University of Kansas, Fall 2002
Philosophy 672: History of Ethics
Ben Eggleston

History of Ethics

Description: A study of representative works from four leading figures in the history of moral philosophy: Aristotle, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill. In order to wade into this pool of work at what some would call the “shallow” end—though we will reserve judgment on the question of whether this should be meant pejoratively—we will proceed in reverse historical order, beginning with Mill’s Utilitarianism and working through Kant’s Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and Hume’s Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals before probing the depths of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. Throughout, we will seek both plausible interpretations of these texts and defensible critical evaluations of the views and theories they express. In addition, we will consider the relationships among these writers’ views and the historical trajectory that they trace.

Class Schedule: M, W, F, 12:30–1:20, in 3097 Wescoe Hall.

Requirements/Grading:

Here are the factors that will determine your overall grade, and their weights:

• a test or a paper on each of the four books: 60 percent
• a final exam: 20 percent
• helpful and intelligent participation in class discussions: 10 percent
• attendance: 10 percent

For each of the four books, there will be a test and a paper assignment, and for each book, you can choose which to do—as long as you end up having done two tests and two papers.

As the course progresses, I’ll be entering the grades you’ve earned into the “online gradebook” at the Blackboard site for this course (log-in required; once you get there, click on ‘Tools’, then ‘Check Grade’). Note that although Blackboard provides a shell for all sorts of course-related documents, I am using it only to provide you with access to your grades (since, unlike any web page I’m capable of creating, it allows each student to view only his or her own grades); all course-related documents, such as this syllabus and assignments, will be here on my personal web site. (So don’t worry that you have to keep abreast of what’s on the Blackboard site for this course as well as my personal site; rather, keeping an eye on the latter will be sufficient.)

If you have a disability for which you may be requesting special services or accommodations for this course, be sure to contact Disability Resources (22 Strong Hall / 864-2620 (V/TTY)), if you have not already done so, and have that office send me a letter documenting the accommodations to which you are entitled. Please also see me privately, at your earliest convenience, so that I can be aware of your situation and can begin to prepare the appropriate accommodations in advance of receiving the letter from Disability Resources.

In addition, I should note here that I take academic misconduct, especially cheating on tests and plagiarizing papers, extremely seriously, and am generally disposed to impose the harshest permissible penalties when it occurs. To enable you to meet my expectations in this regard and to do so without fear of inadvertently falling short of them, I will provide clear and specific guidance as to what does and does not constitute academic misconduct in advance of tests and when papers are assigned. Meanwhile, you may consult article 2, section 6 of the University Senate Rules and Regulations for university policy in regard to this matter.

Finally, you should feel free to come by my office (3070 Wescoe Hall) at any time. I have office hours on Fridays from 1:30 to 2:20, but you are also welcome to stop by at other times, either with an appointment or without. I spend most of the work week in and around my office, so your chances of finding me should be reasonably high; and although in rare cases I may have to ask you to come back at another time, in general I will be happy to speak to you at your convenience.

Books to buy:

I strongly encourage you to buy the four main books for this course. For increased accessibility, however, I have endeavored to make them available at the reserve desk at Watson library. Following are text details and library status:

• Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, 2nd ed., trans. by Terence Irwin (Hackett Publishing Company, 2000)—not available in Watson library, but I have requested that it be bought
• David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, ed. by Tom L. Beauchamp (Oxford University Press, 1998; also on reserve in Watson library [as of 9/12/02, at least]—ask for call no. B1465 1998B)
• Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, trans. and ed. by Mary Gregor, with an introduction by Christine M. Korsgaard (Cambridge University Press, 1997; also on reserve in Watson library [as of 9/12/02, at least]—ask for call no. B2766.E6 G7)
• J. S. Mill, Utilitarianism, ed. by Roger Crisp (Oxford University Press, 1981)—apparently available not physically in Watson library but electronically, at this page: http://www.netlibrary.com/ebook_info.asp?product_id=12417 (I don’t really know how “netLibrary” works, so you may have to do some exploring to see how convenient it is to access the text in this way. You may be unable to access it from a non-KU computer.)

