CNM: Phil 1102-301: Ethics & Society (Salbato) Fall, 2013
Syllabus: Philosophy 1102: Ethics and Society
Instructor: Jeff SalbatoE-mail:
Website: www.jeffsreadings.com
Office: WS-201: M-R 1:30-3:00
Voicemail 224-4000-ext.50166 / Days, times, locations, & final exams:
MW 10:30-11:45am in WS MJG-209
Final Exam: W (12/11) 9:30-11:30
Official Course Description: Examines important ethical theories and contemporary moral issues, such as war and violence, the death penalty, euthanasia, privacy, animal rights and world hunger. Assists students in critically examining their own views and those of others, past and present, on these issues.
What this course is REALLY about: This will be a semester-long challenging (or longer, if I can get into your heads!) of your everyday presuppositions about morality. We will be reading and discussing issues in moral theory, relativism, human nature, justice, punishment, war, abortion, health care, and others. My goal is to improve your ability to articulate, critique, and defend your moral beliefs and values in order to terrify you into becoming smarter and, most importantly, better people (yes, I’m serious).
Text: All readings/handouts are available on my website: www.jeffsreadings.com
- These are Word documents that can only be opened with the following password:
Evaluation: Grades based on 100 point scale (90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, etc.)
26pts. Reading Quizzes: Every meeting: easy if you’ve kept up (1 point each)
28pts. Reading Questions: Due at the beginning of every week (2 points each)
20pts. Midterm Exam: open note, in-class exam based on reading questions
20pts. Propaganda: Produce a defense of one of your beliefs for the class to read
30pts. Final Exam: Short and medium essays: no notes, but based on study guide
(Note: Total points possible: 126)
Pep talk: I will do my best to make this as interesting as possible. If you do your best to get involved with the issues, you will do fine in here. I will try to make the details clear and keep the conversations down-to-earth. This is the type of course that is really improved by having as many different perspectives as possible participating in the discussions. I am especially eager to challenge you shy students to participate (I was desperately shy in college): your ideas are usually more thoughtful than those annoying outgoing students. There is no competition nor curve in here, and my job is to make sure you are understanding the material, so you are helping me do my job if you ask questions and get after me if I am not being clear. For instance, if I begin babbling like Ozzie, you would be doing the class a big favor by raising your hand and saying, “What are you talking about, you spastic, unshaven bookworm?”
Course Policies Page:
Late Work/ Attendance/ Tardiness: Late reading questions or Propaganda will automatically be worth half credit. The reading quizzes cannot be made up if you are tardy or absent, and you must be in class to get full credit for the reading questions. If you miss the mid-term exam, 20 points will be added to the weight of your final exam.
Reading Quizzes: These will occur during the first minutes of class. These short questions will be based on the readings and class discussions.
Readings and Reading Questions: The readings and reading questions for each week will appear on the course website. These will be updated often, so be sure to check for the latest materials. The reading questions can be hand-written or typed right into the questions document from our website. These will be given credit purely on effort, so just be sure to make a full effort to clearly answer every question, even if you are unsure of your answers. We will discuss these questions during our class discussions, so be sure to correct and clarify your answers as we go over them in class. This is important, because I will use this material, sometimes even word-for-word, on the exams.
Midterm and Final Exams: The Midterm Exam will involve answering your choice of 10 of 15 provided short essays (4-6 sentences). These will be open-note, so be sure to take good notes and correct your reading questions. The Final Exam will involve 10 short essays as before but will also include answering 2 medium essays (3-4 paragraphs). A study guide will give you the possible topics for the short essays and the exact 4-6 possible questions for the medium essays. I will, literally, roll some dice (Vegas, baby!) to determine which 2 medium essays you will write on the final exam.
Propaganda: Here is your chance to research and present a well-argued defense of one of your moral positions. These will be graded on their factual accuracy, logical support, and clarity. Present your strongest case, but be concise, for the class may read it, and they will hate you if you drone on for pages and pages. These will be due week 10, and I will select some of them to put on the schedule for the last weeks of the semester. We will then add a reading question to your reading for the class to answer.
