Goodbye to Yesterday...

Your grades are now posted. Bye, 9:00 class!


Enjoy your summer, 10:00 class!


(Sorry, 11:00 class, I forgot to take your picture!)

Final Exam

Just a reminder that the final exam is Wednesday, May 13th in our normal classroom at our normal class time. You will only have 50 minutes to take the test, so be sure to show up on time.

Paper #2 Guidelines

Due Date: The beginning of class on Monday, May 11th, 2009

Worth: 15% of your final grade

Assignment: Write an argumentative essay on the topic below. Papers must be typed, and must be between 600-1200 words long. Provide a word count on the first page of the paper. (Most programs like Microsoft Word & WordPerfect have automatic word counts.)

Topic: Explain and defend your definition of “person” as it relates to morality.

(1) First, briefly explain and critically evaluate the different definitions of “person” that we have discussed in class. Be sure to explain each definition offered by Mary Anne Warren, Stephen Schwarz, James Rachels (his account of a biographical life), and Roger Scruton.

(2) Second, explain how each of these authors uses their definition of “person” to attempt to settle the particular ethical debate he or she wrote about. (Warren on abortion, Schwarz on abortion, Rachels on euthanasia, and Scruton on animal ethics).

(3) Third, explain your definition of “person”: do you agree with one of these authors’ definitions, or do you have one of your own?

(4) Fourth, explain the solution that your definition of “person” gives to the ethical debates of abortion, euthanasia, and animal ethics.

When considering your definition of “person,” be sure to answer the following questions: Which living creatures are persons, and which living creatures are not persons? Do you believe that you need to be a “person” in the moral sense in order to have moral rights (in particular, the right to not be killed and the right to not suffer unnecessarily)? Can someone have moral rights before they have moral duties? Be sure to fully explain and philosophically defend each of your answers.

Group Presentations: 11:00 Class

Here are the group assignments for the 11:00 a.m. class. If you're not in a group yet, let me know as soon as possible so we can get you in one.

Team Stem Cells (1st on Monday, 5/4/09)
Alex, Chris M., Ebony, Kim, Nichelle

Team Death Penalty (2nd on Monday, 5/4/09)
Christina, Karolina, Kyle B., Shanta, Tom

Team Homosexuality (3rd on Monday, 5/4/09)
Autumn, Mallory, Meghan, Nicole, Shardé

Team Pornography (1st on Wednesday, 5/6/09)
Amanda, Chris K., Diane, Jamie, Kevin, Tom B.

Team Steroids (2nd on Wednesday, 5/6/09)
Lisa, Mark, Nick, Shane, Spencer, Steve

Team Cosmetic Surgery (1st on Friday, 5/8/09)
Bernadette, Danielle, Justin, Kyle W., Rebecca

Team Wal-Mart (2nd on Friday, 5/8/09)
Alaina, Brooke, Gladys, Jess, Liz

Also, I mentioned this in class, but just in case...

Attendance is mandatory for the group presentations on Monday (5/4/09), Wednesday (5/6/09), and Friday (5/8/09). It's the only time I'll be a stickler for it. Basically, I want you to show respect for the other groups presenting.

If you don't attend on either the days your group isn't presenting (and your absence isn't excused), your own personal presentation grade will drop. Each day you don't attend will lower your grade by a full letter grade.

One last thing: be sure to keep the presentations under 15 minutes. A 10-minute presentation is ideal, so we can have time for a short question-and-answer session afterward.

Group Presentations: 10:00 class

Here are the group assignments for the 10:00 a.m. class. If you're not in a group yet, let me know as soon as possible so we can get you in one.

Team Pornography (1st on Monday, 5/4/09)
Ashley, Casondra, Jessica, Juanita, Kristine, Zach

Team Stem Cells (2nd on Monday, 5/4/09)
Antonio, Aubrey, Jeremiah, Shaun, Vyvyan

Team Prostitution (1st on Wednesday, 5/6/09)
Casey, Chelsea, Dan, Jennifer, Lindsay, Stephen L.

