SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS

Colorado State University, Academic Partner

Voyage: Fall 2019 Discipline: Philosophy and Religion Course Number and Title: PHIL 205 Introduction to Ethics Division: Lower Faculty Name: Kenneth Shockley Semester Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisites: Student must be of sophomore standing or higher

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will introduce students to the main concepts and theories in philosophical ethics, and give experience in making and justifying ethical decisions. Over the course of the term, we will consider some of the basic questions of ethics: How can we tell right from wrong and good from bad? What is it to be a good person? What should we do when two or more of our ethical principles conflict? Can moral claims be objectively true or false or is morality all just a matter of opinion? We will look at how philosophers have answered these questions in the past and think about how their answers might be relevant to contemporary ethical dilemmas.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 Engage with philosophical literature regarding value and the nature of morality  Explain the relationship between moral standards and relativism  Analyze particular instances and unifying themes of moral theory  Apply moral theories to practical problems

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS

AUTHOR: Steven M. Cahn and Peter Markie TITLE: Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press ISBN #: 9780190209803 DATE/EDITION: 6th ed (2015)

TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE

Depart Amsterdam, The Netherlands — September 9

(‘[Ethics]’ indicates readings in the required textbook )

B1—September 12: Clarifying our Subject: Egoism Readings: Feinberg’s “Psychological Egoism” in Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn, eds) Philosophy: The Quest for Truth 10th ed (Oxford, 2016). (Distributed) [Ethics] James Rachels Egoism and Moral Skepticism

B2—September 14: Clarifying our Subject: Ethical relativism Readings: James Rachel’s “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism”) from Rachels and Rachels Elements of Moral Philosophy, 7th ed. (McGraw-Hill, 2014), ch 2, pp. 15-32. (Distributed) [Ethics] Mary Midgley, Trying Out One's New Sword

Gdansk, Poland — September 15-20

B3—September 22: Standards and Justification: Readings: [Ethics] Euthyphro

B4—September 24: Standards and Justification: Readings: [Ethics] Plato Defense of Socrates

Lisbon, Portugal — September 26-28 Cadiz, Spain — September 29 – October 1

B5—October 2: Standards and Justification: Readings: [Ethics] Plato Defense of Socrates

B6—October 4: Consequentialism: Readings: [Ethics] John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism (selections)

Dubrovnik, Croatia — October 6-10

B7—October 11: Consequentialism: Readings: [Ethics] John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism (selections)

B8—October 13: Consequentialism, Applied I Readings: [Ethics] Peter Singer, Famine, Affluence, and Morality; [Ethics] John Arthur, Famine Relief and the Ideal Moral Code

Casablanca, Morocco — October 15-20

B9—October 21: Consequentialism, Applied II Readings: Hare, R. M. (1979). What is wrong with slavery. Philosophy and Public Affairs 8 (2): 103-121. (Distributed)

B10—October 23: African perspectives: Readings: Bewaji, John A. I., 2004. “Ethics and Morality in Yoruba Culture,” in Kwasi Wiredu (ed.), A Companion to , Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 396–403. (Distributed) Recommended: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/african-ethics/

B11—October 26: African perspectives: Readings: Ebijuwa, T., 1996. “Conscience, Morality and Social Responsibility in an African Culture,” Quest: Philosophical Discussions, 9 (2): pp. 89–100. (Distributed) Recommended: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/african-ethics/

Tema, — October 28-30 Takoradi, Ghana — October 31 – November 1 Field Class – November 1: Framing Moral Tragedy: Ghana’s Slave Castle

B12—November 2: Confucian Ethics Readings: selections from The Analects; review slides

B13—November 5: Midterm Exam

B14—November 7: Virtue Ethics Readings: [Ethics] Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics (selections)

B15—November 9: Virtue Ethics Readings: [Ethics] Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics (selections)

Salvador, Brazil — November 10-15

B16—November 17: Virtue Ethics Readings: [Ethics] Julia Annas, Acting from virtue and doing the right thing

B17—November 19: Deontology Readings: [Ethics] , Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals

B18—November 22: Deontology Readings: [Ethics] Immanuel Kant, Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals (Field Class Assignments Due) (Field Class Presentations)

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago — November 24

B19—November 25: Feminist Moral Theory Readings: [Ethics] 37. Held, Feminist Transformations of Moral Theory

B20—November 27: Feminist Moral Theory Readings: Annette C. Baier: The Need for More than Justice Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn, (eds) Philosophy: The Quest for Truth 10th ed (Oxford, 2016). (Distributed)

B21—November 30: 33. Testing our Intuitions, Challenging the Canon Readings: [Ethics] Thomas Nagel, Moral Luck

Guayaquil, Ecuador — November 24

B22—December 8: 34. Testing our Intuitions, Challenging the Canon Readings: [Ethics] Susan Wolf, Moral Saints

B23—December 10: 56. Testing our Intuitions, Challenging the Canon Readings: [Ethics] Judith Jarvis Thomson, The Trolley Problem

Puntarenas, Costa Rica — December 11-15

B24—December 17: review discussion and assignment presentations

B25—December 20: Final Exam

Arrive San Diego, California — December 23

FIELD WORK

Semester at Sea field experiences allow for an unparalleled opportunity to compare, contrast, and synthesize the different cultures and countries encountered over the course of the voyage. In addition to the one field class, students will complete independent field assignments that span multiple countries.

Field Class & Assignment

Field Class attendance is mandatory for all students enrolled in this course. Do not book individual travel plans or a Semester at Sea sponsored trip on the day of your field class. Field Classes constitute at least 20% of the contact hours for each course, and are developed and led by the instructor.

Framing Moral Tragedy: Ghana’s Slave Castles Country: Ghana Date: 1 November 2019 Idea: The focus of our Field Class will be on moral tragedy. In this Field Class we will visit the slave castles of Ghana. We will explore the central moral idea of human dignity through an exploration the great moral tragedy of slavery. We will tour the castles and reflect as a group on slavery and what the legacy of slavery says about perceptions of human dignity.

Objectives: Students should be able to: (1) Understand various ethical theories through the lens of slavery (2) Frame alternative conceptions of human rights and human dignity (3) Distinguish various ethical theories by considering their framing of human dignity.

Assessment: Students may earn up to 10% of course grade for active participation and engagement in Field Class activities. After our Field Class students will develop a paper [worth 15% of course grade] characterizing the idea of human dignity in light of the moral tragedy of slavery (Due B18, November 22nd). On B18, students will present their papers in class [worth 5% of course grade].

Independent Field Assignments

Students will find one practical problem discovered in local news media, in your own experiences, or elsewhere while in each of three (3) ports (choose between Gdansk, Lisbon, Cadiz, Dubrovnik, Casablanca, Tema, Takoradi, Salvador, or Guayaquil). Students will then provide characterizations of that problem according to each of consequentialism, deontology, or virtue ethics (you may use either the original expression of each of these theories or one of the more contemporary articulations). Each of these reports will be worth 5% of your course grade.

METHODS OF EVALUATION

Participation [10% of course grade] Students are expected to be active participants in class activities. Active participation requires that students be prepared for class, and that they be thoughtful and respectful in class discussion.

Independent Project [15% of course grade] Preliminary Writing Assignment [10% of course grade] Following our discussions and experiences during the first third of our voyage, students will provide a written assessment of a contemporary social-environmental problem in terms of fairness. This paper will be assigned on B8 and due on B11.

Field Work [30% of course grade] The Field Class for this course constitutes a substantial component of the course, and a correspondingly significant component of its assessment. Students are required to be prepared for the class, engaged in the class, and respectful during the class. Participation in this class constitutes 10% of the final course grade. Following our Field Class, students will be required to develop a presentation [5% of final course grade] and write a reflection paper [15% of final grade]– see details above.

