PHI 302: Introduction to Philosophical Ethics, Fall 2008
Note: students are responsible for understanding all the information and policies presented in this syllabus. Students will be referred to this document when their questions are answered here.
12 - 12:50, MWF, Sale Hall, Room 107: 48031 - HPHI 302G - 01; http://turnitin.thomson.com code: 2369929 Password = ethics
1 - 1:50, MWF, Sale Hall, Room 107; 44198 - HPHI 302G - 02; http://turnitin.thomson.com code: 2369927 Password = ethics
Instructor: Dr. Nathan Nobis (nathan.nobis@gmail.com)
Office: Philosophy & Religion Department, Sale Hall 113
Office Hours: 11-12; 1-1:30 MWF and by appointment (but please let him know if you want to meet)
Course blog: http://philosophy302.blogspot.com
Syllabus @ http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/302fall2008.pdf
Email announcement group: http://groups.google.com/group/philosophy302/
Catalogue Description: Provides an introduction to philosophical reflection about the nature and function of morality.
Extended Description: This course provides students with the opportunity to improve their skills at reasoning critically about moral issues. Students will learn some basic logic and critical thinking skills and apply them to theoretical and practical questions about morality. We will practice identifying precise and unambiguous moral conclusions (i.e., exact perspectives taken on moral issues) and the reasons given for and against these conclusions. We will then practice evaluating these reasons to see if they provide rational support for these conclusions or not. We will think about what helps people think more carefully and critically about moral issues and what factors and influences discourage this. We will discuss influential ethical theories and moral principles – answers to the questions ‘What’s the basic difference between a right and wrong action?’ and ‘What makes right actions right and wrong actions wrong?’ – and apply our critical thinking skills to moral issues such as female genital mutilation, homosexuality, abortion, famine and absolute poverty, racism, sexism, and speciesism, vegetarianism and the treatment of animals, euthanasia and assisted suicide, capital punishment, affirmative action, civil disobedience, and environmentalism, among others.
Required course materials: If you cannot get your own copies of these books and other materials, you cannot be in this class. If it will take you a while to get them, you need to be a “problem solver” and make photocopies of the relevant readings. Students who do not bring the required materials to class will be asked to leave due to inadequate preparation.
1. A pass-code for the Thompson Turnitin web-based anti-plagiarism system that you must purchase at the bookstore: http://turnitin.thomson.com/ The class code (2369929 or 2369927, for 12 & 1 PM classes) and password (ethics), which you will need to register your account, is above. If the bookstore runs out of these you need to ask them to order more so that you can submit your papers: your papers will be graded only if they are submitted through this system and submitted in class in hardcopy.
| Technical support: Unfortunately some of the pin codes for the Turnitin are invalid. If you find that your pin code is not registering properly (the password is ethics and the course codes are above), they should contact Thompson / Cencage learning. You should go to the following web site http://www.thomsonedu.com/support and choose to Chat and/or send an e-mail to amy.stanton@cengage.com and ashley.minton@thomson.com Buying a code online: Students can purchase codes online but the pin code will be shipped through the mail. Currently they do not offer Turnitin pin codes as an instant access pin code. If students want to purchase the pin code online they can go to: http://e-catalog.thomsonlearning.com/150l/ Enter the ISBN: 1-4130-3018-1 in the Search: Turnitin? User Guide 1-Semester Printed Access Card, 1st Edition
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2. James and Stuart Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 5th Ed. [EMP]
3. James and Stuart Rachels, eds. The Right Thing to Do, 4th Ed. [RTD]
4. Lewis Vaughn, Writing Philosophy: A Students Guide to Writing Philosophy Essays [WP].
· A small budget for printing a few articles from online to read and bring to class for discussion.
· A notebook for taking notes, since no computers or electronic devices are allowed (see below).
· A folder, to keep track of handouts, printed-out articles and other materials.
Responsibilities
To succeed in this class, you must be disciplined: are responsible to understand and meet the requirements outlined below and discussed in class:
- Attendance: Always come to class, as
- Punctuality: Come to class on time.
- After the add-drop period, no one will be admitted into class who is late. Tardiness is a disruption, so be on time.
- Assignments will be collected only at the beginning of class and at no other time, unless you have a documented, College-excused absence. Thus, no late work will be accepted.
- Preparation: Bring all your books, handouts and other materials – including materials that you must print off from the internet – and have them out on your desk and ready to discuss at the beginning of class.
- Students who do not bring their materials may be asked to leave, as they are not prepared for class.
- Doing the Reading: For every hour spent in class, spend at least two hours doing the reading and writing outlines, paraphrases &/or summaries of the readings (see Vaughn’s Writing Philosophy, Ch. 1).
