“The ultimate
measure of a man is not where he stands in moments
of comfort and convenience,
but where
he stands at
times of challenge and controversy.”
- Martin Luther
King Jr.,‘48
*****
Syllabus
Introduction
to Philosophical Ethics, PHI 302
Spring 2012
Note:
Students
are responsible for understanding
all the information and policies presented
in this syllabus. Students
will be referred to it if they
have questions that are
answered here. A syllabus is not a
contract
and can be revised, if needed, to
promote learning and other educational
goals.
Telephone: 404-215-2607
Office: Sale Hall 113, Philosophy & Religion Department
Office Hours: 11-12 MWF and 2-4 M, occasionally 2-4 W and F and by
appointment: please email!
Department of Philosophy and
Religion: Mission
and Objectives:
The two-fold objective of this Department is to
prepare students for graduate or professional study in the fields of philosophy
and religious studies and to enable them to satisfy the College requirements in
the general education program. The courses in philosophy and religion seek to provide the student not
only with a firm base in these two academic disciplines, but also with a means
for self-examination and self-orientation. The work in philosophy aims to
develop a critical and analytical approach to all the major areas of human
inquiry. The work in religion aims to describe, analyze and evaluate the
role of religion in the life of humans since earliest times and how the
religious quest continues as a variegated and often tortuous climb toward human
growth and fulfillment.
1. CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION: Provides an introduction to
philosophical reflection about the nature and function
of morality. Readings will include both historical
and contemporary materials.
EXTENDED
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course provides students with the opportunity to
improve their skills at reasoning critically
about moral issues. Students
will learn some basic logical concepts
and argument
analysis skills and apply them to theoretical and practical
questions about
morality. We will practice identifying
clear (i.e., unambiguous) and precise moral conclusions (i.e., exact perspectives
taken on moral issues) and the premises, or 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 morally permissible and a morally
impermissible (or wrong) action?’
and ‘What makes wrong actions wrong and what
makes permissible actions permissible?’
– and apply our argument analysis
skills to moral issues such as the treatment of
disabled newborns, female genital mutilation,
homosexuality, abortion, absolute
poverty, racism, sexism, and speciesism, vegetarianism and the
treatment of animals, euthanasia
and assisted suicide, drug use, and
capital punishment, among others.
2. COURSE
PREREQUISITES: There are no formal
prerequisites for this course. However, students will benefit
most from the
course when they enter it with the
abilities to:
a.
read critically
and identify the
structure
and components of an argumentative
essay or passage, i.e., the
conclusion(s), the premises(s) or
supporting elements, and so forth;
b.
write clear, concise and simple grammatical, spelling-error-free sentences
and well-organized expository and
argumentative
essays, as taught in Introductory English courses;
c.
speak clearly, concisely, and grammatically.
·
Basic mathematical
and scientific literacy is desirable.
·
Familiarity
with moral issues, common positions taken
on them and reasons given in favor
of these positions
is desirable, since we will build on any previous understanding.
·
Intellectual
and moral virtues, such as curiosity, patience,
and openness to the possibility
of error and the need for change,
are desirable as well.
3. COURSE
OBJECTIVES: Upon successfully completing
this course, students
will be able to use the set
of argument analysis skills below to
identify and evaluate moral arguments:
a.
identify
whether any presentation (“text”) is
“morally argumentative” or not,
i.e., whether it presents
an argument for a moral conclusion
on a moral issue or not;
b.
identify
conclusions of morally argumentative presentations, evaluate
these conclusions for clarity and precision, and (if needed) reconstruct /
restate
the conclusion in clear and precise terms;
c.
identify
stated
premises or reasons in morally argumentative presentations, evaluate
these conclusions for clarity and precision, and (if needed) reconstruct /
restate
these premises in clear and precise terms;
d.
identify
(if needed) unstated premises in argumentative presentations that are logically essential
to the
structure
of an argument and state them as part
of the argument
in clear and precise terms;
e.
identify
and distinguish factual/empirical/scientific
and moral/philosophical premises in moral arguments;
f.
evaluate
moral arguments as (1) logically
valid or invalid (or
otherwise logically cogent) and (2) sound or unsound (or otherwise
strong);
g.
identify
and explain reasons given to think an argument
is sound, reasons to think it
is unsound (often using counterexamples
to general moral premises), and
responses to these
reasons.
Students will be able to
accurately explain historically influential
moral theories and common arguments against
them, in light
of their implications, explanatory
power and theoretical virtues
and vices.
Students will be able to
accurately explain (in essays and
oral presentations)
the most
common arguments given on a number
of controversial moral issues, from
a variety of perspectives, and criticisms
of these arguments.
This content is indicated in green below.
4. REQUIRED
MATERIALS, which must always be brought
to class: students
without course materials may be asked to leave and counted absent for that day.
