Moral psychology
Jeanette Kennett
8 points * 2 hours per week * Second semester * Clayton * Prerequisites: PHL2150 and another eight-point second-year philosophy subject
Human beings have the capacity to deliberate and to act in ways that call for moral appraisal. We are both agents and moral subjects. But what assumptions do we need to make about our deliberative capacities, and hence about human psychology, in order to make sense of ourselves as moral subjects? And are all of these assumptions plausible? We will discuss these matters, placing emphasis on the nature and importance of free agency.
Assessment
Two essays (3000 words each): 50% each * Optional replacement of one essay by a 3-hour examination
Prescribed texts
Watson G (ed.) Free will OUP