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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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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