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Ethics

Philosophy 106.…TR 9:30-10:45 AM….3 Credits….No Prerequisite….Fall, 2004

Dr. Hollace Graff

Catalogue 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:

1. Understanding the source and types of ethical theories;

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

3. Relating ethics to one’s personal life;

4. 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.

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

Academic Integrity

 The very nature of higher education requires that students adhere to accepted standards of academic integrity. Therefore, Oakton Community College has adopted a Code of Academic Conduct and a statement of Student Academic Integrity. These may be found in the Student Handbook. You may also find a summary of the Code of Academic Conduct in the College Catalog. Among the violations of academic integrity listed and defined are: cheating, plagiarism, falsification and fabrication, abuse of academic materials, complicity in academic dishonesty, falsification of records and official documents, personal misrepresentation and proxy, and bribes, favors, and threats.

It is the student's responsibility to be aware of behaviors that constitute academic dishonesty.

Pursuant to the due process guarantees contained in the Policy and Procedures on Student Academic Integrity, the minimum punishment for the first offense for a student found in violation of the standards of academic integrity is failure in the assignment. In addition, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of three years.

Instructional Materials

The main text for this class is Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy  edited by  Steven Cahn.  For the applied ethics section of the class, we will use Weapons of Mass Deception by Rampton and Stauber and The Iraq War Reader.  Since a major goal of this class is applying ethical theories to contemporary situations, some readings from newspapers, news magazines, and journals of opinion may  be assigned.  The schedule below contains links to some reading assignments.

There is another book that is recommended but definitely not required.  Donald Palmer's Does the Center Hold? offers simple summaries of many of the philosophers we will study and contains many cartoons.
  

Outline of Topics and Tentative Schedule

 August 26, 31…..Selections from Hobbes's Leviathan, pp. 386-441 in Classics of Moral and Political Philosophy…. Chapter 9 of Does the Center Hold? recommended

September 2, 7…..Selections from Locke's Two Treatises on Government, pp. 461-512 in Classics of Moral and Political Philosophy …….Chapter 9 of Does the Center Hold? recommended

September 9, 14…..Kant’s Groundwork for the Metaphysic of Morals,  pp. 737-795 …..Selections from “Perpetual Peace” on the web….Chapter 7 of Does the Center Hold? recommended

September 16, 21, 23…..…… Weapons of Mass Deception........A first step towards understanding the news: Worldpress.org.....New York Times....The Guardian.......Aljazeera

September 26 (Sunday)….By the People Forum

September 28…Review....Study Guide for the First Exam

September 30…..Exam # 1

October 5, 7……Mill selections from Utilitarianism, On Liberty, and The Subjection of Women, pp. 893-1012 in Classics of Moral and Political Philosophy …….Chapters 7 and 9 of Does the Center Hold? recommended......The Iraq War Reader, pp. 89-196, recommended

October  12.....Read Mark DeForest's "Just War Theory" through section B, also read the Letter from the Catholic Bishops

October 19 (Tuesday, 1:00, Footlik Theater).......Bobby Muller....Participation Credit

October 14, 19, 21, 26……Selections on war and terrorism from The Iraq War Reader

October 28.....Review......Study Guide for the Second Quiz..........Journal Assignments

October 29 (Friday)….Women’s Day….Six participation points possible

November 2…..Exam # 2

November 4, 9…….Nozick  v. Rawls selections……pp. 1035-1076 in Classics of Moral and Political Philosophy …….Chapter 9 of Does the Center Hold? highly recommended

November 16, 18, 23......Selections from Marx’s Economic and Philosophic Manuscipts, The German Ideology......The Communist Manifesto, pp. 832-868 in Classics of Moral and Political Philosophy recommended……Chapter 9 and 10 of Does the Center Hold? recommended ....Summary of Marx's Theory of Alienation

November 30, December 2, 7……Selections on war and terrorism from The Iraq War Reader  

December 9……Review...Study Guide for the Third Quiz.....Journal Entries

December 14……Exam # 3

Methods of Instruction

1. Lectures and discussion
2. Small group work
3. Films
4. Attendance at Oakton events

Course Practices Required

1. There will be three exams. I will distribute a brief study guide before each exam. The exams will consist of questions that will require brief answers of one to three sentences. If you miss a quiz, you may arrange to take a make-up exam by coming to my office or to the Testing Center before the next class. If you cannot make up the exam at this point, you will need to make special arrangements with me to take an alternative exam later in the semester. This alternative exam will be an essay exam.
   
   
2. You will keep a philosophical journal. In this journal you will record your reactions to the assigned readings and your responses to questions that we may pose in class. The journal should not consist of notes or summaries of the readings. Rather, you should take positions and offer arguments for those positions. You may also consider ways in which the material we read in class relates to your own experiences. I will suggest questions on which you can write, but your journal should not be limited to your responses to these questions.  Your journal will be collected several times during the semester. Your final journal should be at least 15 typewritten pages. In the interest of preserving trees, your journal should not be more than double-spaced, should not use larger than 12-point type, and should not have extra-large margins or large blank spaces between sections.
   
   
3. You now have an A for class participation.  To keep this A you need to attend class and to attend two Oakton events relating to ethics and social justice.  The two events that I will be asking you to attend are the By the People forum and the two sessions of Women’s Day during which the philosopher Sandra Bartky will be speaking.  The By the People forum will be equivalent to three classes, and each Women’s Day session will be equivalent to one class. If your work schedule does not allow this, I will give you make-up opportunities. In terms of class attendance, for every three classes you miss, your participation grade will drop by one grade.  If you come to class after I have taken attendance, talk to me after class, and I will give you half credit for the day.   I will offer extra credit opportunities to make up for absences.  All of these extra credit opportunities will involve attendance at Oakton events such as the plays in the performing arts series.  I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences.  However, if your work schedule prevents you from attending the special events, or if you need to be absent because of something such as religious holidays or a family emergency, I will make every effort to insure that you have ways to earn extra credit that will compensate for your absence.
   
   

Methods of Evaluation

Exams….40% (The first two exams will be worth 10% each, and the final exam will be worth 20%,)
Journal….30%
Participation….30%



Disabilities

If you have a documented learning, psychological, or physical disability, you may be entitled to reasonable academic accommodations or services. To request accommodation or services, contact the ASSIST office in Instructional Support Services. 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.

Discrimination 

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.



Instructor Information

Des Plaines Office……3614                                      E-mail……hgraff@oakton.edu

Des Plaines Telephone……847-376-7033

Web page…..http://servercc.oakton.edu/~hgraff/philweb/


My office hours are as follows:

Mondays……4-5:30 PM

Tuesdays……11-12, 1:30-3:00 PM

Wednesdays……2-3:30 PM

Thursdays……11-12 PM

Fridays…..2:00-4:00 PM

Please feel welcome to stop by and chat, and be sure to see me if you are having any difficulties in the course. I recommend that you make an appointment since I will occasionally be at a meeting during my office hours.  Also, if you cannot make any of these times, please see me for an appointment.

Author: Hollace Graff,
Oakton Community College
Updated: August 22, 2004