodness. Oxford University Press, 2001.
- T. M. Scanlon, Being Realistic about Reasons. Oxford University Press, 2014..
Both texts are available electronically through the library website; they should also be available at the campus bookstore. Additional readings will be made available
on the course eClass site.
- First writing assignment: 30%
- Second writing assignment: 50%
- Class participation: 20%
There will be 3 components to class assessment: two writing assignments and class participation.
- Students will improve their ability to read and analyze philosophical texts and to articulate and defend philosophical positions of their own.
- Students will improve their ability to communicate complicated ideas and arguments both in speech and in writing.
- Students will develop greater familiarity with the contending positions on metaethical issues and with the principal difficulties that they face.
- Students will learn to think critically both about the demands that morality makes of us and about our reasons to comply with them.
Course policies:
Late papers will be subject to a penalty unless prior approval has been granted by the course director.
- Academic Honesty
- Student Rights and Responsibilities
- Religious Observance
- Grading Scheme and Feedback
- 20% Rule
No examinations or tests collectively worth more than 20% of the final grade in a course will be given during the final 14 calendar days of classes in a term. The exceptions to the rule are classes which regularly meet Friday evenings or on Saturday and/or Sunday at any time, and courses offered in the compressed summer terms. - Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
