general material

• View Syllabus and Topics

  • Detailed course breakdown and links to media

• Google Resources

  • Google Drive folder for this class

  • Google Spreadsheet (Projects)

  • Google Syllabus

• Instructor information

  • Michael Griffin (D.Phil., Oxford) • michael.griffin@ubc.ca • michaeljamesgriffin.com

  • Associate Professor, UBC Philosophy & Classics

Calendar

July 29: General Introduction

July 30–August 5: Class Discussions and Readings (Topics Below)

August 6–8: Project Preparation for Presentation

August 8-9: Class presentations

Lecture Slides

• Class 1: Welcome and Introductions

• Class 2: Values

• Class 3: Moral Standing—Humans, Non-Human Animals, and Plant Life

• Class 4: Moral Standing—Corporations and Artificial Intelligence

• Class 5: Personhood, Consciousness, and Happiness

• Class 6: Happiness and Human Capability

project

The concluding project for the class should explain how your values apply to a specific ethical question. (Roughly, you might think about an "ethical" question as one that can be answered in a "should" or "ought" sentence, or a sentence about what's good or bad, or beautiful or ugly). 

The project has two components:

1. Prepare a submission that comments on your ethical question.

   • Your submission may include one or more media; for example, written, visual (including visual art), video, audio, material.

   • Whatever media are included, include a written component that explains what you are doing in your project.

   • Send your submission to me (michael.griffin@ubc.ca), and let me know whether you are happy for it to be shared with the class under password.

2. Prepare to present your question for 5-10 minutes to the class on the final two days of class, and expect some discussion. (Note that the live presentation is optional; if you would prefer another mode of sharing your project, please check in with the instructor).

Other notes:

• You're welcome to collaborate with others in formulating your question and developing your project.

• We'll be using time during the second week to prepare projects; do come to the classroom at 9am each day, but feel free to work outside the classroom during class time (for example, to capture footage, take photographs, work with library books). Just let me know where you're going.

Readings (tentative)

See the course syllabus for a full list of links.

The Value of life

• Readings

  • Peter Singer, "Famine, Affluence, and Morality". Philosophy and Public Affairs. 1.3 (1972): 229–243. JSTOR 2265052.

  • Peter Singer, "The Drowning Child and the Expanding Circle."

  • John Kekes, "On the supposed obligation to relieve famine." Philosophy 77 (2002).

environmental ethics

• Readings

  • J.R. DesJardins, "Ethics, Science, and the Environment", in Environmental Ethics, ch. 1.

  • Peter Singer, "One Atmosphere"

  • Christopher Stone, "Do Trees Have Standing?" (article)

animal rights

• Readings

  • Peter Singer, "Equality for Animals?"

Further readings are linked from the course syllabus.

Day 1: values and challenges

Values

Our challenges