Harrisburg Area Community College Communications, Humanities, and the Arts Division Lancaster Campus Summer II Semester 2013
“Ethics: Belief and Action”
Instructor: David Wayne Layman, Ph.D. Phone: (cell) (717) 712-7231 Office: LAEAST-316A E-mail: [email protected]; Extension: 358-2237 [email protected] Office Hours: 5:30 PM– 6:00 PM; Subject/CRN: PHIL 225-1053
Website: www.davidwaynelaymanphd.com/hacc
Course Information
Meeting Time: MW 6:00 PM – 9:20 PM Meeting Location: LAEAST-318
Catalog Description: Everyday moral problems are investigated through the insights of Aristotle, Kant, Mill, Sartre, and other philosophers to help students form their own philosophies of life. (Core A)
Required Text: Judith A. Boss, Analyzing Moral Issues, McGraw Hill, Fifth Edition
Learning Outcomes (From 335): 1. Define three major camps of ethical theorizing, including: consequentialism, non-consequentialism, and eudemonism. 2. Explain any six the ethical theories propounded by one of the following thirteen philosophers: Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Epictetus, Aquinas, Hume, Kant, Bentham, Mill, Nietzsche, Sartre, Ayn Rand, Rawls. 3. Clearly distinguish between: virtue-based, results-based, and duty-based ethical theories by providing examples of each one of these in action when confronted with a moral dilemma. 4. Characterize the sorts of questions that define three distinct areas of ethical investigation: meta-ethics, normative ethics, descriptive ethics 5. Cogently defend your own position on the claim that “all ethics are relative.” 6. Cogently defend your own position on the claim that “might makes right”
Schedule of Activities: Course Schedule next page PHIL 225 1053 Summer 2013 Course Schedule
All numerals are page numbers in the textbook. The underlined readings are posted as clickable links at the instructor’s website (www.davidwaynelaymanphd.com/hacc). July 1 Review Syllabus 1 Relativism...... 4-11; “Readings in the Sophists” (handout)
3 Egoism...... 19-21; http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.3.ii.html 3, 8 Aristotle...... 37-38; 42-47 Sexual Intimacy...... 330-341; 346-353; Goldman Plain Sex.pdf ; 10 Quiz #1: July 10th Sexual Intimacy...... Budziszewski, Designed for Sex.rtf Marriage...... 353-370; ...... Finnis, Law Morality Sexual Orientation excerpt.pdf Review Essay Requirements 15 Essay # 1 Due (July 15th), on Sexual Intimacy or Marriage Thomas Aquinas.....http://www.aquinasonline.com/Topics/natlaw.html Abortion...... 73-112; 117-125 17 Abortion...... 73-112; 117-125 Immanuel Kant...... 26-27, 54-58; Kant, 4 examples 22 Quiz # 2 (July 22th) Euthanasia...... 177-206 Jeremy Bentham.....22-26, 50-51 24 Essay #2 Due (July 24th), on Abortion or Euthanasia John Stuart Mill...... 22-26, 52-54 Death Penalty...... 228-267 29 Quiz # 3 (July 29) Death Penalty...... 228-267 War...... 571-599; 630-632 31 Essay #3 Due (July 31st), on the Death Penalty or War “Rights” Ethics...... 20-21; 32-34; 47-49 and 62-64 Animals Rights...... 637-654; 660-675; Kant, Worth of Persons.rtf August 5 John Rawls...... 30; 59-62 7 Quiz # 4; Essay #4 Due on Animal Rights
Syllabus for PHIL 225-1053, “Ethics, Belief and Action” page 2 Policies
Attendance policy: AP 661 says in part: “Instructors may reduce course grades after unexcused absences exceed 10% of the total class hours that will take place throughout the semester.” “Instructors may drop a student from a class with the concurrence of the division/campus administrator when unexcused absences exceed 15% of the total class hours that will take place throughout the semester and when the excessive absences preclude the possibility of the student attaining the stated learning outcomes for the course.” In this class, “excused absences” are defined as sickness certified by a note from a physician, health care professional, or health care institution, family related situations (death in immediate family, sickness of children), and documented work-related problems. The instructor takes attendance at the beginning of each class. Being on time is an essential discipline in life and in the academic community. The professor does not have a formal grading standard for attendance. However, students who attend most or all classes will receive the benefit of the doubt in grading; those who do not, will not. Academic Dishonesty: AP 594 defines “Academic dishonesty” as “as an intentional act of deception in which a student seeks to claim credit for the work or effort of another person, or uses unauthorized material or fabricated information in any academic work.” Examples include “giving or receiving answers on assigned material, using materials or aids forbidden by the instructor,” and “the offering of someone else’s work, words, or idea as one’s own or using material from another source without acknowledgement.” A particular example is quoting material from a book, magazine, or web site, while failing to place the material inside quotation marks and failing to provide a proper citation. In accordance with AP 594, the instructor can impose one of the following penalties for dishonesty: (1) lower a student’s grade on an assignment, (2) grade that assignment as “0”; (3) fail the student. A minimal penalty for plagiarism (e.g., quoting material from a web site without using quotation marks or proper citations) is 20 points (equivalent to two letter grades). More extensive plagiarism will result in more points being deducted. If the instructor determines that a student has plagiarized an essay off of an internet site, that student will receive a “0” (zero) on the essay, and will not be permitted to rewrite it.
