In this course we'll study the moral philosophy of David Hume and Immanuel Kant, with some emphasis on their views regarding motivation and action. Hume argued that “Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.” Kant, on the other hand, is perhaps the foremost defender of reason's power to motivate action in Western philosophy. We will also consider the details of Kant's ethical theory and Hume's views about the moral sentiments. We will briefly discuss Hume and Kant's views on aesthetics.
Most of our time will be spent reading the primary texts. Occasionally we will look at the secondary literature on various topics of interest.
Assessment
Quizzes and other assignments will comprise 40% of the grade. The final exam is 40%, and participation is 20%.
References
David Hume – A Treatise of Human Nature, An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (Norton Edition)
Immanuel Kant – Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals (H.J. Paton translation)
