ITB 219 E ETHICS
Fall 2018-2019Monday9:30-12:30 FEB D101
Office: # B4-320 Dept. Humanities and Social Sciences,
Office Hours: Wednesday 12.30-1400 or by appointment
Phone: 285 7277, email:
Course Overview
This course will introduce students to various contemporary problems in moral philosophy, the ethical theories that address them and the historical and intellectual origins of these theories. Students will become aware with many ethical approaches to deciding what is “right” and “wrong” in human behavior. The course begins with a look at the most influential ethical theories, each intended to provide a framework for moral decision-making. The second part of the course involves discussion of many controversial issues, such as equality, economic justice, punishment, animal rights, environmental ethics, global inequalities, violence, terrorism and war the taking of human life, sexual behavior, abortion, etc. Each week of the course includes a theoretical reading about a certain school of thought, argument, position or issue and a selection of classic moral texts that accompany the theoretical part.
Course Goals/Objectives
This course is intended to help students improve some of their skills. These skills include the following:
- the ability to analyze and evaluate assumptions, claims, evidence, arguments, and forms of expression; and select and apply appropriate interpretive tools,
- the ability to generate, explore, organize, and convey ideas in writing, using language and other media to present those ideas clearly, confidently, and in a manner appropriate to specific communication situations,
- the ability to demonstrate basic competence in the principles, theories, and analytic methods used in the humanities,
- the ability to examine a variety of perspectives in the global community, distinguish your own cultural patterns, and respond flexibly to multiple worldviews,
- the ability to develop and apply a combination of knowledge and skills to demonstrate an understanding of ethical responsibility,
- the ability to identify the social/scientific/legal/political implications of major global ethical issues, and their historical and theoretical background,
- the ability to develop arguments to support one’s position on controversial moral issues.
Course Structure and Methodology
The course will be a mixture of students’ presentations, lectures and discussions. The intention is to provide students with an overview of the concept for that week and then to discuss the issues question in the lecture. This is also a seminar course that is intended to facilitate discussion of the core readings for that week. It is essential that students are well prepared and organized for this course by: 1) finishing all the assigned readings; 2) attending and participating actively in all classes.
The lectures will begin with a brief presentation on the set readings. The aim here is to provide background for clarification of theoretical arguments and concepts that are revealed in the readings. In classes students are encouraged to participate as fully as possible. Each student is expected to contribute to the discussion, and thus each student is expected to be prepared to ask questions and discuss the assigned readings on each day, and whether or not the student is presenting that day. Please be attentive to standard rules of decorum: respect the contribution of others, try to move class discussion forward (pay attention to what others say and respond to the previous point), avoid dogmatism, and so forth.
Attendance:
ATTENDANCE IS NOT OPTIONAL BUT STRICTLY REQUIRED. The attendance policy is rigid and students will be penalized some fraction of a grade or failed based purely on attendance.
Class attendance will be taken each week. It is the responsibility of student to be sure that his/her attendance has been recorded. You are allowed maximum 4 unexcused absences; but, please note that every absence will have a negative effect on your grade. Students with 5 absences will receive an FAIL. In the case of illness or an emergency situation, official documentation must be provided to grant an excused absence. However, in the case of chronic illness or personal emergencies which require prolonged or frequent absences, the student should withdraw from this course and repeat it when circumstances allow for the fulfillment of course requirements
Oral Presentation:
Each student will give two 20-30 minutes PowerPoint presentations on assigned readings. (Presentations will be assigned at the beginning of the semester.) Students are expected to demonstrate adequate understanding and critical evaluation of the readings by providing coherent summaries and by facilitating classroom discussion. Anyone who misses their presentation without advanced notice or medical report will be given minus 10 marks.
Quizzes:
There will be a number of four quizzes (worth 10 points each) administered throughout the semester. Quizzes will test students’ comprehension of assigned readings Quizzes will cover material assigned in the textbook, readings and written work
The final exam:
There will be a final 2-hour examination in this course. Date, time and place of the exam will be scheduled by the Office of Students affairs. The exam will consist of set of short essay questions. You will be given a list of study questions in advance, and the exam questions will be drawn from this list. You will be asked to choose and answer 2 of the 3 that I will have chosen.
