Ethics in Historical and Contemporary Perspective

Ethics in Historical and Contemporary Perspective

PHIL 2030-02; CRN 81077

Fall, 2015

University Center, U-265

TR 2:10 – 3:25pm

Dr. Benjamin Buckley

Lecturer of Philosophy

Office: Arts & Sciences 105-J

Office Hours: MTWR 10:30am – 12:00

E-mail:

Introduction: You probably feel like you have a firm grip on what’s right and what’s wrong. And, you’ve probably noticed that other people have just as firm a sense, and yet have the opposite views from you on at least some things. Are you right, and they’re wrong? Is everyone “right” in some sense? Is there anything all humans have in common with respect to morality – some set of morals that applies to us all? There are other questions humans have about morality: What’s the point of being moral – to make others happy? To make ourselves happier? To obey moral laws? And what do we do with difficult cases, where both options seem moral – or immoral? This course will investigate philosophical theories about ethics throughout history, to see what some of the great thinkers have said about these issues, and help students come to their own answers about them. We will also apply these theories to specific cases, to see if our theoretical studies can help direct us through difficult modern issues.

Philosophy is different from many other disciplines, because we are not studying philosophers simply to understand (and be able to repeat back on a test) what they say. Philosophy is a conversation over the centuries. Our philosophers will disagree with each other, and you are not only allowed, but expected to disagree with them. The idea is to join the conversation, being able to back up your own opinions with philosophical reasons of your own.

Course Learning Outcomes:

(1) To familiarize students with the theory & history of ethics, and with analyses of contemporary ethical issues.

We will both read, and respond to, philosophers from the ancient Greek days to the 20th century, and analyze their ethical arguments carefully.

(2) To enhance communication skills, oral and written.

You will be doing a fair amount of writing in this course. There will be weekly reading-response assignments (“interesting things”) and written exams. We will also have frequent discussions, both within smaller groups, and as a class as a whole, giving you a chance to practice explaining to others what you believe and why.

(3) To teach analysis of complex concepts, ideas, definitions, and arguments.

There is much about philosophy that is, essentially, applied critical thinking – in this case, we’re practicing argument analysis and creating our own arguments, by thinking carefully and clearly about ethical issues, and responding to other’s arguments on the same topic.

General education outcomes: The following link provides the Clayton State University Core Curriculum outcomes (see Area C):

Catalog Description: An examination of the central questions of moral philosophy through the reading and discussion of representative texts of major philosophers and the application of moral reasoning to contemporary ethical issues and problems in fields such as communications, medicine, business and the environment. Topics addressed include the meaning of "good" and "bad," right conduct, happiness and well-being, moral character and justice.

Text: Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues, 5th edition, Cahn and Markie, Oxford University Press

This class works very closely with the textbook. We will read, carefully analyze, and respond to over a dozen different philosophical essays, all of which can be found in this text. A schedule of readings can be found below.

Evaluation: Grading:

Interesting Things / 20% / A / 90 - 100%
Exam 1 / 25% / B / 80 – 89.5%
Exam 2 / 25% / C / 70 – 79.5%
Final Exam / 30% / D / 60 – 69.5%
TOTAL / 100% / F / below 60%

Requirements Explained:

1.Interesting Things: This is both a written assignment and a classroom discussion assignment. You should read each essay closely, and more than once, taking careful notes as you do. In addition to taking notes, you should keep your eye out for particular passages that interest you. Collect three or four of these passages and write them down. For each of them, write a full paragraph explaining why it interests you. Do you agree? Disagree? Why? (Especially go into the “why”). The idea is not only to understand the reading, but to engage with it. Bring your IT to class, where we will share your interesting things with each other. Because group discussion is part of the assignment, no late assignments are accepted; however, the two lowest scores will be dropped.

2. Exams 1 and 2: Both exams will be equally weighted, and will each cover three or four philosophers. The exams will be true and false, multiple choice, and short answer. They will be taken on-line. For the exams, you need to understand, thoroughly, all of the essays we have read in class, and be able to prove that understanding. You also need to be able to apply their theories and criticize them.

3. Final Exam: While the first 2/3rds of the course will be studying theoretical ethics, the last third will focus on applying them to particular issues, such as euthanasia, and our ethical duty to charity. We will thus read modern essays tackling these issues from a variety of perspectives, and link the issues back up with the theory studied throughout the semester. The final exam will also be true and false, multiple choice, and short answer. However, it will be more heavily weighted toward short answer. You need to understand the arguments being made for both sides, be able to take a stand on the applied ethics theories, and be able to apply philosophers from the entire semester to the issues we’ll tackle at the end.

University Services

• Disability Services: Individuals with disabilities who need to request accommodations should contact the Disability Services Coordinator, Student Center 255, 678-466-5445, .
• Writer’s Studio: The Writer’s Studio offers free 30 minute tutoring sessions to all students to assist with writing skills. Located in the Arts and Sciences building, Room 224. Drop-ins welcome if they have a free tutor, or you can make an appointment. 678-466-4728, or book on-line:
• Center for Academic Success: Clayton State offers free, one-on-one tutoring to students of all subjects. Call the CAS at 678-466-4070, or schedule an appointment on-line:
• Course Discussion List:

Course Prerequisites and Co-requisites: ENGL 1102 with a minimum US grade of C; or ENGL 102 with a minimum UG grade of C; or ENGL 112 with a minimum UG grade of C.

