Seminar Schedule
Philosophy 333--Ethical Theories: Altruism & Egoism

Michael Taber
St. Mary’s College of Maryland, USA
Spring 2026

(revised 25 February 2026)

 

The Google folder for this course contains some readings.

               dates              pages                                           readings

Utilitarianism

Jan. 20

42 pp.

·       Come to the first seminar having read MacAskill’s What We Owe the Future, chs. 1 & 2

·       We’ll read an excerpt from Jeremy Bentham’s Principles of Morals and Legislation and from Mill’s Utilitarianism (provided in seminar).

Jan. 22

55 pp.

2 pp.

 

3 pp.

·        MacAskill, chs. 3 & 4

·        Buckley’s NYT article about Les Knight’s Voluntary Human Extinction movement

·        Scheffler’s “The Afterlife”

Jan. 27

61 pp.

2 pp.

17 mins.

·        MacAskill, chs. 5-7

·        Taber’s “The Euthyphro Objection to the Divine Command Theory”

·        Peter Singer’s TED talk “The Why and How of Effective Altruism”

Jan. 29

56 pp.

·       MacAskill, chs. 8 & 9

·       Test yourself here about the Euthyphro objection to the divine command theory of morality.

Feb. 03

10 pp.

+

17 pp.

·        Young’s “Overconsumption and Procreation: Are They Morally Equivalent?”

·        Grill’s “Procreation vs. Consumption: Harms and Benefits”

Feb. 05

24 + 6 pp.

MacAskill, ch. 10 & Appendices (feeling free to skip appendix 3, if it makes you sweat)

Feb. 9-10

Your 3-6-page paper #1 due at noon (or at tutorial—whichever is earlier); tutorials will be scheduled. No class on Feb. 10 due to tutorials.

Deontology

Feb. 12

11 pp.

Kant’s Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, First Section; and as needed, my reading notes on Kant (included in binder)

Feb. 17

16 pp.

Kant, Second Section, to Ak. 427 (Stop just before “The will is thought of as a faculty….”)

Feb. 19

14 pp.

Kant, remainder of Second Section

Feb. 24

13 pp.

+

5 pp.

·       Kant, Third Section

·       the supplement “On a Supposed Right to Lie Because of Philanthropic Concerns”

Virtue & Care Ethics

Feb. 26

17 pp.

 

2 pp.

·       Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Book 1 (skipping 1.6), and my reading notes on the NE (included in binder)

·       “If Aristotle Were a Surgeon” from the March 2023 issue of Annals of Surgery, by J. D’Angelo, D. Cook, & A. D’Angelo

Mar. 03

No class, as 4-6-page paper #2 due at end of class time (or at tutorial—whichever is earlier); tutorials will be scheduled.

Mar. 05

13 pp.

·       Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Book 2

·       Consider viewing this 9-minute video (with my warning at linked pg.)

Mar. 10

15 pp.

4 pp.

·       Aristotle’s NE, 8.1-4; 9.3-4; 9.7-9

·       Krishnan’s “You Good? Aristotle’s Guide to Human Flourishing” (from The New Yorker in 2023)

Mar. 12

22 pp.

Annas’ “Living Virtuously, Living Happily”

Spring Recess

Mar. 24

No classes, due to all-day academic advising

Mar. 26

23 pp.   

Noddings’ “Caring”

Mar. 31

No class, as 4-6-page paper #3 due at end of class time (or at tutorial—whichever is earlier); tutorials will be scheduled.

Altruism & Egoism

Apr. 02

5 + 27 pp.

Rand’s The Virtue of Selfishness, Intro & ch. 1

Apr. 07

61 pp.

Rand, chs. 2-5, 7, 10, 14, & 17

Apr. 09

11 pp.

Rachels’ “Egoism and Moral Scepticism”

Apr. 14

 

 

39 mins.

 

 

43 mins.

 

 

 

 

 

13 pp.

·        On the podcast Radiolab, listen to the episodes entitled:

a.     “The Humpback and the Killer.”  [39 mins.]

(What the heck?! Are these whales altruists?!)
(And check out this 3-minute video, related.)

b.     “The Good Show” [63 mins., but I’m assigning only the first 42:30]  (1. What’s up with the arc of George Price’s life? 2. Would you have hopped the bull’s fence, the way Laura Shrake did? 3. What of risking getting burned to death the way William Pennell did? 4. Jumping onto the subway track, with your daughter in view, the way Wesley Autrey did?!)

·        Smilansky’s “A Puzzle about Self-Sacrificing Altruism” (What would he say about Price, Shrake, Pennell, and Autrey?)

Apr. 16

18 pp.

2 chapters from Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov: “The Brothers Make Friends” & “Rebellion”

Apr. 21

19 pp.

TBK, “The Grand Inquisitor” 

Apr. 23

42 pp.

+

4 pp.

TBK, “The Russian Monk”

And consider these real-life snippets after you’ve read the Zossima chapters. (included in binder)

Apr. 28

 

TBD

Apr. 30

Teach Your Family

Saturday,

May 09

Final paper (8+ pp.) due emailed at end of our scheduled final exam slot (9:00-11:15 a.m., ET)

Send me mail:  mstaber at smcm dot edu

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