Background reading:

• I assume that everyone in the course will have some acquaintance with the central concepts and theories of ethics. But just in case anyone would like to have a look at a very basic introduction to ethics, I will mention James Rachels’s The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 4th ed. (McGraw-Hill, 2002; also on reserve [2nd edition] in Watson library [as of 9/20/02, at least]—ask for call no. BJ1012.R29 1993).
• If you have time, and a little more ambition, you might read Alasdair MacIntyre’s A Short History of Ethics: A History of Moral Philosophy from the Homeric Age to the Twentieth Century, 2nd ed. (University of Notre Dame Press, 1998; also on reserve in Watson library [as of 9/26/02, at least]—ask for call no. BJ71.M3 1998). Although MacIntyre devotes relatively little space to our four authors, he provides a broad (but brief) overview of the history of ethics, and certainly provides a helpful context for a deeper study of our authors.

Using J-Stor:

Some of the hyperlinks in the schedule below are to articles that are available electronically from the J-Stor online journal archive. J-Stor’s home page—www.jstor.org—can be accessed by anyone, but the contents of its archives cannot be legitimately accessed without a subscription. KU has a subscription, and you can use this subscription to access the J-Stor archive in either of two ways:

1. While using a computer with a KU IP address (which I imagine would be any of the on-campus computers—e.g., in the computer labs, in the libraries, etc.), just click on the link for the article you’re interested in. It should appear with no problem.
2. While using a non-KU computer, follow these steps:
   1. Go to http://www2.lib.ku.edu:2065/.
   2. Unless you are already logged into the KU libraries’ server, you will be confronted with a log-in screen. Log in with your KU username and password.
   3. When the J-Stor screen appears, use “Search” or “Browse” to find the article, based on the bibliographic information supplied below.

Once you have the article on the screen, you will probably want to print it. Look for the gray “PRINT” link at the top of the page you’re viewing, and click on it. You’ll then be given further instructions and links. In order to print J-Stor articles, the computer you’re using needs to have installed on it either (1) the Adobe Acrobat Reader (installed on most or all campus computers, and downloadable free from Adobe; see the link on my home page) or (2) J-Stor’s own printing application (details available with J-Stor’s instructions for printing; click on “Set your printing preferences” after clicking on the “PRINT” link).

Schedule:

August 23:

• Introduction (no assigned reading)

John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism:

Both of the books mentioned above under “Background reading” may be of use in understanding Mill. Rachels has two chapters on utilitarianism (though not on Mill’s utilitarianism specifically), and MacIntyre discusses Mill on pp. 235–243.

A helpful companion to Mill’s text is Crisp’s excellent commentary Mill on Utilitarianism (Routledge, 1997; also on reserve in Watson library [as of 9/12/02, at least]—ask for call no. B1603.U873 C75 1997). You can read the whole thing, or just part of it, for clear and astute interpretation and evaluation of Mill’s essay.

Week of August 26:

• Utilitarianism, chapter 1: “General Remarks” (pp. 49–53)
• Utilitarianism, chapter 2: “What Utilitarianism Is,” through paragraph 18 (pp. 54–64)
• Henry Sidgwick, The Methods of Ethics, book I, chapter vii, section 2, paragraph 2
• Utilitarianism, chapter 2, from paragraph 19 (pp. 64–72)

Week of September 2:

• September 2: no class (Labor Day)
• Utilitarianism, chapter 3: “Of the Ultimate Sanction of the Principle of Utility” (pp. 73–80)
• Utilitarianism, chapter 4: “Of What Sort of Proof the Principle of Utility is Susceptible” (pp. 81–86)

Week of September 9:

• Utilitarianism, chapter 5: “On Justice” (pp. 87–107)
• J. O. Urmson, “The Interpretation of the Moral Philosophy of J. S. Mill” (Philosophical Quarterly vol. 3, no. 10 [January 1953], pp. 33–39; also on reserve in Watson library [as of 9/19/02, at least])
• J. D. Mabbott, “Interpretations of Mill’s Utilitarianism” (Philosophical Quarterly vol. 6, no. 23 (April 1956), pp. 115–120; also on reserve in Watson library [as of 9/19/02, at least])
• D. G. Brown, “Mill’s Act-Utilitarianism” (Philosophical Quarterly vol. 24, no. 94 [January 1974], pp. 67–68; also on reserve in Watson library [as of 9/19/02, at least])

Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals:

1. pp. 190–192 of the Oxford History of Western Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 1994; listed by the publisher as the Oxford Illustrated History of Western Philosophy; also on reserve in Watson library [as of 9/26/02, at least]—ask for call no. B72.O8 1994). This book has lots of nice pictures.
2. the two chapters on Kant in the book by James Rachels mentioned above, under background reading
3. pp. xii–xiv and pp. 190–198 in the book by Alasdair MacIntyre mentioned above, under background reading
4. chapter 5, “The Categorical Imperative,” of Roger Scruton’s little book Kant (Oxford University Press, 1982; republished by Oxford U.P. in 2001 as Kant: A Very Short Introduction—also on reserve in Watson library [as of 9/26/02, at least]—as for call no. B2798.S37 1982).
5. chapter 4, “Foundations: Practical Reason” (pp. 54–70), of Bernard Williams’s book Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy (Cambridge University Press, 1985; also on reserve in Watson library [as of 9/12/02, at least]—ask for call no. BJ1012.W52 1985). In this chapter Williams criticizes Kant’s approach to ethics, and he presupposes familiarity with this approach rather than explaining it, so it is certainly not a summary or introduction. But Williams criticizes Kant’s approach to ethics at its most general and abstract level, and as a result Williams articulates surprisingly vividly the fundamental character, or really core ideas, of Kant’s approach to ethics. So you might read this chapter in order to get a sense of the basic orientation of Kant’s theory, though not the details of its content.
6. David Velleman’s essay “A Brief Introduction to Kantian Ethics.” Be warned, though, that at about 13,000 words, it’s not that brief. But it’s good.
7. the ten lectures on Kant, spanning 183 pages, in John Rawls’s Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy (Harvard University Press, 2000; also on reserve in Watson library [as of 9/12/02, at least]—ask for call no. BJ301.R39 2000). Rawls has been one of the most influential teachers of Kantian ethics in modern times, as well as being the most influential political philosopher of the last half of the twentieth century.

Aside from these, I strongly recommend that you read Korsgaard’s introduction to the edition of the Groundwork that we’re using. I’d suggest reading just the first four and a half pages (pp. vii–xi) of this introduction before reading any of Kant’s text, and then going back and using subsequent parts of Korsgaard’s introduction to help you understand Kant’s text after you’re read it. (The remaining parts of Korsgaard’s introduction are labeled “Section I,” “Section II,” and “Section III,” paralleling Kant’s text.)

For further reading, particularly more-advanced work, see Christine Korsgaard’s “A Guide to the Secondary Literature on Kant’s Ethical Theory.”

Week of September 16:

• preface (pp. 1–6)
• section I: “Transition from common rational to philosophic moral cognition” (pp. 7–18)
• test on Mill (September 18) / papers on Mill due (September 20)

Week of September 23:

• Barbara Herman, “On the Value of Acting from the Motive of Duty” (The Philosophical Review vol. 90, no. 3 [July 1981], pp. 359–382; also on reserve in Watson library [as of 9/19/02, at least])
• section II: “Transition from popular moral philosophy to metaphysics of morals,” to p. 421.1 (pp. 19–31)
  • The distinction between hypothetical and categorical imperatives is fundamental in Kant’s thought. The clearest account of this with which I am familiar is found in the first three pages or so of Philippa Foot’s landmark paper “Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives” (The Philosophical Review vol. 81, no. 3 [July 1972], pp. 305–316). Although (as the title suggests) Foot argues against the Kantian (and very common) notion that the requirements of morality are categorical, she begins her paper with a wonderfully clear account of the distinction between hypothetical and categorical imperatives. See, in particular, paragraphs 2–5 of this paper—that is, from p. 305, line 12, through p. 308, line 4.

