PHI 2600 Course Syllabus
Ethics and Critical Thinking – CRN 15814
West Campus Building 2 Room 239 – Tuesday/Thursday 11:30 AM - 12:45PM
I. BASIC INFORMATION
Professor Travis Rodgers, PhD
Contact InformationOffice: 5-259
Phone: 407 582-1075
Email:
Twitter: @TrodgersUCF
*It is always best to see me in my office hours in person. Email is second best. Twitter is good for virtual hours. Phone is least good. / Office Hours
Monday/Wednesday: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Tuesday/Thursday: 10:30-11:30 AM, 1:30-2:30 PM
Virtual Hours via Atlas email: Friday, 8:30-11:30 AM
Required Textbooks
There are no required texts for this course. All course materials will be posted in Blackboard. You will sometimes be required to have these materials with you in class, either as a printed copy or an electronic copy.
II. COURSE INFORMATION
Common Course Number:PHI 2600
Course Title:Ethics & Critical Thinking
Contact Hour Breakdown:Cr: 3Contact: 3Lab: 0
Discipline:Philosophy
Prerequisites:ENC 1101 or ENC 1101H or IDH 1110
Corequisites:None
Catalog Description:Study of major theoretical principles on which claims to good life and moral action have been based, such as hedonism, utilitarianism and rationalism. Each theory illustrated by representative selections from works of great philosophers from classical period to 20th century. Gordon Rule course which requires demonstration of college level writing skills through multiple assignments. Minimum grade of C required if used to satisfy Gordon Rule requirement.
Course Description: We so often argue about whether things are good, bad, right, or wrong. Although we often have strong opinions on these matters, our own opinions are not always supported by good arguments. This course focuses on improving your critical thinking abilities and applying that critical thinking to your own views about ethics – good/bad, right/wrong. The goal is to produce better ethical reasoners.
Learning Outcomes
Define moral concepts.
Demonstrate college-level writing.
Identify key assumptions and implications of major moral theories and concepts.
Identify key assumptions and key arguments in the public debate surrounding contemporary moral issues.
Evaluate moral arguments in the public debate for coherence, consistency, and plausibility, using understanding of moral theories.
Construct moral arguments.
Reflect on the connection between moral perspectives and personal and civic responsibilities.
III. STUDENT SUCCESS INFORMATION
1. Grades
This course offers a total of 1,000 points.
Minimum Points900
800
700
500
No minimum / Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Assignment Type
10 Quizzes
Midterm
Final Exam (Non-Cumulative)
Four Sets of Discussion Posts (4 per set)
Critical Paper / Points Available
200
200
200
200
200
2. Discussion Posts Explained
You can skip all the posts and still pass the course as long as you dominate all other material. If you do the posts, you will do quite a few things that are to your advantage:
First, you will earn points for these posts. Students tend to love earning good grades.
Second, you will come to understand the material better as you try to put it in your own words.
Third, you will come to see other sides of an argument, as you read your classmates' work - as they will sometimes disagree with you and/or approach it from different directions.
Fourth, you will really be actively doing philosophy. Philosophy is really just a huge dialogue on these issues. You will become part of that dialogue.
Fifth, your views will be challenged, tested, and will emerge improved as long as you put in the work. No one has a perfect view of the world out of the womb. We have to work at it, and these posts are an opportunity for you to fine tune your own view of the world.
3. Three Post TYPES
a. The First Thought (15 points max)
Each week I want you to post something – your first thoughts when you look over the topic and readings for the week. Write a post (50-word minimum!). Include at the top “First Thoughts: [your name],” but put your name in the “your name” box. In that post tell me something that is 1) interesting and 2) reveals that you are looking at the material. You CAN read and do some of the material before posting a First Thoughts topic, but you need not. It does make it easier if you look at it a bit. Good First Thoughts do one of the following (I recommend including what SORT of First Thought it is to make it easier for others to comment on):
Tell me something that you are confused about with regard to the topic. But don't feign ignorance. That means, don't pretend that you don't know things just to try to earn full points on a First Thoughts post. For instance, don't say, “I never knew people argued about whether God exists! Crazy!” Rather, if you want to write about that topic, talk about an argument you have heard previously or confess that you're not very interested in the topic (and explain why). In doing this, be VERY respectful. We are going to talk about things that will upset some people, so let's do our best to avoid upsetting people.
Draw a (non-superficial) connection between the topic and our world today (e.g., is our democracy in the US better than it was when Rawls or Plato wrote about democracy? How do we know? What is our evidence?). Cite evidence and sources for a strong post.
