Ethics

Spring, 2006

Philosophy 106-0H1

Part of a Core Seminar with SSC 205, Latin American Civilization and Culture

 

Instructor: Dr. Hollace Graff

 

Go immediately to Schedule of Reading Assignments.

 

Office: 3614 DP                                                                        Office Hours: MW: 10:00 – 12:00

Phone: 847-376-7033                                                                TR: 1:30-3:30, most Friday afternoons          

                                                                                                                                    ____________________________________________________________________



 Prerequisite   

 

Acceptance into Honors Program


 

 

Course Description

 

This course is an introduction to some of the main problems of ethics, including such topics as the nature of morality, criteria for evaluating choices and actions, ancient and modern theories of the moral life, and social responsibility.

 

 

 

Learning Objectives


The learning objectives of this course include:
 

·        Understanding the source and types of ethical theories;

·        Identifying and solving the problems of ethics in a consistent manner;

·        Relating ethics to one’s personal life;

·        Adopting a position on issues that involve the future of humankind such as population control and hunger, war and violence, environmental ethics, genetic engineering, and many others.

·        Developing the capacity to present and argue for one’s own positions

 

 

Academic Integrity


Students and employees at Oakton Community College are required to demonstrate academic integrity and follow Oakton’s Code of Academic Conduct. This code prohibits:

 

·        cheating,

·        plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation),

·        falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),

·        helping others to cheat,

·        unauthorized changes on official documents,

·        pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you,

·        making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats, and

·        any other behavior that violates academic integrity.


There are serious consequences to violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton’s policies and procedures provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against you.  If you are found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years.


Details of the Code of Academic Conduct can be found in the Student Handbook.



 

 

Outline of Topics

Since this class is part of a core seminar with Latin American Culture and Civilization, more than half of our study will focus on Latin American approaches to philosophy and ethics.

 

·        Traditional European ethical theories: Aquinas, Hobbes, Locke, Kant, Mill

 

·        The question of indigenous philosophy in our hemisphere

 

·        Early Latin American philosophers: Bolizar, Sarmiento, Mariategui, Ramos

 

·        The challenge of Marxism|

 

·        Contemporary American theories of justice: Rawls, Nozick

 

 

·        Latin American philosophers on Latin American identities

 

·        Contemporary Latin American philosophies of liberation: Freire, Boff, Dussel       

 

 

Methods of Instruction

 
Discussion, lecture, student presentations, field trips, use of audio-visuals, guest speakers, etc.


 

 

Course Practices Required
 

1. Since this course relies on discussion for its success, students are required to attend class and participate in discussions. Participation includes not only making an effort to participate in discussions, but also volunteering to orally present summaries of the weekly reading assignments and attending 3 outside events/exhibits that in some way relate to the course content. To this end, each of you will begin the semester with an A or 20 points for participation (10 points for attendance, 2 points for the oral reading summaries, and 6 points for the 3 outside events).  Because attendance is so important, 1 point will be deducted from the 20 for each absence.  If you miss more than 7 class sessions, you cannot pass the course.  It is also important for students to show up for class on time. Each tardy/late arrival will be noted. 2 late arrivals will be counted as an absence. You can make up lost points for absences by attending other instructor-approved events. Each student must also do at least 2 oral presentations (reading summary) during the course of the semester. A type-written outline summarizing the key points of the chapter assigned must be completed and distributed to your peers on the day you present. Finally, each student is required to attend 3 events outside of class (at Oakton or in the Chicago-area) that in some way related to the topics covered in the course. To receive credit, students must turn in a 1 page evaluation of the event/presentation.

2. If a serious illness, military service, or other unforeseen development should cause you to miss too many classes, we will make every effort to work with students to accommodate their legitimate absences. Make sure to talk with us if you find yourself in such a circumstance.

3. Students will also complete 3 short answer and short essay exams during the course of the semester. These are worth 10 points each (30 points total). You will receive a study guide one week before the quiz takes place. If you miss a quiz, you may take a make-up in the Testing Center before the next class. If you cannot make up the quiz at this point, you will need to make special arrangements with me to take an alternative quiz later in the semester. This alternative quiz will be an essay exam. The ethics quizzes you take will be entirely separate from the social science quizzes you take.

4. Each student is also required to turn in weekly reaction papers/journals that address specific issues/readings that we will ask you to write about. We will be asking you to integrate knowledge from both courses in these short papers. Each weekly paper should be type-written and two double-spaced pages in length (although lengthier pieces will be accepted). You should have 30 pages of papers/journals by the end of the semester. Each of the weekly reaction papers is worth 2 points (30 total).  Please note that the writing requirement for ethics and social science is combined.

