PHI6006 - Moral Psychology

Spring Semester

For more information see COURSE WEBPAGE

Lecturer:

Stephen Stich

Time:

To be advised

PLEASE NOTE: This course will be an intensive six week postgraduate course (May 1 – June 10, 2006).

Outline:

The seminar will focus on real moral psychology (the kind supported by data, rather than the kind that relies on philosophers´ speculations about how the mind works). We´ll explore some of the ways in which findings in cognitive, developmental and social psychology, cognitive neuroscience and evolutionary biology might help to resolve debates in moral theory.

The first part of the seminar will be devoted to reading and discussing substantial parts of four recent books (along with some related material). The books are: (i) John Doris, Lack of Character: Personality & Moral Behavior, Cambridge University Press, 2002. (ii) Daniel Batson, The Altruism Question: Toward a Social-Psychological Answer, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, 1991. (iii) Elliott Sober & David Sloan Wilson, Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior, Harvard University Press, 1998. (iii) Shaun Nichols, Sentimental Rules: On the Natural Foundations of Moral Judgment, Oxford University Press, 2004.

We´ll then consider recent attempts to develop systematic accounts of moral cognition, looking at the work of Jonathan Haidt, Joshua Greene, and Chandra Sripada, Daniel Kelly & Stephen Stich.

Preparatory Reading

Since this is an intensive six week postgraduate course (May 1 – June 10, 2006), there are two required readings to be done in advance of first meeting for the course:
John Doris, Lack of Character: Personality & Moral Behavior, Cambridge University Press, 2002.
John Doris & Stephen Stich, "As a Matter of Fact: Empirical Perspectives on Ethics". Available on-line at: http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~stich/Publications/publications2.htm