Universität Wien

180021 PS Moral Responsibility (2022W)

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 45 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

ACHTUNG!! Der Termin am 13.12.2022 muss leider entfallen

  • Tuesday 11.10. 08:00 - 09:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Tuesday 18.10. 08:00 - 09:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Tuesday 25.10. 08:00 - 09:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Tuesday 08.11. 08:00 - 09:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Tuesday 15.11. 08:00 - 09:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Tuesday 22.11. 08:00 - 09:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Tuesday 29.11. 08:00 - 09:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Tuesday 06.12. 08:00 - 09:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Tuesday 10.01. 08:00 - 09:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Tuesday 17.01. 08:00 - 09:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Tuesday 24.01. 08:00 - 09:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Tuesday 31.01. 08:00 - 09:30 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This course introduces students to major positions and debates about moral responsibility and free will. We will engage closely with seminal texts and contemporary literature. At the same time, we will work on developing philosophical skills: analyzing arguments, writing clearly, formulating questions, and participating constructively in discussion.

Assessment and permitted materials

A major part of this class will be the discussion of assigned texts. You will have to prepare for each session by reading those closely.

There will be two short written assignments during the semester. The details will be on Moodle. Their purpose is to give you an opportunity to practice philosophical writing before you attempt a longer essay. In the first assignment, you will be asked to reconstruct an argument and evaluate it. You will receive a mark on this paper along with comments.

The second assignment will be to rewrite the paper in light of the comments you have received.

The final two sessions will be reserved for discussing presentations. For those sessions there will be no reading. Instead, you will be required to upload a short video in advance, which all seminar participants will watch in preparation for the seminar. This presentation (and the helpful comments you receive) will form the basis of your final essay.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The following are necessary conditions for receiving a passing grade:
1. Attendance
2. Completion of all written assignments
3. Completion of presentation
4. Completion of final essay
5. Active participation in class discussion.

The final grade will be a weighted average of the following components:
Participation: 20%
First written assignment: 10%
Second written assignment: 20%
Presentation: 10%
Final Essay: 40%

Successful completion of the course requires an overall grade of at least 4.

You will be required to upload all written assignments onto Moodle. The University uses Turnitin software to check submitted work for plagiarism. By enrolling in this course, you agree to all your submitted assignments being automatically checked by Turnitin software.

Examination topics

All assignments and the final essay will be on set questions on material in the readings. They will be marked for quality of argumentation, clear writing, and engagement with the relevant material.

Reading list

All readings will be made available on Moodle. The provisional reading list includes:
Nomy Arpaly 'Moral Worth' Journal of Philosophy 99 (5):223. (2002)
Harry Frankfurt ‘Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person’ Journal of Philosophy 68 (1971)
Harry Frankfurt ‘Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility’ Journal of Philosophy 66 (1969)
Susan Wolf ‘Sanity and the Metaphysics of Responsibility’ in D. Schoeman (ed.) Responsibility, Character and the Emotions (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987)
Christian List, ‘Free Will, Determinism, and the Possibility of Doing Otherwise’ Nous 48 (2014), 156-178
Gary Watson, ‘Responsibility and the Limits of Evil’ in D. Schoeman (ed.) Responsibility, Character and the Emotions (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987)
P.F. Strawson ‘Freedom and Resentment’ Proceedings of the British Academy 48 (1962)
Bernard Williams. Moral luck: philosophical papers 1973-1980. Cambridge University Press, 1981.
Galen Strawson. "The impossibility of moral responsibility." Philosophical Studies: An International Journal for Philosophy in the Analytic Tradition 75.1/2 (1994): 5-24.
There may be changes to those readings over the course of the semester.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 12.12.2022 12:29