PHIL 2700G: Introduction to Ethics & Value Theory

SYLLABUS – PHIL 2700G: Introduction to Ethics and Value Theory

ONLINE COURSE READINGS:

• Jeremy Bentham, Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1781)

OTHER COURSE-RELATED RESOURCES:

• Note that web resources are to be used at your own risk; they may or may not be a reliable guide, and their inclusion on this page does not imply any endorsement of their reliability.

• Thomas Nagel’s web site
  • Review by me of a recent book by Nagel
    

• Charles Taylor’s web site (see also here) (or see him interviewed here)
  

• Ronald Dworkin’s web site

• Utilitarianism resources
  • Stanford Enc. of Phil. article (on consequentialism)
  • Utilitarianism.org – comprehensive list of resources
    
  • Utlitarian.org frequently asked questions
  • article from Enc. Britannica
• Kant resources
  
  • Stanford Enc. of Phil. article
  • ‘quick overview’
  • ‘Legislating the Moral Law’ (Andrews Reath)
    • Available via JSTOR; this is a more sophisticated elucidation of K’s ethics than the ones above.
• Buddha resources
  • What is Theravada Buddhism? (John Bullitt)
  • Buddhism: A Method of Mind Training (Leonard Bullen)
  • Giving Dignity to Life (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
  • The Quest for Meaning (Bhikkhu Bodhi)
  • Video Meditation Instructions (Bhikkhu Yuttadhammo)
  • Audio Guided Meditation (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
  • Text Meditation Instructions (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
  • Video on “forest monk” Ajahn Chah [6 minute excerpt]
  • Pāli Translations (SD)
• Nietzsche resources
  • Stanford Enc. of Phil. article
  • ‘The World as a Work of Art’ (Karsten Harries)
    • A brief review of an important book on Nietzsche
  • Routledge Enc. of Phil. article
• Beauvoir resources
  • Stanford Enc. of Phil. article (especially section 6)
  • Internet Enc. of Phil. article
• Aristotle resources
  • Stanford Enc. of Phil. article
  • Aristotle’s Ethics (R.J. Kilkullen)
  • Very brief overview of some key points
  • Internet Enc. of Phil. article on contemporary virtue ethics