- You must set aside adequate time and find a solitary, quiet, distraction-free environment (no/little noise and music with words, no access to the internet, etc.) to do your work.
- The reading assignments should be done before you come to class. Many of the readings are challenging and take time and effort to understand. They need to be read at least three times. See the chapters on reading philosophy from Writing Philosophy.
- To better comprehend the readings, you should first skim the article or chapter, then you should read more carefully, taking notes, making an outline, underlining and highlighting, etc. Doing this kind of work is necessary for an adequate understanding of any challenging material. Your books should show evidence that they have been read: underlining, highlighting, marks, etc. See Writing Philosophy on how to read philosophy.
- Preparation for engaged, production discussion, not passive lectures:
- You have excellent texts that are readable, you can learn a lot from, and learn even more from discussing; lecturing, if lecturing summarizes the reading, discourages you from getting the benefits from careful reading. Thus, again, you need to read to be prepared for class.
- We hope that our classroom discussions will go beyond what’s presented in the text: so you will gain a basic understanding of the issues, facts and arguments from the reading and then we will use class time to more deeply process and evaluate these arguments, consider new arguments and engage in other learning activities that you can’t get on your own. You can get these latter benefits only if you have carefully done the reading.
- For a critique of the educational value of lecturing see, “To Lecture or Not to Lecture, an Age-Old Question” at http://www.morehouse.edu/news/archives/001176.html
- Honesty: Any plagiarism or cheating on any assignment – including any extra credit assignments – will immediately result in failing the course: no exceptions, no excuses.
- “The Division of Humanities & Social Sciences at
- Cheating and plagiarism are forms of lying (to the instructor, the school, future teachers and employers, and yourself, among others), theft (of other people’s ideas and words), unfairness (to other students who do the work as they should) and are grounds for failing the course. If you submit a plagiarized paper (e.g., a paper you took in whole or in part from the internet or some other illegitimate source, such as a peer who has had this course before), the instructor (with the help of Turnitin.com) will notice this and you will then fail this course immediately. Although we will discuss this, it is your responsibility to know what plagiarism is.
- Here are some suggestions to avoid plagiarism: do not check the internet for anything related to your papers: instead use the texts required for the course and think for yourself; do not take phrases from the texts; put all of your writings in your own words; do not cut and paste anything from the internet into your paper; do not visit Wikipedia, an extremely unreliable source for academic philosophy; do not take articles from online encyclopedias; do not visit online dictionaries; use an acceptable citation method (e.g., MLA, APA, etc.), which you learned to do in Introductory English courses. If you would like additional sources to learn more about a topic, see the instructor. See Writing Philosophy, Ch. 6, for additional guidance on avoiding plagiarism.
- Basic Manners:
- No phone / PDA / I-pod / Sidekick / computer use is permitted after the first 5 minutes of class when students might type assignments into a device. If you use such a device in class, you will be asked to leave as such use is distracting, is disrespectful, and reveals a lack of participation and interest in classroom activities.
- Computers cannot be used in class, even for note-taking, because too many students are unable to resist surfing the internet, checking email, chatting, etc. If you attempt to use a computer, you will be asked to leave.
- No newspapers, magazines or work for other classes: if you wish to work on other classes and do not wish to participate in our class, you will be asked to leave.
- Any students who engage in disruptive and distracting behavior (e.g., non-class-related “private” chatting, etc.) will be asked to leave.
- Disability Services:
- For students who use the services above, it is the students’ responsibility to remind the instructor of any special assistance, testing arrangements, etc. before an exam, assignment, etc.
- “Help me help you”:
- The instructor should be informed of medical, family, or other problems that necessitate missing class or that interfere with your work. In addition, students are encouraged to visit with the instructor during his office hours if they are having difficulty reading or understanding the materials presented in class. If you ever have any questions about anything, please just ask!
Assignments and grading:
- A (tentative) schedule of readings is below and will be announced in class. See above and below for more about the importance of doing the reading, doing it well, and how to do it.
- “OPS” (Outline, Paraphrase, &/or Summarize) writing assignments:
· The absolute most important thing you can do to succeed in this class is to do the reading and do the reading well. To encourage you do to do, you will be required to write 1-3 page outlines, paraphrases &/or summaries of many of the readings or selections of them. Vaughn’s Writing Philosophy, Ch. 1 provides instruction on how to do this. What most important for these assignments is that you (a) identify the author’s main conclusions, and (b) explain the reasons he or she gives in favor of these conclusions and (c) explain whether these reasons are a valid and sound argument for that conclusion or not. Merely copying the writing’s Introduction by Rachels will result in a zero for the assignment, as will any other kind of plagiarism.
