Philosophy 302-02, Spring, 2010 |
Office Hours in RH-428 (445-4489) |
Issues in Ethics: Developing Philosophical |
MWF 9:30-10:20 AM |
Responses to Moral Challenges |
and by appointment. |
Prof. Michael Kagan |
Email: kagan@lemoyne.edu |
Objectives - Three goals of this course are to:
(1) introduce students to
philosophical debates on moral
problems of present concern;
(2) present criticisms that will aid students in evaluating some of
the
relevant arguments;
(3) help students better develop and defend their own positions.
Required Texts
Orson Scott Card's Maps in a Mirror. Tom Doherty Associates,
Inc., 1990;
Orb Books, 2004.
Nel Noddings' Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral
Education, second edition. University of California Press,
2003.
Mark Timmons' Moral Theory: An Introduction. Rowman
&
Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2002.
Either
one of
the Wellman or Wenar readings on rights recommended for the third
topic, below.
Recommended Reading:
Carl Wellman's Morals and Ethics, second edition.
Prentice-Hall, Inc,
1988. (This text will be on reserve at the library.)
Other readings will be recommended during the semester. Some are
indicated below.
Method: We will consider six moral problems and related philosophical ethical issues as follows:
Problem |
Theoretical Issue |
Reading from Card's Maps in a Mirror |
From Noddings' Caring/Timmons' Moral Theory |
Recommended readings |
1. Civil Disobedience |
Right and Wrong |
"Unaccompanied Sonata" |
Timmons, Chs. 1-9; Noddings, Chs. 1-7 |
Wellman, Chs. 1-2; Plato's Crito; Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail"; Henry David Thoreau's "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience" |
2. Genetic Engineering |
The Good |
"Gert Fram," "The Best Day," "The Porcelain Salamander" |
All of Noddings & Timmons. |
Wellman, Chs. 3-4; Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics - W.D. Ross's translation can be found on line at The Internet Classics Archive, http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html |
3. Smoker's Rights |
What is a right? |
"Bicicleta" ; "Prior Restraint" |
Noddings, Ch. 5-7; either of the recommended readings |
Wellman, Ch. 10; Leif Wenar's "Rights" in the Online Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP), http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rights/ |
4. Legality of Abortion |
The purpose of the law |
"Unaccompanied Sonata"; "Prior Restraint" |
Timmons, 2, 4, 6, & 7; Noddings, Ch. 4 |
Wellman, Chs. 7 & 8 |
5. Death Penalty |
How can anyone one ever know which act is right? (Moral Knowledge) |
"Unaccompanied Sonata," "Middle Woman," "A Thousand Deaths" |
Timmons, Ch. 10; Noddings, Chs. 4 & 8 |
Wellman, Chs. 11 & 12; Rosemarie Tong's "Feminist Ethics" (SEP), http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-ethics/) |
6. Leadership under uncertainty |
Virtue/Human Excellence
|
"Ender's Game," "Middle Woman" |
Timmons, especially Chs. 2-3 ,& 8-11; Noddings, including the Preface & Introduction |
Wellman, Chs. 6 & 12; Gary Marcus, Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in the Markets and Life; The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable; Epictetus, Handbook (The Enchiridion) and The Discourses, Plato, Apology; Lau Tzu. Tao Te Ching; Card's novel, Ender's Game |
TBA |
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These issues
will be treated in lectures and discussions as the course progresses.
During
the discussions students will have an opportunity to make sense out of
and
criticize other positions, and to develop and defend their own reasoned
conclusions.
To confirm students' familiarity with the material
and the
basics of the various positions, a midterm and final exam will be
given. In
these exams, the student will be asked to use specific moral theories
to defend
and criticize a position regarding a moral problem discussed in
class.
For example, a students may be asked how a utilitarian would answer the
question, "is the genetic engineering of human beings ever right?";
and then asked to explain how someone might criticize that response on
the basis
of Noddings' work or W.D. Ross's theory of obligation. On the
midterm and
final exams, an additional question will be asked concerning issues
suggested
by class discussions, presentations, reading assignments, and group
work.
