Morehouse Advanced Philosophical Ethics

2009-04-29T08:34:00.001-07:00

OUR FINAL IS TUESDAY, MAY 5, 1 pm -3 PM
BE THERE TO PRESENT YOUR PAPER!

http://tigernet.morehouse.edu/cp/site/spring09.pdf

2009-04-22T08:44:00.001-07:00

On Monday, April 27, 2009 at 5:00pm, the Philosophy and Religion Society will feature Lucius T. Outlaw (Professor of Philosophy and of African-American and Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University) in the second meeting of the Philosophy and Religion Lecture Series. Dr Outlaw will speak on the subject: “The Academy and Philosophy: Good for Black Folks?”

Dr. Outlaw’s research interests include African and African American philosophy, political theory and social thought. He has published works such as On Race and Philosophy, In Search of Critical Social Theory in the Interest of Black Folks, and “Philosophy, Hermeneutics, Social- Political Theory: Critical Thought in the Interest of African-Americans” (of the Philosophy Born of Struggle anthology)

The lecture will be followed by a reception in the Henderson Lounge of Merrill Hall. All are invited. We encourage you and your students to come (if interested).

Taurean J. Webb

President, Philosophy and Religion Society
Morehouse College

2009-04-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

I have decided that we have had enough time in the library: people have had their opportunity to get help from me regarding finding a topic and appropriate sources.

For Wednesday, we'll be back in class and discussing Ch. 18, "World Hunger" by Hugh LaFollette.

2009-04-13T11:23:00.001-07:00

For Wed. we will again meet in the library.

Some students are doing well and making good progress on their projects. Other students are not doing well with it. If you are in the latter camp, you especially need to get a topic and get your research under way!

See you Wed.

2009-03-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

Monday we are meeting in the library with a librarian who will give a tutorial on philosophy / ethics resources; for Friday read the Killing and Letting Die article in the book.

2009-03-06T08:43:00.001-08:00

The reading for Monday after break is the Lori Gruen article from the Companion to Applied Ethics. Some copies are in my box in the philosophy dept.

2009-02-16T07:42:00.001-08:00

Due to a growing dissatisfaction with the Companion to Applied Ethics, I decided we should change our approach. For Wed., please pick up and read the articles by Cahn and Thomas that I left in my box in the philosophy dept.

Wed. I will bring copies of the articles on terrorism from the Cahn anthology.

2009-02-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

For Monday, read the article on abortion by Margaret Little.

Friday

2009-02-11T08:48:00.002-08:00

Since Julian was not here today, we are skipping terrorism for a while. And we decided to skip to topics in bioethics. So for next time please read the general entry on bioethics by Margaret Battin.

2009-02-11T08:48:00.001-08:00

Justice for the Past

Stephen Kershnar - Author

SUNY series in American Constitutionalism

$57.50 Hardcover - 158 pages
Release Date: July 2004

ISBN10: 0-7914-6071-1
ISBN13: 978-0-7914-6071-9

$20.95 Paperback - 158 pages
Release Date: July 2004

ISBN10: 0-7914-6072-X
ISBN13: 978-0-7914-6072-6

Summary

Examines whether race-based programs and slavery reparations are justified.

Among the most controversial issues in the United States is the question of whether public or private agencies should adopt preferential treatment programs or be required to pay reparations for slavery. Using a carefully reasoned philosophical approach, Stephen Kershnar argues that programs such as affirmative action and calls for slavery reparations are unjust for three reasons. First, the state has a duty to direct resources to those persons who, through their abilities, will benefit most from them. Second, he argues that, in the case of slavery, past injustice—where both the victims and perpetrators are long dead—cannot ground current claims to compensation. As terrible as slavery was, those who claim a right to compensation today owe their existence to it, he reasons, and since the events that bring about a person's existence are normally thought to be beneficial, past injustices do not warrant compensation. Finally, even if past injustices were allowed to serve as the basis of compensation in the present, other variables prevent a reasonable estimation of the amount owed.

"This is an important and serious critique of both affirmative action and reparations for slavery. Despite the provocative nature of the subject matter, Kershnar writes coolly and objectively." — Michael Levin, author of Why Race Matters: Race Differences and What They Mean

"Civil rights, affirmative action, and reparations for slavery are burning issues today. Kershnar's bold, clearly reasoned arguments are fresh, insightful, and cogent." — Louis P. Pojman, United States Military Academy, West Point

"Although I strongly disagree with his views, Kershnar provides the most coherent set of arguments against reparations available in the philosophical literature." — Albert Mosley, coauthor of Affirmative Action: Social Justice or Unfair Preference?