- James and Stuart Rachels, The Elements
of Moral Philosophy (McGraw Hill Publishing) (Any edition).
- James and Stuart Rachels, eds. The Right Thing to
Do, (McGraw Hill Publishing) 4th
Ed. (Any edition will do, but students are responsible for getting copies of any readings in the current
edition not found in prior editions).
- Additional
materials will be posted online and/or handed out in class.
5. ASSIGNMENTS &
GRADING:
- 12 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: 5 points each, 60 points total.
- 3
Quizzes: In class. 20 points
each, 60 points total.
- 3
Argumentative
essays (approx 5 pages): 20
points each, 60 points total.
- Attendance
and participation is required.
Each unexcused absence after 4 will result in a 2 point reduction from
students overall grade. Unexcused tardiness will result in 1 point
reduction.
No work will be accepted late except with a written,
college-approved excuse.
Final grades will be determined by the quantity and
quality of work done only: students who need a certain grade should work to
ensure that they earn that grade.
Plagiarism and cheating is not allowed and will be severely penalized by either a
zero on an assignment (and no chance for making up that assignment) or failing
the course. Do not consult any outside sources for any assignments or examine
the work of any other students – current or past students – unless directed to
do so by the instructor.
6. ATTENDANCE REGULATIONS
AND CLASS POLICIES.
Class
attendance is required for all Morehouse College courses. Each
student is allowed four absences in this course. In addition, two
late-arrivals will count as one absence. Students who are late are responsible for informing the instructor at the
end of the class period that they are present, otherwise they may be recorded
as absent. Excuses for absences
should be submitted no later than two weeks from occurrence.
Students who accumulate more than four officially unexcused absences may have
their course grade lowered by two points for each absence. Daily attendance will be recorded. Each student should keep a record of his or
her absences. Students who miss exams or quizzes due to unexcused absences will not be allowed to make them
up. Students who fail to submit the
essays on the due date, without official excuse, may be penalized. Students who take a trip that is officially
sponsored (and therefore excused) by the College must inform the instructor
prior to the trip to discuss how their class work can be made up. Students
should make a point of informing the instructor of any required special
accommodation.
First assignments:
For next Wednesday (1/18), after MLK day:
Handouts
on Overview of Logic & Arguments
·
Overview of Basic Moral Evaluations:
Morally Permissible, Obligatory,
Impermissible/Wrong
For the next Monday (1/23):
For Wednesday (1/25) Ch. 1, "What is
Morality?" (Elements of Moral Philosophy, EMP):
Writing
assignment 1: very detailed summary of this chapter, covering every section.
Due 1/25.
Order of Readings
(however, we will not discuss all
these readings below); exact dates and assignments will be announced in class
and online:
3.
Ch. 1,
"What is Morality?" (Elements)
4.
"The New
Eugenics," Matt Ridley (RTD, #36) [This goes with the
bioethics theme
of ch. 1.]
5.
Ch. 2, "The Challenge of Cultural
Relativism" (Elements)
7.
"Monogamy: A
Critique," John McMurtry (RTD, #28) [This goes with
the brief discussion of polyamory on
pp. 29-30 of Elements; the readings below also concern sexual ethics.]
8.
"Our Sexual
Ethics," Bertrand Russell (RTD, #29)
9.
"Alcohol and
Rape," Nicholas Dixon (RTD, #30)
10.
Ch. 3, "Subjectivism
in Ethics" (Elements)
11.
"The Subjectivity of
Values," J. L. Mackie (RTD, #6) [This defends a version of Ethical Subjectivism.]
13.
"Is
Homosexuality Unnatural?" Burton
M. Leiser (RTD, #27) [This is an expanded version of the
argument given on pp. 44-45 of
Elements.]
14.
Ch. 4, "Does Morality
Depend on Religion?" (Elements)
16.
"On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion
/ Postscript
on Infanticide," Mary Anne
Warren (RTD, #13)
17.
"Why Abortion Is Immoral," Don Marquis (RTD, #11) [One
aspect of the
abortion debate
is discussed on pp. 57-61 of Elements.]
18.
"A Defense
of Abortion," Judith Jarvis Thomson (RTD, #12)
19.
Ch. 5, "Ethical
Egoism" (Elements)
20.
"9/11 and Starvation,"
Mylan Engel, Jr. (RTD, #17) [Poverty
is discussed on pp. 62-63 of Elements.]
21.