Exams [35% of course grade] There will be two exams in this course to test your knowledge of the course material. The exams will consist in five short questions, of which students will be able to select four. Students will then provide short (100-200 word) responses. Midterm Exam: 15% (B13); Final Exam: 20% (B25)

Evaluation Schedule Ongoing Active Participation B8 Preliminary Writing Assignment Assigned B11 Preliminary Writing Assignment Due B13 Midterm Exam B18 Field Class Presentations; Field Class Papers Due B25 Final Exam

GRADING SCALE

The following Grading Scale is utilized for student evaluation. Pass/Fail is not an option for Semester at Sea coursework. Note that C-, D+ and D- grades are also not assigned on Semester at Sea in accordance with the grading system at Colorado State University (the SAS partner institution).

Pluses and minuses are awarded as follows on a 100% scale:

Excellent Good Satisfactory/Poor Failing 97-100%: A+ 87-89%: B+ 77-79%: C+ Less than 60%: F 93-96%: A 83-86%: B 70-76%: C 90-92%: A- 80-82%: B- 60-69%: D

ATTENDANCE/ENGAGEMENT IN THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Attendance in all Semester at Sea classes, including the Field Class, is mandatory. Students must inform their instructors prior to any unanticipated absence and take the initiative to make up missed work in a timely fashion. Instructors must make reasonable efforts to enable students to make up work which must be accomplished under the instructor’s supervision (e.g., examinations, laboratories). In the event of a conflict in regard to this policy, individuals may appeal using established CSU procedures.

LEARNING ACCOMMODATIONS

Semester at Sea provides academic accommodations for students with diagnosed learning disabilities, in accordance with ADA guidelines. Students who will need accommodations in a class, should contact ISE to discuss their individual needs. Any accommodation must be discussed in a timely manner prior to implementation.

A letter from the student’s home institution verifying the accommodations received on their home campus (dated within the last three years) is required before any accommodation is provided on the ship. Students must submit this verification of accommodations to [email protected] as soon as possible, but no later than two months prior to the voyage.

STUDENT CONDUCT CODE

The foundation of a university is truth and knowledge, each of which relies in a fundamental manner upon academic integrity and is diminished significantly by academic misconduct. Academic integrity is conceptualized as doing and taking credit for one’s own work. A pervasive attitude promoting academic integrity enhances the sense of community and adds value to the educational process. All within the University are affected by the cooperative commitment to academic integrity. All Semester at Sea courses adhere to this Academic Integrity Policy and Student Conduct Code.

Depending on the nature of the assignment or exam, the faculty member may require a written declaration of the following honor pledge: “I have not given, received, or used any unauthorized assistance on this exam/assignment.”

RESERVE BOOKS FOR THE LIBRARY

None

FILM REQUEST

None

ELECTRONIC COURSE MATERIALS

AUTHOR: Joel Feinberg ARTICLE/CHAPTER TITLE: “Psychological Egoism” JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: in Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn, eds) Philosophy: The Quest for Truth 10th ed VOLUME: DATE: (Oxford, 2016) PAGES:

AUTHOR: James Rachels ARTICLE/CHAPTER TITLE: “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism” JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: in Rachels and Rachels Elements of Moral Philosophy, 7th ed. VOLUME: DATE: McGraw-Hill, 2014 PAGES: pp. 15-32

AUTHOR: Bewaji, John A. I. ARTICLE/CHAPTER TITLE: “Ethics and Morality in Yoruba Culture,” JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: VOLUME: in Kwasi Wiredu (ed.), A Companion to African Philosophy DATE: Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2004 PAGES: 396–403

AUTHOR: Ebijuwa, T ARTICLE/CHAPTER TITLE: “Conscience, Morality and Social Responsibility in an African Culture,” JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: Quest: Philosophical Discussions VOLUME: 9 (2) DATE: 1996 PAGES: 89–100

AUTHOR: Hare, R. M. ARTICLE/CHAPTER TITLE: What is wrong with slavery JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: Philosophy and Public Affairs VOLUME: 8 (2) DATE: 1979 PAGES: 103-121

AUTHOR: Annette C. Baier ARTICLE/CHAPTER TITLE: The Need for More than Justice JOURNAL/BOOK TITLE: in Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn, (eds) Philosophy: The Quest for Truth 10th ed VOLUME: DATE: Oxford, 2016 PAGES:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

None

Instructor can provide all electronic resources noted above