Moral theories are theories….

..  theories try to explain observations / data ..

Moral theories attempt to tell us what it is for an action to be wrong, what it is for an action to be permissible, what it is for an action to be obligatory. They try to tell us what makes wrong actions wrong, and permissible actions permissible.. [essence; true definition]..

-        Focus on utilitarianism and Kantianism …

a list of actions that you think most people [around here] would think are obviously wrong:  precise, vivid and extreme examples are best! This should be a fairly uncontroversial list. L

?

… actions or character traits that you think most people would think are MP, MO, or otherwise good J

-        Rape -        Killing children -        Robbing with intent to kill -        Genocide -        Slavery -        Beastiality… -        Abusing the elderly -        Cheating in school.. on  test -        Discrimination .. -        Racism.. -        Stealing food from homeless people and throwing it in the garbage -        Punching your mother just because…you think  her face will look better punched.. -        Necrophilia.. -        Exploitation: child sex slavery.. -        Embezzlement -        Incest … -        Breaking rapists out of jail.. -        Grave robbing..

Love Donating to [good] charities..

a list of actions that you think most people [around here] would think are obviously wrong:  precise, vivid and extreme examples are best! This should be a fairly uncontroversial list. L	?	… actions or character traits that you think most people would think are MP, MO, or otherwise good J
-        Necrophilia -        Identity theft -        Rape .. -        Throwing babies off buildings.. -        Killing children.. -        Kicking a pregnant woman in the stomach -        Stealing from church to subsidize your own fun -        Selling meth to young children.. -        Spitting in someone’s face.. -        Holocaust… -        Slavery.. Middle Passage.. -        Trail of Tears -        Lynchings.. -        Racism.. -        Genocide -        Intentionally destroying families.. -        Selling people: human trafficking; sex slavery.. -        Burning people -        Shooting old people.. for fun	Suicide – Abortion

A reminder

A reminder from the syllabus:

. . weekly short writing assignments, often on the readings, usually due Monday at the time of class in hardcopy – no work will be accepted late -- and submitted to the Turnitin.com system, with a print out of your submission receipt attached the assignment (see above for the Course ID and password): 5 points each, 50 points total. ALL WORK MUST HAVE STUDENTS’ NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, CLASS, CLASS TIME AND A VERY CLEAR INDICATION OF WHAT THE ASSIGNMENT IS; POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED IF ANY OF THESE ARE MISSING.

Making some Lists for Wednesday

For Wednesday, in addition to reading RTD Ch. 1, "A Short Introduction to Moral Philosophy," please make a list of actions that you think most people would think are obviously wrong:  precise, vivid and extreme examples are best! This should be a fairly uncontroversial list.

Also, make a list of actions (or character traits) that you think most people would think are not wrong, morally permissible, morally obligatory, and/or otherwise good.

We will use these lists as data to develop and evaluate moral theories.

A New Assignment

An introductory ethics “survey” assignment. DUE Monday Feb 4, in class and via Turnitin.

This is an assignment to get you thinking about some of the issues we will discuss in this class. Since our class will focus on finding and evaluating arguments, I’d like you to start thinking about the reasons or premises that people give, or would give, in favor of various conclusions. Toward that end, please provide at least three to five reasons or responses to fill in these blanks below. Try to just reflect on your observations on what you’ve ever heard people say to answer these questions; you can also ask other people and/or search the internet if you’d like. We will use these lists of reasons as the basis for our discussions of these issues: we will try to figure out what reasons are good reasons, or part of sound arguments, and which would be part of unsound arguments, and so bad reasons.

Suppose someone said the following. How might they fill in these blanks, or what reasons might they give?

TOPIC: HOMOSEXUALITY

1. “Homosexuality is morally wrong because ____________________”

TOPIC: DRUGS

2. “It is wrong to use drugs, such as marijuana, because ____________________”
3. “It is not wrong to use drugs, such as marijuana, because ____________________”

TOPIC: ABORTION

4. “If a married woman who did not any (more) children became pregnant, could raise another child but does not want to, it would it be wrong for her to have an abortion because ____________________.”
5. “If a married woman who did not any (more) children became pregnant, could raise another child but does not want to, it would it be permissible for her to have an abortion because ____________________”

TOPIC: DEATH PENALTY

6. “The death penalty is (typically or always) wrong because ____________________”
7. “The death penalty is sometimes morally permissible because ____________________”

TOPIC: EATING MEAT

8.  “It is morally wrong to raise and kill animals, like chickens, pigs and cows, to eat them because __________________”
9. “It is not morally wrong to raise and kill animals to eat them because __________________”

Changed Dates

Note: I pushed some assignments back. RTD Ch 1 should now be read by Wednesday and EMP Ch 1, including a detailed summary and outline assignment, is due Monday, a week from today. See the Google course calendar, please!

