|
Philosophy
210-03,04,05, Moral
Philosophy |
Office Hours in RH-428 (445-4489) |
|
Prof.
Michael Kagan |
MWF 9:35 -10:20 AM, and by appointment |
|
Email:
kagan@lemoyne.edu |
This course investigates the philosophical foundations of normative
ethics in an effort to clarify the status of moral values in human
life. Drawing upon classical as well as contemporary texts in moral
theory, the course will consider issues such as: What does it means to
be a moral being or a moral agent? Are moral values grounded in human
nature, the natural order, the divine? What are the methods and
possible limits of reasoning about moral values? Is moral philosophy
(merely) descriptive or the practices and values of various groups or
can it be prescriptive; can it, that is, tell us what we ought to do?
How might we understand the historical development of moral theory and
the diversity of systems of value? How might conflicts between these
systems of thought be understood, assessed, and/or resolved?.
(Le Moyne College Catalog)
REQUIRED READING LIST
Plato - Republic (Allan Bloom�s translation)
Aristotle
- Nicomachean
Ethics (David Ross�s
translation)
Epictetus - Handbook of Epictetus (N.P.White's translation)
Confucius -
Analects (D.C. Lau�s translation)
Lau Tzu - Tao Te Ching ((D.C. Lau�s translation))
Martin Buber - I and Thou (Walter Kaufmann�s translation)
Rosemarie Tong - "Feminist Ethics" (SEP), http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-ethics/
SPECIAL NEEDS
In coordination with the Academic Support Center (ASC), reasonable accommodations are provided for qualified students with disabilities. Please register with the ASC Office for disability verification and determination of reasonable accommodations. After receiving your accommodation form from the ASC, you will need to make an appointment with me to review the form and discuss your needs. Please make every attempt to meet with me within the first week of class so your accommodations can be provided in a timely manner. You can either stop by the ASC, Library, 1st floor, or call (445-4118-voice or 445-4104-TDD) to make an appointment.
IMPORTANT DATES:
No
class or office hours on the following times/dates: Mon.,
Sept. 1, Labor Day; Wed. Sep. 3, Mass of the Holy Spirit
(classes canceled 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM; Classes resume at 1:30);
Thursday, Sep. 25 (Rosh HaShanah); Friday, October 3, 4:30PM through
Saturday, October 4 (Yom Kippur); Oct. 13-14, Fall Break; Fri.,
Nov. 7, instructor attending conference; Nov. 26-30, Thanksgiving
Break.
Last day of class: Dec. 5 (Fri.).
Proposals for the optional final paper due Fri., Oct. 10.
Draft of optional papers due Monday, Nov. 10. The final draft is
due Fri., Nov. 21.
CLOSINGS/CANCELLATIONS
If campus/dorms are closed due to flu or other circumstances, my intent is that the course continue. Assignments continue to be due by email. Presentations will be replaced by papers, virtual presentations, or extended descriptions of presentations. In addition to notes and group work already available there on-line, I will post updates, lecture notes, etc., to my Le Moyne College web site at http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/index.html.
As at other times, if your situation results in your needing an extension, please let me know. Also, if internet service is down or there are other infrastructure problems, please complete the assignments and turn them in when services are restored.
REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING
Your grade will be based on the average of the following:
1.
(50%)
You will have an opportunity to take two short take-home quizzes.
These will
be handed out at least 4 days before they are due. Late
quizzes will
receive a 15% grading penalty for each day they are late.
Unless
otherwise indicated, please complete the quiz in less than 500 words.
All
work, except in-class writings, is to be typed. Quizzes are
to be turned
in on the date due with a copy emailed to me at kagan@lemoyne.edu.
In addition to the
file attachment, please paste the text of your answers into your
message.
2. (50%) Class
participation/group work/in-class
writings/optional final paper. (See �One
Way to Write a
Philosophy Paper� - http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/PAPHOW.html.)
