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Applied Ethics
Sample Syllabus
MWF 9:30-10:20 AM
BRNG 1268
Instructor: Brian Besong
Email: [email protected]
Office: 6175 BRNG
Office Hours: Fridays from 1:00-4:20 or Thursdays 3:30-4:20.
AIM Account: “Philosophy Help”
Textbooks:
Ethics in Practice: An Anthology, edited by Hugh LaFollette (2nd Ed., 2002)
Applied Ethics: A Non-Consequentialist Approach, by David Oderberg (2000)
A Rulebook for Arguments, by Anthony Weston (2008)
Course Requirements:
1. Regular attendance, as well as active participation and attention during lectures and discussions
2. Completion of all class readings prior to class and ten reading quizzes
3. Satisfactory performance on four in-class exams
To pass the course, students must fulfill all course requirements in the ways specified by the following policies:
Attendance is required, and will be verified each class session by calling roll. If you arrive late (after roll is
called), it is your responsibility to approach me after class is finished. After the second absence, each absence
will result in the deduction of one percentage point from the final class grade. Thus, a student with an 85 in the
class and who has eight absences will be given a 79 in the final grade calculations. Students are responsible for
obtaining class lecture notes and other material from other students in the class if they are absent.
Participation in class discussion and active attention during lectures will amount to 10% of the total grade for
the course. I consider “A level” participation to involve asking insightful questions and making insightful
comments regularly (every class or every other class) as well as taking notes, paying attention, and otherwise
demonstrating active engagement with course material. “B level” participation would involve less active
engagement, making comments and asking questions every couple of classes. “C level” would involve asking
just a few questions a week, while remaining mostly quiet and taking notes. “D level” and below would involve
sleeping, text messaging, etc.
Class readings are central to the course and will be the foundation of all class tests, discussions, and lectures.
These selections are often complicated and require slow and methodical analysis in order to fully understand
both the thesis of the reading and the argument advanced for that thesis. Many of the critical points of the
readings will be reviewed in class lectures, but students are responsible for all the information in the readings
and should not expect to pass the course relying on lecture notes alone. For this reason, please dedicate a
reasonable amount of time (approx. 2 hours should be plenty) between classes to do each and every reading.
15% of your final grade will come from 10 pop quizzes distributed throughout the course. Each quiz will be
conducted at the start of the class and will involve true/false, multiple choice, and fill in the blank-type
questions concerning the course reading assigned for that day. Each individual quiz will be five questions, each
question counting for a third of one percentage point of your final grade (thus each quiz total is a possible 1.5%
of your total grade). No quizzes can be made up, including those missed because of tardiness. If you show up
late and miss half a quiz, these questions will not be repeated.
There will be four total exams in the course, and all will be in-class and non-cumulative. The first exam will be
worth 15% of your total grade; the second through the fourth will be worth 20%. These exams will be a
combination of short, medium, and long answers to questions concerning the course readings and in-class
lectures. There is no final exam.
In the absence of justifiable prior arrangements or in cases of serious, unexpected, and documented
medical or family emergencies, all exams must be taken as scheduled. Failure to do so results in a grade of
“0” and failure of the course.
Grading Summary:
Attendance and
Participation
10%
Quizzes
15%
(1.5% possible per quiz)
Exam 1
15%
Exam 2
20%
Exam 3
20%
Exam 4
20%
If you have any questions regarding how or why you received a grade, if something in the class concerns you
and needs correcting, or if you need general help and guidance with the course content, please do not hesitate to
schedule an appointment to meet with me during office hours. I am happy to help in any way I can. You may
also reach me by email.
If you have a documented disability that necessitates academic adjustments, you should register your needs with
the Office of the Dean of Students and meet with the instructor to discuss any necessary adjustments by January
20.
According to University policy, students requesting special consideration in scheduling for religious
observances are expected to make their needs known to the instructor in advance and must be flexible in finding
alternative times in which to fulfill their course obligations. Please notify me of any such need by January 20.
In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject
to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances. In the event of such
an emergency, the best way to get information about the changes is via email.
There is no excuse for any form of academic dishonesty, including the unauthorized use of any notes or books
during exams or communication with others during exams. Any such dishonest behavior on the part of any
student will result in the failure of the course and referral to the Office of the Dean of Students.
Schedule:
January 11: What is applied ethics? How is it done, and why?
