PH4203 Introduction

PH4203.
Issues in Moral Philosophy

Today’s class is being recorded.
Please fill out the card and
return it to me when you leave.

Instructor
Moonyoung Song
(you can call me Moonyoung)
• Email: msong@nus.edu.sg
(please resend your email if I don’t respond within 24 hours)
• Office: AS7-0210 (temporary, will move to AS3 soon)
• Office Hours: Mon 12:00 – 1:00pm (in person, in my office)
Tue 2:00 – 3:00pm (on Zoom)

https://nus-
sg.zoom.us/j/89274430671?pwd=dnpvRGtVekZMdXZkWTkvSGN2djhU
dz09
Meeting ID: 892 7443 0671
Passcode: 269927
(You might have to wait a bit in the waiting room)
This link is available on LumiNUS as well (check out Learning Flow)
and by appointment
4
Plan for today
• Course Requirements and Policies
• Introduction to the course topic
<Clarifications about my position>

• I’m concerned with metaphysical, not epistemic, principles.
• I’m concerned with artistic, not aesthetic, value.
• I’ll be defending the existence of exceptionless contributory principles.

e.g.) Elegance always positive contributes to artistic value
= Elegance has an invariant positive valence.
Challenge: the phenomenon of valence switching
e.g.) Elegance has a negative valence when inadvertently present in a
postmodern dance that consists solely of mundane everyday movements
6
Course Requirements
Short written response 1 15% of grade Due 11 Feb (Week5)

Short written response 2 15% of grade Due 25 Mar (Week10)
Presentation 15% of grade
Participation 10% of grade
• Final paper
I’ll be 45%
defending the existence of of grade
exceptionless Due 15 April
contributory (Week13)
principles.
= Elegance has an invariant positive e.g.) Elegance
7
Course Requirements

• Final paper
I’ll be 45%
principles.
Two short written responses
• 500-800 words each
• Summarize a specific argument from a reading of your choice and criticize, defend, or
engage with the argument in some other philosophically interesting way.
• The first reading should be from Weeks 2 through 5 and the second from Weeks 5
through 10.
• I’ll provide more detailed guidelines later. = Elegance has an invariant positive e.g.)
Elegance 8
Course Requirements

• Final paper
I’ll be 45%
principles.Elegance always
positive contributes to artistic value
Presentation
• Choose a reading to present to the class Go to LumiNUS/Forum
9
10
Please decide which reading to present as soon as possible.
Especially, we need two people who are going to present next

week.
Next week’s readings are relatively easy, and, for those who are
presenting next week, I’ll take into account the fact that you’re
going first and grade your presentations generously.
Course Requirements

• Final paper
I’ll be 45%
Presentation
• 1-2 pages handout (PowerPoint is okay, if you prefer. A sample is posted on LumiNUS)
12
Course Requirements

• Final paper
I’ll be 45%
Presentation
• Email me your handout or slides at least 24 hours before class (i.e., by Sunday 9am).
14
Course Requirements

• Final paper
I’ll be 45%
Presentation
• Email me your handout or slides at least 24 hours before class (i.e., by Sunday 9am).
• Will be graded based on the content of your handout (your presentation skills don’t matter).
• To generate an interesting and productive discussion, your handout should provide an
accurate summary of what is important in the reading, and your discussion questions should
be thought-provoking and address important aspects of the reading 15
Our class will usually look like this….
• About 50mins – 1 hour: discussion on the first reading (including 10-20 min summary by
the presenter)
Break
• About 50mins – 1 hour: discussion on the second reading (including 10-20 min summary
by the presenter)
Another break?
• My introduction about the next readings

You’re expected to do the readings (of that week) before you come to class.
16
Course Requirements

• Final paper
I’ll be 45%
Participation
• Your participation grade will be assigned on a holistic, all-things-considered basis that
reflects your overall contribution to class.
• The major factors determining your grade will be your level of attendance and the quantity
and quality of your comments in class and online.
17
Course Requirements

• Final paper
I’ll be 45%
Participation
• No minimum number of online posts you’re required to make, but…
• Quantity necessary for quality
19
Course Requirements

