Values, Self & Knowledge

1. Values, Self & Knowledge An introduction to philosophy Spring 2013

2. The big picture • Meetings • Topics • Aims • Constraints • Assessment • Comprehension exercise, essay, exam, participation • Admin details

3. Our meetings • 10 lectures • 3 hours (!) • 2 breaks • Slides available after lecture • 5 tutorials • 3 hours

4. What is Philosophy? • Biology • Civil Engineering • Philosophy?

5. A puzzle

6. The Swiss Cheese Paradox • The more holes there are, the less cheese there is. • Swiss cheese has holes. • More Swiss cheese, more holes. • Therefore, the more Swiss cheese there is, the less cheese there is.

7. The Swiss Cheese Paradox (X) Swiss cheese has holes. (1) More Swiss cheese, more holes. (2) The more holes there are, the less cheese there is. (3) Therefore, the more Swiss cheese there is, the less cheese there is.

8. The Swiss Cheese Paradox (1) X Y (2) Y Z (3) Thus, X Z (1) More Swiss cheese, more holes. (2) The more holes there are, the less cheese there is. (3) Therefore, the more Swiss cheese there is, the less cheese there is.

9. Compelling example (1) Tom is a lion Tom is a cat (2) Tom is a cat Tom is a mammal (3) Thus, Tom is a lion Tom is a mammal

10. The Swiss Cheese Paradox (1) X Y (2) Y Z (3) Thus, X Z • More Swiss cheese, more holes. • The more holes there are, the less cheese there is. • Therefore, the more Swiss cheese there is, the less cheese there is.

11. What important thing have you learnt about the world?

12. What philosophers do Consider Bill Clinton. Clinton might have been different in many ways. Had things turned out otherwise, he might have never been impeached. In fact, he might never have been president… He might have lived in a different country. He might have had electric blue hair. But now: could he have been a flower?

13. What philosophers do We can of course imagine an eccentric person naming a flower ‘Bill Clinton’. But the question is not whether a flower could have been named ‘Bill Clinton’. The question is whether a flower could have been Bill Clinton. Concerning the man actually called Bill Clinton (i.e. the actual 42nd president of the United States), could he have been a flower? And the answer seems to be no… Likewise, it seems that Clinton could not have been a table, or an antelope. Ted Sider, Riddles of Existence

14. Introduction to Philosophy Through Process Through Issues

15. Topics What is morality? Ethics Is this moral? Why be moral? Are we free? What am I? Self Is the mind the brain?

16. Recommended approach • Understand the questions • Solve the puzzles Participate Read

17. Assessment Short exercise (10%) • 500 words • Due 19 Aug 9am • Submission TBC Exam (40%) • Short essay responses • 2 hrs • Focus on 2nd half of term Essay (40%) • 1000 words • Due 18 Sep 9am • Submission TBC Participation (10%) • Constructive contribution

18. Contact details • Jason Phan jphan@uow.edu.au • Blog address: phil107.wordpress.com

19. Philosophy & the others Morality Why should we be moral? • Why do we act morally? • What moral beliefs do different cultures have? • How best to develop a child morally? Is morality merely social conventions? Is it immoral to eat other humans?

20. What’s the difference? I would be a nice person by ceasing to exploit the poor I should be a nice person by ceasing to exploit the poor Would you be moral? Should you be moral?

21. What should I do? • What I should do • What I have reason to do • Matter of rationality • What I would do • What I actually do • Empirical matter

22. Why should I be moral? * A Puzzle *

23. Nature: Survival of the fittest • A system of increasing & using one’s advantages • The strong takes advantage of the weak • The smart takes advantage of the dim

24. Puzzling morality Catherine Wilson: Moral obligations “reduce the advantages of those who observe them” Is it rational to reduce one’s advantage???

