Why Writing Better Will Make You a Better Person

New, in the Chronicle of Higher Education,

"Why Writing Better Will Make You a Better Person" By Bob Fischer and Nathan Nobis JUNE 04, 2019

Also here, without advertisements. 

Open Access (OER) Ethics Textbook

Here's a new open-access ethics textbook with three essays by, me and me and a co-author, in it.

• "Euthanasia, or Mercy Killing" by Nathan Nobis 
• “Common Arguments about Abortion” and “Better (Philosophical) Arguments about Abortion,” by Nathan Nobis and Kristina Grob, [both chapters]. 

UNIT ONE: INTRODUCTION TO CONTEMPORARY ETHICS: TECHNOLOGY, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, AND IMMIGRATION
1 The “Trolley Problem” and Self-Driving Cars: Your Car’s Moral Settings (Noah Levin)
2 What is Ethics and What Makes Something a Problem for Morality? (David Svolba)
3 Letter from the Birmingham City Jail (Martin Luther King, Jr)
4 A Defense of Affirmative Action (Noah Levin)
5 The Moral Issues of Immigration (B.M. Wooldridge)
6 The Ethics of our Digital Selves (Noah Levin)

UNIT TWO: TORTURE, DEATH, AND THE “GREATER GOOD”
7 The Ethics of Torture (Martine Berenpas)
8 What Moral Obligations do we have (or not have) to Impoverished Peoples? (B.M. Wooldridge)
9 Euthanasia, or Mercy Killing (Nathan Nobis)
10 An Argument Against Capital Punishment (Noah Levin)
11 Common Arguments about Abortion (Nathan Nobis & Kristina Grob)
12 Better (Philosophical) Arguments about Abortion (Nathan Nobis & Kristina Grob)

UNIT THREE: PERSONS, AUTONOMY, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND RIGHTS
13 Animal Rights (Eduardo Salazar)
14 John Rawls and the “Veil of Ignorance” (Ben Davies)
15 Environmental Ethics: Climate Change (Jonathan Spelman)
16 Rape, Date Rape, and the “Affirmative Consent” Law in California (Noah Levin)
17 The Ethics of Pornography: Deliberating on a Modern Harm (Eduardo Salazar)
18 The Social Contract (Thomas Hobbes)

UNIT FOUR: HAPPINESS
19 Is Pleasure all that Matters? Thoughts on the “Experience Machine” (Prabhpal Singh)
20 Utilitarianism (J.S. Mill)
21 Utilitarianism: Pros and Cons (B.M. Wooldridge)
22 Existentialism, Genetic Engineering, and the Meaning of Life: The Fifths (Noah Levin)
23 The Solitude of the Self (Elizabeth Cady Stanton)
24 Game Theory, the Nash Equilibrium, and the Prisoner’s Dilemma (Douglas E. Hill)

UNIT FIVE: RELIGION, LAW, AND ABSOLUTE MORALITY
25 The Myth of Gyges and The Crito (Plato)
26 God, Morality, and Religion (Kristin Seemuth Whaley)
27 The Categorical Imperative (Immanuel Kant)
28 The Virtues (Aristotle)
29 Beyond Good and Evil (Friedrich Nietzsche)
30 Other Moral Theories: Subjectivism, Relativism, Emotivism, Intuitionism, etc. (Jan F. Jacko)

https://www.ngefarpress.com/2019/05/introduction-to-ethics-open-educational.html  

Summer Morehouse Classes

Syllabus

Intro to Philosophical Ethics - 42527 - HPHI 302G - 01
Associated Term: Summer 2019 Levels: Undergraduate Morehouse College Campus Lecture Schedule Type 3.000 Credits View Catalog Entry Bookstore(change me) Scheduled Meeting Times Type Time Days Where Date Range Schedule Type Instructors Class 10:30 am - 11:50 am MTWRF Sale Hall 110 Jun 04, 2019 - Jul 05, 2019 Lecture Nathan M. Nobis (P)
Intro to Phil Ethics-Online - 42664 - HPHI 302G - 2
Associated Term: Summer 2019 Levels: Undergraduate Morehouse College Campus Lecture Schedule Type 3.000 Credits View Catalog Entry Bookstore(change me) Scheduled Meeting Times Type Time Days Where Date Range Schedule Type Instructors Class TBA MTWRF TBA Jun 04, 2019 - Jul 12, 2019 Lecture Nathan M. Nobis (P)

Reviews of Christine Korsgaard’s Fellow Creatures: Our Obligations to Other Animals

Reviews of Christine Korsgaard’s Fellow Creatures: Our Obligations to Other Animals at 850 words, 2050 words and 2800 words.
Two of the three versions are forthcoming.

Response to "Nathan Nobis' Summary of Pro-Choice Arguments"

Someone wrote a response to my 1000-Word Philosophy essay on abortion, entitled "Nathan Nobis' Summary of Pro-Choice Arguments." I wrote brief a reply and twice posted it on their blog, but it twice "disappeared" (. . but it might have returned, so I really don't know whether it's posted or not), so I post this reply here since I did take the time to write it up. 

See below the fold, please. 

