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Contemporary Moral Issues
Instructor: Dr. Matt Deaton Course: Philosophy 252, Fall 2011, T/R 9:40-10:55 and 11:10-12:25 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) Phone: 865-323-9773 (this is my cell – feel free to call anytime between 9-5, M-F) Office Hours: Mondays from 9-11 and by appointment in 807 McClung Tower Textbook: None - all required readings will be posted on the course Blackboard site.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
CMI is an applied ethics course in which we will think through a range of issues. Applied ethics is a subfield of ethics, and ethics is a subfield of philosophy. A common misunderstanding is that philosophy (and applied ethics by extension) is essentially subjective, involving the mere expression of one’s preconceived beliefs and opinions. Rather, philosophy differs from other humanities in its focus on reasoning and argumentation rather than historic, linguistic, or scriptural analysis and interpretation. Good philosophy has much more in common with science than poetry (no offense, poets). It is not the mere expression of beliefs, but utilizes well-crafted arguments grounded by justified reasons aiming at truth. It relies on the analysis of concepts and the logical justification of claims concerning the nature of reality, knowledge, and value to make progress toward what is actually the case, or in ethics, what we morally should do.
(SOME) COURSE GOALS
· To distinguish factual claims from normative claims. · To distinguish moral “oughts” from practical “oughts.” · To understand moral theories and apply them to real-world bioethical situations. · To recognize the strengths of views other than your own. · To improve your critical thinking ability. · To improve your writing skills. · *To become a more reflective ethical decision-maker.*
COURSE RULES
1. Treat one another with respect. 2. No gator gear (I hate florida).
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
QUIZZES – 10% of course grade Periodic quizzes will be administered at the beginning of class to provide a grade-based incentive to prepare. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.
PARTICIPATION – 10% of course grade Given that this is a philosophy class with one aim of developing your reasoning skills, engaging in respectful philosophical discussion with your peers and demonstrating thorough prep and familiarity with the readings is worth 10% of your course grade. Thus, you will receive a daily participation grade. Note: Attending and paying attention is only worth 2/5 points for each day. (Attending and surfing the web or otherwise detracting from the class is worth negative participation points.) The remaining 3/5 points will depend on the quality and quantity of your contribution to the class discussion.
Quiz/Participation Make Up Policy: You may make up your participation and quiz grades for two (and only two) missed classes over the course of the semester by giving a 4-minute summary/critique presentation of the reading for the day(s) you missed, as well as the day of your return, at the beginning of class the first day of your return. Your 4-minute presentation will be followed by a 1-minute Q&A. You must email me at least two hours before classtime if you plan to do this. Note that this opportunity is only available for two class absences, so use it wisely. For absences incurred exceeding two—whatever the reason—you will receive a zero for that day’s participation. Fairness to your peers requires that I strictly adhere to this policy, so please do not ask for exception.
PAPER – 20% of course grade You will write one philosophical essay of roughly 2,000 words (or 7-8 pages double spaced) due near the end of the semester. Details of this assignment will be provided after your first exam.
3 EXAMS – 60% of course grade (20% each) You will take three mainly essay exams over the course of the semester, each accounting for 1,000 words of the 5,000 words required of all writing-intensive courses.
GRADING SCALE:
DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION: I am happy to accommodate any documented disability you may have by have, though we need to coordinate with the Office of Disability Services (974-6087) to discuss their specific needs.
COURSE SCHEDULE
R Aug 18: Welcome!
Ethical Theory and Moral Reasoning
T Aug 23: Deaton’s “Ethics in a Nutshell”
R Aug 25: Steinbock’s Moral Reasoning in the Medical Context” 1 of 2
T Aug 30: Steinbock “Moral Reasoning in the Medical Context” 2 of 2
Animals
R Sep 1: Fox’s “The Moral Community” and Regan’s “A Case for Animal Rights”
Physician-Assisted Suicide
T Sep 6: Hardwig’s “Is there a Duty to Die?” + 4 pages from Hardwig’s “Dying at the Right Time: Reflections on (Un)assisted Suicide”
R Sep 8: Velleman’s “Against the Right to Die”
Death Penalty
T Sep 13: Pojman’s “In Defense of the Death Penalty”
R Sep 15: Reiman’s “Against the Death Penalty”
Business Ethics
T Sep 20: Friedman’s “The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Its Profits”
R Sep 22: Freeman’s “The Stakeholder Theory of Business Ethics”
T Sep 27: *EXAM ONE*
R Sep 29: NO CLASS – Enjoy Fall Break!
