First-Year Writing Seminar (101-8-20)

Instructors

Rowan Mellor

Meeting Info

Shepard Hall B08/B09: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

Most of us have basic ethical commitments: it's wrong to kill, we ought to help others in need, etc. But if we take a moment to reflect, it turns out that these commitments can come into conflict with each another, or else lead to injunctions which many of us find unacceptable. Is it wrong to kill one person, if doing so will save others? If helping the world's neediest individuals would require us to put our own lives hold, sacrificing our own personal hopes and ambitions for the benefit of others, then is this what morality requires of us? Can we justify putting the interests of our family and friends ahead of those of strangers? In this course, we will work to develop your writing and critical thinking by exploring some of the most enduring problems in moral philosophy. By focusing on the precise structure of these puzzles, and how philosophers have tried to resolve them, we will cultivate skills of rigorous analytical thought, critical dialogue, and oral presentation.

Class Materials (Required)

Students are required to purchase 'Ethical Theory: 50 Puzzles, Paradoxes, and Thought Experiments', by Daniel Muñoz and Sarah Stroud.

Available here: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/ethical-theory-50-puzzles-paradoxes-and-thought-experiments-puzzles-paradoxes-and-thought-experiments-in-philosophy_sarah-stroud_daniel-muoz/52474853/all-editions/?resultid=5446f41e-5fe0-4ed8-ad4d-5dfc912f44f8

Any materials other than Muñoz and Stroud's book will be made available on Canvas at no additional cost to students.

Class Notes

If purchasing Muñoz and Stroud's book will be a significant financial hardship, students should contact me (rowan.mellor[at]northwestern.edu) to arrange an alternative solution.

Class Attributes

WCAS Writing Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Weinberg First Year Seminars are only available to first-year students.
Add Consent: Department Consent Required