Stephen Kershnar is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Fredonia and the author of Desert, Retribution, and Torture.

Table Of Contents

Acknowledgments

SECTION 1

Introduction

SECTION 2: Civil Rights Laws

1. The Most Qualified Applicant

Part 1. The Job Qualification
Part 2. The Best Conception of a Job Qualification Yields at Most a Very Weak Reason to Favor a Meritocracy
Part 3. Antidiscrimination Laws Cannot Be Justified by Meritocratic Concerns
Part 4. Qualifications for Educational Institutions
Part 5. Conclusion

SECTION 3: Strong Affirmative Action

2. Strong Affirmative-Action Programs at State Institutions

Part 1. Introduction
Part 2. The Duty to Judge Persons according to Their Interests and Desert
Part 3. Strong Affirmative-Action Programs at State Educational Institutions Cannot Be Justified via Compensatory Justice
Part 4. Conclusion

3. Uncertain Damages to Racial Minorities and Strong Affirmative Action

Part 1. The Hypothetical Imperative to Distribute Resources in a Just Manner
Part 2. Compensatory Justice and the Assessment of Damages
Part 3. Compensatory Justice and Inadequate Knowledge of Damages
Part 4. We Do Not Have Adequate Knowledge of the Amount of Compensable Injury to Current Members of Some Racial Minority Groups
Part 5. Conclusion

SECTION 4: Reparations for Slavery

4. The Inheritance-Based Claim to Reparations

Part 1. Introduction
Part 2. Slavery Did Not Harm the Descendants of Slaves
Part 3. Compensation May Be Owed to the Descendants of Slaves As a Result of a Legitimate Inheritance Claim
Part 4. Conclusion

5. Reject the Inheritance-Based Claim to Reparations

Part 1. Objections to the Inheritance-Based Claim to Reparations
Part 2. Who Owes Compensation?
Part 3. Conclusion

SECTION 5: Proper Respect

6. Intrinsic Moral Value and Racial Differences

Part 1. The Expression of Equal Moral Value
Part 2. The Argument
Part 3. Implications of the Argument
Part 4. Conclusion

SECTION 6: Educational Diversity

7. Experiential Diversity

Part 1. Grutter and Bakke
Part 2. Experiential Diversity and Truth
Part 3. A More General Approach to Diversity
Part 4. Equal-Opportunity Arguments
Part 5. Conclusion

Notes

Index

2009-02-09T08:21:00.001-08:00

See this entry:
Affirmative Action
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/affirmative-action/

Monday & Wed

2009-02-07T15:20:00.001-08:00

For Monday and Wed. we will talk about the article on affirmative action by the Boxills.

For Friday we'll talk about the terrorism chapter, if I remember correctly.

Sexism

2009-02-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

For Wednesday, read the article on Sexism, p. 102-118. I also gave a handout with some cases re. racism from an article by Peter Singer. That's in the classroom in the podium for you to pick up.

We will hold off on discussion affirmative action until after discussing sexism.

2009-01-30T13:00:00.000-08:00

For Monday and Wed. we'll talk about MMA's article on Racism.

Upcoming Readings

2009-01-26T08:53:00.000-08:00

For Wed., Darwall on consequentialism, deontology and virtue ethics.

For Friday & Monday, the chaper on Racism by Michelle Moody Adams.

Email group

2009-01-24T13:49:00.001-08:00

Here's where you sign up for the email group:

http://groups.google.com/group/morehouse-advanced-ethics/

For Monday & Wednesday

2009-01-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

Thusfar, Ch. 1, Beauchamp, has been assigned; we have discussed part of it. We will take another look at it Monday.

For Monday, please read the first 1/2 of Darwall, pp. 17-26.

For Wed, please read pp. 26-36.

2009-01-24T13:36:00.001-08:00

Some of today's discussion is reviewed in these notes here; you can apply what's said there to our current issuess:

http://ethicsandanimals.googlepages.com/lectures.htm#_Lecture_1:_Introduction

See esp.:

What the Question Is Not: Not “Morally Right,” but Morally Permissible and/or Morally Obligatory
Some Basic Concepts about Arguments: Introduction to Logic
Moral Principles as Premises: Introduction to Ethics
Religion and Ethics: A Brief Comment

Handouts and Readings Thusfar

2009-01-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

A logic handout: http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/arguments.pdf
A page on valid argument forms: http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/validargumentforms.pdf

For Friday, please have read "The Nature of Applied Ethics" by Tom Beauchamp

2009-01-14T08:10:00.001-08:00

Syllabus

Advanced Ethics: Special Topic:Contemporary Moral Issues - 42373 - HPHI 475B - 01

MWF 10-10:50 AM

Instructor:

Nathan Nobis, Ph.D.

www.NathanNobis.com

Nathan.nobis@gmail.com

404-825-1740 cell

Course blog page:

http://morehouseethics.blogspot.com/

Description:

A more advanced discussion of contemporary ethical issues. Application of logical concepts and argument analysis to ethical issues. The focus of the course will be on philosophical methodology and culminate in an independent research project in philosophical ethics.

