UWG Philosophy Program

 

 

DESCRIPTION: This course examines ethical questions that can arise for individuals working in medicine, business, and law. To provide a general theoretical background for these questions, we will also examine ethical theories such as utilitarianism, Kantianism, and virtue ethics.

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of the semester, each student will be able to identify, describe, ask questions concerning, and critically discuss (in both oral and written communications) the following:

·         fundamental concepts, such as inquiry, philosophy, ethics, meta-ethics, normative ethics, applied ethics, professional ethics, and argument

·         the three central theories within normative ethics: utilitarianism, Kantianism and virtue ethics

·         moral issues relevant to the medical professions, including the morality of lying to patients; moral issues raised by the spread of AIDS; whether it is moral to ban certain conceptions; and the nature of personhood and the status of individuals in persistent vegetative states.

·         moral issues relevant to business, including corporate social responsibility; and employee rights, including the rights to work and to privacy.

·         moral issues relevant to the legal profession, including: the normative theory that best accounts for the ethical obligations of lawyers; the conflict between one’s duty to the court and one’s duty to one’s client; the distinctive role of the lawyer and the difference between role-morality and general morality.

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

·         ask philosophical questions

·         incorporate philosophical positions in oral and written communications

·         outline critically and analyze philosophical questions

 

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION: The typical class session will consist of about 70-80% lecture and 20-30% class discussion. Lectures are intended to elucidate and provide supplementary information relevant to the reading assignments and to form the basis for a vigorous class discussion of the concepts, theories and arguments at hand. Reading assignments will be made on a regular basis. In order to benefit fully from lectures and to participate meaningfully in class discussion, it is a must that you do the reading when it is assigned.

 

REQUIRED TEXTS:

·         Gregory Pence, The Elements of Bioethics, McGraw-Hill, 2007.

·         Joseph DesJardins, An Introduction to Business Ethics, 2nd ed., McGraw-Hill, 2006.

·         Three articles available electronically through GALILEO (at the UWG Library website—you will need to print your own copies of these):

·         Michael Milde, “Legal Ethics: Why Aristotle Might Be Helpful,” Journal of Social Philosophy 33:1 (2002) 45-66 [available through EBSCO Academic Search Premier]

·         Monroe Freedman, “Professional Responsibility of the Criminal Defense Lawyer,” Michigan Law Review 64:8 (1966) 1469-84 [available through JSTOR]

·         Stephen L. Pepper, “The Lawyer's Amoral Ethical Role: A Defense, A Problem, and Some Possibilities,” American Bar Foundation Research Journal 11:4 (1986) 613- 635 [available through JSTOR]

·         One article on electronic reserve at the Ingram Library website: Richard Wasserstrom, “Lawyers as Professionals: Some Moral Issues,” Human Rights 5 (1975-76) 1-24.

·         One article on reserve at Ingram Library (you will need to check out this book at the circulation desk and photocopy the article): Richard Wasserstrom, “Roles and Morality,” in The Good Lawyer, ed. David Luban, Totowa, NJ, Rowan & Allanheld, 1983, pp.25-37.

·         Lecture notes. After each class meeting, I will post my own lecture notes for that day on the class web site; I expect students to study these notes on a regular basis.

·         I encourage you to read blogs on medical, business and legal ethics to which there are links on the class website.

 

EVALUATION

·         Two in-class examinations (20% each). Mixed format. See course schedule below for tentative dates. The first examination will cover medical ethics, and the second will cover business ethics.

·         One comprehensive final examination (30%). Mixed format. Monday May 4 (2-4pm). This final exam will cover medical, business and legal ethics.

·         Term paper (30%). Minimum length: 3,000 words, due no later than Monday April 20. See “Writing a Philosophy Paper” on the course web site. Details about this assignment will be given later in the semester. You must give me a draft on which to comment, by no later than Monday March 30. You may give me the draft at any earlier date. Your draft should be at least 1,500 words long.

·         Class participation does not contribute to your final grade in any fixed way, but I will consider giving borderline students the next highest grade if their in-class questions and contributions to class discussions warrant my doing so.

·         GRADING SCALE:

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

 

 

ATTENDANCE, FOOD, CELLPHONES, ETC.

·         You may miss six class meetings with no effect on your grade. Beginning with your seventh absence, you will lose three points from your final average for every class meeting you miss. This policy applies to the first week of class, even for days on which you have not yet registered for the class. I will make exceptions for absences necessitated by UWG-sponsored events or by other circumstances that were absolutely outside your control. However, 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 seven classes and you have documented, acceptable reasons for missing only six classes, then your seventh absence will still count against you). Documentation will be required in all cases in which I make an exception to this absence policy. Students who miss 12 or more class meetings (four weeks, or one month, worth of classes) will not earn a passing grade in this course. The reason for your absences is irrelevant. If you are unable to attend class for a month due to medical reasons, a family emergency, or any other reason, you should withdraw from the course; if the withdrawal date has passed, you should apply for a hardship withdrawal.

·         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. If you know before class that you will not be able to stay for the entire class session, please inform me of this before class and sit as close to the door as possible, so as to cause as small a distraction as possible when you leave.

·         Leaving the classroom while class is in session (e.g., to visit the restroom) is both disrespectful and distracting. Do not leave the room during class unless it is absolutely essential that you do so.

·         Do not study material from other classes while this class is in session. While you are in this class, I expect your attention to be focused on it rather than on your other courses.

·         Please do not eat when class is in session (drinks are OK).

·         Turn off all cell phones and other noise-making electronic devices before class begins.

 

 

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. Work completed for other courses will not be accepted in this course.

 

 

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: PROFESSIONAL ETHICS (PHIL 4120)

 

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. I 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 me directly.

 

An asterisk ("*") indicates that the reading is available online through GALILEO, accessible through the Ingram Library website (http://www.westga.edu/~library/). A pound sign (“#”) indicates that the reading is on electronic reserve at the Ingram Library website. A cross ("†") indicates that the reading is on reserve at Ingram Library’s circulation desk.