Summer Ethics class

Intro to Philosophical Ethics - 42527 - HPHI 302G - 01
Associated Term: Summer 2019 Registration Dates: Apr 01, 2019 to Jul 06, 2019 Levels: Undergraduate Morehouse College Campus Lecture Schedule Type 3.000 Credits View Catalog Entry Bookstore(change me) Scheduled Meeting Times Type Time Days Where Date Range Schedule Type Instructors Class 10:30 am - 11:50 am MTWRF Sale Hall 106 Jun 04, 2019 - Jul 05, 2019 Lecture Nathan M. Nobis (P)

Integrity and Eating

For an integrity in higher education conference.



Link here.

A Letter to the Editor on Abortion

A letter to the editor: "Dear Decaturish - Thinking Critically About Abortion"

Two additional readings on the issues:

• An overview of many of the arguments: "Ethics and Abortion" at 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology. 
• An argumentative chapter for a forthcoming Oxford University Press textbook: "Early and Later Abortions: Ethics and Law" 

VEGANISM: Arguments, Concerns & Objections

Notes for a presentation for a university's vegan organization:

VEGANISM: Arguments, Concerns & Objections

Question-Begging Arguments on Abortion

Many arguments about abortion are bad. Sometimes this is because they “beg the question,” or assume the argument’s conclusion as a premise. Question-begging arguments against abortion assume that abortion is wrong or that fetuses are wrong to kill; question-begging arguments in favor of abortion assume that abortions are not wrong or that fetuses are not wrong to kill. This is circular reasoning and must always be dismissed.

1000-Word Philosophy

My essays at 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology:

• Euthanasia, or Mercy Killing  
• Responding to Morally Flawed Historical Philosophers and Philosophies (with Victor Fabian Abundez-Guerra)
• Ethics and “Extra Credit”  
• The Ethics of Abortion  

New writings

Here are some new things by me and writings in progress, although I feel like I'm missing something:

• A paper on euthanasia, in a variety of lengths (4000-ish words; 2500-ish words).
• A 1000-word version, Euthanasia, or Mercy Killing at 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology.
• Something reflective on philosophy of religion. 
• I was asked to write something introductory on abortion, again.
• Why animal ethicists should serve on IACUCs, since animal experimentation might be morally wrong and they may have special skills in identifying this and explaining why this is so, and a personal moral dilemma for such ethicists. 
• Something on activism and philosophy. 

Free OER (Open Educational Resource) Textbooks in Philosophy

I recent saw these two calls for contributions to two Free OER (Open Educational Resource) Textbooks in Philosophy in development in (1) Ethics and (2) Philosophy of Religion. 

Spring 2019 Courses

Introduction to Philosophical Ethics

Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art

Philosophy of Religion

An Argument for “Passive” and “Active” Mercy Killing, or Euthanasia

An Argument for “Passive” and “Active” Mercy Killing, or Euthanasia

Nathan Nobis, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA

nathan.nobis@gmail.com www.NathanNobis.com

Written for this open-access ethics textbook.

Draft 2/7/19; Current: 3577 words; can easily be cut down to the sought 2500.

1. Introduction 1

2. Definitions 2

3. An Argument for Passive Euthanasia 5

4. An Argument for Active Euthanasia 7

5. Objections: Potentially Relevant Differences Between Active and Passive Euthanasia 7

6. Conclusions 10 

Aesthetics

I am teaching an "Aesthetics & Philosophy of Art" class this spring. Here are is an in-progress set of resources:

“What norms or values define excellent philosophy of religion?”

“What norms or values define excellent philosophy of religion?”

Final version here: http://philosophyofreligion.org/?p=525361

Here as a Google Doc.

“Excellent philosophy of religion” is, unsurprisingly, excellent philosophy, about religion.

But what’s excellent philosophy and what are the norms and values associated with it? And what are the philosophical aspects of religion, whatever religions are?

To begin answering these questions, I suggest that philosophy of religion that emphasizes at least these features tends to be more excellent: (1)  experiential, (2) integrated, (3) truthful and fair, and (4) done from a sense of wonder.

Philosophical Community Service Assignment

Posted at the Philosophers' Cacoon!

I teach an "Introduction to Philosophical Ethics" course in an interactive, discussion-based and skills-focused manner. The core skills involve trying to figure out whether a reason given in support of some conclusion on a moral issue is a good one or not. We start with common arguments, things that ordinary people often say, and then move onto arguments that philosophers focus on. Here's my simplification of what we do:

Writing Coach

If you are seeking someone to help you with your writing, I am available as a "writing coach" or consultant: I can help you plan, get organized and stay on task. I'm also available as editor, for anything from "big picture" organizational guidance to a detailed review of your manuscript.

I'm happy to help you make any writing project – dissertation, article, chapter, book, essay or anything else – more clear, vivid, organized and concise.

To get a better sense for whether I can help you, you might want to read some of my writings to get a sense for my writing style. You could also check out the more recent essays at 1000-Word Philosophy: I've helped guide the production of the last 30 or so essays. And here are three posts by me on better writing:

·         Organization and Clarity in Writing: Seeing the Forest Through the Trees

·         Writing Tips

·         Essay Evaluation Sheet

Please contact me to discuss your needs. Thank you!

Keywords: philosophical writing coach, humanities writing coach, social science writing coach, non-fiction writing coach

Philosophy at HBCUs

Phhilosophy programs at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)