- (2 points each; 20 assignments; 40 points total; approx. 20% of grade)
- Five 4-6 page Essays (all except the first are argumentative essays, where a moral conclusion is defended, objections are responded to, etc.):
- All written work must be submitted both in hardcopy in class (I do not accept any papers by email) and through the Thompson Turnitin system: http://turnitin.thomson.com/ If the paper is not submitted through the Turnitin system, it will not be graded and so you will receive a zero. It must be submitted by classtime, and no late papers are accepted, so plan ahead.
- Papers must by typed and carefully written: put your name, email, the date, course # and time at the top of the first page; DO NOT USE A COVER PAGE. Give your paper a real title.
- Two peer reviews, and improvements based on those reviews, are required for each paper. The guidelines for that are here: http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/peerreview.rtf
- You should staple the two reviews of your paper to your final version of your paper. Each individual is responsible for showing that he (or she) got her paper reviewed.
- Papers will graded vigorously on the basis of:
- (1) Having an appropriate introduction, (2) having a clear thesis statement, (3) organization, (4) accuracy in explaining the arguments under discussion, (5) raising objections and responding to them, (6) writing for your intended audience, (7) grammar and spelling, (8) peer review participation, and (9) whether all aspects of the assignment have been addressed.
- You will have the opportunity to revise your papers, if you would like the opportunity to learn more and improve your writing abilities; you might also be required to take your paper to the Writing Lab (in Brawley 200) to work with their staff.
- If you revise a paper, it must be re-submitted in within two weeks of when you get the paper back from me.
- If you revise a paper, you must also write a 1 page statement where you explain – in detail – how you revised your paper and why it has improved. This assignment requires you to reflect on your revisions which should also improve your writing skills.
- You must also turn in your original paper, along with the revision.
- Your grade can improve if your paper improves in significant, profound ways; superficial changes will not result in an improved grade.
- No late papers will be accepted: you will have plenty of time to write the papers, so you need to make wise use of that time. (10 points each; 50 points total; approx. 30% of total grade)
- Three Exams:
- All of lecture, discussion and reading content is fair game. Study guides will be available online with possible questions for each exam to help focus your studying. Exams will mostly be short answer and short essay questions. (30 points each; 90 points total, 50% total grade).
- No electronic devices can be used or accessed during tests, nor can you have any books, bags, notes or hats near your desk: all such materials must be left at the front of the room. You are not permitted to leave the classroom and return to keep working on the test, so please plan accordingly (e.g., visit the restroom before the test).
- Extra Credit Opportunities:
- There will likely be events addressing ethical and/or philosophical issues that I’ll encourage you to attend and write up a 3 page detailed summary and reaction to for variable bonus points. These are due, in class, within one week of the event, and won’t be accepted past then. These events will only be announced by the email group.
- An extra credit book report assignment is here: http://philosophy302.blogspot.com/2007/03/extra-credit-book-report-option.html
Grading:
Fill in this sheet to determine your grade out of 180 possible points:
| Assignment: | Points Possible: | My points: |
| Paper 1 | 10 | |
| Paper 2 | 10 | |
| Paper 3 | 10 | |
| Paper 4 | 10 | |
| Paper 5 | 10 | |
| Exam 1 | 30 | |
| Exam 2 | 30 | |
| Exam 3 | 30 | |
| OPS Assignments | 40 | |
| Attendance | Variable –‘s | |
| Extra Credit, if avail. | Variable +’s | |
| | 180 | Grade = total points / 180; |
| Note: A syllabus is not a contract, but rather a guide to course procedures. The instructor reserves the right to alter the course requirements and/or assignments based on new materials, class discussions, or other legitimate pedagogical objectives. |
Philosophy 302 Course Outline
We have approx. 14 weeks and 38 class meetings. Will likely not get to all of this material, but we will do our best: we are mainly looking to improve our quality of understanding and ability to argue, so we might sacrifice the quantity of readings to get that.
First assignments:
- Get the books and needed materials.
- With the Turnitin card you purchased at the bookstore, set up your account online. If you do not do this on time, you might get a zero on your first paper.