Computer Requirement: Each CSU student is required to have ready access throughout the semester to a notebook computer that meets faculty-approved hardware and software requirements for the student's academic program. Students will sign a statement attesting to such access. For further information on CSU's Official Notebook Computer Policy, please go to

Computer Skill Prerequisites:

• Able to use the WindowsTM operating system
• Able to use Microsoft WordTM word processing
• Able to send and receive e-mail using OutlookTM or Outlook ExpressTM
• Able to attach and retrieve attached files via email
• Able to use a Web browser

In-class Use of Student Notebook Computers: Student computers will not be used in the classroom in this course. Computers will be required to access course materials, communicate with your instructor, and participate in classroom research activities.

Mid-term Progress Report: The mid-term grade, which will reflect approximately 30% of the points possible in this course, will be issued by October 6th. Based on this grade, students may choose to withdraw from the course and receive a grade of "W." Students pursuing this option must fill out an official withdrawal form, available in the Office of the Registrar, by October 9th.

General Policy: Students must abide by policies in the Clayton State University Student Handbook, and the Basic Undergraduate Student Responsibilities.

University Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend and participate in every class meeting. Instructors establish specific policies relating to absences in their courses and communicate these policies to the students through the course syllabi. Individual instructors, based upon the nature of the course, determine what effect excused and unexcused absences have in determining grades and upon students’ ability to remain enrolled in their courses. The university reserves the right to determine that excessive absences, whether justified or not, are sufficient cause for institutional withdrawals or failing grades.

Course Attendance Policy: Attendance is expected for all class periods. If you miss a class, you are still responsible for material covered in that class, including any new deadlines or assignments. For this reason, if you are absent, contact your instructor to find out what you missed. There are in-class assignments that cannot be made up if the student is absent; thus, attendance is highly recommended.

Disruption of the Learning Environment: Behavior which disrupts the teaching–learning process during class activities will not be tolerated. While a variety of behaviors can be disruptive in a classroom setting, more serious examples include belligerent, abusive, profane, and/or threatening behavior. A student who fails to respond to reasonable faculty direction regarding classroom behavior and/or behavior while participating in classroom activities may be dismissed from class. A student who is dismissed is entitled to due process and will be afforded such rights as soon as possible following dismissal. If found in violation, a student may be administratively withdrawn and may receive a grade of WF. A more detailed description of examples of disruptive behavior and appeal procedures is provided at:

Academic Dishonesty: Any type of activity that is considered dishonest by reasonable standards may constitute academic misconduct. The most common forms of academic misconduct are cheating and plagiarism. Plagiarism occurs when you use someone else’s words or ideas in your presentation or writing without giving that person credit. Even paraphrase is plagiarism if you do not properly cite your source.All instances of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of zero for the work involved, and will be reported to the Office of Community Standards. Judicial procedures are described at:

Missed Work: Without an excuse, missed work cannot be submitted. An excuse for missed work must be accompanied with documentation from a doctor or other competent authority that explains why the student was unable to submit the assignment on time. With a valid excuse:

• Exams must be made up within four calendar days of the original test. The make-up test will be different from, and may be more difficult than, the test administered on test day.

• Interesting Things cannot be made up, regardless of excuse. There are more I.T.s assigned than are needed to receive full credit for the assignment, however.

Other Policies: The use of laptops and cell phones within class is forbidden. Students are expected to come to class prepared, attentive, and participating only in the business of the class – no homework from other classes, e-mail, or other distracting behavior will be permitted.Students should not come to class late, and should not leave during class, unless an unavoidable situation arises. Leaving during group-work could result in getting no credit for that day’s group-work.

Readings and Important Dates Note: this is a tentative schedule. Changes will be announced as they occur.

Week / Readings / Dates to Remember
Week 1
August 17 / Introduction to Philosophy and to Ethics
Week 2
August 24 / Plato, Crito,pp. 33 – 42
Week 3
August 31 / Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book I; pp. 124 – 140 (Books I and II – we are not reading all of this selection)
Week 4
September 7 / Aristotle, continued / MONDAY: Labor Day, campus closed.
Week 5
September 14 / David Hume, “A Treatise of Human Nature,” pp. 276 – 287
Week 6
September 21 / Tuesday: Exam review
Thursday: Exam I, on Plato, Aristotle, and Hume / Exam 1, Thursday
Week 7
September 28 / Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, pp. 316 – 334 (Chapter One and most of Chapter Two)
Week 8
October 5 / Kant continued / October 9th: last day to withdraw from a class with a “W”
Week 9
October 12 / Tuesday: No Classes
Thursday: : J. S. Mill, Utilitarianism, 362-375 (Chapters I and II) / Fall Break, October 10 - 13
Week 10
October 19 / Mill Continued
Week 11
October 26 / Thomas Nagel, “Moral Luck,” pp. 803 – 811
Week 12
November 2 / Tuesday: Exam Review
Thursday: Exam II on Kant, Mill, and Nagel / Exam II, Thursday
Week 13
November 9 / James Rachels, “Active and Passive Euthanasia,” pp. 863 – 867 AND
Philippa Foot, “Killing and Letting Die,” pp. 867 – 873
Week 14
November 16 / Peter Singer, “Famine, Affluence, and Morality,” 873-881
AND John Arthur, “Famine Relief and the Ideal Moral Code,” 881-893
Week 15
November 23 / Tuesday: Famine relief continued
Thursday: No class / No classes, Nov. 25 - 27
Week 16
November 30 / Henry Shue, “Torture,” pp. 921 – 932 AND
Daniel J. Hill, “Ticking Bombs, Torture, and the Analogy with Self-Defense,” pp. 932 – 940
Finals
December 8 - 14 / Tuesday, December 8, 2:45 – 4:45pm, final exam. / Tuesday, December 8, 2:45 – 4:45,
FINAL