"The Singer
Solution to
World Poverty," Peter Singer (RTD, #18)
- Nathan
Nobis, entry on “Peter Singer,” in Encyclopedia
of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy, J. Baird Callicott and
Robert Frodeman, eds., Macmillan Reference, 2008: http://aphilosopher.googlepages.com/singer-encyclopedia.pdf
- Peter
Singer, “One Atmosphere,” from his One
World: The Ethics of Globalization (Yale University
Press, 2002)
- Carr, Edward R. “Sustainable Development” For the Encyclopedia of Environmental
Ethics and Philosophy, Vol 2, J. Baird Callicott and Robert Frodeman,
eds. Macmillan Reference USA: 295-298, 2008. http://goo.gl/IWXE0
There are many
more resources on sustainability and sustainable development, justice and
energy consumption, justice and pollution and related topics.
|
22.
"Is Racial
Discrimination Arbitrary?" Peter
Singer (RTD, #32) [This essay asks whether
"The Principle of Equal Treatment" (as we call it
on p. 77 of Elements) applies to three
difficult test cases.]
23.
Ch. 6, "The Idea of a Social Contract"
(Elements)
24.
"Letter from
the Birmingham City Jail," Martin
Luther King, Jr. (RTD, #31) [King's
letter
is quoted on pp. 90-91 of Elements.]
25.
"In Defense
of Quotas," James Rachels (RTD,
#33) [This reading goes with King's
"Letter
from the Birmingham City Jail." In King's day, America was so
racist that preferential
quotas were justified. Are they
justified today?]
26.
Ch. 7, "The Utilitarian Approach" (Elements)
27.
"Utilitarianism,"
John Stuart
Mill (RTD, #3)
29.
"The Morality of Euthanasia,"
James Rachels (RTD, #34) [Euthanasia
is discussed on pp. 98-101 of Elements.]
30.
"Assisted Suicide: Pro-Choice or Anti-Life?"
Richard Doerflinger (RTD, #35) [Assisted
suicide is different from euthanasia, but
the topics
are similar.]
31.
"America's Unjust Drug War," Michael Huemer (RTD, #26)
[Marijuana is discussed on pp. 101-104 of Elements.]
32.
"All Animals
Are Equal," Peter Singer (RTD,
#14) [The treatment of animals is discussed on pp. 104-108 of Elements.]
33.
"Torturing Puppies and Eating
Meat: It's
All in Good Taste," Alastair Norcross (RTD, #15)
34.
"Do Animals
Have Rights?" Tibor R. Machan
(RTD, #16)
|
There are many more resources on animal agriculture
and sustainability, energy consumption, global warming, pollution and related
topics.
|
36.
Ch. 8, "The Debate
over Utilitarianism"
(Elements)
37.
"Utilitarianism
and Integrity,"
Bernard Williams (RTD, #4) [This selection
presents Williams' most famous objection
to Utilitarianism.]
38.
"The
Experience Machine," Robert
Nozick (RTD, #5) [This selection
presents Nozick's most famous objection
to Hedonist
Utilitarianism.]
39.
Ch. 9, "Are There Absolute
Moral Rules?" (Elements)
40.
"The Categorical Imperative,"
Immanuel Kant (RTD, #7) [The Categorical Imperative
is discussed on pp. 127-129 of Elements.]
41.
"The Ethics of War and Peace," Douglas P. Lackey
(RTD, #19) [The Allies' conduct of the Second World War is discussed on pp. 124-126 of
Elements.]
42.
"Fifty Years after
Hiroshima," John Rawls (RTD, #20) [The
bombing of Hiroshima
is discussed on pp. 124-126 of Elements.]
43.
"What Is Wrong with
Terrorism?" Thomas Nagel (RTD, #21) [The readings on war and terrorism go together. Also, Nagel implies that the
prohibition on aiming at the death of a harmless person is an absolute moral rule.]
44.
"The War on
Terrorism and the End of Human Rights," David Luban (RTD, #22) [This continues the
themes of war and terrorism.]
45.
"Liberalism,
Torture, and the
Ticking Bomb," David Luban (RTD, #23) [One may ask: is the prohibition
on torture
an absolute moral rule?]
46.
Ch. 10, "Kant
and Respect for Persons"
(Elements)
47.
"A Defense
of the Death
Penalty," Louis P. Pojman (RTD,
#24) [Punishment is discussed on pp.
139-145 of Elements. We discuss the death
penalty specifically on p. 143.]
48.
"Why the United States Will Join the Rest
of the World in Abandoning Capital Punishment,"
Stephen B. Bright (RTD, #25)
49.
Ch. 11, "Feminism and the
Ethics of Care" (Elements)
50.
"Caring Relations and Principles of Justice,"
Virginia Held (RTD, #10) [See pp. 152-157 of Elements.]
51.
Ch. 12, "The Ethics
of Virtue" (Elements)
52.
"The Virtues," Aristotle (RTD, #8)
53.
"Master Morality
and Slave Morality," Friedrich
Nietzsche (RTD, #9) [Nietzsche glorifies the
virtues of "master morality"
and ridicules the vices of
"slave morality."]
54. Ch. 13,
"What Would a Satisfactory
Moral Theory Be Like?" (Elements)
