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Unit outline_

PHIL2623: Moral Psychology

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit is focused on moral issues related to motives, emotions, and character. Questions considered may include: What counts as a morally good motive? Which character traits are admirable virtues and which are deplorable vices? Can virtue be taught, or is it an impossible ideal? What is virtue-signalling, and why is it problematic? How should we think about moral emotions such as resentment, guilt, shame, gratitude, grief, and love? Should we forgive all who wrong us? Does anyone count as an evil person? Is morality the product of Darwinian natural selection, or of culture and learning? If we discover where our moral judgments come from, will this undermine our moral confidence?

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Philosophy
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
12 credit points at 1000 level in Philosophy
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
PHIL2513 or PHIL3513
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Luke Russell, luke.russell@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Essay
n/a
50% Week 08
Due date: 20 Sep 2023 at 23:59

Closing date: 12 Oct 2023
2500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Assignment Take-home test
n/a
50% Week 13
Due date: 05 Nov 2023 at 23:59

Closing date: 17 Nov 2023
2000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO3

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late penalties of 5% per day late, in accordance with FASS rules.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Normative Ethics Background Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 02 Practical Reasoning and Moral Motivation Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 03 Virtue Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 04 Vice and Weakness of Will Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 05 Situationism and Virtue Ethics Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 06 Virtue Signalling and Moral Grandstanding Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 07 Moral Responsibility and Agency Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 08 Moral Emotions Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 09 Forgiveness Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 10 Evil Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 11 Causal Explanations of Morality Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 12 Debunking Morality: Nietzsche Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 13 Debunking Morality: Social Intuitionism Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Reading list available on the Canvas website. 

PHIL2623 Moral Psychology
Semester 2 2023
Required Readings

Week 1. Normative Ethics Background
Philip Pettit, "Consequentialism", in Singer (ed.) A Companion to Ethics, Blackwell 1993.
Nancy Ann Davis, “Contemporary Deontology”, in Singer (ed.) A Companion to Ethics, Blackwell 1993.

Week 2. Practical Reasoning and Moral Motivation
Nomy Arpaly, “Moral Worth”, The Journal of Philosophy, May, 2002, Vol. 99, No. 5 (May, 2002), pp. 223-245.


Week 3. Virtue
Julia Driver, Uneasy Virtue  ch. 2 "Virtues of Ignorance", Cambridge University Press 2001.


Week 4. Vice and Weakness of Will
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book 7.


Week 5. Situationism and Virtue Ethics
John Doris, Lack of Character ch. 3 "Moral Character, Moral Behaviour", Cambridge University Press 2002.


Week 6. Virtue Signalling and Moral Grandstanding
Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke, Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk, ch 2. “What is Moral Grandstanding?”, Oxford University Press 2020.


Week 7. Moral Responsibility and Agency
Dana Kay Nelkin, Making Sense of Freedom and Responsibility  Chapter 1. Oxford University Press (2011). 


Week 8. Moral Emotions
Justin D'Arms and Daniel Jacobson, "The Moralistic Fallacy: On the 'Appropriateness' of Emotions", Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 61, 1, 65-90: 2000.


Week 9. Forgiveness
Lucy Allais, "Wiping the Slate Clean: The Heart of Forgiveness", Philosophy and Public Affairs 36, 1, 2008.


Week 10. Evil
Eve Garrard , "Evil as an Explanatory Concept", The Monist 85, 2, pp.320-36, 2002.


Week 11. Causal Explanations of Morality
Aristotle, "Moral Virtue, How Produced" in Singer (ed.) Ethics, Oxford University Press 1994.
Mencius, "Are Humans Good by Nature?: A Debate Between Chinese Sages"" in Singer (ed.) Ethics, Oxford University Press 1994.
Elliott Sober, Philosophy of Biology 2nd ed., ch.7 "Sociobiology and the Extension of Evolutionary Theory", Westview 2000.

Week 12. Debunking Morality: Nietzsche
Brian Leiter, Nietzsche on Morality, ch. 6 "A Commentary on the First Essay", Routledge 2002.


Week 13. Debunking Morality: Social Intuitionism 
Miller, Christian B “Assessing Two Competing Approaches to the Psychology of Moral Judgments”, 
Philosophical explorations, 2016, Vol.19 (1), p.28-47


Useful Additional Readings:
See the reading list that is accessible via the Canvas webpage for some extra articles and books by philosophers including Martha Nussbaum, Bernard Williams, Christine Swanton, Thomas Hurka, and more. 
 

 

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. demonstrate a familiarity with the major issues and theories in moral philosophy and moral psychology
  • LO2. understand and analyse theories and arguments in moral philosophy and moral psychology, and to apply these theories to practice
  • LO3. critically evaluate these theories and arguments
  • LO4. articulate ideas with clarity of expression and exposition
  • LO5. develop new arguments or perspectives.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Some older readings have been replaced to bring more contemporary issues into focus.

Disclaimer

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