Team Torture (2nd on Wednesday, 5/8/09)
Alex, Ashton, Chris, Ralph, Steve P., Yousef

Team Steroids (1st on Friday, 5/8/09)
Frank, Hasan, Joe A., Joe K., Mike, Tiana

Team Death Penalty (2nd on Friday, 5/8/09)
Andrew, Bill, Brittany G., Brittany S., Monique, Tim

Also, I mentioned this in class, but just in case...

Attendance is mandatory for the group presentations on Monday (5/4/09), Wednesday (5/6/09), and Friday (5/8/09). It's the only time I'll be a stickler for it. Basically, I want you to show respect for the other groups presenting.

If you don't attend on either the days your group isn't presenting (and your absence isn't excused), your own personal presentation grade will drop. Each day you don't attend will lower your grade by a full letter grade.

One last thing: be sure to keep the presentations under 15 minutes. A 10-minute presentation is ideal, so we can have time for a short question-and-answer session afterward.

Group Presentations: 9:00 class

Here are the group assignments for the 9:00 a.m. class. If you're not in a group yet, let me know as soon as possible so we can get you in one.

Team Social Contract (1st on Monday, 5/4/09)
Angeleitha, Britné, Chris, Christina, Christine, Kyle

Team Taoism (2nd on Monday, 5/4/09)
Amanda, Danielle, Dave, Duong, Lynda, Rob

Team Death Penalty (1st on Wednesday, 5/6/09)
Ahmad, Khalid, Joe, Rachel, Raquel, Taylor

Team Steroids (1st on Friday, 5/8/09)
Alex, Clark, Jim, Kevin, Scott, Steve C.

Team Pornography (2nd on Friday, 5/8/09)
Aeisha, Bora, Chaurne, Jocelyn, Kavonya, Maria

Also, I mentioned this in class, but just in case...

Attendance is mandatory for the group presentations on Monday (5/4/09), Wednesday (5/6/09), and Friday (5/8/09). It's the only time I'll be a stickler for it. Basically, I want you to show respect for the other groups presenting.

If you don't attend on either the days your group isn't presenting (and your absence isn't excused), your own personal presentation grade will drop. Each day you don't attend will lower your grade by a full letter grade.

One last thing: be sure to keep the presentations under 15 minutes. A 10-minute presentation is ideal, so we can have time for a short question-and-answer session afterwards.

Midterm Reminder

Just a reminder: The midterm is this Friday (March 27th). It's worth 15% of your overall grade, and will cover everything we've done in class so far:

• Evaluating Arguments
  
• Relativism (Herodotus, Benedict, & Nagel readings)
  
• God Ethics (Mortimer & Arthur readings)
• Happy Ethics (Mill & Williams readings)
  
• Kant's Ethics (Kant & Taylor readings)
  

We'll be reviewing for the midterm in class on Wednesday, so I'll be giving you more details about the test then.

BE THERE.

Paper & Midterm Rescheduled

We decided in class to move the due date of the first paper back until Wednesday, March 25th.

Also, we're pushing the midterm back to Friday, March 27th.

Also, here are some tips (one and two) on writing philosophy papers.)

Another Snow Day!

Class is canceled today, Monday, March 2nd, because of the snow. In fact, all day and night classes at Camden County College are canceled.

Please go sledding! Take pictures!! SHOW THEM TO ME!!!

Paper #1 Guidelines

New Due Date: Wednesday, March 11th 25th, 2009

Worth: 5% of your overall grade

Assignment: Write an essay in which you support your opinion with an argument. Papers must be typed, and must be between 300-600 words long. Provide a word count on the first page of the paper. (Most programs like Microsoft Word have automatic word counts.)

