Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2020 - PHIL 824 G100

Selected Topics Moral Psychology (5)

Moral Psychology

Class Number: 7613

Delivery Method: Remote

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Mon, 4:30–8:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

Description

COURSE DETAILS:

Selected Topics: Moral Psychology

[Note: this course is to be taught concurrently with PHIL 421W E100.]  

Important note regarding enrollment: All seats are reserved for Philosophy Graduate students. Enrollments from other departments will be considered only upon submission of the Graduate Course Add Form, and with instructor's permission. All such enrollments will be done in or after the first week of classes.

This course will examine a variety of issues involving the moral status of our mental lives. Topics include: Identification, psychological harmony, motivation, love, moral worth, boredom, and contempt. Readings will focus on recent work and modern classics from English-language Analytic philosophy. We will not be discussing work in empirical or social psychology (no fMRI studies, no purely descriptive psychological work) but instead focus on work in normative ethics that concerned with human psychology.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Successful completion of this course will satisfy the “Value Theory Stream” distribution requirement toward the MA degree for Philosophy graduate students.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:         

  • Identify and reconstruct philosophical arguments
  • Grasp the complexities of particular psychological concepts and how they’re relevant to morality
  • Engage meaningfully with contemporary philosophical writing on topics in moral psychology

Grading

  • Students are required to do a short (< 10 minutes) presentation of one of the readings 25%
  • When not presenting, students will complete a short reading response each week 25%
  • An abstract of the final paper 10%
  • A final paper (3,000-4,000 words) 40%

NOTES:

Course delivery: remote, synchronous. Online presence is required during scheduled time. Attendance and participation in weekly online discussion is required.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

In order to complete this course, students must have access to a computer or other internet accessing device that permits streaming video, word processing and teleconferencing with Zoom.

REQUIRED READING:

Papers will be distributed as PDF files.

Graduate Studies Notes:

Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020

Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).