Philosophy 117: Foundations of Ethics

This is an advanced course in ethical theory, focusing on an area of moral philosophy called "meta-ethics." At the most basic level, we might say that meta-ethics concerns whether moral realism is true. In this area, philosophers address such "meta-ethical" questions as these: What do moral terms like 'good' and 'morally right' and the judgments containing them mean? Do moral terms and judgments express moral properties and represent the world as being a certain way? Are there moral properties in the world, and if so, what are they like? Are there truths about ethics, and if so, how do we know of them? And how are truths about ethics connected to the rationality of motivation and action? The material for this course is deep and fascinating -- but it is also difficult, so it is not for the faint of heart! The aims of the course are two: first, to introduce you to some of the major meta-ethical theories, issues, and debates of the 20th century; and second, to assist you in developing your philosophical and analytical skills.