Paper Topics (Choose ONE of the following topics)
1. Defend a Theory. Out of the eight ethical theories that we have studied—moral relativism, God ethics (divine command), happy ethics (utilitarianism), Kant's ethical theory, Ross’s Deontology, Aristotle’s virtue ethics, Kohlberg’s moral development, and Gilligan’s ethics of care—which do you think is best? Why? What are some (at least two) of the best objections that someone might make to that theory? How would you reply to those objections to defend this theory? Explain & defend your position.

2. Criticize a Theory. Provide a detailed criticism of one of the eight ethical theories we’ve discussed in class. First, briefly explain the theory, and present what you take to be the best argument in its favor. Then critically evaluate the argument. What are good objections to the argument? Consider how someone who supports the theory might respond to your objections, and explain why these responses are unsuccessful.

3. Facts, Opinions, & the Hitler Intuition. In class, we’ll be discussing the “Hitler Intuition”: Hitler’s actions don’t just seem wrong for you or me; they seem objectively wrong. Many use this intuition to argue against moral relativism, and support the belief that moral claims are fact-based. Examine this intuition.

-If you agree that it is solid evidence for objective morality, explain exactly how this intuition works. What makes it objectively true that Hitler was immoral? What is the basis of your judgment? In other words, what makes moral claims objectively true? Which ethical theory we’ve discussed do you think this supports? Explain and defend all your answers.
-If you do not believe that this intuition is solid evidence for objective morality, you are probably a relativist. Explain why this intuition doesn’t provide enough evidence for the existence of an objective morality. Why is it OK to say that Hitler’s actions weren’t universally bad? How is it that Hitler is simply bad to me, but not objectively bad?

4. Motives vs. Consequences. Which do you think is more important in determining whether an action is morally right or wrong: the consequences of the action (what happens as a result of the action), or the motivations behind the action (the reasons why someone chooses that action over other actions)? Why?

-Describe an ethical theory that we have studied that cares more about the consequences of an action.
-Then describe an ethical theory that we have studied that care more about the motivations of actions.
-In arguing for one side over the other, describe a specific moral dilemma in which these theories would give different decisions based on the action’s consequences vs. its motivations. Be sure to fully explain and defend your position.
[NOTE: You can choose either side, as long as you defend it with a well-reasoned argument.]

5. Choose Your Own Adventure! Write on a topic of your choosing related to some or one of the ethical theories we’ve discussed in class. (Sean must approve your topic by Friday, February 27th.)

Quiz You Once, Shame on Me...

UPDATE: We've moved the quiz back! The first quiz will be held at the beginning of class on Monday, February 16th Wednesday, February 18th. You will have about 25 minutes to take it. The quiz is worth 7.5% of your overall grade.

There will be two sections: the first section is on evaluating arguments, and will look just like the group work on evaluating arguments we did in class last week. There will also be a section of 4 short answer questions on the topic of moral relativism (Are moral claims merely opinions or are they factually based?) These questions will be based on our class discussions of the Herodotus, Ruth Benedict, and Thomas Nagel readings.

Feel free to insult me in the comments for putting you through the terrible ordeal of taking a quiz.

Snow Day!

Our class is cancelled today, Wednesday, January 28th, because of the snow. All morning classes at Camden County College are cancelled today. The college opens at noon.

Enjoy!

Email Subscriptions

So why does this course have a blog? Well, why is anything anything?

A blog (short for “web log”) is a website that works like a journal – users write posts that are sorted by date based on when they were written. You can find important course information (like assignments, due dates, reading schedules, etc.) on the blog. I’ll also be updating the blog throughout the semester, posting interesting items related to the stuff we’re currently discussing in class. I used a blog for this course last semester, and it seemed helpful. Hopefully it can benefit our course, too.

Since I’ll be updating the blog a lot throughout the semester, you should check it frequently. There are, however, some convenient ways to do this without simply going to the blog each day. The best way to do this is by getting an email subscription, so any new blog post I write automatically gets emailed to you. (You can also subscribe to the rss feed, if you know what that means.) To get an email subscription:

1. Go to http://cccethics09.blogspot.com.

2. At the main page, enter your email address at the top of the right column (under “EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION: Enter your Email”) and click the "Subscribe me!" button.