5. Finally, each student will have to complete a small-group research project that integrates material from both courses and that focuses on one of the following Latin American nations: Bolivia, Venezuela, Haiti, and/or Brazil. Students will be asked to study different aspects of the nation, such as economic policies/distributive justice, environmental policies, indigenous rights and to then prepare a group presentation that includes a discussion of “the facts” as well as advocacy for the specific policies that should be pursued based on your vision of social, economic and environmental justice. You will also need to prepare written handouts for your fellow students that include such things as a bibliography, timeline, etc. We will provide more detailed written descriptions of this project early in the semester and assign students to the various groups by the fourth week of the semester. This semester-long project is worth 20 points.  Since this project has components that represent both social science and philosophy, it is possible that students will receive both a social science and a philosophy grade for this project.

6. Students must keep all reaction papers, exams, and other written assignments together in a portfolio that we will collect and evaluate as the semester progresses. The totality of the course work will be collected in the portfolio at the conclusion of the semester so do not lose/throw away any assignments.

 
 

 

 Instructional Materials

Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy edited by Stephen Cahn
Latin American Philosophy for the 21st Century edited by Jorge Gracia and Elizabeth Millan-Zaibert

Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor by Leonardo Boff (selections)

Philosophy of Liberation by Enrique Dussel

Articles available on the web or on reserve in the library

 

           

 

Methods of Evaluation

 

            Attendance and Participation                             20 points

            Exams                                                                  30 points

            Reaction papers/journals                                    30 points

            Research Project                                                 20 points

 

            A=90 – 100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, F=59 or below.

 

 

Other Course Information

 

A.        If you have a documented learning, psychological, or physical disability you may be entitled to reasonable academic accommodations or services.  To request accommodations or services, contact the ASSIST office in the Learning Center.  All students are expected to fulfill essential course requirements.  The College will not waive any essential skill or requirement of a course or degree program.

 

B.         The Oakton Community College Catalog states:

 

Oakton Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, or marital status in admission to and participation in its educational programs, activities and services, or employment practices. The College does not tolerate sexual harassment or sexual assault by or of its students or employees.

 

In keeping with this policy of tolerance and non-discrimination, in this class all of us (myself included) should strive to listen and give careful consideration to all ideas expressed in class, especially those that are different from our own, without attacking or demeaning the people who have those views. We should also strive to avoid using insulting terms or telling offensive jokes when talking to or about individuals or groups.
 

 

 

Schedule of Reading Assignments

 

The following schedule is very tentative and subject to change based on student and faculty interests. Revisions, reading assignments, paper topics, and outside event suggestions will be found on the website.

 

January 17:    Course Introduction.

 

January 19:    Christianity and Catholicism: Selections from Matthew (available from the instructor) and from Thomas Aquinas, pp. 315-335 in Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy

 

January 24:    Hobbes, pp. 402-441 in Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy

  

January 26:    Hobbes continued

 

January 31:    Locke, pp. 461-483, pp. 492-505 in Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy

  

February 2:     Locke continued

 

February 7:     Spanish Debate....pp. 33-49 in Latin American Philosophy for the 21st Century, "Prolgue to the Members of the Congregation" by Juan Gines de Sepulveda (available from instructor), and "The Birth of Philosophy Among the Nahuas" by Miguel Leon-Portilla (available from instructor)

 

February 9:     Kant, pp. 737-758 (second paragraph)

 

February 14:   Quiz.......Kant's "Perpetual Peace"

 

February 16:   Mill,  pp. 893-906, 914-934, 997-1012

 

February 21:   Introduction plus the selection from Sarmiento, pp. 219-244 in Latin American Philosophy for the 21st Century

 

February 23:   Class at the Skokie Campus

 

February 28:   Rawls, pp. 1038-1058  in Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy

 

March 2:         Nozick, pp. 1064-1074  in Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy

 

March 7:         Mariategui, pp. 257-266 in Latin American Philosophy for the 21st Century

 

March 9:         Quiz........Vasconcelos, Ramos and Zea,   pp. 267-286 in Latin American Philosophy for the 21st Century as well as Zea, pp. 355-368

 

March 14-16: Spring Break

 

March 21:       Marx  "Estranged Labor" (also in Classics, pp. 832-839,  "Human Needs",  and "Private Property and Communism"   From the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844..... Summary of the theory of alienation is strongly recommended.
 

 March 23:       Marx.....Classics, pp. 839-868....Summary of Marx's Theory of Ideology

 

March 28:       Marx and selections from Latin American Philosophy

 

March 30:       Selections from Latin American Philosophy including Bondy

 

April 4:            Selections from Latin American Philosophy ....Article on Mariategui
 

April 6:            Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Chapter 2

 

April 11:          Introduction to Liberation Theology

.

April 13:          Leonardo Boff"s Cry of the People, Cry of the Earth, Chapters 4 and 5

 

April 18:          Dussel's Philosophy of Liberation, Chapters 1, 2, and 3

 

April 20:          Dussel's Philosophy of Liberation, Chapters 4 and 5

 

April 25:          Exam

 

April 27:          Class Presentation......Brazil

                       

May 2:            Class Presentations.....Haiti

 

May 4:`           Class Presentations......Bolivia

 

May 9:            Class Presentations......Venezuela

 

May 11:          Party
 

 

Author: Hollace Graff
Oakton Community College
Last Updated: January 23, 2006