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PEP - Readings in Moral Reasoning in Sport

Sharon Kay Stoll, Ph.D.

Director, Center for ETHICS*

500 Memorial Gymnasium

208 8852103

TEXTBOOKS:

Gibbs, J.C. (2003). Moral Development and Reality: Beyond the Theories of Kohlberg and Hoffman. Sage Publications.

Fox, R. M. (2000) Moral Reasoning: A Philosophical Approach. Wadsworth Publishing.

Hoffman, M. L. (2001). Empathy and Moral Development: Implications for Caring and Justice. Cambridge University Press.

Lumpkin, A. , Stoll, S.K., & Beller, J.M. (2003). Sport Ethics: Applicatons for Fair Play. McGraw Hill.

Lickona, T. (1993). Educating for Character. Bantam Books.

Purpose

Purpose: To understand the history, psychology, and philosophy of moral reasoning from Kohlberg through Hoffman and Gibb. The readings will chart the history of moral reasoning within moral development and examine why and how moral reasoning affects thinking, feeling, and action in moral behavior. Students will read five texts in from Lickona’s seminal text through Lumpkin, Stoll and Beller’s work in sport and moral reasoning. The students will examine texts, answer questions as applied to moral reasoningin sport, and write three summary papers on the following questions:

  1. Moral Development: What is it? A Review of Lickona’s seminal text and being able to discuss and reflect on the moral knowing, feeling, and action triad of moral education.
  2. What is the historical point of Kohlberg’s work and how was Hoffman and Gibbs affected by Kohlberg’s moral development perspective.
  3. What is the relationship of moral reasoning from a philosophic point of view to that of moral reasoning in the psychological point of view. Review the steps to moral reasoning of Fox’s work in relation to the psychology of Gibbs and Hoffman.
  4. How is moral reasoning applied in sport? Review the application and practice within Lumpkin, Stoll, and Beller and discuss the process.

Evaluation:

Four papers for Readings Course: 33% of grade for each paper, using the university system of 90% for A, 80% for B, and so forth. Evaluation will be based on quality of response, accuracy of

OUR GOAL:

To read, think, discuss, listen, critique and write about social issues in sport and athletics today. Our intent is not Alearning about@ our subject; rather we are interested in learning how to learn and what that means in relation to being an Aexceptional@and Alearned@ individual who knows not only about sport but is able to critically examine why sport affects our lives so. To accomplish this goal, we must be involved in DOING certain things, namely reading, writing, and discussing. Because both our method and subject matter are somewhat different from other courses, read the following advice.

Passionate Reading

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First read through your assignment in its entirety once to get an overall idea of the main point. You might want to write in a sentence or two the main point of the reading. Second, work your way through the material more carefully in the next reading, making a brief outline of the author=s argument. Be careful to distinguish the views that are being rejected by the author from that which is being affirmed. Third, do not be a passive reader. Underline, circle, comment, ask questions, and make points of your own in the margin. A good book should be used, worn, consumed, loved, and exhausted. Finally, zeroin on what you take to be the key point or the crucial theme. Ask yourself what you think about this and why. Jot down a few sentences summarizing your ideas.

Articulated, Involved Writing

First some do nots. Do not write your paper without having read the appropriate material carefully in the manner described above. Do not leave the writing until the last minute. Try to leave enough time between the first draft and the final version to have your roommate/friend/lover read it or for you to Asleep@ on it. Finally, do not write a summary of the material...somewhere along the way I learned to read and quite well...I do not need to read the same material 24 times.

Do=s. Put yourself into the topic. Focus on what is in the material and the Aoverall@ point you want to make. Spell it out in your own words fairly, thoroughly, and clearly. Next, focus on what you think about this topic or specific thesis and state it directly and positively. Third, develop your rationale for the stand you take. This means providing something more than merely repeating in different words Athat this is your view@. Be sure to give specific reasons and/or examples which support what you claim. Last, make ample use of grammatical Aroad signs,@ such as Afirst,@Asecond,@Athird,@Atherefore,@Abecause,@Aon the one hand,@Ahowever@, and so forth. These help the reader (and the writer) to follow the Aargumentative edge@ of the paper.

One feature that greatly strengthens a paper is to have Aanticipated@ what others, especially those who would disagree with your positions, might say in reply, and to have met these objections. Also, some positions, or even paragraphs, are so complex and/or confusing as to stand in need of interpretation. You may want to focus on these difficult spots and examine the reasons for each. Take an interpretive stand of your own. Finally, take care to express your points as clearly and simply, and correctly (grammar and spelling) as you can.

Remember that it is a process. It is a dialogue...a dialogue between you and me