January 13: Philosophical Methods: Logic and Reasoning
Reading: Chpt. 1, 2 & 6 in A Rulebook for Arguments by Weston
January 15: Philosophical Methods: Argumentation
Reading: Chpt. 7-9, Appendices 1&2 in A Rulebook for Arguments by Weston
January 18: Introduction to Ethical Theory
Reading: “Morality” by Scruton [PDF Available on Blackboard]
January 20: The Relationship between Theory and Action
Reading: “The Trolley Problem” by Thomson [PDF Available on Blackboard]
January 22: The Principle of Double Effect
Reading: “An Historical Analysis of the Principle of Double Effect” by Mangen
[PDF Available on Blackboard]
January 25: The Permissibility of Abortion
Reading: “A Defense of Abortion” by Thomson, in Ethics in Practice (or “EIP”)
January 27: The Impermissibility of Abortion
Reading: “Abortion” (1.1-1.4.6) by Oderberg, in Applied Ethics (or “AE”)
January 29: The Impermissibility of Abortion cont.
Reading: “Abortion” (1.5-1.8) by Oderberg in AE
February 1: The Impermissibility of Contraception
Reading: “Contraception and Chastity” by Anscombe [PDF Available on Blackboard]
February 3: The Permissibility of Homosexuality
Reading: “Homosexuality and the Moral Relevance of Experience” by Corvino, in EIP
February 5: The Impermissibility of Homosexuality
Reading “Law, Morality, and ‘Sexual Orientation’” by Finnis [PDF Available on Blackboard]
February 8: Review Session for First Exam
February 10:
First Exam: Sexual and Reproductive Ethics
February 12: The Permissibility of Euthanasia
Reading: “Justifying Physician-Assisted Deaths” by Beauchamp, in EIP
February 15: The Impermissibility of Euthanasia
Reading: “Euthanasia” (2.1-2.4) by Oderberg, in AE
February 17: The Impermissibility of Euthanasia
Reading: “Euthanasia” (2.5-2.8) by Oderberg, in AE
February 19: The Scope of Morality: Animal Rights
Reading: “The Case for Animal Rights” by Regan, in EIP
February 22: Exceptional Dignity of Human Life
Reading: “Animals” by Oderberg, in AE
February 24: Theories of Social Justice
Reading: “A Theory of Justice” by Rawls, in EIP
February 26: All Justice is Retributive Justice
Reading: “The Entitlement Theory of Justice” by Nozick, in EIP
March 1: Justice and Punishment
Reading: “Capital Punishment” by Oderberg, in AE
March 3: The Death Penalty is Impermissible
Reading: “Against the Death Penalty” by Reiman, in EIP
March 5: Review Session for Second Exam
March 8:
Second Exam: Justice and Human Life
March 10: The Permissibility of Just War
Reading: “War” by Oderberg, in AE
March 12: The Impermissibility of All War
Reading: “Pacifism” (1-4, all subsections) in the Stanford Encyclopedia
Available online: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pacifism/
March 15: Spring Break: No classes
March 17: Spring Break: No classes
March 19: Spring Break: No classes
March 22: Individual Responsibility for Massive Problems
Reading: “Famine, Affluence and Morality” by Singer, in EIP
March 24: Solving Global Hunger
Reading: “Famine Relief and the Ideal Moral Code” by Arthur, in EIP
March 26: Economics and Hunger
Reading: “Economic Competition: Should We Care about the Losers?” by Wolff, in EIP
March 29: Hunger and the Environment
Reading: “Feeding People versus Saving Nature” by Rolston, in EIP
March 31: Responsibilities toward the Environment
Reading: “The Land Ethic” by Leopold, in EIP
April 2: The Environment and Human Flourishing
Reading: “Ideals of Human Excellence and Preserving Natural Environments” by Hill, in EIP
April 5: Review Session for Third Exam
April 7:
Third Exam: War and the Environment
April 9: Legalizing Recreational Drugs, Contra
Reading: “Against the Legalization of Drugs” by Wilson, in EIP
April 12: Legalizing Recreational Drugs, Pro
Reading: “The War on Drugs is Lost” by Buckley Jr., et al, in EIP
April 14: Free Speech
Reading: “Freedom of Thought and Discussion” by Mill, in EIP
April 16: Free Speech
Reading: “MacKinnon’s Words” by Dworkin, in EIP
April 19: Free Speech and “Hate Speech”
Reading: “Speech Codes and Expressive Harm” by Altman, in EIP
April 21: Discrimination and Morality
Reading: “Racisms” by Appiah, in EIP
April 23: Affirmative Action and “Reverse Discrimination”
Reading: “Affirmative Action” by Levin, in EIP
April 26: Affirmative Action and Distributive Justice
Reading: “The Rights of Allan Bakke” by Dworkin, in EIP
April 28: Review Session for Fourth Exam
April 30:
Fourth Exam: Morality, Society, and Law