• Final paper
I’ll be 45%
Participation
• No minimum number of online posts you’re required to make, but…
• Quantity necessary for quality
• One unofficially excused absence (when not presenting). No need to inform me. 20
Course Requirements

• Final paper
I’ll be 45%
Final paper
• You can choose your own topic, but it should be directly related to this course. (If you’re
worried that your topic might not be directly related, you should talk to me in advance.)
21
Course Requirements

• Final paper
I’ll be 45%
Final paper
• You can choose your own topic, but it should be directly related to this course. (If you’re
worried that your topic might not be directly related, you should talk to me in advance.)
• Around 2000-2500 words??
• More detailed guidelines later.
22
Questions?
Course Policies
• You’re allowed to use your laptop, iPad, etc. to take notes.


24
Course Policies
• You can make a suggestion about this module anonymously on LumiNUS

(Forum/Suggestions)


e.g.) Elegance has a negative valence when inadvertently present in a 25
Course Policies

(Forum/Suggestions).
• Please make sure to check the announcements I make on LumiNUS.


27
Course Policies

• I’ll check attendance every week

(If you’re sick or have any other issues, please let me know as soon as possible.)
• One unofficially excused absence, but it’s your responsibility to catch up.
28
Course Policies

• I’ll check attendance every week

(If you’re sick or have any other issues, please let me know as soon as possible.)
• One unofficially excused absence, but it’s your responsibility to catch up.
• If some of us get COVID…
• Should we record this class?
29
Questions?
Plan for today
• Course Requirements and Policies
• Introduction to the course topic


33
How (moral) reasons work


34
The Simple Picture

<
Should I major in philosophy?

<
Reasons for Reasons against

<
35
The Simple Picture

<
Is it moral to lie to save a life?

<

<
36
The Simple Picture - assumptions

<

<

<
37

<

<

<
1. A reason has a (invariant?) valence and a weight.

Weeks 2-5,8-9 38

<

<
2. Reasons can be summed up.

< Weeks 6-7

<

Weeks 2-5,8-9 39

< 3. This is one thing (when it isn’t—permission & requirement)
Is it moral to lie to save a life? Week 10
<
2. Reasons can be summed up.

< Weeks 6-7

<

Weeks 2-5,8-9 40

< 3. This is one thing (when it isn’t—permission & requirement)
Is it moral to lie to save a life? Week 10
<
4. Two things/sides are 2. Reasons can be summed up.

always comparable < Weeks 6-7
(either one is heavier
than the other or they are
equally heavy)
Weeks 11-13 Reasons against
Reasons for
<
<

Weeks 2-5,8-9 41
Introduction to next week’s readings


42
• The debate between generalism and particularism
• For now, we’ll distinguish between the two views as follows:

Generalism: roughly put, there are general principles about morality
Particularism: roughly put, there are no general principles about morality (or at least,
morality as a whole does not depend on general principles)
43
• The debate between generalism and particularism
• For now, we’ll distinguish between the two views as follows:

Generalism: roughly put, there are general principles about morality
Particularism: roughly put, there are no general principles about morality (or at least,
morality as a whole does not depend on general principles)
• Ross, The Right and the Good, Chapter 2  generalist
• Dancy, Moral Reasons, Chapter 4  particularist
44
• What kind of general principles does Ross endorse?
45
• Different kinds of general principles
1. Overall / decisive/ absolute principles

An action is moral (or not moral) if it has a certain feature.
This feature decisively determines the morality of the action.
E.g.) an action is moral iff it maximizes net pleasure.
46

2. Contributory principles
An action having a certain feature always positively (or negatively) contributes to its morality.
This feature does not decisively determine the morality of the action.
47

2. Contributory principles
An action having a certain feature always positively (or negatively) contributes to its morality.
This feature does not decisively determine the morality of the action.
E.g.) breaking a promise always negatively contributes to morality.
(it might be moral to break a promise in some cases, but even in those cases,
breaking a promise is still a morally bad thing).
 This is Ross’s view. 48
• Clarification about terminology: Prima Facie vs. Pro Tanto
49
• Both of them are non decisive, but in different ways.
50
• Prima facie: “at first sight”, “based on the first impression”

