Winter 2006/Pasadena
PH860/560
Murphy
PH860/560: PHILOSOPHICAL ETHICS. Nancey Murphy.
DESCRIPTION: This is a doctoral level seminar, open at the 500 level to a
limited number of advanced master's students. It consists of close reading and
discussion of some of the most important philosophical ethicists of the past
generation: Bernard Williams, John Rawls, Charles Taylor, Iris Murdoch, Jeffrey
Stout, and Alasdair MacIntyre.
OBJECTIVES FOR MINISTRY: Knowledge: familiarity with some of the best thinking
in ethics found in the secular academy. Skills: enhanced ability in moral
reasoning and debate. Attitudes: increased appreciation of the role of
religious belief in moral reasoning.
COURSE FORMAT: This is a bi-level course for advanced master's students and
for PhD and ThM students. The class will meet weekly for a three-hour session.
Most of class time will be devoted to discussion of the readings.
REQUIRED READING:
- MacIntyre, Alasdair. After Virtue. 2nd ed. University of
Notre Dame Press, 1984.
- __________. Dependent Rational Animals. Open Court, 1999.
- Murdoch, Iris. Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals. Penguin, 1992.
- Nietzsche, Friedrich. Beyond Good and Evil. Vintage, 1989
- Rawls, John. Justice as Fairness: A Restatement. Belknap, 2001
- Taylor, Charles. Sources of the Self. Harvard University Press,
1989.
- Williams, Bernard. Morality. Cambridge University Press,
1993.
ASSIGNMENTS: Careful reading of texts; regular attendance; class
participation. Each student will be assigned to lead one class discussion.
Master's-level students have the choice of writing a two-page paper on each
reading assignment (eight in all) or one 20-page paper. Graduate students: one
20-30 page paper.
PREREQUISITES: Master's students: previous coursework in philosophy or ethics,
G.P.A. of 3.5, and permission of instructor.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective at master's level. At ThM and PhD level,
may be counted as either a philosophy or an ethics seminar.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.