Shifted Dates

Check the calendar for shifted assignment dates. Also, there is a link to EMP Ch. 1 for next Wednesday on the calendar (and also on the syllabus).

Please also read Vaughn, Ch 1 and 2 on reading philosophy and understanding arguments.

Day 1

If you missed Day 1 (or would like review), please read the METHODS section of this article, starting on the second page.

Survey says!

Journalism

Want to improve your writing, so you write more clearly and with greater organization and a straightforward style? Try a JOURNALISM class with Professor Ron Thomas! rthomas@morehouse.edu

Please contact him immediately for more information or to get in the class(es). He's sent Dr. Nobis some info that he can forward on to you as well.

Basic Newswriting - 44685 - HENG 258 - 01
Associated Term: Spring 2013
3.000 Credits
Class 10:00 am - 10:50 am MWF Brawley Hall 200 

Sports Reporting - 44686 - HENG 378 - 01
Associated Term: Spring 2013
Type Time Days Where Date Range Schedule Type Instructors
Class 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm MWF Brawley Hall 200 Jan 16, 2013 - May 10, 2013 Lecture Ronald F. Thomas (P)

Notes from Wednesday, First Day

Some sample, simple arguments from the past that we’ve made some progress on:

1.     “Slavery is not wrong. After all, slave owners benefit from slavery.”

2.     “Women shouldn’t be able to go to school since they are so emotional.”

3.     “It’s not wrong to eat animals because they are not rational.”

Tools:

What do you mean? –

ambiguity/lack of clarity with a word

AND/OR imprecision about quantity (some? All?)

Making arguments logically valid.

            Counterexamples

Application:

 

4.     “Slave owners benefit from slavery.”

5.     If someone benefits from an action, then that action is not wrong. F

6.     Therefore, slavery is not wrong.

7.      (All?) Women are so emotional (?). F

8.     If some activity is difficult for someone, then they shouldn’t have the chance to try it. ? F?

9.      “Women shouldn’t be able to go to school

10.  (All?) Animals are not rational.”

11.  If a being is not rational, then it’s not wrong to eat it. F

= All non rational beings are OK to eat.

12.   “It’s not wrong to eat animals.

First Assignments

The syllabus is here: http://philosophy302.blogspot.com/p/syllabus.html

Assignments will be posted in class, on the calendar http://philosophy302.blogspot.com/p/course-calendar.html, blog, and email list.

First reading and writing assignments:

For next Wednesday (1/23):

o   Rachels, The Right Thing to Do (RTD: Ch. 2, “Some Basic Points About Arguments,” available here for students who don’t yet have the books: http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/rachels-on-arguments.pdf

Handouts on Overview of Logic & Arguments

http://sites.google.com/site/nobisphilosophy/arguments.pdf

http://sites.google.com/site/nobisphilosophy/validargumentforms.pdf

· Overview of Basic Moral Evaluations: Morally Permissible, Obligatory, Impermissible/Wrong

o See pp. 3, 5-8; also discusses logic and moral theories: https://sites.google.com/site/ethicsandanimals/EthicsandAnimalsLecturesDiscussionQuestionsAssigments.pdf

For the next Friday (1/25):

o   Rachels, The Right Thing to Do: Ch.1 “A Short Introduction to Moral Philosophy,” available here for students don’t yet have the books: http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/rachels-intro-to-ethics.pdf 

Monday, 1/28:

Writing assignment: WITHOUT READING ANYTHING ABOUT THESE TOPICS – E.G., DO NOT SEARCH THE INTERNET – please write a short (2-3 page) essay that addresses one of these questions:

·         Is the death penalty wrong?

·         Is it morally wrong to eat meat (which is made of animals that have been raised and killed)?  

·         Is homosexuality wrong?

·         Is affirmative action wrong?

·         Is it wrong to use drugs, such as marijuana?

·         Suppose a married woman did not any more children but became pregnant. She could raise another child but does not want to. Would it be wrong for her to have an abortion?

·         Or another moral issue, with approval of the instructor.

Please discuss at least three arguments relevant to the issue.

Please write this essay on the basis of what you already know: again, please do not do any research for this paper (if you do, Turnitin might reveal that and you will be penalized!). This is an assignment to measure where you are at now. If you take it seriously and put in a good effort, your grade will reflect that. J

For Wednesday (1/30) Ch. 1, "What is Morality?" (Elements of Moral Philosophy, EMP):

Writing assignment 1: very detailed summary OR OUTLINE of this chapter, covering every section.