Makeup Work: Quizzes that are missed due to excused absences will be made up at the Test Center. The student is responsible to make reservations with the Test Center, after he/she has informed the instructor of his/her intention to make up the quiz. (See under “Attendance Policy” for definition of “Excused Absences”.) More information, including phone numbers, can be found at http://hacc.edu/Lancaster/Test-Center.cfm . Refunds The last day to receive a full (100%) refund is July 2, 2013. The last day to receive a half (50%) refund is February 4, 2013. The last day to drop a class without instructor approval or grade is July 8, 2013.
“W” Grade: To receive a “W,” the student must initiate the request, and if possible, physically bring the “Withdrawal” form to the instructor with the personal and class information already filled out. The policies of the college state that this Withdrawal must take place by the last day of class (not including Exam Week). Students who have not contacted the instructor in accordance with the above schedule, and fail to complete the requirements for the course, will receive an “F”.
Syllabus for PHIL 225-1053, “Ethics, Belief and Action” page 3 In accordance with AP 667, a “W grade will be granted by the instructor upon request of the student from the end of the refund period until the midpoint of the course as defined in the College calendar. The student must be attending class in a manner consistent with the instructor's attendance policy, have completed the required graded material, and have not been dishonest in completing the work in order to be eligible for the W grade.” “From the midpoint of the course through the last class meeting of the course, the student will receive a grade of W or F, depending upon the instructor's assessment of the student's performance, which may take into account extenuating circumstances.” Incompletes: Incompletes will be given only when a student cannot complete the requirements because of a serious medical or family emergency. Those requirements must completed within 45 days of the formal end of the semester. The student is strongly discouraged from taking an incomplete, since most students do not complete the work required, and fail the course. Grading Procedures Quizzes: The student will take 4 Quizzes. Currently scheduled dates are July 10, July 22, July 29, and August 7 exam week. The Quizzes will be multiple choice with a few short answer questions and will be worth 20 points. The student will be allowed 20 minutes at the beginning of the class period to take the quiz. Essays: The student will write 4 Essays. The body of the essay is expected to be a minimum of 3 full pages. The lowest essay grade will be dropped. Therefore, the final grade will be calculated based on the three highest essay grades.
Requirements for Essays: 1. Each essay will respond to one of the topics assigned in the Course Schedule. a. The essay is to state a thesis about the topic. E.g., for Essay #1, due Feb. 19th, possible thesi include: i. It is unethical to have sexual relations unless one is married. ii. Gays should be allowed to get married. iii. The purpose of sexual relations is pleasure. iv. All forms of sex between consenting adults is ethical. v. Homosexual relations are immoral. b. The student must provide two citations from the textbook, or the readings linked by the instructor. c. The student is to provide at least two additional citations, which can be either from the textbook, the links, or from outside resources. 2. Cover Page: The essay will have a separate cover page, to include the following information: a. Name b. Course Number and Section (“PHIL 225-1053”), followed by “Summer, 2013” c. “Essay # …” (correct number) d. You may, at your discretion, include a title and/or date. e. Do not place the essay in a folder or holder. 3. Formatting a. One inch margins on all sides; b. Double-spaced; Indent the first line of the paragraph c. Use a 12-pt. size font, preferably a standard “serif” font such as Times New Roman or Cambria; d. If you use any version of Courier, such as this font: which is “monospaced,” the position paper must be a minimum of 5 full pages long. e. I strongly prefer that you do not use a “sans-serif” font (e.g., Arial or Calibri); f. Absolutely do not use a display font, except, if you desire, on the cover page; g. Do not use fully justified margins. h. In the header, place your last name and the page number, separated by a tab.