Playa’ hata’ rule: Silence your cell phones. If you need to make a quick text, just handle it quickly without trying to hide it. Get your directions to the meth lab, tattoo parlor, or rave and get back to paying attention quickly. No disrespect, playa'!
------
Students with documented disabilities who need special accommodation in the classroom should contact Special Services for assistance, 224-3259. Also, students should tell the instructor if they have special needs because of learning or other disabilities. For personal counseling, contact Merry Guild at main campus, 224-3271.
If, due to hazardous weather or other unforeseen circumstances, a school closure occurs which prevents us from being able to take the final exam, your midterm scores will be increased proportionately to absorb the missed final exam points.
Week 1 (8/28 only; Monday canceled…please forgive me): What does this nerd expect of me?
The syllabus (I’m serious; there will be a quiz on it.)
Week 2 (9/4 only; Monday is “pretend we support workers” day): My TV is wrong about relativism?
Gowans, “Moral Relativism”
Week 2 Reading questions
Week 3 (9/9 & 9/11): But God told me to kill all those people who can’t admit they’re wrong…
Selections from Zinn, Bible, Plato, Wallis
Week 3 Reading questions
Week 4 (9/16 & 9/18): How are creepy cops with cameras supposed to find a virtuous person?
Selections from Aristotle, Noddings, Mill, Rachels
Week 4 Reading questions
Week 5 (9/23 & 9/25): But I thought rights only pertained to me, not others…
Selections from Kant, O’neill, Rawls
Week 5 Reading questions
Week 6 (9/30 & 10/2): Being in a free society means I’m free to be a sociopath!
Selections from Narveson, Singer, Nietzsche
Week 6 Reading questions
Week 7 (10/7 & 10/9): I was going to get an abortion, but then I saw your bumper sticker…
1. English, “Abortion and the Concept of a Person”
2. Marquis, “Why Abortion is Immoral”
Week 7 Reading questions
MIDTERM EXAM Monday (10/14). See syllabus for format of exam.
Week 8 (10/14 & 10/16): We don’t need health care: diet and exercise will heal your severed arm.
1. Watch: Sick Around the World” (56 minutes)
2. Selections from Degrazia, Gostin, and Engelhardt on “Health Care”
Week 8 Reading questions
Week 9 (10/21 & 10/23): Humans are naturally selfish, because reality TV is real.
1. Quinn, “Ishmael” (This one’s long, but I think you’ll really like it.)
2. Rousseau, “Origin of Inequality”
3. Goleman, “Social Intelligence”
Week 9 Reading questions
PROPAGANDA PAPER: due Monday (10/28) (Click for handout about assignment)
Week 10 (10/28 & 10/30): We need to get back to the good old days, just ask slaves and the disabled.
1. Ortega y Gassett, “Revolt of the Masses”
2. Smith, “Theory of Moral Sentiments”
Week 10 Reading questions
Week 11 (11/4 & 11/6): Children of homeless drug addicts need to learn personal responsibility.
1. Norton & Ariely, “Building a Better America”
2. Proudhon, “What is Property”
3. Kropotkin, “Anarchism”
Week 11 Reading questions
Week 12 (11/11 & 11/13): If we weren’t supposed to eat humans, they wouldn’t be so meaty & tasty.
1. Pollan, “Omnivore’s Dilemma”
2. Robbins, “Food Revolution”
3. McGinn, “Speciesism”
Week 12 Reading questions
Week 13 (11/18 & 11/20): student topics
1. Willis, “Evolving Empathy”
2. Selvaag, “War and Human Nature”
3. Baldonado, “Gun Control”
Week 13 Reading questions
Week 14 (11/25 & 11/27): student topics
1. Hogan, “Gay Marriage”
2. Nagel, Gillon, & Held on “Gay Marriage”
3. Gatto, “Dumbing Us Down & Underground History”
Week 14 Reading questions
Week 15 (12/2 & 12/4): student topics
1. Grinstead, “Late Term Abortions”
2. Mattocks, “Euthanasia”
Week 15 Reading questions
Final Exam: Wednesday (12/11) at 9:30. See syllabus for format of exam