Ludwig Wittgenstein

This is the introductory page for the M.A. course on Philosophy and Modernity, a course which divides into a semester's work on ethics and a semester's work on metaphysics and epistemology.

It gives details of the background reading and content of the ethics component of the course which will run in the spring semester of 2002.

Philosophy and Modernity is the core course on the M.A.: its aim is to introduce you to the central concepts of practical and theoretical philosophy while offering you the opportunity to work on these issues at an advanced level. Its aim is to introduce you to advanced work in moral philosophy and to provide a natural continuation to the M.A. core course.

 The course will be taught by a seminar every other week for which I will expect you to prepare by closely studying the set reading.

 Philosophy and Modernity as a whole is assessed entirely by coursework. You will be expected to write one 4 - 6 000 word essay, one in each semester. So, for this semester you will be expected to write an essay of 4 - 6 000 words on one of the topics we have studied.

I am available for consultation at any other time by appointment, or in my designated office hour which is Friday at 12.

The following works will be useful to you on this course; consult them beforehand to give you some idea of the sort of material we will be covering:

Bernard Williams, Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy, Faber, 1985;

Jonthan Dancy, Moral Reasons, Blackwells, 1993 (this excellent book went out of print quite quickly - not its fault - and it is hard to get hold of. We will make the necessary arrangements if you cannot find a copy);

Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue, Duckworths, second edition 1990;

Thomas Nagel, The Possibility of Altruism, Oxford University Press, 1970;

Samuel Scheffler, The Rejection of Consequentialism, Oxford University Press, Revised edition, 1994.