Syllabus
Ethics

Ethics

PHIL-2306

Credit Fall 2020
08/24/2020 - 12/13/2020

Course Information

Section 016
Distance Learning
MW 13:30 - 14:50
DLS DIL
Donald Christie

Office Hours

  • M
    11:00 - 12:00
    DIL/DLS - TeleConference via Blackboard Collaborate
  • W
    15:00 - 16:00
    DIL/DLS - TeleConference via Blackboard Collaborate

Course Subjects

For a general description of the subject matter of each lecture or discussion, please see "Readings" below.

General Information

Professor:   D. Andrew Christie
Course Name:   Ethics
Course Number:   PHIL-2306-016
Synonym:   09592
Semester:   Fall 2020
Day/Time:   Mondays  & Wednesdays 1:30 - 2:50 p.m.
Campus/Room:   Distance Learning (Synchronous Virtual Class Meetings)

Contact Information

Email Address:   achristi@austincc.edu
Office Hours:    Mondays: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. & Wednesdays: 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Office Location:    Tele-Chat, via Blackboard Collaborate

Course Description

  • Credit hours: 3
  • Classroom Contact Hours Per Week: 3

Students will be introduced to the principles of Ethics through a critical examination of various ethical/moral theories and their application to contemporary moral problems.

There are no course prerequisites for Ethics. A passing score or the equivalent on the reading and writing portions of the TSI/THEA test is required.

Course Materials

Required textbook: Moral Philosophy; 4th edition; Editor: Louis P. Pojman and Peter Tramel; Publisher: Hackett Publishing Co.

Instructional Methodology

The course will include lectures based on the selected readings in the required textbook and class discussions of ethical systems and moral issues, and the ethical reasoning that support them. Two writing assignments, two exams (a midterm and final), plus some unannounced quizzes, will supplement the learning experience.

Course Rationale

One of the most distinctive things about human beings is that we are not simply determined by natural forces (although there are philosophical systems that reject this premise); we have the capacity to decide how to act. One of the greatest challenges for human beings is that along with the capacity to decide how to act comes the responsibility to do so rightly. Through the study of ethics one can gain greater insight into how to meet this responsibility successfully.

 

Course Requirements

Course Evaluation/Grading System

Mid-Term Exam 20%
Quizzes 10%
Written Essay 20%
Attendance/Class Participation 15%
Final Exam 35%

 

Readings


Socrates

Plato

Fall 2020 Class Calendar



PHIL-2306-016
Ethics
D. Andrew Christie, M.A.

Aristotle

Aquinas

Fall 2020 Course Calendar

Quizzes Quiz Dates: Random
Midterm Exam Exam Date: October 14, 2020
Essay Essay Due Date: November 4, 2020
Final Exam Exam Date: December 9, 2020
   

 



Hobbes

Kant

Fall 2020 Class Calendar



Course Outline &
Reading Assignments

Mill

Nietzsche

 


Course Outline/Reading Assignments

Reading assignments in MORAL PHILOSOPHY: a reader (Ed: Louis P. Pojman and Peter Tramel; 4th edition)

 
Week Week Date Topic Reading
1 M 24-AUG Introduction & Overview  
1 W 26-AUG Introduction & Overview (continued) Herodotus (pg 20)
2 M 31-AUG What is Moral Philosophy? (pg ix - xiv)
2 W 02-SEP Socrates/Plato (#1) - What is Right Conduct? Plato (pg 1 - 18)
3 M 07-SEP HOLIDAY: Labor Day  
3 W 09-SEP Socrates/Plato (#1) - What is Right Conduct? + Introduction to Essay Assignment  
4 M 14-SEP Cultural Relativism - Ruth Benedict Benedict (pg 33 - 37)
4 W 16-SEP Defense of Ethical Objectivism - Louis Pojman Pojman (pg 38 - 52)
5 M 21-SEP Socrates/Plato (#2) - Why Should I Be Moral? Plato (pg 60 - 68)
5 W 23-SEP Psychological Egoism - The Leviathan Hobbes (pg 69 - 78)
6 M 28-SEP Ethical Egoism - Ayn Rand Rand (pg 79 - 85)
6 W 30-SEP Critique of Ethical Egoism - James Rachels Rachels (pg 86 - 93)
7 M 05-OCT Socrates/Plato (#3) - The Good & The Allegory of the Cave Plato (pg 111 - 119)
7 W 07-OCT The Hedonistic Calculus - Jeremy Bentham Bentham (pg 120 - 122)
8 M 12-OCT The Experience Machine - Robert Nozick + 1st Half of Semester Review Nozick (pg 141 - 142)
8 W 14-OCT Midterm Exam  
9 M 19-OCT War & Massacre - Thomas Nagel Nagel (pg 463 - 475)
9 W 21-OCT Beyond Good & Evil - Friedrich Nietzsche Nietzsche (pg 123 - 130)
10 M 26-OCT Utilitarianism - John Stuart Mill Mill (pg 156 - 163)
10 W 28-OCT Rule-Utilitarianism - John Hospers Hospers (pg 164 - 174)
11 M 02-NOV Critique of Utilitarianism - Bernard Williams Williams (pg 175 - 185)
11 W 04-NOV Applied Ethics: Famine, Affluence, and Morality - Peter Singer Singer (pg 412 - 420)
12 M 09-NOV Deontological Ethics - Immanuel Kant Kant (pg 216 - 225)
12 W 11-NOV Deontological Ethics - Immanuel Kant (continued) Kant (pg 225 - 237)
13 M 16-NOV Morality & Religion: The Euthyphro Problem Plato (pg 356 - 360)
13 W 18-NOV A Free Man's Worship - Bertrand Russell Russell (pg 361 - 365)
14 M 23-NOV Virtue Ethics - Aristotle Aristotle (pg 299 - 311)
14 W 25-NOV Virtue Ethics - Aristotle (continued)  
15 M 30-NOV Natural Law Theory - St. Thomas Aquinas Aquinas (pg 21 - 32)
15 W 02-DEC Natural Law Theory - St. Thomas Aquinas (continued)  
16 M 07-DEC Course Review  
16 W 09-DEC Final Exam  