Pre-Marital Sex
T Oct 4: Punzo’s “Morality and Human Sexuality”
Homosexuality
R Oct 6: Levin’s “Why Homosexuality is Abnormal” and Corvino’s “Homosexuality and the Moral Relevance of Experience”
Guns
T Oct 11: LaFollette’s “Gun Control”
Drugs
R Oct 13: Wilson’s “Against the Legalization of Drugs”
T Oct 18: Husak’s “Why We Should Decriminalize Drug Use”
Theories of Justice/Forms of Government
R Oct 20: Rawl’s “An Egalitarian Theory of Justice”
T Oct 25: Nozick’s “The Entitlement Theory of Justice”
R Oct 27: Fresco’s “The Future and Beyond”
T Nov 1: *EXAM TWO*
Abortion
R Nov 3: Thomson’s “A Defense of Abortion”
T Nov 8: Marquis’s “An Argument that Abortion is Wrong” and Callahan’s “A Case for Pro-Life Feminsim”
R Nov 10: Harris’s “Fathers and Fetuses” and Welin’s “Ectogenesis—the Third Era of Human Reproduction” Education
T Nov 15: Lafollette’s “Freedom of Religion and Children”
R Nov 17: Reiss’s “Conflicting Philosophies of School Sex Education”
Just War Theory
T Nov 22: Lackey’s “Nipping Evil in the Bud: The Questionable Ethics of Preventive Force”
R Nov 24: NO CLASS – Enjoy Thanksgiving!
Course Review
T Nov 29: Course Review
*EXAM THREE*
For 11:10-12:25 class : Tuesday Dec 6th, 12:30-2:30 p.m.
For 9:40-10:55 class : Thursday Dec 8th, 8:00-10:00 a.m.
PHILOSOPHY 243: BUSINESS ETHICS (University of Tennessee, Summer 2008)
Required Text Ethical Theory and Business, 8th Edition by Beauchamp, Bowie and Arnold (referred to below as “ET&B”)
Office Hours Wednesdays 1:30-4:30 in 336 SSH. I’m also happy to work around your schedule—just ask. And I’m readily accessible by email and phone prior to 10 p.m. Please don’t hesitate to call if you need help.
Course Requirements 16 Daily Summary/Response Papers (18 minus lowest two dropped)—2.5% each—40% total 4 Exams—15% each—60% total Final Grade—100%
Guidelines for Daily One-page Papers Ideally, these summary/responses will help you study for the exams. Each submission should be 1 page double-spaced with 1 inch margins, comprised of two paragraphs—the first, a summary of the author’s central argument, and the second, your critique of that argument. Papers will be assessed on a ten-point scale for clarity, concision, grammar, comprehensiveness, insightfulness and philosophical rigor. They are due in hard copy at the beginning of class. Since the assignment is designed to evaluate your ability to independently summarize and critique complex material, late submissions will not be accepted.
Guidelines for Exams The exams will contain some combination of T/F, multiple choice, short answer and essay questions. To do well, answer questions accurately, completely and using your best writing skills. Also, be sure to thoroughly explain the concepts you employ (summarize what an author argues if you drop their name) and always provide arguments to support your answers, not simply opinions or feelings. The exams build on one another, such that for any given exam, all material covered up until that point is fair game.
Extra-Credit You can earn 5 extra points on a given week’s exam by bringing a guest speaker to class. Topics should be scheduled to coincide with the topic of the day and need my prior approval. Also, see the attendance policy below. And I may provide additional extra-credit opportunities as the semester progresses.
Academic Dishonesty You cheat, you fail the course and a report is sent to Judicial Affairs. Discussing material with classmates outside of class is fine, but all written submissions must be your original work.
Attendance Policy On top of having to learn very difficult material, I’m a very demanding instructor. To stay above water, most of you will find it necessary to attend class all day, every day. However, if you don’t want to be here, it will show in your attitude and drag the rest of the class down. So, for the sake of those who want to learn, if you don’t want to be here—fine—don’t come. That said, I do have a strong interest in your success—I truly want to help you become a clearer thinker, better writer and more confident arguer—that’s what makes my job worth doing. But I can’t accomplish this if you don’t come to class—my comments on your papers can only do so much good. So, I offer one tangible incentive: students with perfect attendance (never absent, never late, never leave early) for any given week will receive a 3-point bonus on that week’s exam.
Course Schedule Setting the Stage: Philosophical Ethics and Stakeholder vs. Stockholder Theory
Selling Ethically
Ethical Treatment of Employees T June 17 Employment at Will and Due Process by Werhane and Radin, ET&B p 113-121 W June 18 In Defense of the Contract at Will by Richard A. Epstein, ET&B p 121-129 R June 19 Occupational Health and Safety by John R. Boatright, ET&B p 136-146 F June 20 Drug Testing and Employment by Desjardins and Duska, electronic reserve via library website M June 23 Exam 3
Business Abroad
Diversity
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