Syllabus for PHIL 225-1053, “Ethics, Belief and Action” page 4 4. Required Documentation for Essays a. It assumed that the student is not an expert in ethics. Therefore, his or her ideas and concepts are based on some outside source(s). This source (these sources) must be documented. b. Some sources are direct quotes. The student is advised against relying on extensive quotation. An important task in any paper or essay is knowing how to restate one’s sources. c. When you restate your sources, you are paraphrasing. Paraphrased sources must be documented just as much as direct quotes. d. The student should follow “MLA” format for citations. Simplified, that form is as follows “…togerato mento examina (Boss, 111).” e. If a single paragraph is paraphrased from a range of pages of some source(s), the student can summarize the sources at the end of the paragraph in the following manner: …togerato mento examina (Boss, 111- 114, 120; Falikowski, 212). 5. “Works Cited” Page a. A Works Cited page is required for the essays. b. The form for the Works Cited page is: Boss, Judith A. Analyzing Moral Issues. Sixth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013. If there is more than one work in Works Cited by Boss (or any other author), there must be a date: (Boss, 2013:111). 6. Substantive Requirements for the Essays a. The writing is clear, easy to understand, and avoids complicated sentence structure. b. It states a thesis in the opening paragraph, develops that thesis in the body of the paper, and summarizes the thesis in the conclusion. c. It responds reflectively to the issue addressed, thinks critically about both sides of the issue, and attempts to arrive at some sort of judgment or take a position. d. It demonstrates an understanding of the ideas it discusses and clearly explains those ideas. e. While the student is encouraged to state his or her own opinion, that opinion should be supported by arguments of the philosophers (whether those studied in class, or others the student may study), and by good reasoning. There is no “right or wrong” answer, but there are good and bad arguments.
Final Grade Criteria: All grading will be done on the standard HACC grading system (90% and above is an “A,” etc.). The assignments shall be weighted as follows: Quizzes 10% each 40% subtotal Essays 20% each 60% subtotal
EEOC/PHRC Statements EEOC POLICY 005: It is the policy of Harrisburg Area Community College, in full accordance with the law, not to discriminate in employment, student admissions, and student services on the basis of race, color, religion, age, political affiliation or belief, gender, national origin, ancestry, disability, place of birth, General Education Development Certification (GED), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, genetic history/information, or any legally protected classification. HACC recognizes its responsibility to promote the principles of equal opportunity for employment, student admissions, and student services taking active steps to recruit minorities and women. If an accommodation for a disability is needed, please contact: Vicki Van Hise - Email Coordinator, Disability Services Main 212 1641 Old Philadelphia Pike Lancaster, PA 17602 Phone: 717-358-2972Fax: 717-358-2951
Syllabus for PHIL 225-1053, “Ethics, Belief and Action” page 5 PHRC Statement: The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (“PHRAct’) prohibits discrimination against prospective and current students because of race, color, sex, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, handicap or disability, record of a handicap or disability, perceived handicap or disability, relationship or association with an individual with a handicap or disability, use of a guide or support animal, and/or handling or training of support or guide animals. The Pennsylvania Fair Educational Opportunities Act (“PFEOAct”) prohibits discrimination against prospective and current students because of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, handicap or disability, record of a handicap or disability, perceived handicap or disability, and a relationship or association with an individual with a handicap or disability. Information about these laws may be obtained by visiting the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission website at www. phrc.state.pa.us. Inquiries about EEOC or PHRC policies should be directed to: The Assistant to the President, One HACC Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17110, Telephone (717) 221-1300 extension 1537
Syllabus for PHIL 225-1053, “Ethics, Belief and Action” page 6