3. This will take you to a new page. Follow the directions under #2, where it says “To help stop spam, please type the text here that you see in the image below. Visually impaired or blind users should contact support by email.” Once you type the text, click the "Subscribe me!" button again.

4. You'll then get an email regarding the blog subscription. (Check your spam folder if you haven’t received an email after a day.) You have to confirm your registration. Do so by clicking on the "Click here to activate your account" link in the email you receive.

5. This will bring you to a page that says "Your subscription is confirmed!" Now you're subscribed.

If you are unsure whether you've subscribed, ask me (609-980-8367; slandis@camdencc.edu). I can check who's subscribed and who hasn't.

Course Details

Introduction to Ethics
Camden County College, Blackwood Campus
Philosophy 131, Section 02
Spring 2009
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
Section 04: 9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. in Madison Hall, Room 311
Section 01: 10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. in Madison Hall, Room 311
Section 02: 11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. in Madison Hall, Room 311

Instructor: Sean Landis
Email: slandis@camdencc.edu
Phone: 609-980-8367
Course Website: http://cccethics09.blogspot.com

Required Texts
Vice & Virtue in Everyday Life, 7th Edition, Christina & Fred Sommers (VV)
Do the Right Thing, 2nd Edition, Francis J. Beckwith (DTRT)

About the Course
This course is split into two halves: theory and practice. During the first half, we will study several ethical theories that attempt to answer broad questions about the nature of morality. What are the various ways that philosophers describe the difference between things that are morally right and wrong? Are the consequences of what we do more important than the motivation behind our actions, or vice versa? Does morality require God? Are ethical theories nothing more than cultural conventions?

In the second half of the course, we will apply these theories to particular ethical problems. Topics include abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, world hunger, and animal rights. The goal of this course is to develop a philosophical understanding of what underlies moral claims and apply this understanding to our own ethical beliefs.

Grades
90-100% = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
below 60% = F

Midterm 15%
Final 25%
Quizzes (2) 7.5% each (15% total)
Oral Report 15%
First Paper 5%
Second Paper 15%
Homework 5% total
Attendance/Participation 5%

Exams: There will be a midterm and a final exam. The midterm tests everything covered during the first half of the course, and will last the full period (50 minutes) on the scheduled day. The final exam is cumulative—that is, it tests everything covered throughout the whole course. The final will also last 50 minutes, and will take place during Finals Week.

Quizzes: Unlike the exams, quizzes will not be cumulative. That is, quiz #1 will test you on everything covered during the first 4 weeks of class, and quiz #2 will test you on everything covered after exam #1 (weeks 7 through 9). Quizzes will last 20 to 25 minutes, and be held at the beginning of the period on the scheduled day.

Oral Report: The oral report will be a group project presented in front of the class toward the end of the semester. Each group of 3-5 students will research a topic in ethics not discussed in class, and present a 10- to 15-minute lesson on it to the rest of class.

Papers: There will be two papers, the first a short one on ethical theory and the second a longer one on one or more of the applied topics we discuss.

Homework: Homework assignments are due at the beginning of class the day they are due.

Attendance/Participation: Most of this will be based on your attendance. If you’re there every class, you’ll get full credit for your attendance grade. Also, there will be a lot of informal group work throughout the semester. Group work can impact your attendance grade.

Extra Credit: There will be some optional extra credit assignments available throughout the semester.

Classroom Policies
Academic Integrity: Cheating and plagiarism (using someone else’s words or ideas in a paper or assignment without giving credit to the source) will not be tolerated in the class. Students found guilty of either will definitely fail the exam or assignment—and possibly the entire class. FYI: I’m pretty good at catching plagiarists. I recommend not trying it!