Assessment methods:
Your final grade for the class will be based on four sets of quizzes (40%), oral presentation (10%), attendance, participation, and discussion (10%) and final exam (30%).
Attendance and Participation10%
Presentation10%
Quizzes40%
Final Exam40%
Classroom Expectations:
To help our class discussions,
1.Don’t be late, class begins on time at the appointed time..
2.Do not use phones, laptops and other devices that might distract you
3.Don’t sleep in class. Stay awake and alert.
3.Do not carry on private talking while class is in progress.
4.Treat all class members with respect and civility.
Required Texts
Barbara MacKinnon and Andrew Fiala, Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues, 8th ed., (Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning, 2015).
Additional readings
Julian Baggini, Peter FoslThe Ethics Toolkit: A Compendium of Ethical Concepts and Methods (Oxford: Blackwell, 2007)
Lawrence Hinman, Contemporary Moral Issues: Diversity and Consensus, (New York: Prentice Hall, 2005)
Mark Timmons, Moral Theory: An Introduction (New York: Rowman Littlefield, 2002)
Steven M. Cahn & Peter Mackie, Ethics (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006)
Russ Shafer Landau, The Fundamentals of Ethics (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010).
The required coursebook for this course are included in the course reader packet: ITB 219 E ETHICS that can also be purchased at the at the photocopy shop in Faculty of Science and Letters Building.
Lecture Schedule
Part One: Ethical Theory
Week 1: Introduction: Ethics and Reasons
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 1: Why Study Ethics? What is Ethics?What is the connection between reasons, the will and ethics? , What are reasons and why do they matter to ethics?
Readings:
David Hume, Ethical Judgments and Matters of Fact (from Treatise);
C.L. Stevenson, Facts and Values.
Week 2: Religion and Global Ethics.
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 2: Freedom, Cosmopolitanism, and the European Enlightenment. Religion, Civic Life, and Civil Disobedience. Ethics, Religion, and Divine Command Theory. Pluralism and the Golden Rule.The Problem of Evil and Free Will. Secular Ethics and Toleration.
Readings:
Plato, Euthyphro;
M.K. Gandhi, Religion and Truth;
Michael Ignatieff, Reimagining a Global Ethic.
Week 3:Ethical relativism
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 3: Descriptive vs. Normative Ethical Relativism. Individual vs. Cultural Relativism. Reasons Supporting Ethical Relativism.Are these Reasons Convincing? Is Relativism Self-Contradictory? Moral Realism. Moral Pluralism.
Readings:
Louis Pojman, Who's to Judge?
Richard Rorty, Moral Relativism.
Week 4: Egoism, Altruism, and the Social Contract.
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 4: Psychological Egoism. Ethical Egoism. The Moral Point of View. Why be Moral?
Readings:
Plato, The Ring of Gyges (from Republic);
Thomas Hobbes, Self Love (from Leviathan);
Steven Pinker, Social Contract and Altruism (from The Blank Slate).
Quiz I
Week 5: Utilitarianism.
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 5: Weighing Consequences. Historical Background. The Principle of Utility. Pleasure and Happiness. Calculating the Greatest Amount of Happiness. Quantity vs. Quality of Pleasure. Evaluating Utilitarianism. The Trolley Problem. Act and Rule Utilitarianism. "Proof" of the Theory.
Reading:
John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism.
Week 6: Deontological Ethics.
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 6: Deontology and the Ethics of Duty. Immanuel Kant. The Categorical Imperative. Evaluating Kant's Moral Theory. Perfect and Imperfect Duties. Variations on Kant and Deontology.
Reading:
Immanuel Kant, Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals.
Week 7: Natural Law and Human Rights
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 7: Natural Law Theory. Historical Origins. Evaluating Natural Law Theory. Natural Rights. Evaluating Natural Rights Theory. Is There a Human Nature?
Readings.
Thomas Aquinas, On Natural Law.
