[ Home ] [ Honors Core Seminar on Western Culture and Philosophy - 2006 ] [ Ethics and Globalization Learning Community ] [ Western Culture and the Arts 1 ] [ Honors Introduction to Philosophy ] [ Medical Ethics ] [ Honors Core Seminar on Latin American Civilization and Philosophy ] [ Western Culture Learning Community 1 - 2004 ] [ Western Culture Learning Community 2 ] [ Teleweb Introduction to Philosophy ] [ Ethics Fall 2004 ]

 Ethics 

(Part of a Tandem with Mankind in Global Society)

Philosophy 106.…TR 9:30-10:45….3 Credits….No Prerequisite….Spring, 2005

Dr. Hollace Graff

 

Catalog 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

Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy edited by Stephen Cahn

The Wretched of the Earth by Franz Fanon

After Capitalism by David Schweickart

Other materials for the course are available on the Internet.

Optional Books

Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 by Karl Marx (also available on the web)

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

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
 
 January 18

Look over the Epistemlinks.com site for information about all the philosophers we will study.

 January 19
 January 20

Discussion of Hobbes, Chapters 13, 14, 15,

Complete text of Hobbes' Leviathan


Thomas Hobbes

January 24

Journal assignment:  Do you agree with Hobbes?  Why or why not?  Would it be morally justified for any of the persons described in Promises Not Kept  to engage in revolutionary activity? Why or why not? 

 January 25

Hobbes Continued, Part 2, Chapters 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 29

January 26

Extra Credit Opportunity: Operation Truth.....12:30, Footlik Theater, Des Plaines Campus

 January 27

Discussion of Locke,

Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 

Complete text of Locke's Second Treatise

 

 January 29

January 31

Journal Assignment:

How can land be justly claimed?  Was the European colonization described by Isbister just?  If it wasn't just, what are the moral implications?

February 1

Locke continued, Chapters 16, 17, 18, 19

 

Study Guide for the 1st Quiz



John Locke 		February 3

Read: Selections from Adam Smith

February 4

 
February 7

Have you seen Hotel Rwanda yet?  You could write about your ethical reflections on choices faced by the main character and about the possible moral responsibility of those outside Rwanda.		 February 8

First Quiz

February 9

Immanuel Kant

 February 10

Kant Selection from text

 

 

February 11

Extra Credit Opportunity:  Douglas Berger presents on his new book on India and Schopenhauer.....11:00. 1606 DP
February 14

What, if any, obligation does a citizen have to become informed about the international involvements of his/her nation?  What is your ethical reasoning?  (Include an explanation of what ethical theory you are currently inclined to adopt and why.

 

 February 15

Kant continued

Perpetual Peace (Read the main body of the text and Appendix 1.)

February 16                   February 17

Read Chapters 1, 2, and 5 of of Mill's Utilitarianism 

 

 

 

 February 18

 


 John Stuart Mill

February 21

Do you agree with Mill's position on liberty?  

 

 February 22

Read: Chapters 1 and 4 from Mill's On Liberty and Chapter 1 of The Subjection of Women (This is all in your text.) 

Turn in journals.

February 24

Islamic Perspectives

Study Guide for the Second Quiz

February 25
February 28

Do you believe that there are universal human rights that should be used to reform laws and practices that perpetuate the oppression of women?  You may want to comment on the article by An Na'im.

 March 1

Islamic Perspectives Continued

 

 

 March 2

 

 March 3

Quiz 2

 

 

 March 4

 
March 7

Cultures Week Begins - Extra Credit Opportunities 

 March 8

 

Begin Marx

"Estranged Labor"

Summary of the theory of alienation



Karl Marx

March 10


"The Meaning of Human Requirements"

"Private Property and Communism"

March 11

 
March 14

Spring Break!

Have fun, but....

 

 March 15

Don't forget to keep up with the news.

March 16

 

 March 17

 

 

March 18

 

March 21


 March 22

The German Ideology, selection from Part 1 in Classics

March 23


March 24

Summary of  the theory of ideology

                            


Karl Marx
March 28

 

 March 29

 

 


March 31

Journal: Who is morally responsible for the actions of corporations?  Who is morally responsible for the actions of governments?  Consider the film Corporation in answering this. 

