Ethics – study lab Cato Sluyts
STUDY LAB 1 – 08/05
Ethics lectures
- What is happening and what is the purpose of this? And how does this relate to,
sort of the thing that will have the end of this semester exam?
- What are you going to be examined for? What's the purpose? What's this sort of
the ritual that's going on, or the reason?
What is ethics?
- Normative guidelines
- Description & justification of behavior
- Structure of society/convention
o To do
o Extent of justification
- Personal identity
Professor Pattyn is giving much more sort of a genetic history analysis of the concept of
what ethics is. The motivation isn't away twofold because indeed he's doing historical
kind of analysis. So, he's unpacking different examples of moral behavior, moral
systems, moral frameworks over the course of history. So, in a way, he's kind of giving
you almost a genealogy of what ethics is.
In a lot of contemporary ethics would actually be very systematic. So, you just have
various problems. For example, abortion: tricky moral ethical question. How do you
approach it? You use a number of philosophers, and they've all approached this
question in different ways; just argue and think about it. That sort of explains, but the
focal point of this course with Professor Pattyn is doing is he's really trying to uncover.
So, he's kind of doing it form of almost intellectual philosophical ideology and trying to
establish how/where did ethics originate? What did it have in common and what is the
link between these systematic questions that we're engaging in in contemporary
debates? In other words, how did we get there? What, what was the evolution of
philosophical thought that led us to get to this point?
Now, that means that a lot of what he's doing is historical, obviously, because he's
looking at first, he looks at the ancients and he looks at the medieval, then he looks at
modern Renaissance, modern philosophy and so on and so forth. And eventually we get
to the contemporary times. What he's doing is he's also interspersing his analysis by
introducing certain conceptual tools (e.g., distinction by Mary Douglas as repeating
element which he kind of uses to present the story in a certain way or Marcello's joint
intentionality).
So, it's not merely historical in the sense that there are no conceptual tools, there's no
framework that's being applied, but it's also not just conceptual tools. In the framework
without looking at history either, rather it's thinking it's taking these tools of concepts,
and already looking at how you can use these concepts to sort of develop a story and
narrative of what ethics is, came about and how it is that even today we still remain
ethical, moral beings.
, Ethics – study lab Cato Sluyts
You have a certain take on what the story of ethics is, you know the genetic background
history of ethics is, and that's been formulated by the person standing in front of you in
the classroom, and that's what you've been taught. Now, this is important because you
know how to do well in this course. So, it's not just about memorizing; you just have to
think about, first of all, how they kind of connect to each other. Second, what's the
purpose of that is?
Ultimately, during the oral exam you're being given a certain view. First of all,
understanding the story of ethics, the story that you've been told, but also having your
own take your own view on a lot of these questions. Now to have your own take, you
have to understand. Supposed to be based on summarizing what you know. For
example, you know the ways in which the course used to certain story of ethics and
what might be your objections to that? Express yourself and distinguish yourself, your
view from the queries. First you have to be really precise and actually explain what
happened.
So, you have recordings of most courses this year, you can actually just revisit the
lectures and go through actually what's being told. Focus on not just what's being said
and not just the information but think about which concepts keep coming back and why
is it mentioned. E.g., why does he use concepts like personal identity or joint
intentionality at the time that he uses them? He clearly thinks they’re an important part
of the story of ethics.
What is the story of ethics? Why does he introduce the concepts that he does? Why
does he introduce the philosophers that he does? That’s going to enable you to actually
have your own take, to say what you think.
Mid-term essay
à skills lab/writing lab gives feedback on papers
Oral exam
à see next week’s study lab
How to do well in this course?
- Take copious notes
à see examples on pptx
- Pay attention to the story
- Reflect on the material
- Think critically
Schemes – narrative
- Where do our ethical analysis come from?
The concepts that keep coming back are good candidates for exam questions
à Somebody who doesn't really matter to the overall story or was just kind of footnote
has a comparatively lower chance of being on the exam; it's about the main narrative
so, what are the main things that you have there?
