Part I. Introduction to Moral Philosophy
1. Moral Theory
Moral Philosophy
What Is the Purpose of Moral Theories?
The Types of Moral Theories
Relativism in Ethics
Moving Beyond Ethical Relativism
Moral Theory and Praxis
Morality and Religion
Universality and Religious Ethics
Universal Moral Theories
Natural Law Theory
Utilitarianism
Deontology: The Ethics of Duty
Rights-Based Ethics
Virtue Ethics
Conclusion
Aristotle, from Nicomachean Ethics
Thomas Aquinas, from Summa Theologica
*John Stuart Mill, from Utilitarianism
Immanuel Kant, from Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Ethics
John Rawls, from A Theory of Justice
John Locke, Two Treatises of Civil Government
Ayn Rand, "Man"s Rights"
Nel Noddings, from Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education
Confucius, from The Analects
P. Don Premasiri, "The Relevance of the Noble Eightfold Path to Contemporary Society"
2. Moral Reasoning
The Three Levels of Thinking
Resistance
Recognizing Arguments
Avoiding Logical Fallacies
Critical Reading Skills
Part II. Analyzing Moral Issues
3. Abortion
Background
The History of Abortion in the United States
The U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade Decision
Abortion and Religion
Stages of Fetal Development
Methods of Abortion
The Moral Issues
Can the Abortion Controversy Ever Be Resolved?
Judith Jarvis Thomson, "A Defense of Abortion"
John T. Noonan Jr., "An Almost Absolute Value in History"
Mary Anne Warren, "The Moral Significance of Birth¿
*Don Marquis, "Why Abortion is Immoral¿
Judith A. Boss, "Pro-Child/Pro-Choice: An Exercise in Doublethink?"
Case Studies
4. Genetic Engineering and Cloning
The History of Genetic Engineering
The Human Genome Project
Cloning and Genetic Engineering
Moral Issues of Genetic Engineering and Cloning
Resolving the Debate Over Genetic Engineering and Cloning
*Matt Ridley, "The New Eugenics"
*W. French Andersen, "Genetics and Human Malleability"
John A. Robertson, "The Question of Human Cloning¿
Leon Kass, "The Wisdom of Repugnance: Why We Should Ban the Cloning of Humans"
*Lori Andrews and Dorothy Nelkins, "Whose Body Is It Anyway? Dispute Over Body Tissue in a Biotechnology Age."
*Richard Seed, "Human Clones for Sale"
5. Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
What Is Euthanasia?
The Philosophers on Euthanasia
The Contemporary Debate over Euthanasia
Euthanasia Legislation
Physician-Assisted Suicide
The Hospice Movement
The Moral Issues
Can The Euthanasia Issue Be Resolved?
James Rachels, "Active and Passive Euthanasia"
Margaret Pabst Battin, "The Case for Euthanasia"
Daniel Callahan, "'Aid-in-Dying': The Social Dimensions"
John Hardwig, ¿Is There a Duty to Die?¿
Susan M. Wolf, "A Feminist Critique of Physician-Assisted Suicide"
Case Studies
6. Punishment and the Death Penalty
History of the Death Penalty
The Death Penalty Today
The Death Penalty and Juvenile Offenders
The Medicalization of Executions
The Philosophers on the Death Penalty
Moral Issues
Conclusion
Ernest Van Den Haag, "The Ultimate Punishment: A Defense of Capital Punishment"
Christopher W. Morris, ¿Punishment and Loss of Moral Standing¿
Hugo Adam Bedau, "Capital Punishment"
*Jeffrey Reiman, "Why the Death Penalty Should be Abolished"
Helen Prejean, Dead Man Walking
Case Studies
7. Drug and Alcohol Use
What Is a Drug?