 

COURSE POLICIES

Course Policies

Attendance

Class attendance is recorded by the instructor.
The student is responsible for information covered in class, whether present or not. This policy applies to course assignments and deadlines, including test dates, announced in class.

Expectations

Students are expected to observe appropriate classroom behavior during class sessions. This includes, but is not limited to: refraining from carrying on disruptive conversations during class; refraining from texting and non-class-related web browsing; refraining from eating food and avoiding the use of e-cigarettes; etc.

Problem Resolution

If you are having a problem related to this course or related to me as your professor, your first step generally should be to speak with your professor. If I cannot resolve the problem or satisfy your concern, or, if for some reason you would prefer not to address the issue with your professor, you may contact the Chair of the Department, Grant Potts for help. Email: gpotts@austincc.edu. Office: HLC 4.2310.36, Phone 512-223-7153.

Withdrawal

Any student who has not attended class during the first two weeks of classes, and has not contacted the professor to make a case otherwise, will be withdrawn from class. After the second week it is the student's responsibility to take the necessary course of action to withdraw from the class if that is the student's intent. However, a significant number of absences may generate an instructor-initiated withdrawal. For information concerning important college dates, including the withdrawal date, please refer to ACC's Academic Calendar.

Incompletes

Incompletes are only granted in documented, extenuating circumstances.

Academic Freedom

Academic freedom is especially critical in the light of many contemporary instances of sincere and thoughtful thinkers being harassed and muzzled for expressing views contrary to the "groupthink" opinion. Students have the right to believe whatever they believe and, within the appropriate constraints that follow from the organization of a course and its class meetings, to express those beliefs. Grades will never be based on the beliefs that a student maintains, but only on the quality of the philosophical work performed by a student in conjunction with the course.

College Policies

Statement on Scholastic Dishonesty

A student attending ACC assumes responsibility for conduct compatible with the mission of the college as an educational institution. Students have the responsibility to submit coursework that is the result of their own thought, research, or self-expression. Students must follow all instructions given by faculty or designated college representatives when taking examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations. Actions constituting scholastic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, collusion, and falsifying documents. Penalties for scholastic dishonesty will depend upon the nature of the violation and may range from lowering a grade on one assignment to an “F” in the course and/or expulsion from the college. See the Student Standards of Conduct and Disciplinary Process.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Students at the college have the rights accorded by the U.S. Constitution to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, petition, and association. These rights carry with them the responsibility to accord the same rights to others in the college community and not to interfere with or disrupt the educational process. Opportunity for students to examine and question pertinent data and assumptions of a given discipline, guided by the evidence of scholarly research, is appropriate in a learning environment. This concept is accompanied by an equally demanding concept of responsibility on the part of the student. As willing partners in learning, students must comply with college rules and procedures.

Statement on Students with Disabilities

Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented disabilities. Students with disabilities who need classroom, academic or other accommodations must request them through the office of Student Accessibility Services (SAS). Students are encouraged to request accommodations when they register for courses or at least three weeks before the start of the semester, otherwise the provision of accommodations may be delayed. Students who have received approval for accommodations from SAS for this course must provide the instructor with the ‘Notice of Approved Accommodations’ from SAS before accommodations will be provided. Arrangements for academic accommodations can only be made after the instructor receives the ‘Notice of Approved Accommodations’ from the student. Students with approved accommodations are encouraged to submit the ‘Notice of Approved Accommodations’ to the instructor at the beginning of the semester because a reasonable amount of time may be needed to prepare and arrange for the accommodations. Additional information about Student Accessibility Services.

Safety Statement

Austin Community College is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for study and work. You are expected to learn and comply with ACC environmental, health and safety procedures and agree to follow ACC safety policies. Because some health and safety circumstances are beyond our control, we ask that you become familiar with the Emergency Procedures poster and Campus Safety Plan map in each classroom. Additional information about emergency procedures and how to sign up for ACC Emergency Alerts to be notified in the event of a serious emergency can be found at. Please note, you are expected to conduct yourself professionally with respect and courtesy to all. Anyone who thoughtlessly or intentionally jeopardizes the health or safety of another individual will be immediately dismissed from the day’s activity, may be withdrawn from the class, and/or barred from attending future activities.