A prima facie reason may lose its force.
51
• Prima facie: “at first sight”, “based on the first impression”

• Pro tanto: to that extent

A pro tanto reason never loses its force (it can only be outweighed).
52
• Prima facie: at first sight, based on the first impression


53
• Prima facie: at first sight, based on the first impression


• What Ross means by “prima facie” is actually pro tanto.
• His book was published in 1930, and the distinction between prima facie and pro tanto
was not made clearly then.
54
Questions?
What to do this week
• Do the readings for next week
• Indicate which reading you want to present on LumiNUS as soon as possible

(go to Forum / Choose which reading to present)
• Complete the survey on class recording on LumiNUS (go to Survey)
• Check out the sample presentation handout on LumiNUS (go to Files / Other files)
56

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PH4203.

Issues in Moral Philosophy

return it to me when you leave.

• Office: AS7-0210 (temporary, will move to AS3 soon)

• Office Hours: Mon 12:00 – 1:00pm (in person, in my office)

Tue 2:00 – 3:00pm (on Zoom)

This link is available on LumiNUS as well (check out Learning Flow)

• Course Requirements and Policies

• Introduction to the course topic

<Clarifications about my position>

• I’m concerned with artistic, not aesthetic, value.

• I’ll be defending the existence of exceptionless contributory principles.

Short written response 1 15% of grade Due 11 Feb (Week5)

Short written response 1 15% of grade Due 11 Feb (Week5)

Short written response 1 15% of grade Due 11 Feb (Week5)

Especially, we need two people who are going to present next

Short written response 1 15% of grade Due 11 Feb (Week5)

Short written response 1 15% of grade Due 11 Feb (Week5)

Short written response 1 15% of grade Due 11 Feb (Week5)

• My introduction about the next readings

<Clarifications about my position>

Short written response 1 15% of grade Due 11 Feb (Week5)

Short written response 1 15% of grade Due 11 Feb (Week5)

Short written response 1 15% of grade Due 11 Feb (Week5)

Short written response 1 15% of grade Due 11 Feb (Week5)

Short written response 1 15% of grade Due 11 Feb (Week5)

• You’re allowed to use your laptop, iPad, etc. to take notes.

<Clarifications about my position>

• I’m concerned with artistic, not aesthetic, value.

• I’ll be defending the existence of exceptionless contributory principles.

• You’re allowed to use your laptop, iPad, etc. to take notes.

• You can make a suggestion about this module anonymously on LumiNUS

<Clarifications about my position>

• I’m concerned with artistic, not aesthetic, value.

• I’ll be defending the existence of exceptionless contributory principles.

• You’re allowed to use your laptop, iPad, etc. to take notes.

• You can make a suggestion about this module anonymously on LumiNUS

• Please make sure to check the announcements I make on LumiNUS.

<Clarifications about my position>

• I’m concerned with artistic, not aesthetic, value.

• I’ll be defending the existence of exceptionless contributory principles.

• You’re allowed to use your laptop, iPad, etc. to take notes.

• You can make a suggestion about this module anonymously on LumiNUS

• Please make sure to check the announcements I make on LumiNUS.

• I’ll check attendance every week

• You’re allowed to use your laptop, iPad, etc. to take notes.

• You can make a suggestion about this module anonymously on LumiNUS

• Please make sure to check the announcements I make on LumiNUS.

• I’ll check attendance every week

• If some of us get COVID…

• Should we record this class?

• Course Requirements and Policies

• Introduction to the course topic

<Clarifications about my position>

• I’m concerned with artistic, not aesthetic, value.

• I’ll be defending the existence of exceptionless contributory principles.

<Clarifications about my position>

• I’m concerned with artistic, not aesthetic, value.

• I’ll be defending the existence of exceptionless contributory principles.

The Simple Picture

Should I major in philosophy?

Reasons for Reasons against

The Simple Picture