John Locke, Second Treatise of Civil Government.
Quiz II
Week 8: Virtue Ethics, Feminist Thought and the Ethics of Care.
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 8: Virtues and Everyday Life. Aristotle. Cross-Cultural and Contemporary Virtue Ethics. Evaluating Virtue Ethics.
Readings: Aristotle,
Nicomachean Ethics.
Philippa Foot, Virtues and Vices.
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 9: Gender in Moral Reasoning and the Ethics of Care. Feminist Thought. Evaluation of Feminist Thought and the Ethics of Care.
Readings:
NelNoddings, Caring;
Annette Baier, The Need for More than Justice;
Part II: CONTEMPORARY ETHICAL ISSUES.
Week 9:Euthanasia and Abortion.
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 10: Euthanasia for Infants and the Disabled. Criteria for Death. Types of Euthanasia. Making Moral Judgments about Euthanasia.
Readings:
J. Gay-Williams, The Wrongfulness of Euthanasia;
James Rachels, Active and Passive Euthanasia;
Carl B. Becker, Buddhist Views of Suicide and Euthanasia.
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 11.Abortion. Stages of Fetal Development. Methods of Abortion. Abortion and the Law. Abortion: The Moral Question. Arguments that Do Not Depend on the Moral Status of the Fetus. Arguments that Depend on the Moral Status of the Fetus.
Readings:
Judith Jarvis Thomson, A Defense of Abortion;
Mary Anne Warren, On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion;
Don Marquis, Why Abortion is Immoral. -
Week 10: Equality and Discrimination
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 12:Current Issues. Conceptual Problems: What Is and Is Not Sexual. Relevant Factual Matters. Sexual Morality and Ethical Theories. Gay Marriage.
Readings:
John Finnis, Law, Morality, and "Sexual Orientation";
Igor Primoratz, Homosexuality, Ethics, and Sex.
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 13:Discrimination. The Principle of Equality
Current Issues and the Law. Affirmative Action and Preferential Treatment.
Kwame Anthony Appiah, Racisms;
Anita L. Allen, Was I Entitled or Should I Apologize?
Affirmative Action Going Forward.
Quiz III
Week 11: Economic and Global Justice
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 14:Economic Inequality. Conceptions of Social Justice. Political and Economic Theories.
Readings: John Rawls, Justice as Fairness;
Robert Nozick, Distributive Justice.
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 20:Global Justice: .Current Issues. National Self-Interest. Global Justice, The Life You Can Save;
Readings:
Herman Daly, Globalization and Its Discontents;
Vandana Shiva, Principles of Earth Democracy.
Week 12: Environmental ethics and animal rights
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 16:The Environment and Its Value. Anthropocentrism. Ecocentrism. Current Issues.
Readings:
William F. Baxter, People or Penguins: The Case for Optimal Pollution;
Bill Devall and George Sessions, Deep Ecology;
Ramachandra Guha, Radical American Environmentalism and Wilderness Preservation: A Third World Critique.
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 17:Animal Ethics. Current Issues. Approaches to Animal Ethics.
Readings:
Peter Singer, All Animals Are Equal;
Bonnie Steinbock, Speciesism and the Idea of Equality
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 18:Bioethics, Current Issues. Legal and Ethical Issues.
Readings:
Leon R. Kass, Ageless Bodies, Happy Souls;
Nick Bostrom, In Defense of Posthuman Dignity.
Week 13: Violence, terrorism and war Punishment
Quiz IV
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 19:Violence and War. Realism. Pacifism. Just War Theory. Current Issues.
Readings:
Thucydides, Melian Dialogue;
Martin Luther King, Jr., Pilgrimage to Nonviolence,
Michael Walzer, Triumph of Just War Theory.
B. MacKinnon, Chapter 15:Punishment and the Death Penalty. The Nature of Legal Punishment. Prisons. The Death Penalty.
Readings:
Angela Y. Davis, Are Prisons Obsolete?
Lloyd Steffen, a Theory of Just Execution.
Week 14:
Final Exam