- Sign up for the email announcement group here: http://groups.google.com/group/philosophy302/
First reading assignments
o For next Wednesday (9/3):
o Vaughn, Ch.1, “How To Read Philosophy”
o Vaughn, Ch.2, “How To Read An Argument”
o Rachels, RTD:
o
o For Friday (9/5):
o Rachels, RTD: Ch.1 “A Short Introduction to Moral Philosophy,” available here if you don’t yet have the books: http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/rachels-intro-to-ethics.pdf
o For Monday (9/8):
o Ch. 1, "What is Morality?" (EMP) OPS Writing Assignment on the arguments in favor of killing Teresa, separating the twins and killing Tracey (!!)
o For Wednesday (9/10):
o "Will Cloning Harm People?" Gregory E. Pence (RTD) OPS Writing Assignment
o Worksheet: http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/gregorypenceoncloning
o
o For Friday (9/12):
o "Utilitarianism," John Stuart Mill (RTD) OPS Writing Assignment
o The Categorical Imperative," Immanuel Kant (RTD) OPS Writing Assignment
Further reading and writing assignments, and their dates, will be announced in class, on blog, and email group!
Ch.2, "The Challenge of Cultural Relativism" (EMP) OPS Writing Assignment on the argument for CR from disagreement and Rachels response
Online: “What’s Culture Got to Do With It? Excising the Harmful Tradition of Female Circumcision” Harvard Law Review OPS Writing Assignment
http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/female_circumcision.pdf
Ch. 3, "Subjectivism in Ethics" (EMP) *** OPS Writing Assignment: arguments about homosexuality and Rachels response
"Is Homosexuality Unnatural?"
Worksheet: http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/homosexuality-arguments.pdf
Film: John Corvino, What’s Morally Wrong With Homosexuality? http://gaymoralist.com/
Feldman, "Abortion" http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/fred_feldman_on_abortion.pdf
Worksheet: http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/abortion-worksheet.pdf
Online: OPS Writing Assignment “The Moral and Legal Status of Abortion,” Mary Anne Warren http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/warren-on-abortion.pdf
OPS Writing Assignment "Why Abortion Is Immoral," Don Marquis (RTD)
OPS Writing Assignment "A Defense of Abortion," Judith Jarvis Thomson (RTD)
A Power Point of interest: http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/abortion-talk.ppt
Online: “Patterns of Resistance,” Tom Regan: addresses arguments from American history from religious and scientific sources in defense of slavery, against women’s rights, against homosexuality and other topics. http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/patterns-of-resistance.pdf OPS Writing Assignment - general summary
"9/11 and Starvation," Mylan Engel, Jr. (RTD) ***
OPS Writing Assignment "The Singer Solution to World Poverty," Peter Singer (RTD) ***
Worksheet: http://philosophy302.blogspot.com/2007/04/worksheet-on-objections-to-singer.html
A Power Point of interest: http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/famine.ppt
"Utilitarianism," John Stuart Mill (RTD)
"One Nurses Story," Newsweek http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/one_nurses_story.pdf
"The Morality of Euthanasia," James Rachels (RTD)
Online: “Active and Passive Euthanasia,” James Rachels http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/rachels-on-arguments.pdf
"Assisted Suicide: Pro-Choice or Anti-Life?" Richard Doerflinger (RTD)
OPS Writing Assignment "All Animals Are Equal," Peter Singer (RTD) ***
“Why We No Obligations to Animals,” Kant (handout)
"Do Animals Have Rights?" Tibor R. Machan (RTD 177- 178; 184 (skim the rest, if you want) ***
OPS Writing Assignment Online/handout: “Reasonable Humans and Animals,” John Simmons *** http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/veg.pdf
Worksheet: http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/argumentsagainstvegetarianism
"Utilitarianism and Integrity," Bernard Williams (RTD)
"The Experience Machine," Robert Nozick (RTD)
"The Immorality of SUVs and Trucks," Douglas Husak (RTD)
"The Categorical Imperative," Immanuel Kant (RTD)
"The Ethics of War and Peace," Douglas P. Lackey (RTD)
"
Ch. 9, "Kant and Respect for Persons" (EMP)
OPS Writing Assignment "In Defense of the Death Penalty," Ernest van den Haag (RTD) ***
OPS Writing Assignment "The Case against the Death Penalty," Hugo A. Bedau (RTD) ***
Ch. 10, "The Idea of a Social Contract" (EMP)
"The Social Contract," Thomas Hobbes (RTD)
"Letter from the Birmingham City Jail," Martin Luther King, Jr. (RTD) *** OPS Writing Assignment
OPS Writing Assignment "Is Racial Discrimination Arbitrary?" Peter Singer (RTD) ***
OPS Writing Assignment "In Defense of Quotas," James Rachels (RTD) ***
"The Feminist Revelation," Christina Hoff Sommers (RTD)
"The Virtues," Aristotle (RTD)
"Preserving the Environment," Thomas E. Hill, Jr. (RTD) ***
