Seminar Materials
Philosophy 333—Ethical Theories: Altruism & Egoism
Michael Taber
Spring 2026

These are the books we will use, in the order in which we will use them. 

  1. What We Owe the Future, by William MacAskill (Basic Books, 2022), ISBN: 978-1-5416-1862-6
  2. Immanuel Kant’s Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, 3rd edition, translated by James Ellington (Hackett Publishing, 1993), ISBN: 9780872201668
  3. Ayn Rand’s The Virtue of Selfishness (Signet, 1964), ISBN: 978-0451163936
  4. Dostoevsky’s The Grand Inquisitor with Related Chapters from The Brothers Karamazov, translated and edited by Charles Guignon  (1993, Hackett Publishing, ISBN: 978-0872201934  

Some additional readings will be distributed to you as handouts.

Also, there is a Google folder for this course, in which will appear such items as sign-up sheets for Back-up Buddies, tutorials, and some readings.

Some other readings that I’ll send around or that are in the “Seminar Schedule” are links to New York Times articles, to which—though you may not realize it—you already have a subscription;  our library has worked out a deal with the NYT whereby all SMCM students, faculty, and staff can activate a subscription at no additional charge. (Beyond your tuition, that is!)

Send me mail:  mstaber at smcm dot edu

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