Download ETHICS, SOCIETY AND CHOICES Fall 2015 PHIL 120 Heckman

ETHICS, SOCIETY AND CHOICES
Fall 2015
PHIL 120
Heckman, Fall 2015
TTH 9:20-10:30
Mossman 101
Office: Christy Lower Level
Office Hours: MWF 10:11:00, TTH 2:00-3:00
Email: [email protected]
Course Description
In this course students will develop an understanding of some of the primary moral theories of
the western tradition and reflect on the ways these theories may or may not help sort out some of
the difficult moral issues that are prominent in contemporary society. Students will develop their
skills in critical thinking and ethical reasoning as they strengthen their ability to analyze,
evaluate and construct arguments having to do with topics in ethics. Students will enhance their
writing skills as they articulate a specific position on a specific ethical issue.
Text
Doing Ethics, ed. Lewis Vaughn, Third Edition, W.W. Norton & Company, 2008, New York
Course Objectives and Student Outcomes
By the end of this course, successful students will be able to:
1) Demonstrate a familiarity with some moral theories of the western tradition and an
understanding of some specific contemporary ethical issues.
2) Demonstrate in writing the capacity to analyze, evaluate and construct arguments concerning
ethical issues.
3) Demonstrate in writing the ability to critique a specific author’s position regarding an ethical
issue.
4) Coherently articulate their own perspective on a contemporary social issue.
Course Assessment
You must complete all of the assignments to pass the course. Late papers will be penalized. I
will provide handouts for the paper assignments. If you do not show up for an exam, you will
lose those points. There are no make-up exams. If you have a medical excuse, I will require
documentation.
Exam over Moral Theories
Short Paper, A Response to an Author
Second Exam
Long Paper, Taking a Position
Final Exam
(100 points)
(100 points)
(100 points)
(100 points)
(100 points)
500 points
A (470-500), A- (450-469), B+ (440-449), B (420-439), B- (400-419), C+ (390-399), C (370389), C- (350-369), D+ (340-349), D (320-339), D- (300-319), F (299 and lower)
Course Schedule
Tuesday, August 18
Introduction
Thursday, August 20
Elements of Ethics (pp. 6-8)
Religion and Morality (pp. 9-13)
Euthyphro, Plato (pp. 16-19)
Tuesday, August 25
Subjectivism, Relativism, and Emotivism (pp. 22-33)
Trying Out One’s New Sword, Midgley (pp. 37-40)
Thursday, August 27
Evaluating Moral Arguments (pp. 43-58)
Tuesday, September 1
Avoiding Bad Arguments (pp. 58-64)
Thursday, September 3
Consequentialist Theories (pp. 78-95
Tuesday, September 8
Utilitarianism, Mill (pp. 96-101)
Thursday, September 10
Nonconsequentialist Theories (pp. 102-109)
Tuesday, September 15
Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant (pp. 116-124)
Thursday, September 17
Natural Law Theory (pp. 109-115)
Summa Theologica, Aquinas (pp. 125-135)
Tuesday, September 22
Virtue Ethics (pp. 136-143)
Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle (pp. 144-152)
Thursday, September 24
On Justice, Rawls (pp. 688-694
Tuesday, September 29
Exam over Moral Theories
Thursday, October 1
Capital Punishment (pp. 353-355)
The Ultimate Punishment, Van Den Haag (pp. 363-367)
Justice, Civilization, and the Death Penalty, Reiman (pp. 368-373)
Tuesday, October 6
A Life for a Life, Primoratz (pp. 374-380)
Against the Death Penalty, Bedau (pp. 380-385)
Thursday, October 8
What do Murderers Deserve?, Gelernter (pp. 385-389)
In Defense of the Death Penalty, Pojman (pp. 389-397)
Tuesday, October 13
Capital Punishment, Amsterdam (pp. 399-406)
Thursday, October 15
Short Paper Due, A Response to an Author
Tuesday, October 20
Plain Sex, Goldman (pp. 416-424)
Thursday, October 22
Sexual Morality, Scruton (pp. 424-431)
Tuesday, October 27 No Class: Fall Break
Thursday, October 29
All Animals are Equal, Singer (pp. 553-562)
Tuesday, November 3
Second Exam
Thursday, November 5
Difficulties with the Strong Rights Position, Warren (pp. 570-576)
Drawing Lines, Rachels (pp. 576-584)
Tuesday, November 10
The Wisdom of Repugnance, Kass (pp. 255-271)
Thursday, November 12
Cloning Human Beings, Brock (pp. 272-282)
Thursday, November 19
Long Paper Due, Taking a Position on an Issue
Tuesday, November 24
Against Realism, Walzer (pp. 622-632)
Thursday, November 26 No Class: Thanksgiving
Tuesday, December 1
The Case for Iraq War II, Leiser (pp. 633-639)
Iraqi War II: A Blatantly Unjust War, Sterba (pp. 640-641)
Thursday, December 3
People or Penguins, Baxter (pp. 497-500)
The Ethics of Respect for Nature, Taylor (pp. 501-515)
Final Exam: Tuesday, December 8 at 1:00
ACADEMIC HONESTY: As in all your classes, you are expected to abide by the Academic
Integrity policies outlined in the college catalog (p. 82). Plagiarism, presenting someone else’s
work as your own, and other forms of academic dishonesty will result in failure for the
assignment and may result in failure of the course.
DISABILITIES: Southwestern College seeks to maintain a supportive academic environment
for students with disabilities. To ensure their equal access to all educational programs, activities
and services, Federal law requires students with disabilities to notify the university, provide
documentation and request reasonable accommodations. Students in this course who have a
disability that might prevent them from fully demonstrating their academic abilities should
contact Steve Kramer, Disability Services Coordinator as soon as possible to initiate disability
verification and discuss accommodations. Steve Kramer’s office is located at the north end of
Christy Administration building on the lowest level. He can be reached at (620) 229-6307 or at
([email protected]). The web page for Disability Services can be found at
http://sckans.edu/student-services/1st-class/sc-access/.
ATTENDANCE: Please read the material before class and come to class ready to discuss it.
Please bring your textbook to the class. You are allowed to miss three classes during the
semester. After this, I will begin lowering your final grade one step for each class missed. Thus
if you receive an A for the course, but are absent four times, your grade would be A- for the
course. If you are absent five times, your grade would be B+, etc. Attending this class means
more than simply being physically present. Thus if you sleep through class, or busy yourself
with your cell phone, or do not participate in a small group when placed in one, I will count you
absent for that class.
CELL PHONES: Please turn off cell phones before entering class. If you forget, and your cell
phone rings during class, turn it off; don’t answer it. Texting during class is not allowed. Doing
homework in class will make you absent for that day.