PHL3350 Moral Psychology
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Handbook entry- a brief description of the subject can be found in the handbook entry. The handbook also provides information about the unit leader, the semester and mode in which the unit is available, the contact hours and the assessment requirements.
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MUSO site - there is a WebCT site for this unit where assessment tasks, lecture notes and other unit resources will be posted. Once enrolled, students taking this unit are advised to check the WebCT site regularly.
Subject description:
Moral psychology, as the name suggests, is that branch of moral philosophy concerned with the psychology of moral agents, in particular the nature of deliberation, practical judgments and their connection to choice and action. Among the questions that fall under the general heading of moral psychology are these. Are moral judgments intrinsically motivating? Could there be individuals (such as psychopaths perhaps) who make genuine moral judgments but are never motivated at all by them? What are the conditions of responsible agency and how well do our practices of praise and blame track moral responsibility? How might conditions such as delusion, addiction or oppression impair moral agency? How do we explain everyday moral failures, such as weakness of will, and more extraordinary cases of moral evil? In moral psychology we get to address a range of topics that are intrinsically fascinating in a philosophically rigorous way. It is a subject in which the content is linked to and informed by the research interests of those teaching into the course.