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DAVID CUTLER · Spring 2023 ARCHIVE

Philosophy of Government · Spring 2023 · Unit 4

Duty, Equality & Moral Judgment

Public reading edition · October 10, 2026. Read the daily classwork and homework here; no school login is required. These dates and directions belong to the archived course. Classwork and homework from a previous semester.

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February 23, 2023

Discuss reading, part 2.

In class

Discuss reading, part 2.

Homework / preparation

For Monday, please read Chapter 5 in Justice, "What Matters Is the Motive: Immanuel Kant." Please respond to this prompt in 1-2 paragraphs: "According to Kant, morality is doing the right thing just because you know it’s the right thing. Is that true? Kant imagines a shopkeeper who does not overcharge his customers only because he fears that word of his dishonesty will spread and he’ll lose money. Kant thinks there’s nothing morally worthy about his action; his honesty is mere prudence, mere selfishness. Do you agree?"

February 24, 2023

Reading day.

In class

Reading day.

Homework / preparation

No additional homework.

February 27, 2023

Discuss Chapter 5 in Justice, "What Matters Is the Motive: Immanuel Kant."

In class

Discuss Chapter 5 in Justice, "What Matters Is the Motive: Immanuel Kant."

Homework / preparation

For Thursday, please read Chapter 7 in Justice, "Arguing Affirmative Action." Please respond to this prompt in 1-2 paragraphs: “Barbara Grutter, a white woman, applied to law school at the University of Michigan. She was rejected, even though her grades were higher than some of the minority candidates who were admitted. This time, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the University of Michigan had acted lawfully, because racial diversity at law school was an important goal. Do you agree? Was the decision just or unjust?”

February 28, 2023

Discuss affirmative action through a video and class conversation.

In class

Discuss affirmative action through a video and class conversation.

Homework / preparation

No additional homework.

March 2, 2023

Discuss Chapter 7 in Justice, "Arguing Affirmative Action."

In class

Discuss Chapter 7 in Justice, "Arguing Affirmative Action."

Homework / preparation

No additional homework.

March 3, 2023

Class community outing.

In class

Class community outing.

Homework / preparation

No additional homework specified.