Niko Kolodny
Assistant Professor
Department of Philosophy
University of California, Berkeley
Home • Courses • Papers• Projects• CV
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phil 2: Individual Morality and Social Justice
MWF 9–10am in 145 Dwinelle
Office hours: W 2–4 in 144 Moses Hall, or by appointment
We will survey the basic questions of moral and political philosophy, as well as some classic attempts to answer them. We will ask, among other things: What is the morally right thing for me to do? Why should I do it? Is there a fact of the matter what it is, or does it just depend on my feelings or upbringing? Why should I do what the government tells me to? Why should I tolerate alien moral beliefs and practices? We will read, among others: Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Bentham, Mill, and Nietzsche.
Announcements:
Syllabus:
Handouts
No new handout for Nov. 29 and Dec. 1.
Again, regrettably, we'll have to skip Lewis's paper in order to make sure that we have time for review at the end of the course. So on Wednesday, November 22, we'll start on Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia.
REMEMBER: NO CLASS FRIDAY, NOV. 17.
26. November 13, 15, & 20, 2006
REMEMBER: NO CLASS FRIDAY, NOV. 10.
ALSO: Regrettably, we'll have to skip Wollheim's paper in order to make sure that we have time for review at the end of the course. On Monday, we'll start on Mill's On Liberty.
For November 3, there is NO new handout. Please bring the handout for November 1.
23. November 1, 2006 and Expression of seasonal feeling that, just like moral judgments according to Ayer, can be neither true nor false.
For October 25, there is NO new handout. Please bring the handout for October 23.
For October 9, 2006, there is NO new lecture handout. Please bring the handout for Oct. 6.
15. October 6, 2006 -- But please also bring the handout for Oct. 4.
***Another BIG ERROR on my handout for Sept. 27! ***
(b) vainglory: based on an unjustified belief in one’s power.10. September 20 and 25, 2006 -- REMEMBER: NO LECTURE ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
***There is a BIG ERROR on my handout for Sept. 15: ***
Mill’s Replacement for Act Consequentialism: We are morally
requiredforbidden to perform some action if and only if a system of sanctioningthatactions of that kind would produce a better outcome than a system of not sanctioning them.8. September 15, 2006 -- But please also bring the handout from last time, Sept. 13.
7. September 13, 2006 -- But please also bring the handout from last time, Sept. 11.
6. September 11, 2006 -- But please also bring the handout from last time, Sept. 8.