Required text:

A Companion to Applied Ethics, eds. Frey and Wellman (Blackwell, 2003)

Other readings will be passed out in class and/or posted online.

Written Assigments:

CPR papers – Conclusion(s), Premise(s), Response papers. These are papers where you clearly identify the main conclusion(s) discussed in the assigned reasons, the premises (or reasons) given in favor of these various conclusions and your response concerning whether any of these reasons provide good reason to accept the conclusions they are said to support. These are to be written so you are prepared for classroom discussion, so absolutely none will be accepted late. 50% of your final grade.

Two short argumentative essays. 5 pages. 25% of your final grade.

Final argumentative research paper, based on library and otherwise independent research. 12 pages. We will start this soon after the midterm. 25% of your final grade.

Rules:

Nearly always come to class.

Be on time.

Do the reading, carefully.

Be prepared.

Take the time to do a very good job on everything we do.

Contribute to class discussion.

Ask questions.

Have fun, learn a lot, and grow to become a more ethically engaged person!

A Companion to Applied Ethics

Edited by: R.G. Frey and Christopher Heath Wellman

1. The Nature of Applied Ethics: Tom L. Beauchamp
2. Theories of Ethics Stephen: L. Darwall
3. Property Rights and Welfare Redistribution: Jeremy Waldron
4. Civil Disobedience and the Duty to Obey the Law: A. John Simmons
5. Capitalism and Marxism: Richard W. Miller
6. State Punishment and the Death Penalty: David Dolinko
7. Racism: Michele Moody-Adams
8. Sexism: Ann E. Cudd and Leslie E. Jones
9. Affirmative Action: Bernard Boxill and Jan Boxill
10. The Legal Enforcement of Morality: Larry Alexander
11. Hate Crimes, Literature, and Speech: L. W. Sumner
12. Pornography and Censorship: Lori Gruen
13. Dirty Hands: Gerald F. Gaus
14. Sexual Ethics: Alan H. Goldman
15. Gun Control: Lance Stell
16. Citizenship: Wayne Norman and Will Kymlicka
17. Immigration: Michael Blake
18. World Hunger: Hugh LaFollette
19. War and Terrorism: C. A. J. Coady
20. Nationalism and Secession: Christopher Heath Wellman
21. Intergenerational Justice: Clark Wolf
22. Bioethics: Margaret P. Battin
23. Abortion: Margaret Olivia Little
24. Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Michael Tooley
25. Reproductive Technology: John D. Arras
26. Genetic Engineering: Dan W. Brock
27. Surrogate Motherhood: Rosemarie Tong
28. Cloning: John Harris
29. Allocation of Medical Resources: H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr. and Ana Smith Iltis
30. Experimentation on Human Subjects: Patrick Boleyn-Fitzgerald
31. Disability: Leslie Pickering Francis
32. Moral Status: Mary Anne Warren
33. Killing and Letting Die: Alastair Norcross
34. The Doctrine of Double Effect: R. G. Frey
35. Bad Samaritans, Acts and Omissions: Patricia Smith
36. Moral Dilemmas: N. Ann Davis
37. Education: Amy Gutmann
38. Personal Relationships: Lawrence A. Blum
39. Animals: Jeff McMahan
40. Business Ethics: Patricia H. Werhane and R. Edward Freeman
41. Corporate Responsibility: R. Edward Freeman and Patricia H. Werhane
42. Whistle-blowing: Terrance McConnell
43. Professional Ethics: David Luban
44. Media Ethics: Judith Lichtenberg
45. Computer Ethics: Deborah G. Johnson
46. Engineering Ethics: Michael S. Pritchard
47. Environmental Ethics: Andrew Light
48. Values in Nature: Dale Jamieson
49. The Tragedy of the Commons: David Schmidtz and Elizabeth Willott
50. Global Warming: Robert Hood

2009-01-14T06:46:00.000-08:00

This will be a blog for the advanced philosophical ethics course.