Excused Absenses: Make-up exams, quizzes, in-class projects, and oral reports will only be rescheduled for any excused absences (excused absences include religious observance, official college business, and illness or injury – with a doctor’s note). An unexcused absence on the day of any assignment or test will result in a zero on that assignment or test.

Important Dates
January 20th: Last day to drop a course & receive a 100% refund.
February 3rd: Last day to drop a course & receive a 50% refund.
February 10th: Last day to sign up to audit a course.
April 23rd: Last day to withdrawal from Fall Classes.

Course Schedule

January 21—23: Intro to Class/Doing Philosophy
Wednesday Introduction to Class (no reading)
Friday Intro to Doing Philosophy (no reading)

January 26—30: Arguments
Monday Understanding Arguments (no reading)
Wednesday Evaluating Arguments (group work)
Friday Are Moral Claims Facts or Opinions? (handout)

February 2—6: Relativism/Divine Command
Monday Relativism: Herodotus, Benedict (VV 134 -143)
Wednesday Relativism: Nagel (VV 174 – 178)
Friday Divine Command: Mortimer (VV 79-83)

February 9—13: Divine Command Theory/Utilitarianism
Monday QUIZ #1; Divine Command: Arthur (VV 83-91)
Wednesday Utilitarianism: Mill (VV 95-100)
Friday Utilitarianism: Williams (VV 100-107)

February 16—20: Utiliarianism/Kant
Monday Utilitarianism: group work (no reading)
Wednesday Kant’s Ethics: Kant (VV 113-123)
Friday Kant’s Ethics: group work (no reading)

February 23—27: Kant/Natural Law
Monday Kant’s Ethics: Taylor (VV 128-133)
Wednesday Natural Law: Dimock (DTRT 43-51)
Friday Natural Law: group work (reread Dimock [DTRT 43-51])

March 2—6: Virtue Ethics
Monday Virtue Ethics: Aristotle (VV 193-208)
Wednesday Virtue Ethics: Rachels (VV 251-265)
Friday Virtue Ethics: group work (catch up on the week’s readings)

March 9—13: Ethics of Care/Review
Monday Ethics of Care: Kohlberg (handout) & Gilligan (handout)
Wednesday PAPER #1 due; Ethics of Care & review for Midterm (no reading)
Friday MIDTERM

March 16—20: Spring Break
SPRING BREAK! (no class) (woo?)


March 23—27: Abortion
Monday Abortion: Warren (DTRT 183-189)
Wednesday Abortion: Schwarz (DTRT 190-202)
Friday Abortion: group work (catch up on the week’s readings)

March 30—April 3: Euthanasia
Monday Euthanasia: Rachels (DTRT 255-267)
Wednesday Euthanasia: Chamberlain (DTRT 268-276)
Friday Euthanasia: group work (catch up on the week’s readings)

April 6—10: Euthanasia/The Death Penalty
Monday Euthanasia: Quill (DTRT 284 -288)
Wednesday Death Penalty: Pojman (DTRT 361-370)
Friday Death Penalty: Bedau (DTRT 371-383)

April 13—17: The Death Penalty/Relief Aid
Monday Death Penalty: group work (catch up on readings)
Wednesday QUIZ #2; Relief Aid: Singer (VV 365-374)
Friday Relief Aid: Arthur (VV 375-380) & Shikwati (VV 381-384)

April 20—24: Relief Aid/Animal Ethics
Monday Relief Aid: group work (catch up on readings)
Wednesday work on group presentations (no reading)
Friday Animal Ethics: Rachels (VV 467-473)

April 27—May 1: Animal Ethics
Monday Animal Ethics: Scruton (VV 496-500)
Wednesday catch up day (no reading)
Friday prepare for group presentations (no reading)

May 4—8: Group Presentations
Monday group presentations
Wednesday group presentations
Friday group presentations

May 11—13: Review/Final
Monday review for Final Exam
Wednesday FINAL EXAM