25. Why should I be moral?

26. Why should I be moral? • For self-benefit • It makes me feel good • Or, it avoids my feeling terrible • My values are about being moral

27. The calculated pursuit of Hello Kitty • I want the Hello Kitty figure • I would get the figure if I queue at McDs • Therefore, I should queue at McDs

28. Should you queue? “You should queue at Macs for the Hello Kitty figure.” “But I don’t want the Hello Kitty figure!” “You should queue regardless of whether you want it.” ???

29. 1. Rationality Principle I should do something only if that gets me what I want. • Can be direct or indirect

30. 2. Observation about morality Morality does not always get us what we want • Sometimes, we can get away with being immoral • & it is not very hard

31. Observation about morality Morality does not always get us what we want When it fails to do so, why should we be moral?

32. Ted Bundy • Confessed to 30 murders committed between 1974 – 78. • "...a sadistic sociopath who took pleasure from another human's pain and the control he had over his victims, to the point of death, and even after.” The Stranger Beside Me, by Ann Rule

33. ‘Nor is there any "reason" to obey the law for anyone, like myself, who has the boldness and daring -- the strength of character -- to throw off its shackles. ... I discovered that to become truly free, truly unfettered, I had to become truly uninhibited. And I quickly discovered that the greatest obstacle to my freedom, the greatest block and limitation to it, consists in the insupportable "value judgment" that I was bound to respect the rights of others.’ Statement by Ted Bundy, paraphrased and rewritten by Harry V. Jaffa.

34. How should we respond to Bundy? • Call him names • Evil, terrible, inhuman… • Try to influence him • “You would be moral if you stop murdering…”

35. How should we respond to Bundy? • Demand that he stop harming others • “You should not cause others to suffer just for your own pleasure…” • Consider him blameworthy • But someone seems blameworthy only when he did something he should not do

36. Morality seems to have authority • Bundy is blameworthy for his evil action • Bundy has the obligation to be moral

37. Moral authority “What is distinctive of moral requirements is that they are thought of as providing a reason to act which outweighs or overrides any reason the agent may have to act in some other way. Moral requirements are thus seen as independent of desire in the further sense that they have a claim on our obedience that is not conditional on there being nothing else which we want more.” - David McNaughton

38. 3. Moral Conviction We should be moral even when we can get away with immorality. Moral obligations do not depend on our wants.

39. Putting them together Rationality Principle Our wants decide what we should do. Moral action doesn’t always get us what we want. Observation About Morality Moral Conviction Moral obligation doesn’t depend on our wants.

40. Should you be moral? “You should not cheat because it is wrong.” “But I don’t want to be moral!” “You should be moral regardless of whether it gets you what you want.” ???

41. The Ring of Gyges

42. The Ring of Gyges “…as he was sitting among them he chanced to turn the collet of the ring inside his hand, when instantly he became invisible to the rest of the company and they began to speak of him as if he were no longer present. Whereupon he contrived to be chosen one of the messengers who were sent to the court; where as soon as he arrived he seduced the queen, and with her help conspired against the king and slew him, and took the kingdom.”

43. The Ring of Gyges “…If you could imagine any one obtaining this power of becoming invisible, and never doing any wrong or touching what was another's, he would be thought by the lookers-on to be a most wretched idiot, although they would praise him to one another's faces, and keep up appearances with one another from a fear that they too might suffer injustice.”

44. Putting them together Rationality Principle Observation About Morality It is just a social construct, & a method of social control Moral Conviction

45. ‘Morality Is A Sham’

46. Putting them together Rationality Principle Our wants decide what we should do. Moral action doesn’t always get us what we want. Observation About Morality Moral Conviction Moral obligation doesn’t depend on our wants.

47. The strategic view I should be moral because that benefits me • Does this strategy really work? • Conflict with moral conviction?

48. The feelings view I should be moral because: • it makes me feel good • Conflict with moral conviction? • it prevents me from feeling bad • Seems like a phobia • Why not get it treated?

49. The altruistic view I should be moral because that is what I want • False assumption that everyone is selfish • I have unselfish/altruistic wants

50. The values view I should be moral because that reflects my values.