Instructor Interview
Below, Prof. Tamar Schapiro describes various aspects of how she taught 24.220 Moral Psychology in the spring semester of 2024.
OCW: What makes human agency particularly interesting as an organizing topic for this course?
Tamar Schapiro: In my opinion, human agency is interesting for several reasons. First, a deep question about human agency is whether free will and moral responsibility are compatible with (causal or theological) determinism. Second, many moral philosophers observe that morality is a distinctively human concern. This raises the question whether there is something about human agency, as contrasted with the agency of non-human animals, that makes it the proper object of moral concern. Third, some philosophers believe that understanding what human agency is can help us understand how to be agents in a full or ideal sense. They connect human agency with an ideal of being genuinely active, of truly leading one’s own life, or of being autonomous in some ideal sense. If students are interested in this ideal, they may benefit from thinking harder about what human agency involves.
OCW: Only in exceptional cases do you allow a student to write a paper on a topic other than one of the supplied prompts. What criteria would you apply when deciding whether or not to grant that permission?
Tamar Schapiro: As a necessary condition, the topic would have to address a clearly-defined problem that falls within the scope of the readings covered in the relevant section of the course.
OCW: In their work for this course, students are forbidden from using ChatGPT or any other generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools at any point. Can you tell us about the rationale for that policy?
Tamar Schapiro: I chose this policy in part on the recommendation of others in my department. I don’t object in principle to a more permissive policy, but I think it is difficult to determine the limits of such permissions. I don’t understand the technology well enough to be able to decide exactly which uses of ChatGPT would be acceptable. So for the sake of clarity, I chose a blanket prohibition. In general I believe that learning to write clearly amounts to learning to think clearly, so I prefer to encourage my students to write clearly on their own.
Assessment
Grade Breakdown
Students’ grades were based on the following activities:
- 25% Participation
- 25% First writing assignment
- 25% Second writing assignment
- 25% Third writing assignment
Curriculum Information
Prerequisites
Students who are not majoring, minoring, or concentrating in philosophy but wish to take the course should seek instructor permission.
Requirements Satisfied
24.220 can be applied toward an undergraduate major, minor, or concentration in philosophy, but is not required.
Offered
Most years
Student Information
Enrollment
10 students
Breakdown by Year
Mostly second- and third-year undergraduates.
Breakdown by Major
Primarily philosophy majors and concentrators.
Typical Student Background
All the students had taken philosophy classes but few, if any, had taken classes on agency.
How Student Time Was Spent
During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:
In Class
Met 2 times per week for 1.5 hour per session; 26 sessions total; mandatory attendance.
Out of Class
Outside of class, students completed assigned readings and worked on the three written assignments.