Week of September 30:

• Thomas E. Hill, Jr., “The Hypothetical Imperative” (The Philosophical Review vol. 82, no. 4 [October 1973], pp. 429–450; also on reserve at Watson library [as of 9/25/02, at least]), to the bottom of p. 445
• section II, from p. 421.1 to p. 436.2 (pp. 31–43)

Week of October 7:

• Hill, “Humanity as an End in Itself” (Ethics vol. 91, no. 1 [October 1980], pp. 84–99; also on reserve at Watson library [as of 10/2/02, at least])
• section II, from p. 436.2 to the end (pp. 43–51)

Week of October 14:

• test on Kant / papers on Kant due
• October 18: no class (fall break)

David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals:

Like Kant, Hume is discussed in both of the books mentioned above under “Background reading.” See Rachels, chapter 3 (especially section 3.1 and the last page or so of section 3.5, where Rachels briefly explains Hume’s view before critiquing it), and MacIntyre, pp. 168–175.

An excellent resource for studying Hume’s moral theory in more depth is John Mackie’s influential book Hume’s Moral Theory (Routledge, 1980; also on reserve in Watson library [as of 9/12/02, at least]—ask for call no. B1499.E8 H855), which provides both a brief outline of Hume’s theory and nuanced discussions of many of its finer points. The usefulness of Mackie’s book for understanding Hume’s second Enquiry is not materially reduced by the fact that it focuses on Hume’s theory as it is presented in his A Treatise of Human Nature, not as it is presented in the Enquiry.

Also, Rawls’s Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy (for links, see above, in the Kant section) contains five lectures on Hume, spanning 82 pages.

Week of October 21:

• strongly recommended
  • “How to Use This Book” (pp. 3–4)
  • “Editor’s Introduction,” through section 3 (pp. 7–23)
  • “Editor’s Introduction,” sections 5–6 (pp. 50–53)
• Enquiry, section 1: “Of the General Principles of Morals”
• Enquiry, appendix 1: “Concerning Moral Sentiment”

Week of October 28:

• Enquiry, section 2: “Of Benevolence”
• Enquiry, appendix 2: “Of Self-Love”
• Enquiry, section 3: “Of Justice”
• Enquiry, appendix 3: “Some farther Considerations with regard to Justice”

Week of November 4:

• Enquiry, section 4: “Of Political Society”
• Enquiry, section 5: “Why Utility Pleases”
• Enquiry, section 6: “Of Qualities Useful to Ourselves”
• Enquiry, section 7: “Of Qualities Immediately Agreeable to Ourselves”
• Enquiry, section 8: “Of Qualities Immediately Agreeable to Others”

Week of November 11:

• Enquiry, section 9: “Conclusion”
• Enquiry, appendix 4: “Of Some Verbal Disputes”
• Enquiry, “A Dialogue”

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics:

An overview of Aristotle’s ethics can be found in the book by MacIntyre mentioned above under “Background reading”—see, in particular, pp. 57–83.

In addition, Bernard Williams’s book Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy (mentioned above, in the Kant section) has a chapter on Aristotle’s ethics: chapter 3, “Foundations: Well-Being” (pp. 30–53). Like the chapter on Kant’s ethics described above, this chapter is very general and abstract, and rather than offering a summary, proceeds at a very general and abstract level and yet conveys very richly the flavor of the approach to ethics that it discusses.

Week of November 18:

• N. Ethics, book I, chapters 1–12 (with chapter 6 being optional)
• test on Hume / papers on Hume due
• N. Ethics, book I, chapter 13, and book II

Week of November 25:

• November 25: N. Ethics, book III (with chapters 1–5 being optional)
• November 27: no class (Thanksgiving break)
• November 29: no class (Thanksgiving break)

Week of December 2:

• N. Ethics, book IV (optional)
• N. Ethics, book V
• G. E. M. Anscombe, “Modern Moral Philosophy” (Philosophy vol. 33, no. 124 [January 1958], pp. 1–19; also on reserve at Watson library)

Week of December 9:

• December 9: Julia Annas, “Ancient Ethics and Modern Morality” (Philosophical Perspectives vol. 6 [Ethics, 1992], pp. 119–136; also on reserve at Watson library)
• December 11: test on Aristotle
• December 13: no class (Stop Day) / papers on Aristotle due

Thursday, December 19: final exam (10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.)