Challenge something that your text says. No one is infallible. So if you think your book is wrong about something, let it be known. In order to make a compelling case, at least suggest a source that could disprove the book.
Sample First Thought Post
First Thoughts: Sammi Student
Connection
Louis Pojman argues that just because cultures disagree this does not mean that every culture is right (Pojman 7). I know it is sometimes frightening to judge other cultures because it sounds like we are being sexist or racist or something like that. But notice that we can judge our own culture negatively, too. The LA Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling recently argued that we should TRY to be racist – because that is the culture he comes from. It seems that if that IS the culture we live in, we should actually try to change it and not try to be racist.
Nota Bene! If your First Thought is not posted 24 hours before the end of that week, you may not receive Comments, so you may not be able to earn full credit for your Responses. If no one comments on your posts, you may find an interesting comment to respond to, but you will receive only partial credit for this Response post. If you post PRIOR to 24 hours before the deadline, I'll give you full credit if you write a Response to someone's Comment.
b. The Comment (10 points max – each)
Overview:
After you have posted a First Thoughts, read at least two of your classmates' First Thoughts. Find two that you can stand to comment on. Title these Comment on [student name]. Write a 50-word minimum comment that shows that you have read the post, that you are familiar with the class material the student wrote about, and then do one of the following:
Examples:
Ask for clarification about something specific the post has said. For instance, say, “What do you mean when you say that Aristotle is very sexist? What specifically about the argument is sexist?”
Challenge something your classmate has said. Be very polite when doing this. For instance, “Don't type, 'LOL! OMG! Like you are dum [sic] and all.'” Caution is a virtue. Say something like, “You mention that women had no rights in Ancient Greece, but on page 175, the book mentions that women could not be divorced without cause. That seems like a right.”
Offer a new or interesting connection that your classmate has not noticed. For instance, if the classmate draws a somewhat tenuous (not strong) connection between Aristotle's view of the good life and the Christian notion of virtue, you might suggest that Plato's view sounds more like the Christian view. After all, Aristotle says that there are times to be ecstatic—extremely happy, as well as times to be extremely low. It might be that Christianity shies away from those extreme highs and lows.
Comments are worth 10 points each.
Sample Comment Post
Waukeen the Web-Based Learner’s Comment on Sammi Student’s First Thoughts
Clarification
Sammi argues that we should sometimes try to change our culture rather than act in line with our culture’s values (Student, para. 1). I wonder how it is that we can tell when we should try to change the culture and when we should try to act in line with the culture. What sets the standard? In fact, this is one of the problems I have with philosophy: how do we find a good answer? There seem to be no right and wrong answers!
c. The Response (15 points max)
Overview: This is the pinnacle of your writing assignments this semester. They go directly toward satisfying the Gordon Rule portion of your grade in Gordon Rule courses. This means that your writing must do the following:
Have a clearly defined central idea or thesis.
Provide adequate support for that idea.
Be organized clearly and logically.
Show an awareness of the conventions of Standard Written English.
Be formatted and presented in the appropriate way.
In essence, you start from your First Thought, choose at least one Comment (I recommend going with ONLY one; otherwise you may have too much info to incorporate into a brief writing assignment) on your First Thought, and respond to that Comment. Title this Response [Your Name]. Your post should be about 100 words long, should now represent a well-developed thought, the kind of brief snippet you sometimes see experts in documentaries offer or sports/newscasters give when summarizing an interesting aspect of a story. If the Comment you're responding to challenges you, respond to the challenge. If it offers a new connection, evaluate that connection (is it a good connection? Is it better than one you mentioned in your First Thoughts?). If it asks for clarification, offer that clarification.
I will use the same grading schema for the Response that I use for the First Thoughts.
Sample Response
Sammi Student: Response to Waukeen the Web-Based Learner
Sometimes cultures disagree about what is good or bad. When cultures conflict, this creates differing views about what one should do. I suggested that sometimes rather than trying to do what our culture tells us to do we should try to change our culture. I offered the example of Donald Sterling, the owner of the LA Clippers. Sterling recently argued that he comes from a culture that is very racist (and sexist). He said that what we should do is to try to be more racist and sexist to fit in. I suggested that he was absolutely wrong here.
Waukeen the Web-based Learner pressed me to clarify my stance. "How," Waukeen asks, "are we to judge when we should change the culture and when should we change to match the culture?" I admit that this is a tricky question. My first thought is that if we are going to do something that will hurt someone, then even if our culture tells us to do it, we might reconsider. Another idea is that if we are going to do something that the other person does not want, then perhaps we should reconsider. So although I have not yet worked out all the details, I think that harm and consent are ideas that transcend culture.
