philosophy intro to ethics project
MUST FOLLOW THE DETAILS, SO READ THEM CAREFULLY. IT SHOULD BE DONE IN 14 HOURS.

For this “Ponder This” project, you have a choice between two options. One is geared toward the internet-savvy homebody, the other to the social animals among you.
Choose only one:
1. Cultural anthropologists such as Malinowski and animal behaviorists like Frans de Waal depend on empirical observation of subjects to fashion their conclusions.
More and more ethicists today are also taking this “empirical” route, partly because they have become persuaded by colleagues in other disciplines that our knowledge
of ethics can be increased by fieldwork and partly because of their embarrassment at the errors of “armchair philosophers” of the past who didn’t know their way around
the real world. Your assignment is to observe and report on the “mating rituals” of your species in a public place where couples are likely to gather—a mall, the
movies, a coffee shop, or similar place. Spend at least an hour observing as many couples as you can, and if possible, “vary your sample” in terms of age, race or
other factors. How many conclusions about the behavioral patterns of males and females can you generalize from your observations? Does your “study” seem to confirm or
refute any of the themes we studied in this chapter? Write up your “study” and its conclusions in a 750-word essay.

2. In this chapter, we have touched on only a few of the significant figures who have contributed to primate and evolutionary ethics. Using sources outside the course
text and lectures (you may use reputable internet sources), write a 750- word essay on the ethical significance of one of the following authors and the specified text.
You do not have to read the text itself (although you may choose to get it and read the introduction or first chapter) since you may be able to refer to reviews or
reference sources such as The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Here are the choices:

Herbert Spencer, The Principles of Ethics

Thomas H. Huxley, Evolution and Ethics

Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene

Robert Wright, The Moral Animal

Peter Singer, A Darwinian Left

Frans de Waal, Good Natured

Matt Ridley, The Origins of Virtue

Focus less on biographical information about the author or his general project and more on the arguments that he offers for why we should investigate ethics in the
context of anthropology, primate behavior, evolutionary theory or genetics.

philosophy intro to ethics project
MUST FOLLOW THE DETAILS, SO READ THEM CAREFULLY. IT SHOULD BE DONE IN 14 HOURS.

For this “Ponder This” project, you have a choice between two options. One is geared toward the internet-savvy homebody, the other to the social animals among you.
Choose only one:
1. Cultural anthropologists such as Malinowski and animal behaviorists like Frans de Waal depend on empirical observation of subjects to fashion their conclusions.
More and more ethicists today are also taking this “empirical” route, partly because they have become persuaded by colleagues in other disciplines that our knowledge
of ethics can be increased by fieldwork and partly because of their embarrassment at the errors of “armchair philosophers” of the past who didn’t know their way around
the real world. Your assignment is to observe and report on the “mating rituals” of your species in a public place where couples are likely to gather—a mall, the
movies, a coffee shop, or similar place. Spend at least an hour observing as many couples as you can, and if possible, “vary your sample” in terms of age, race or
other factors. How many conclusions about the behavioral patterns of males and females can you generalize from your observations? Does your “study” seem to confirm or
refute any of the themes we studied in this chapter? Write up your “study” and its conclusions in a 750-word essay.

2. In this chapter, we have touched on only a few of the significant figures who have contributed to primate and evolutionary ethics. Using sources outside the course
text and lectures (you may use reputable internet sources), write a 750- word essay on the ethical significance of one of the following authors and the specified text.
You do not have to read the text itself (although you may choose to get it and read the introduction or first chapter) since you may be able to refer to reviews or
reference sources such as The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Here are the choices:

Herbert Spencer, The Principles of Ethics

Thomas H. Huxley, Evolution and Ethics

Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene

Robert Wright, The Moral Animal

Peter Singer, A Darwinian Left

Frans de Waal, Good Natured

Matt Ridley, The Origins of Virtue

Focus less on biographical information about the author or his general project and more on the arguments that he offers for why we should investigate ethics in the
context of anthropology, primate behavior, evolutionary theory or genetics.