April 1

See The Batttle of Algiers if possible. It will be shown at Acme Art Works, 1741 N. Western, Chicago (2 blocks south of the Western stop on the CTA Blue Line)....Saturday, April 2, 2:00 PM
April 4

 

 

 April 5 and April 6

           Frantz Fanon
Franz Fanon

Journal:  Evaluate Fanon's arguments concerning the use of violence.  What is your view on whether the use of violence is morally justified in some revolutionary struggles.

April 7

"On Violence" from Fanon's The Wretched of the
Earth


Study Guide for the Third Quiz

April 8

 
April 11 April 12

Quiz 3

 


April 14
Conservative Theories of Distributive Justice 		April 15

 
April 18 April 19

Liberal theories of distributive justice

 

 April 20

 

 April 21 April 22

 

 

 
April 25

 

 April 26

After Capitalism by David Schweickart (Read Chapters 1 and 2)

 

 

 

 April 28

Read Chapter 3 of After Capitalism

IRAN FORUM !

April 29

 

 

May 2
Journal Assignment: React to After Capitalism.  If you don't agree, explain why.  If you do agree, discuss why and discuss what strategy and tactics could lead to the changes he advocates.  Is the current movement for global justice on this course?

 May 3

Read Chapters 4 and 5 of After Capitalism

 

Study Guide for the 4th Quiz

 May 4 May 5

Read Chapter 6 of After Capitalism

 May 6

 
May 9

Journal Assignment: How have your views developed over the semester?  Where do you stand now?  What ethical theory do you endorse?  Why?  What are your views in terms of overall global justice?

 May 10

Quiz # 4

 

 May 11

 

 

 May 12

Last Class

Final Journal Collection

May 13

 

 

 

Course Practices Required and Methods of Evaluation

  1. There will be four quizzes. I will distribute a brief study guide before each quiz. The quizzes will consist of questions that will require brief answers of one to three sentences. If you miss a quiz, you may take a make-up by coming to my office 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. 
  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 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. You should also use your journal to explore the connection between the two classes that make up this tandem.  In he 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 will hand in one journal for both classes, but you will receive separate philosophy and social science grades.  We will collect the journal several times during the semester to give you comments and tentative grades.
  3. Class attendance and participation are essential in this class. You may earn participation points by attending class and by volunteering to give brief summaries of the assigned readings.  You will receive one participation point for every class you attend.  (If you are late or must leave early, you will receive half credit for the day.)  You will be expected to attend public forums put on by members of the class, and you will also be required to attend at least three outside events.  Lastly, you will also receive one participation point for every brief summary of reasonable quality that you give. There will also be some extra credit opportunities to make up for absences. These opportunities will involve attendance at events relevant to the class such as Cultures Week. I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences. However, if you need to be absent because of something such as religious holidays or family emergency, I will make every effort to insure that you have ways to earn extra credit that will compensate for your absence. A...34+, B....31-33, C....28-30, D....25-27.
  4. All students will work on a group project.  Click here for the description.
  5. Students who face unusual situation such as prolonged hospitalization, military service , or family emergencies may work out special plans with me for completing course requirements.

 

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Journal....25%

  2. Class Participation.....25%

  3. Group Project.....25%

  4. Quizzes........25%

 

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.

 

Office Hours

Des Plaines Office……3614      Skokie Office.....B213

Des Plaines Telephone……847-376-7033

E-Mail……hgraff@oakton.edu

Web Site…..servercc.oakton.edu/~hgraff/philweb/

Spring 2005

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
7:30
8:00
8:30 Office Hours,
Room B213		 Office Hours,
Room B213
9:00 Office Hours,  3619 Office Hours,  3619 Faculty Meetings
9:30 Western Culture Core Seminar
Room 3619 		Ethics/ Global Society Tandem, Room C114 RHC Western Culture Core Seminar
Room 3619 		Ethics/ Global 
Society Tandem, 
Rom C114 Des Plaines
10:00
10:30
11:00
11:30
12:00
12:30 Office Hours,
Room B213 or in Cafeteria
1:00 Faculty Meetings
1:30 Office Hours,
Room 3614 		Faculty Meetings
2:00 Faculty Seminar on India

Room, 2735

 Office Hours,
Room 3614
2:30
3:00
3:30 Office Hours,
Room 3614
4:00


Author: Hollace Graff,
Oakton Community College
Last Updated: January 22, 2005