About Me Course 1 Course 2 CV Useful Links Home Marina Oshana Associate Professor 311 Griffin-Floyd Hall 352-392-2084 x311 moshana@ufl.edu Office hours Fall 2008 TBA	PHI 3650 Moral Philosophy (sect. 2947) – Dr. Oshana MWF  8th period (3:00 - 3:50), 100 Griffin-Floyd Moral philosophy addresses questions of the following sorts: I. How should a person behave, especially when faced with morally complex situations? Which moral principles can help us decide what to do in such situations? What constitutes a morally appropriate life? II. When we say that it is wrong to harm one person in order to benefit others, what do we mean by this? How do we justify such claims? Can moral disputes be settled by appealing to objective criteria of right and wrong, good and evil, etc.? Or, is morality an essentially subjective matter, relative to individuals or to cultures? In this class we will explore both kinds of questions. This class will focus on historical works from three major schools of western ethical theory, each of which offers a distinctive perspective on the nature of morality. We will begin in Ancient Greece with the philosopher Aristotle, an aristocrat and tutor of Alexander the Great, who gave birth to the moral philosophy known today as virtue theory. Next, we will study the work of Immanuel Kant, an 18th century German pietist, who views morality as a function of reason, and who judges moral worth in terms of a person’s commitment to the moral law as to an end in itself. Finally, we will examine the ethical theory of utilitarianism, a development of the social reform movement of 19th century England, in which the actions and choices of both individuals and institutions are assessed for moral worth in light of their consequences. Our readings will include recent selections by male and female philosophers who have continued to develop these three schools of thought. Registration for PHI 3650 is temporarily restricted to philosophy majors and minors. This temporary access restriction expires on July 1, 2008.