The History of Drug and Alcohol Use
Legal and Illegal Drugs
Drug and Alcohol Use Today
Drug and Alcohol Use Among College Students
Drug in Sports
The Disease Model of Addiction
The Moral Model of Addiction
The Philosophers on Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Moral Issues / Conclusion
Thomas Szasz, "The Ethics of Addiction"
James Q. Wilson, "Against the Legalization of Drugs"
Douglas N. Husak, ¿A Moral Right to Use Drugs¿
Thomas H. Murrary, "Drugs, Sports, and Ethics"
Case Studies
8. Homosexuality and Same-Sex Marriages
Background and Key Terms
Religious and Cultural Attitudes Toward Homosexuality
Homosexuality, the Law, and Same-Sex Marriage
The Disease Model of Homosexuality
The Philosophers on Homosexuality
Moral Issues
Conclusion
Michael Ruse, "Is Homosexuality Bad Sexuality?"
John M. Finnis, "Law, Morality, and 'Sexual Orientation'"
Micahle Nava and Robert Dawidoff, "The Case for Gay Marriage"
Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, Marriage's True Ends
Cheshire Calhoun, "Family's Outlaws: Rethinking the Connections Between Feminism, Lesbianism, and the Family"
Case Studies
9. Freedom of Speech
What Is "Freedom of Speech"?
Limitations on Freedom of Speech
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Freedom of Speech in Cyberspace
Hate Speech as Protected Speech
Speech Codes on College Campuses
The Philosophers on Freedom of Speech
Moral Issues
Conclusion
Charles R. Lawrence III, "If He Hollers Let Him Go: Regulating Racist Speech on Campus"
Jonathan Rauch, "In Defense of Prejudice: Why Incendiary Speech Must Be Protected"
John Taylor, "Are You Politically Correct?"
Alan M. Dershowitz, "Political Correctness, Speech Codes, and Diversity"
*Cass R. Sunstein, "The First Amendment in Cyberspace"
Case Studies
10. Sexism, Pornography, and Violence Against Women
Sexism and Gender Inequalities
The Philosophers on Sexism and Women
Pornography
"Pornography is the Theory and Rape is the Practice"
Sexual Harassment
Domestic Violence
Moral Issues
Conclusion
Readings
Catherine A. MacKinnon, "Pornography, Civil Rights, and Speech"
Lois Pineau, "Date Rape: A Feminist Analysis"
Katie Roiphe, "Reckless Eyeballing: Sexual Harassment on Campus"
Judith A. Boss, "Throwing Pearls to the Swine: Women, Forgiveness, and the Unrepentant Abuser"
Steven Goldberg, "Male Aggression and the Attainment of Power, Authority, and Status"
Case Studies
11. Racism and Affirmative Action
The Philosophers on Racism
The Roots of American Racism
Racism Today
Moral Issues
Conclusion
Shelby Steele, "I'm Black, You¿re White, Who's Innocent?"
Jorge Garcia, "The Heart of Racism"
Bernard R. Boxill, "The Color-Blind Principle"
Michael Levin, "Race, Biology, and Justice"
Uma Narayan, "Colonialism and Its Others: Considerations on Rights and Care Discourses"
Case Studies
12. Nonhuman Animals and the Environment
The Legal and Moral Status of Nonhuman Animals
The Legal and Moral Status of the Environment
The Philosophers on the Moral Value of Nonhuman Animals and the Environment
Animal Farming, Environmental Degradation, and Vegetarianism
Pollution and Global Warming
Animal Experimentation
Moral Issues
Conclusion
Tom Regan, "The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism¿
Jan Narveson, ¿Animal Rights Revisited"
Peter Singer, from Animal Liberation
Carl Cohen, "Do Animals Have Rights?"
*Aldo Leopold, "The Land Ethic"
*Bill Devall and George Sessions, "Deep Ecology"
*Richard Watson, "A Critique of Anti-Anthropocentric Ethics"
*Karen J. Warren, "The Power and the Promise of Ecological Feminism"
Case Studies
Appendix I: Writing a Paper in Moral Philosophy
Appendix II: Debating Moral Issues
