This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

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    Required

    Amazon logo Feinberg, Joel, and Russ Shafer-Landau, eds. Reason and Responsibility. 12th ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN: 0534543510. (Abbreviated RR in the Readings by Session)

    Recommended

    Amazon logo Woodhouse, Mark B. A Preface to Philosophy. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2003. ISBN: 0534595448.

    Note: Readings followed by (RR) are available in the course text (Reason and Responsibility) at the page number indicated.

    ses # Topics readings

    1

    Introduction

    		  

    Reason To Believe: Does God Exist?

    2

    Existence of God: Ontological Argument

    Feinberg, Joel, and Russ Shafer-Landau. "Part I: Introduction." (RR: 2)

    Anselm, St. "The Ontological Argument." From Proslogium. (RR: 6)

    Gaunilo of Marmoutiers. "On Behalf of the Fool." (RR: 8)

    Rowe, Wm. "The Ontological Argument." (RR: 11)

    3

    Problem of Evil I

    Dostoevsky, Fyodor. "Rebellion." From The Brothers Karamazov. (RR: 79)

    Johnson, B. C. "God and the Problem of Evil." (RR: 85)

    Swinburne, Richard. "God and the Problem of Evil." (RR: 89)

    4

    Problem of Evil II

    Russell, Bruce. "The Problem of Evil: Too Much Suffering." In Introduction to Philosophy. Edited by Louis P. Pojman. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN: 0195171500.

    5

    Pascal's Wager

    Pascal, Blaise. "The Wager." (RR: 114)

    Blackburn, Simon. "Miracles and Testimony." (RR: 118)

    Rationality and Belief

    6

    Ethics of Belief: Evidentialism v. Pragmatism

    Clifford, W. K. "The Ethics of Belief." (RR: 97)

    James, William. "The Will to Believe." (RR: 101)

    7

    Stereotypes and Belief

    Blum, Lawrence. "Stereotypes and Stereotyping: A Moral Analysis." Philosophical Papers 33, no. 3 (November 2004): 251-289.

    Recommended: Schmitt, Richard. "Ideology." In Introduction to Marx and Engels: A Critical Reconstruction. 2nd ed. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1997. ISBN: 0813332834.

    8

    Racism and Belief

    Marx, Karl. Selections on Religion.

    Appiah, Kwame Anthony. "Racisms." In Anatomy of Racism. Edited by David Theo Goldberg. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1990, pp. 3-17. ISBN: 0816618046.

    9

    Scientific Reason or Scientific Faith?

    Hume, David. An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding. (Excerpt in RR: 199)

    Recommended: Salmon, W. "An Encounter with David Hume." (RR: 224)

    10

    More on Science and Faith

    Kitcher, Philip. "Believing Where We Cannot Prove." (RR: 247)

    Mind and Body

    11

    The Mind-Body Problem

    Feinberg, and Shafer-Landau. "Introduction to Part III." (RR: 257)

    Swinburne, Richard. "A Defense of Substance Dualism." (RR: 263)

    12

    Consciousness and Felt Experience

    Jackson, Frank. "The Qualia Problem." (RR: 267)

    Carruthers, Peter. "The Mind is the Brain." (RR: 276)

    13

    Materialist Options

    Churchland, Paul. "Behaviorism, Materialism, and Functionalism." (RR: 285)

    14

    Robots and Functionalism

    Searle, John. "Minds, Brains, and Programs." (RR: 305)

    Lycan, William. "Robots and Minds." (RR: 318)

    Freewill, Determinism, and Responsibility

    15

    Hard Determinism

    Feinberg, and Shafer-Landau. "Part IV: Introduction." (RR: 385)

    Holbach, Paul. "The Illusion of Free Will." (RR: 392)

    16

    Compatibilism I

    Ayer, A. J. "Freedom and Necessity." From Philosophical Essays. (RR: 408)

    Stace, W. "The Problem of Freewill." From Religion and the Modern Mind. (RR: 413)

    17

    Compatibilism II

    Frankfurt, Harry. "Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person." Journal of Philosophy 68, no. 1 (January 1971): 5-20.

    Recommended: Wolf, Susan. "Sanity and the Metaphysics of Responsibility." (RR: 457)

    18

    Libertarianism

    Chisholm, Roderick. "Human Freedom and the Self." (RR: 418)

    Morality and Rightconduct

    19

    Moral Variation Across Cultures

    Midgley, Mary. "Trying Out One's New Sword." (RR: 522)

    20

    Utilitarianism

    Mill, John Stuart. "Utilitarianism." Chapters 1-2. (RR: 594)

    21

    Ethical Egoism

    Nietzsche. "Master and Slave Morality." In Beyond Good and Evil. (A version of Beyond Good and Evil is available from Project Gutenberg.)

    Rachels. "Ethical Egoism." From The Elements of Moral Philosophy. (RR)

    22

    Famine

    Singer, Peter. "Famine, Affluence, and Morality." (RR: 631)

    23

    Kantianism

    Kant, I. "The Good Will and the Categorical Imperative." (RR: 579)

    Sayre-McCord, Geoff. "Kant's Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals: A Very Brief Selective Summary of Sections 1 and 2." (PDF)

    Recommended: O'Neill, Onora. "Kantian Approaches to Some Famine Problems." (RR)

    24

    Famine, Virtue and Duty

    Aristotle. "The Nature of Virtue." (RR)

    Blum. "Impartiality, Beneficence, and Friendship." In Morality in Practice. Edited by James P. Sterba. Sound Bend, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2001. ISBN: 0534521118.

    Recommended: McIntyre, Alasdair. "The Virtues, the Unity of a Human Life, and the Concept of a Tradition." In After Virtue. London, UK: Duckworth, 1981. ISBN: 026800594X.

    25

    Moral Luck

    Thomas, Nagel. "Moral Luck." In Moral Luck. Edited by Daniel Statman. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1993, 57-71. ISBN: 0791415406.

    26

    Just War Theory

    Nagel, Thomas. "War and Massacre." In Philosophy and Public Affairs 1, no. 2 (Winter 1972): 123-144.

    Orend, Brian. "War."

    27

    Final lecture