Concealed Handgun Policy

ACC faculty may notify students in their classes or learning environment about the Texas Campus Carry law taking effect at Austin Community College (and other Texas community colleges) on August 1, 2017. The following is recommended syllabus language, approved by legal counsel and the college. For courses including ACC-sponsored field activities, language is still being drafted.

1. Statement for standard classroom courses (non-exclusion zone)

The Austin Community College District concealed handgun policy ensures compliance with Section 411.2031 of the Texas Government Code (also known as the Campus Carry Law), while maintaining ACC’s commitment to provide a safe environment for its students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Beginning August 1, 2017, individuals who are licensed to carry (LTC) may do so on campus premises except in locations and at activities prohibited by state or federal law, or the college’s concealed handgun policy.

It is the responsibility of license holders to conceal their handguns at all times. Persons who see a handgun on campus are asked to contact the ACC Police Department by dialing 222 from a campus phone or 512-223-7999.

Refer to the concealed handgun policy online.

2. Statement for classroom courses with physical activity (non-exclusion zone)

The Austin Community College District concealed handgun policy ensures compliance with Section 411.2031 of the Texas Government Code (also known as the Campus Carry Law), while maintaining ACC’s commitment to provide a safe environment for its students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Beginning August 1, 2017, individuals who are licensed to carry (LTC) may do so on campus premises except in locations and at activities prohibited by state or federal law, or the college’s concealed handgun policy.

It is the responsibility of license holders to conceal their handguns at all times. Persons who see a handgun on campus are asked to contact the ACC Police Department by dialing 222 from a campus phone or 512-223-7999.

Refer to the concealed handgun policy online.

3. Statement for classroom courses in exclusion zones

The Austin Community College District concealed handgun policy ensures compliance with Section 411.2031 of the Texas Government Code (also known as the Campus Carry Law), while maintaining ACC’s commitment to provide a safe environment for its students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Beginning August 1, 2017, individuals who are licensed to carry (LTC) may do so on campus premises except in locations and at activities prohibited by state or federal law, or the college’s concealed handgun policy.

In addition, concealed weapons are not allowed on ACC-sponsored field trips where the school owns or has chartered or leased vehicles for transportation.

It is the responsibility of license holders to conceal their handguns at all times. Persons who see a handgun on campus are asked to contact the ACC Police Department by dialing 222 from a campus phone or 512-223-7999.

Classes are held in an area designated as an exclusion zone as defined by state law or the college’s concealed handgun policy. Concealed carry is prohibited in exclusion zones. Concealed weapons must be stored in a secure place as defined by college policy prior to entering the classroom, studio, or learning space.

Refer to the concealed handgun policy online.

Use of ACC E-mail

All College e-mail communication to students will be sent solely to the student’s ACCmail account, with the expectation that such communications will be read in a timely fashion. ACC will send important information and will notify you of any college related emergencies using this account. Students should only expect to receive email communication from their instructor using this account. Likewise, students should use their ACCmail account when communicating with instructors and staff. Instructions for activating an ACCmail account.

Testing Center Policy

Under certain circumstances, an instructor may have students take an examination in a Testing Center. Students using the Academic Testing Center must govern themselves according to the Student Guidelines and should read the entire guide before going to take the exam. To request an exam, one must have: ACC Photo ID and know the Course Abbreviation (e.g., PHIL) Course Number (e.g.,2306), Course Synonym (e.g., 88777), Course Section (e.g., 007), and Instructor's Name.

Student and Instructional Services

ACC strives to provide exemplary support to its students and offers a broad variety of opportunities and services. Information on these services and support systems is available here. Links to many student services and other information can be found at Current Students. ACC Learning Labs provide free tutoring services to all ACC students currently enrolled in the course to be tutored. The tutor schedule for each Learning Lab may be found here. For help setting up your ACCeID, ACC Gmail, or ACC Blackboard, see a Learning Lab Technician at any ACC Learning Lab.

 

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

Course Objectives

Departmental Course Student Learning Outcomes

  • Identify, demonstrate understanding of, and describe various major figures, divisions, theories, and concepts in ethics
  • Analyze written texts from moral philosophy
  • Apply concepts from philosophy to moral issues of both individual and universal significance
  • Develop and defend a moral argument in a written essay

General Education Competencies

  • Communication Skills: Develop, interpret, and express ideas and information through written, oral and visual communication that is adapted to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.
  • Critical Thinking Skills: Gather, analyze, synthesize, evaluate and apply information for the purposes of innovation, inquiry, and creative thinking.
  • Personal Responsibility: Identify and apply ethical principles and practices to decision-making by connecting choices, actions and consequences.
  • Social Responsibility (Civic and Cultural Awareness): Analyze differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.