Phil 421W Advanced Topics in Ethical Theory (Contemporary Metaethics)

Summer Semester 2012 Day

INSTRUCTOR  Evan Tiffany, WMC 5652

REQUIRED TEXTS

• Horgan & Timmons, Eds., Metaethics After Moore (Oxford, 2006)[1]
• Brady, Ed., New Waves in Metaethics (Palgrave,2010)[2]
  

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will be a survey of recent work in metaethics. Metaethics, traditionally understood, is the attempt to understand the metaphysical, epistemological, semantic, and psychological presuppositions and commitments of moral discourse and practice. As such, it is concerned with such a broad range of questions, such as: Are there moral facts? If so, what is their origin? How are moral facts related to other facts (e.g. about happiness, psychology, biology, social custom, etc.)? The field of metaethics also explores connections between values, reasons for action, and human motivation. For example, is the moral rightness of an action necessarily a reason for doing it? Is our perception of rightness a sufficient motive? Is our reason for bringing about some state of affairs derivative on the value of that state of affairs or is its value derivative on the existence of a reason? More recently (in the past twenty years or so), meta-ethics has broadened its scope to include an investigation of normativity more generally, asking such questions as: What grounds our reasons for action? Do moral reasons have a special normative force (e.g. are they always overriding)? Can non-moral normative standpoints, such as social convention, generate reasons for action? Do moral reasons have a special normative force (e.g. are they always overriding)? Can non-moral normative standpoints, such as social convention, generate reasons for action?

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

• 2 short papers - 15% each
  
• 1 longer paper  - 40%
• participation - 10%
• Final exam - 20%

Note: Prerequisite: One of Phil 120, 320, or 321.

[1] Available as a .pdf download from the SFU library.

[2] Viewable as an e-book from SFU library.