draft of 1-10-05
PHIL 87: Persons & Values
Winter 2005; David O. Brink
Syllabus
We will cover topics and readings on the Syllabus in the order in which
they appear. Readings are either (A) required or (B) recommended.
Most readings are drawn from the two required texts; all other should be
available on Electronic Reserves [ER].
Session I: Introduction and Preliminaries
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(A) Parfit, Reasons and Persons, ch. 10.
Session II: Psychological Reductionism and its Rivals
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(A) Locke, "Of Identity and Diversity"; Williams, "The Self and the Future"
in Personal Identity, ed. J. Perry; Parfit, Reasons and Persons,
ch. 11.
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(B) Butler, "Of Personal Identity"; Reid, "Of Identity" and "Of Mr. Locke's
Account of our Personal Identity".
Session III: Fission and What Matters
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(A) Parfit, Reasons and Persons, ch. 12.
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(B) Nagel, "Brain Bisection and the Unity of Consciousness" in Personal
Identity, ed. J. Perry; Perry, "The Importance of Being Identical"
[ER].
Session IV: Reductionism and Prudence
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(A) Parfit, Reasons and Persons, ch. 14 and Brink, "Self-love and
Altruism" [ER].
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(B) Brink, "Rational Egoism and the Separateness of Persons" and "Prudence
and Authenticity: Intrapersonal Conflicts of Value"
Session V: Reductionism and Morality
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(A) Parfit, Reasons and Persons, ch. 15 and Rawls, A Theory of
Justice, sections 5-6 [ER].