24.201 Topics in History of Phil: Rationalism and Sentimentalism in Ethical Theory
Fall 2017
Instructor: Tamar Schapiro
Lecture: MW11-12.30 (56-180)
Information:
This course is about the foundations of ethics. Is there anything we genuinely ought to do, and if so, why? We will approach this question by familiarizing ourselves with a particularly fruitful period in the development of moral philosophy. This is the period in Britain from 1650-1780, just prior to the nearly simultaneous emergence of Kant's moral philosophy and Bentham's utilitarianism. During this time, rationalists and sentimentalists engaged in a substantive conversation about the nature and source of moral obligation. Their conversation foreshadowed debates between cognitivists and noncognitivists in 20th c. metaethics, and in many ways it addressed the foundational question more directly than did the later debates. Our readings will include Hobbes, Clarke, Wollaston, Shaftesbury, Hutcheson, Butler, Hume, and Smith.
Announcements
Reading for Wed. 12/6
As I mentioned in class, we are just going to skip the 3rd Smith assignment. Please read the Bentham assignment for this Wednesday.Best,
Tamar
Announced on 04 December 2017 3:30 p.m. by Tamar Schapiro
Reading for Monday 11/27
Reminder: we are one day behind on the syllabus. Please do the second Price reading (pp. 161-175) for Monday, 11/27.Announced on 25 November 2017 12:25 p.m. by Tamar Schapiro
Reminder about Hutcheson reading assignment
As I stated in class, the reading assignment for tomorrow is the one stated on the syllabus (Hutcheson, 305-321). We are just skipping the reading I had originally scheduled for last Wed.Best,
Tamar
Announced on 22 October 2017 12:36 p.m. by Tamar Schapiro
Clarification regarding reading responses for tomorrow
If you wrote a reading response for yesterday's class: you may still write another one for tomorrow on the same reading assignment, as long as you focus on different points in the text.Best,
Tamar
Announced on 17 October 2017 5:07 p.m. by Tamar Schapiro
No new reading for Wed.
Reminder: there is no new reading for Wed. Please reread the assignment for today, paying attention to Hutcheson's anti-egoist arguments. We will end up being one day behind on the syllabus, but we will make it up later.Also: for those of you who wrote reading responses on Hutcheson before class today, I have replied to your posts.
Best,
Tamar
Announced on 16 October 2017 6:44 p.m. by Tamar Schapiro
