Spring 2015

PHI005: Evil Michael Nelson

Email: mnelson@ucr.edu Lecture: T/H 11:10-12:30 UNLH 1000

Office hours: T 12:30-1:30 or by appointment

This is a course on the nature of evil. Questions to be explored include: What is evil? Are human evil by nature? What is the source of evil? Is the existence of evil (and unnecessary suffering more generally) problematic for Judeo-Christian-Islamic theistic conceptions of the world? In addition to exploring these questions, we shall seek to understand both individual and group evil. For the latter, we look at perpetrators of the holocaust, both the activities of high-level planners of the killings and low-level police forces that carried out some of the killings. Finally, we explore the philosophical issues involved in responding to evil. In particular, we compare forgiveness, punishment, and reconciliation. The goal of the course is not to present a view and off answers to these questions. We will look at competing accounts, look at arguments for and against those accounts, and critically examine both our own and otherss views. The primary aim is to come to think about these basic questions of human existence in a critical and reflective way. COURSE REQUIREMENTS: In-class midterm exam (20%); in-class final exam (25%); 2 3pg essays (first 15%; second 20%); discussion section attendance and participation (15%); TA discretion (5%). The midterm covers roughly the first half of the course and consists of short essay questions, multiple-choice questions, and passage identifications. The final is cumulative and consists of a set of short essay questions, multiple-choice questions, and long essay questions. Essay topics for the two essays will be handed out one week before they are due. In addition, you must: 1) attend lectures and discussions; 2) keep up on the reading assignments; and 3) ensure that you are understanding the lecture material and keeping on top of the material being presented and discussed. There are in-lecture quizzes that are extra credit on the material from previous lectures or the reading assigned that day. Only clicker responses will be recorded, so to participate, you must get a clicker from the bookstore and register it on the course ilearn page. However, the quizzes are optional and so you are not required to obtain a clicker. Attendance in discussion section is mandatory. Missing 2 discussion section meetings (absent extraordinary circumstances and permission from me) will result in a full-letter grade drop. To receive a passing grade for the course, you must receive individual passing grades on the midterm, final, and each essay; you cannot simply skip one of the assignments. Unless prior permission is granted, late assignments will receive a failing grade. The readings, while short in overall page numbers, are often dense and difficult. You should plan to read them at least twice: Once before lecture and once after. There is a NO LAPTOP in lecture and discussion sections policy for this course. Plagiarism of any sort will not be tolerated. Any work submitted as your own absolutely must be your own. Any infraction will result in a failing grade for the course and will be reported to the University. If you are struggling with the material, come and meet either with your TA or professor to get help. DO NOT CHEAT in any way. Essays must be submitted via SafeAssign. Hard copies of the essays will not be graded. For an explanation of what constitutes plagiarism, see .

WARNING: SEXUAL AND VIOLENT MATERIAL. Some of the material presented in this course is graphically violent and explicitly sexual. Please either do not take the course or speak with me if such material is offensive or upsetting. There are films that are required course material. While we will watch some of them during lecture time, others (because of their length) must be viewed outside of class time. There are NO REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS to purchase for the course. All readings are available on the ilearn course page.

Schedule of Readings THE EXISTENCE OF GOD AND THE PROBLEM OF EVIL

Week 1: 31 March Introduction 2 April Mackie Evil and Omnipotence

Watch on own FILM: Terry Gilliams The Fisher King (137 minutes) Week 2: 7 April Leibniz Real-Life Dialogue on Human Freedom and the Origin of Evil Listen on own to mp3 audio file Adams on Evil

EVIL AND HUMAN NATURE 9 April Mencius Li Lou and Hsun Tzu Mans Human Nature is Evil

Week 3: 14 April in class FILM: Peter Brooks Lord of the Flies (92 minutes) 16 April Hobbes Leviathan (chapters xiii-xiv; xvii)

FIRST 3PG ESSAY DUE Week 4: 21 April Rousseau A Discourse on Inequality (selections)

23 April Augustine Confessions (books 2, 4.15, 5.10, 7.5-7.13) Week 5: 28 April Kant Religion Within the Bounds of Reason Alone (Book I)

30 April Kant Religion Within the Bounds of Reason Alone (Book I) Week 6: 5 May In-class MIDTERM EXAM

7 May February in class FILM: Alfred Hitchcocks Rope (81 minutes) Week 7: 12 May Nietzsche On the Genealogy of Morality (first essay, 4-16)

14 May Nietzsche On the Genealogy of Morality (second essay, 1-14) THE PSYCHOLOGY OF GENOCIDE

Week 8: 19 May Arendt Thinking and Moral Considerations 21 May Goldhagen Hitlers Willing Executioners (chapters 7-8)

Week 9: 26 May Milgram The Behavioral Study of Obedience in class FILM: Obedience (45 minutes) + lecture

28 May Doris Persons, Situations, and Virtue Ethics SECOND 3PG ESSAY DUE

PUNISHING, FORGIVING, AND RECONCILATION Week 10: 2 June Read Punishment handout

Watch on own: FILM: Michael Hanekes Cache (118 minutes) 4 June Tutu No Future Without Forgiveness (selections)

Griswold On Forgiveness (New York Times article)

FINAL EXAM: Thursday 11 June 8:00am-11:00am