STUDY LAB 1 – 08/05
Ethics lectures
- What is happening and what is the purpose of this? And how does this relate to,
sort of the thing that will have the end of this semester exam?
- What are you going to be examined for? What's the purpose? What's this sort of
the ritual that's going on, or the reason?
What is ethics?
- Normative guidelines
- Description & justification of behavior
- Structure of society/convention
o To do
o Extent of justification
- Personal identity
Professor Pattyn is giving much more sort of a genetic history analysis of the concept of
what ethics is. The motivation isn't away twofold because indeed he's doing historical
kind of analysis. So, he's unpacking different examples of moral behavior, moral
systems, moral frameworks over the course of history. So, in a way, he's kind of giving
you almost a genealogy of what ethics is.
In a lot of contemporary ethics would actually be very systematic. So, you just have
various problems. For example, abortion: tricky moral ethical question. How do you
approach it? You use a number of philosophers, and they've all approached this
question in different ways; just argue and think about it. That sort of explains, but the
focal point of this course with Professor Pattyn is doing is he's really trying to uncover.
So, he's kind of doing it form of almost intellectual philosophical ideology and trying to
establish how/where did ethics originate? What did it have in common and what is the
link between these systematic questions that we're engaging in in contemporary
debates? In other words, how did we get there? What, what was the evolution of
philosophical thought that led us to get to this point?
Now, that means that a lot of what he's doing is historical, obviously, because he's
looking at first, he looks at the ancients and he looks at the medieval, then he looks at
modern Renaissance, modern philosophy and so on and so forth. And eventually we get
to the contemporary times. What he's doing is he's also interspersing his analysis by
introducing certain conceptual tools (e.g., distinction by Mary Douglas as repeating
element which he kind of uses to present the story in a certain way or Marcello's joint
intentionality).
So, it's not merely historical in the sense that there are no conceptual tools, there's no
framework that's being applied, but it's also not just conceptual tools. In the framework
without looking at history either, rather it's thinking it's taking these tools of concepts,
and already looking at how you can use these concepts to sort of develop a story and
narrative of what ethics is, came about and how it is that even today we still remain
ethical, moral beings.
, Ethics – study lab Cato Sluyts
You have a certain take on what the story of ethics is, you know the genetic background
history of ethics is, and that's been formulated by the person standing in front of you in
the classroom, and that's what you've been taught. Now, this is important because you
know how to do well in this course. So, it's not just about memorizing; you just have to
think about, first of all, how they kind of connect to each other. Second, what's the
purpose of that is?
Ultimately, during the oral exam you're being given a certain view. First of all,
understanding the story of ethics, the story that you've been told, but also having your
own take your own view on a lot of these questions. Now to have your own take, you
have to understand. Supposed to be based on summarizing what you know. For
example, you know the ways in which the course used to certain story of ethics and
what might be your objections to that? Express yourself and distinguish yourself, your
view from the queries. First you have to be really precise and actually explain what
happened.
So, you have recordings of most courses this year, you can actually just revisit the
lectures and go through actually what's being told. Focus on not just what's being said
and not just the information but think about which concepts keep coming back and why
is it mentioned. E.g., why does he use concepts like personal identity or joint
intentionality at the time that he uses them? He clearly thinks they’re an important part
of the story of ethics.
What is the story of ethics? Why does he introduce the concepts that he does? Why
does he introduce the philosophers that he does? That’s going to enable you to actually
have your own take, to say what you think.
Mid-term essay
à skills lab/writing lab gives feedback on papers
Oral exam
à see next week’s study lab
How to do well in this course?
- Take copious notes
à see examples on pptx
- Pay attention to the story
- Reflect on the material
- Think critically
Schemes – narrative
- Where do our ethical analysis come from?
The concepts that keep coming back are good candidates for exam questions
à Somebody who doesn't really matter to the overall story or was just kind of footnote
has a comparatively lower chance of being on the exam; it's about the main narrative
so, what are the main things that you have there?
