Objectives: This seminar will examine the human practice of making moral judgments about actions and people, using both conceptual and empirical studies from philosophy and psychology. We will try to clarify the folk concept of responsibility, the relation between responsibility judgments and other moral sentiments, the differentiation of various such sentiments (e.g., blame, praise, shame, guilt) as well as their social roles, and finally the evolutionary origins of moral sentiments.

The seminar is devoted to the study of moral sentiments as a social phenomenon. The literature covered is therefore severely truncated and leaves out the direct discussion of moral dilemmas, values, or ethical or religious systems. Likewise, seminar participants are encouraged to keep moral disputes to a minimum and, if they occur, exercise value tolerance.

Requirements for students who take the seminar for credit:

1. Attendance and participation (only one session can be missed).
2. Paper and brief presentation in week 10.

Grading: The course may be taken graded or pass/no-pass. In order to pass the course, each separate component (participation and paper) must be at a passing level (non-compensatory model). If you take the course for a grade, your participation will be 60% of your grade, and your research document, 40%.

Obligation for students who do not take the seminar for credit: In return for "sitting in," unenrolled students are expected to take notes/minutes and make them available for posting on the course web page.

Students with disabilities: If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodations in this course, please make arrangements to meet with me. Please request that the Counselor for Students with Disabilities send a letter verifying your disability.

Readings are available with Lori Olsen (Straub 129, hours: 8-12, 1-5). New readings will be available each Monday for the following Monday.
The updated reading list (with commentaries) is available on the world wide web at <http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~bfmalle/moral.html>.

I will create an Email list for questions about the readings and clarifications as well as pre- or post-seminar discussions.