UWG Philosophy Program

PHIL 2120-HONORS

INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS (3 hours)

Spring Semester 2006

TR 11am-12:15pm

Prerequisites: NONE

Classroom: TLC 2237

Email: rlane “at” westga.edu

http://www.westga.edu/~rlane/honorsEthics

Instructor: Dr. Robert Lane

Office: TLC 2247

Office Hours:

Tuesday 9-10:30am; 12:30-1:30pm

Wednesday 9am-12pm; 1:30pm-3:30pm

Thursday 9-10:30am; 12:30-1:30pm

Office telephone: (678) 839-4745
Phil. Program telephone: (678) 839-4848

COURSE DESCRIPTION: To some extent we all agree about what actions are right and wrong; for example, we all agree that murder is wrong and that helping those less fortunate than us is right. But there are many moral questions about which people disagree: are euthanasia, abortion and human cloning immoral? what about causing non-human animals pain? is it wrong to spend money on expensive cars and homes when people in other parts of the world are dying from malnutrition? This course will enable you critically to evaluate your own beliefs about concrete ethical issues like these. We'll also be dealing with more theoretical questions, such as: where does morality come from?; what makes an ethical argument good or bad?; and what general rules or principles ought we to live by? We will be paying special attention to the issue of morality in our post-Darwinian society: if humanity evolved from other animal species, what does this imply about human dignity and morality?

LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of the semester, each student will be able to

· recognize and apply basic patterns of logical reasoning within ethical contexts

· describe selected theories within meta-ethics and normative ethics, as well as selected arguments for and against those theories

· describe positions and facts relevant to selected issues within applied ethics (such as euthanasia, abortion, capital punishment, human cloning, and treatment of non-human animals)

· summarize the contributions of historically important figures (such as Mill and Kant) to ethical thought

· discuss in both oral and written discourse the ethical theories and issues explored in the course

These course-specific learning outcomes contribute to the departmental learning outcomes of the Philosophy Program by enabling students better to

· discuss the general historical development of the discipline of philosophy and selected major historical figures in philosophy

· ask philosophical questions

· incorporate philosophical positions in oral and written communications

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION: This course will be split between lecture and class discussions. Reading assignments will be made on a daily basis. It is a must that you do the reading when it is assigned-- it will be obvious to me (and to your peers) if you haven’t done the assigned reading, and this will hurt your grade. For most people, reading philosophy is harder than reading, say, history or literature. When I assign something for you to read, it is possible that you will have to read it more than once (maybe even a number of times) in order to understand it to the degree that you will need to understand it. But don’t let this discourage you, and always feel free to ask me about anything with which you’re having a hard time.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

· The Right Thing to Do: Basic Readings in Moral Philosophy (3^rd ed), ed. James Rachels

· The Elements of Moral Philosophy (4^th ed.), by James Rachels

· Created from Animals, by James Rachels (out of print, but should be available in photocopy at the UWG Bookstore)

EVALUATION:

· Two in-class examinations (45% total; the one on which you score higher will count for 25%; the other will count for 20%). Short answer and essay format. See course schedule (p.3 of this syllabus) for tentative dates.

· Term paper (25%). See “Writing a Philosophy Paper” on the class web site. Details about this assignment will be given later in the semester. Due April 18.

· Response papers (20%). Mini-essays in which you respond critically to a reading assignment. Minimum 500 words each. See course schedule for tentative due dates.

· Class participation and discussion (10%). Includes knowledgeable comments, questions and answers regarding lecture material and assigned readings

· GRADING SCALE:

100 - 91% A 90 - 81% B 80 - 71% C 70 - 61% D 60 - 0% F

ISSUES OF COMMON COURTESY: ATTENDANCE/CELLPHONES/FOOD

· I will take attendance at the beginning of each class.

· You may miss four class meetings with no effect on your grade. Beginning with your fifth absence, you will lose three points from your final average for every class meeting you miss. I will make exceptions for absences necessitated by UWG-sponsored events or by other circumstances that were absolutely outside your control. I will make these exceptions only if ALL of your absences can be accounted for in one of these ways (e.g., if you miss four classes and you have a documented, acceptable reasons for missing only three of those four, your fifth absence will still count against you, even if it would otherwise be excepted). Documentation will be required in all cases in which I make an exception to this absence policy. (Yes, I take coming to class very seriously.)

· An early departure or late arrival may be counted as an absence, depending on the circumstances. I will decide in each case whether an early departure or a late arrival counts as an absence.

· Please do not bring food into the classroom.

MISSED TESTS / LATE PAPERS / EXTRA CREDIT:

· If you know that you will need to miss class on a day on which a test is scheduled (for example, due to a UWG sponsored event), you must let me know about your absence as far in advance as possible so that we can schedule another day and time for you to take the test (or a make-up test).