4. Four Posts DUE
Remember: there are FOUR posts due per time slot - ONE First Thought, TWO Comments, and
ONE Response.
5. Grades
Because two of the posts are worth 15 points each and the comments are worth 10 each, you can earn up to 50 points for a set of discussion posts.
IV. COURSE POLICIES
Make-up and Extra Credit Policies and Procedures
I don't think I should have the power to make decisions about what absences are “good enough” or not good enough to warrant makeups or grade forgiveness. As a result, here are the policies:
Low Stakes
Quizzes and Homework: Quizzes and homework are either done on time or they are a zero. No exceptions. They are low stakes. They should never be the determining factor in your grade. You'll get to drop some quiz grades, and you'll have a week to do homework (in classes where homework counts). You should find time to fit them in.
Moderate Stakes
Discussion Posts, Problem Sets, and Tests (other than the Final): Discussion posts, Problem Sets, and Tests that are late degrade at a rate of one letter grade per day.
High Stakes
Your final exam is due when it is due. If you miss your final exam, you will receive a zero unless you have a documented excuse that proves you could not reasonably be in class.
Attendance and Tardy Policy and Expectations
Attendance does not count directly against your grade. If you are late to lecture, it is your responsibility to speak with me regarding your tardiness. Everything we do in class is valuable, so every second you miss, you miss something valuable. Missing a quiz lowers your quiz grade. If assignments are due in class and you are late to class, then your assignment is late (see above for late policies).
Withdrawal Deadline and Policy
Per Valencia Policy 4-07 (Academic Progress, Course Attendance and Grades, and Withdrawals) a student who withdraws from class before the withdrawal deadline will receive a grade of “W.”
A student is not permitted to withdraw from this class after the withdrawal deadline; if you remain in the class after the withdrawal deadline, you can receive a grade of only A, B, C, D, F or I. An I grade will only be assigned under extraordinary circumstances that occur near the end of the semester. If you receive an I, the work missed must be made up during the following semester, at which time you will receive an A, B,C,D or F, in accordance with your work and the syllabus. Failure to make up the work during the following semester will result in your receiving a grade of F in the course.
The instructor will not withdraw any student for any reason; it is the responsibility of the student to withdraw themselves before the withdrawal deadline and to be aware of the date of the withdrawal deadline. Any student who withdraws from this class during a third or subsequent attempt in this course will be assigned a grade of “F.”
Students on financial aid should consult an advisor or a counselor before withdrawing from a course; there may be financial aid (or other important) implications to the student which he or she must know about to make an informed decision before withdrawing from a course. Students with some scholarships who withdraw or are withdrawn from a class must pay the college for the cost of the class. Other scholarship sponsors may also require repayment.
For a complete policy and procedure overview on Valencia Policy 4-07 please go to:
V. ADDITIONAL POLICIES
Faculty/Student Communication
“Valencia College is committed to providing each student a quality educational experience. Faculty members have set high standards of instruction for themselves and for you. If you have a problem in a class, your first step is to talk to your instructor. If you are still dissatisfied, you may talk with the academic dean of the division for your class. We will work together to resolve any issues that arise.”
I can be reached by email at . You should expect an email response within 24 hours. If you don't receive one, please email me again.
Academic Honesty Statement
“Each student is required to follow Valencia policy regarding academic honesty. All work submitted by students is expected to be the result of the student’s individual thoughts, research, and self-expression unless the assignment specifically states ‘group project.’”
You must be familiar with the Academic Honesty Policy. If you cheat, you will receive a zero for the assignment if it is a low stakes assignment. If you cheat on a moderate stakes assignment, you will receive a zero for all assignments of that type. If you cheat on a high stakes assignment, you will fail the course. You may work collaboratively only if the instructor gives permission.
'Tis better to ask permission than forgiveness.
Classroom Rules of Student Behavior
College policy prohibits children from attending lectures; please, do not violate this policy.
Proper classroom etiquette is required for you to attend this class; please do not create distractions while the instructor is lecturing. More than one warning for improper classroom behavior, following a referral to the academic dean or the calling of security, will be grounds to be dropped from the course without a refund.
Additional Classroom Policies
Beepers or cell phones which emit audible tones should be turned off or to vibrate during periods when lectures are given in the lecture. Please, do not use your phone for text messaging during lectures; text messaging and phone calls can be completed outside the lecture room.