Grades
are based
on a 10 point scale as follows:
90-100
- 'A'
range (97-100 = A+; 94-96=A; 90-93=A-); 80-89
-
'B' range (87-89 = B+; 84-86=B; 80-83=B-);
70-79 - 'C' range (77-79 =
C+; 74-76=C; 70-73=C-);
60-69 - 'D' range (67-69 = D+; 64-66=D; 60-63=D-).
Below
60 - 'F'.
THE
OPTIONAL
FINAL PAPER
The paper gives you an opportunity to explore some aspect of
a
particular traditional ethical theory, at the
theoretical and/or
applied level.
If you decide to write a paper, please confirm your topic with me in advance by submitting a paper proposal by October 10. Whatever your topic, please feel free to consult me regarding bibliography, style, or as a devil's advocate. The paper is to be a defense of one claim or proposal related to the issue in question. Students should explicitly state the claim they are defending, make a brief case for its importance, develop their arguments carefully, consider objections, and show awareness of alternatives and criticisms of their own position. The paper should be structured in form and content as if it were being addressed to an audience consisting of the undecided and the reasonable opposition. If you are looking for organizational suggestions, the people at the writing center can be quite helpful. The paper should be approximately 5-7 pages in length. The paper is to be turned in TWICE, on the dates indicated below. The 1st draft will be graded and given comments that I hope will aid you in the revision. If you are satisfied with the first grade or decide to accept it for some other reason, you have the option of returning the paper "as-is" with its comments on Fri., Nov. 21. If you do so, your grade on the paper will be the grade you received on the first draft. If you opt to revise, you will receive the grade of the revision, if higher (and the grade on the draft, if not). Please feel free to drop by during office hours to make an appointment to discuss your project. If you don't find me on campus, you are welcome to call me at home before 8:00 PM. YOU CAN ALWAYS LEAVE A VOICE MAIL MESSAGE AT 445-4489.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE AND SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS
Week
#1 (Mon., Aug. 25) Introduce course.
Discussion of nomos, phusis,
logos, &
reading. Brief
survey of ethical theories.
Start reading Republic,
Books 1-2.
No
class: Mon., Sept. 1, Labor Day; Wed. Sep. 3, Mass of
the Holy Spirit (classes canceled 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM; Classes resume
at 1:30)
Week #2 (Fri., Sep. 5) Plato�s Republic,
Books 1-3.
Week #3 (Mon. Sep. 8) Republic, Books 3-5.
Week #4 (Mon, Sep. 15) Republic,
Books 5-7.
Week #5 (Mon., Sep.. 22) Aristotle�s Nicomachean
Ethics, Books 1-3.
Week #6 (Mon., Sep. 29). Nicomachean
Ethics, Books 3-5.
Week #7 (Mon., Oct.6) Nicomachean
Ethics, Books 5-7.. Proposals for the optional final paper due Fri., Oct. 10.
Oct. 13-14, Fall Break
Week
#8 (Wed., Oct. 15) Nicomachean
Ethics, Books 5-7.
Week #9 (Mon., Oct..
20 Nicomachean
Ethics, Books 7-10.
Week #10 (Mon.., Oct. 27) Epictetus, Handbook. Confucius� Analects,
Books I-X. DRAFT OF OPTIONAL WRITTEN PROJECTS DUE: Monday, Nov. 10.
Week #11 (Mon., Nov. 3) Analects, Books
X-XX.
Week #12 (Mon., Nov. 10) Lau Tzu�s Tao
Te Ching, Book
One.
Week #13 (Mon., Nov. 17) Lau Tzu�s Tao
Te Ching, Book
Two. Final draft of the optional papers due Fri., Nov. 21
Week #14. (Mon., Nov. 24)
Martin Buber�s I and Thou,
First Part, Second Part
Nov 26-Nov.30 (Thanksgiving Break).
Week #15 (Mon., Dec. 1) Martin Buber�s I
and Thou,
Second Part, Third Part. (Final evaluations, if they
haven't already
taken place.)
Some of this page's links:
PHL 210-03,04,05, Moral Philosophy Syllabus Fall 2014
Materials for Moral Philosophy/Great Traditions in
Ethics
Back
to Kagan's
Homepage:
http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/index.html