Assessing Active Participation

Active participation is assessed by a student’s engagement in activities such as; discussions facilitated by the lecturer/tutor, contributions to online discussion forums, or general questions asked during lectures or tutorials and involvement in set activities. Participation is expected to be well considered and relevant to the unit of study. 

All Assessment Tasks are to be submitted via iLearn

Required readings:

All required readings are in the PHL132 Unit Reader which will be available from the Co-op Bookshop. You are responsible for obtaining access to the readings.

For those who would like further guidance and assistance, a guide to studying philosophy is recommended (but not essential or required) for those interested in pursuing philosophy in-depth. You are NOT required to buy this book.

•  Doing Philosophy: A Practical Guide for Students, 2nd ed. by Clare Saunders et al. (Bloomsbury 2013)

Interactive Lectures

In lectures, you will do more than listen and take notes. The lectures are organized in two-hour blocks. Lectures are interactive and include student activities. So make sure you come along and don't miss out! Please note that attendance at lectures will be recorded.

The tutorials will provide the opportunity to further explore the content but also to work on the different types of skills involved in good philosophical reflection. 

Technologies used:

This unit has an online presence in iLearn where activities are set and subject material distributed. Some assessments are conducted through this site, and written tasks will be submitted there using Turnitin, a plagiarism scanning program. 

Contacting the convenor:

All email inquiries should be directed to the following email address: phl132@mq.edu.au

Schedule – PHL132 Happiness, Goodness, and Justice – Semester 2, 2018

The unit will introduce philosophy under three big ideas:  Living a life of happiness, justifying what goodness is, and some burning issues of justice.

The lecture and tutorial topics are dealt with in the same week. Both lectures and tutorials are interactive, so don’t miss out! You should read the weekly reading before the lecture.

PART I: HAPPINESS A/Prof. Robert Sinnerbrink

Week 1. Introduction: What is moral philosophy?

Lectures 1 & 2: A/Prof. Robert Sinnerbrink (1/8/18)

Tutorial 1 No required reading -- introduction to unit and 'get to know you' session

Week 2: “The good life is the life of pleasure” – Epicurean ethics

Lectures 2 & 3: A/Prof. Robert Sinnerbrink (8/8/18)

Tutorial 2 Required reading:

- Epicurus, “Letter to Menoeceus” & “Leading Doctrines” (c. 300 BCE)

Week 3. Living according to nature/reason – Stoic ethics

Lectures 3 & 4: A/Prof. Robert Sinnerbrink (15/8/18)

Tutorial 3 Required reading:

- Marcus Aurelius, extracts from “Meditations” (c. 170)

Weekly quizzes begin

Week 4. Happiness and character – Aristotelian ethics

Lectures 4 & 5: A/Prof. Robert Sinnerbrink (22/8/18)

Tutorial 4 Required reading:

- Aristotle, extracts from Nicomachean Ethics, Book I and II (c. 330 BCE)

- Roger Crisp, ‘Aristotle: Ethics and Politics’ (1999)

PART 2: GOODNESS Dr Jane Johnson [Week 5 RS]

Week 5. Morality and religion

Lecture 5: A/Prof. Robert Sinnerbrink (29/8/18)

Tutorial 5 Required reading:

- Kai Nielsen, ‘Ethics without God’ (1964) \

- Albert Camus, extract from ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’ (1955)

Reflection on Happiness due Friday 31/8/18

Week 6. The challenge of moral relativism

Lecture 6: Dr Jane Johnson (5/9/18)

Tutorial 6 Required reading:

- Mary Midgley, ‘On Tyring out One’s New Sword’ (1981)

- David Wong, ‘Relativism’ (1991)

Week 7. Egoism and self-interest

Lecture 7: Dr Jane Johnson (12/9/18)

Tutorial 7 Required reading:

- Plato, ‘The Ring of Gyges’ extract from Plato’s Republic (c. 375 BCE)

- James Rachels, ‘The Idea of a Social Contract’ (1986)

Mid-Semester Break

Week 8. The greatest good for the greatest number – Utilitarianism

Lecture 8: Dr Jane Johnson (10/10/18)

Tutorial 8 Required reading:

- Jeremy Bentham, extracts from An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1780)

- John Stuart Mill, extracts from Utilitarianism (1861)

Week 9. The moral law is universal! – Kant’s challenge

Lecture 9: Dr Jane Johnson (3/10/18)

Tutorial 9 Required reading:

- Onora O’Neill, ‘Kantian Ethics’ (1991)

Part 3: JUSTICE Dr Mianna Lotz

Week 10. Justice and inequality – is global poverty justifiable?

Lecture 10: Dr Mianna Lotz (17/10/18)

Tutorial 10 Required reading: 

- John Rawls, extract from A Theory of Justice (1971)

- John Rawls, extract from The Law of Peoples (1999)

Week 11. Immigration and refugees – what are our obligations?

Lecture 11: Dr Mianna Lotz (24/10/18)

No tutorial -- voluntary Q&A session on essay questions

Required reading:

- Joseph Carens, ‘Aliens and Citizens: The Case for Open Borders’ (1987)

Week 12. Climate change and justice – who should pay to fix it?

Lecture 12: Dr Mianna Lotz (31/10/18)

No Tutorial

Required reading:

- Jeremy Moss, ‘Climate Justice’ (2009)

Quizzes close Friday 2/11/18

Week 13. Essay writing week

No lectures or tutorials this week

No required reading this week

Essay due Wednesday 7/11/18

Philosophical skills – Tutorials

We will also be introducing and honing philosophical skills in tutorials. They will be linked to each part of the course and will be outlined in tutorials.