· If you miss a test without receiving my explicit permission beforehand and making arrangements for a make-up test, you will be permitted to take a make-up test if and only if one of the following conditions applies: (a) Your absence was due to illness or injury serious enough to require professional medical care and which prevented you from contacting me before the test; or (b) Your absence was due to other extenuating circumstances beyond your control. I will determine on a case-by-case basis what constitutes "extenuating circumstances beyond your control." You may be required to provide documentation pertaining to your absence before you are allowed to take a make-up test. Make-up tests will usually be longer and potentially more difficult than the original test that you missed.

· You may turn in your term paper late ONLY IF you have made arrangements with me beforehand and I have given you explicit permission.

· Extra-credit work will not be given under any circumstances.

RELEVANT INFORMATION FROM THE UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG:

· "each student is responsible for everything which happens in class and is responsible for making specific arrangements with the instructor for the work missed, including that missed during illness or university-sponsored activities"

· "any student who is unable to continue attendance in class should either drop the course, withdraw from the University, or make appropriate arrangements with the instructors"

· "any student who must be absent for more than three successive days is required to notify the Student Development Center, Parker Hall, telephone 770-836-6428."

· "Students who do not intend to remain in a course must drop the course before the end of the official drop/add period. Failure to drop a course during the drop/add period may result in grades of F in courses not attended."

· Academic Honor. "At West Georgia, the student is expected to achieve and maintain the highest standards of academic honesty and excellence. Not only does academic honesty preserve the integrity of both the student and the institution, but it is also essential in gaining a true education. The West Georgia student, therefore, pledges not to lie, cheat or steal in the pursuit of his or her studies and is encouraged to report those who do." Students who commit plagiarism (using someone else’s words or ideas without attribution of credit) will receive an “F” for the entire course and may be reported to the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs for additional action.

COURSE SCHEDULE: INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS (PHIL 2120-HONORS)

THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE IS TENTATIVE AND MAY CHANGE AS THE SEMESTER PROGRESSES. THIS INCLUDES TEST DATES AND DUE DATES FOR PAPERS, WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. If the class finds a specific topic especially interesting and/or difficult, then we may spend more than the allotted time on that topic. Dr. Lane will maintain an up-to-date version of the course schedule on the class web site. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to keep up with test dates, due dates, and reading assignments, either by checking the class web site or contacting Dr. Lane directly. "RTD" refers to The Right Thing to Do; "EMP" refers to The Elements of Moral Philosophy; “CFA” refers to Created from Animals. All readings are required.

Jan.	Topic	reading due	papers due / tests
10 T	Introduction to the course	--
12 R	Logic / Ethical arguments	EMP ch.1; RTD pp.20-25
17 T	Logic / Ethical arguments	RTD ch.2 pp.25-28
19 R	Moral-cultural Relativism	EMP ch.2 pp.16-23	response paper #1
24 T	Moral-cultural Relativism	EMP ch.2 pp.23-31
26 R	Morality and Religion	EMP ch.4 pp.48-53	response paper #2
31 T	Morality and Religion	EMP ch.4 pp.53-62

Feb.	Topic	reading due	papers due / tests
2 R	Abortion: Pro-Choice (Warren)	RTD ch.11	response paper #3, on either RTD ch.11 or ch.12 #3, due on 2/7
7 T	Abortion: Pro-Life (Marquis)	RTD ch.12
9 R	Intro. to Utilitarianism	EMP ch.7
14 T	Euthanasia: Pro and Con	RTD ch.18 and 19	response paper #4
16 R	World Poverty	RTD ch.16
21 T	Review / catch-up
23 R	--		MIDTERM EXAM
28 T	Utilitarianism	EMP ch.8

March	Topic	reading due	papers due / tests
2 R	Utilitarianism	EMP ch.8
7 T	Kant & Absolute Rules	EMP ch.9; RTD pp.76-80
9 R	Dr. Lane will be out of town (SAAP); assignment TBA
14 T	Kant & Respect for Persons	EMP ch.10; RTD pp.80-81	Term Paper Proposal
16 R	Capital Punishment: Con	RTD ch.24 & 25
21 T	SPRING BREAK: no class
23 R	SPRING BREAK: no class
28 T	Human Cloning	EMP ch.13	Term Paper Draft (optional)
30 R	Human Cloning	EMP ch.13

April	Topic	reading due	papers due / tests
4 T	Darwin’s Discovery	CFA ch.1
6 R	Evolution and Ethics	CFA ch.2
11 T	Darwinism and Religion	CFA ch.3 (pp.99-106)
13 R	Darwinism and Religion	CFA ch.3 (pp.107-28)
18 T	Humans and Other Animals	CFA ch.4	Term Paper
20 R	Morality Without Hubris	CFA ch.5
25 T	Catch-up / review
27 R	--	--	FINAL EXAM

IMPORTANT                         January 9-11                Drop/add and late registration

DATES:                        March 2                        Last day to withdraw with grade of "W"

April 27                        Last day this class meets

May 2                           Reading day

May 3-9                        Final Exam period (there is no exam in this class after 4/27)

INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS (3 hours)

ISSUES OF COMMON COURTESY: ATTENDANCE/CELLPHONES/FOOD

4 T

27 R

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