The exams are primarily related to the first two
objectives
of this course concerning criticism of and familiarity with
philosophical
debates on moral problems of present concern. It is also hoped that
preparation
for the exams will help students satisfy the third goal of developing
and defending
their own positions on these and related issues. For those student who
wish to
do more work in this area. there is an optional paper assignment.
EVALUATIONS AND
REQUIREMENTS
1. Participation. Valuable contributions
to
discussions may figure to the student's benefit in determining
grades.
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'.
2. Exams. Students are expected to be familiar
with
the material in the lectures, discussions, and the required texts. This
familiarity will be evaluated in the midterm and cumulative final (Fri., May 7, 2010, 9:00 -
11:30 AM).
These each constitute 1/2 of the grade. However,
if the final is better, it will be given more weight.
3. Optional Assignment : Each student will be
given a
chance to develop and defend his or her own position in a paper on one
of the
moral problems or theoretical issues discussed in this course. Students
are
encouraged to consider problems not explicitly treated in the course,
e.g.:
1. Is war always wrong?
2. Is the use of psychological testimony in the courts on a par with
allegations of witchcraft?
3. Should cigarette smoking be illegal?
4. Is cigarette smoking ever justified?
5. Is the use of alcohol (or marijuana or cocaine or . . . ) good or
bad?
6. Should men (or women) have a genuinely equal right to work outside
the home?
7. Should men (or women) have a genuinely equal right to work inside
the home?
8. Is adultery always wrong?
9. The laws on rape should be . . . . . .
10. Ethical Relativism (pro or con).
11. Why be moral?
12. Ethical Egoism (pro or con).
13. Justification in Ethics.
14. Religion and ethics.
15. Is it wrong to eat meat?
16. Animal rights.
17. Should aborted fetuses be used for research or treatment?
18. The obligations of the living to the dying.
19. The obligations of the dying to the living.
20. Should it be legally permissible to produce clones of lost children
as
replacements?
21. Would cloning oneself for child-raising purposes produce more
good
than bad in the long run?
22. Is it ever morally right to require lie-detector tests for
employment?
23. Other topics .
Students are encouraged to treat topics of their own choosing. If,
however, you
decide to do so, please confirm your topic with me in advance. Whatever
your topic,
please feel free to consult me regarding bibliography, style, or as a
devil's
advocate.
Criteria for evaluation of the optional paper: 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, show awareness of alternatives and criticisms of their own
position. Students are to assume they are not preaching to the
converted: 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.
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 Wed.,
April 28. 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).
The paper
grade will replace the lower of the midterm or final grade. Students
who
receive a C or better on the paper can choose to accept that grade
instead of
taking the final exam.
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 each
of us to review the form and discuss your needs. Please make every
attempt to
meet with us 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 email ASC@lemoyne.edu,
or call
(445-4118-voice or 445-4104-TDD) to make an appointment.
IMPORTANT DATES
No classes or office hours on the following dates: Mon.,
Jan.
18, Martin Luther King Jr.
Day. Mar.
8-12, Spring Break. Mar. 15, Core Curriculum Day (All
daytime
classes canceled. All evening classes will be held.), April 1-5, Easter
Break.
Last day of class: Mon., May 3, Course Evaluations (if not
already
completed).
In-class Midterm exam: Wed., March 17 This exam concerns material
covered
as of Fri., March 5.
Wed., March 17 - optional paper proposals are due.
Wed., April 14 - first draft of optional paper due.
Wed., April 28 - 2d draft of optional paper due
Final exam: Fri., May 7, 2010, 9:00 - 11:30 AM. This exam
concerns
material covered as of Mon., May 3.
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 website 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.
Questions,
comments, additions, and corrections are welcome.
Please send them to kagan@lemoyne.edu
back to Kagan's homepage at http://webserver.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/index.html
other materials for PHL 302, Issues in Ethics (links, handouts, etc.)