Phil 120: Ethics
Philosophy 127: Ethics
Whitman College – Spring 2003
Mitch Clearfield
clearfms@whitman.edu
office: Olin 237 office hours: Tuesday 10:00 - 11:00
office phone: 527-5853 Thursday 2:00 - 4:00
home phone: 529-3282 (10a – 9p only) or by appointment or drop in!
Course Description
The word ‘philosophy’ derives from Greek words meaning ‘love of wisdom’. So philosophy attempts to determine some of the deepest truths about our existence and the reality around us.
What distinguishes philosophy is not just the issues that it addresses, since some of these are also addressed by other fields (like science and religion). What is distinctive about philosophy is the way in which it attempts to answer those questions: through reason. Philosophers attempt to justify their views with arguments, laying out the strongest reasons in favor of their positions and responding to the strongest objections against them.
Ethics is the branch of philosophy that considers what is right and wrong, good and bad in human activities – in short, it tries to determine how we ought to live. In this course, we are going to use philosophical reasoning to examine what is a good (or bad) life, which actions we ought (or ought not) to take, and how answers to those questions affect how society ought (or ought not) to be structured.
Goals of the Course
The primary goal of the course is to help you refine and articulate your own moral viewpoint.
More specific goals toward achieving this include:
1. To gain an understanding of the issues and concepts of moral reasoning.
2. To explore some of the most important ethical theories in the history of Western philosophy.
3. To develop an appreciation of the relation between ethics and other theoretical and empirical inquiries.
4. To enhance the abilities to read, think, and write clearly in a philosophical way.
5. To sharpen general interpretive and analytical skills.
Class Format
Our class meetings will primarily focus on discussion of the readings and the larger issues related to them. I will sometimes also present important background or related views. As much as possible, however, you will have a chance to apply and evaluate the ideas that the texts present, and to propose and consider alternatives. In order to achieve our ultimate goal for the course, it is essential that each of you actively engage the material.
To help facilitate this, on Thursdays we will split into 2 smaller groups, one meeting at 11:00 and the other meeting at 1:00. Both groups will meet in Olin 341.
Texts to be Used
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, trans. Irwin, 2nd edition (Hackett)
Kant, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, trans. Ellington (Hackett)
Bentham and Mill, Utilitarianism and Other Essays (Penguin)
Noddings, Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education (U. of California Press)
Additional readings will be either on reserve in the library or available as a course-pack to purchase from the Whitman bookstore.
High-Tech
1) I will often distribute important announcements, reminders, and clarifications through e-mail. It is your responsibility to check your account every day. There is also an e-mail list-server set up for you to contact each other. Messages sent to phil127@whitman.edu will be forwarded to everyone in the class.
2) All handouts and assignments, as well as lots of other useful stuff, will be available from the class website ().
Academic Honesty
All of the work that you submit in this course must be entirely your own. Of course, you can seek help in a variety of ways to prepare yourself for the writing assignments and the exam. So it is permitted (and even recommended!) for you to: consult additional readings, search for material on the internet, discuss your ideas with other students, exchange notes with other students, and read and discuss drafts of each other’s papers. If you do use someone else’s words or specific ideas in your written work, you must provide a proper citation to the source.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form. You have signed a statement indicating that you understand and will abide by the College’s policy on plagiarism. Any student caught plagiarizing will automatically fail the course, and may face more severe penalties from the College. (For more details, see the Student Handbook)
Summary of Requirements and Grading
Participation — 15% of your total grade
Our class meetings will primarily focus on conversation about the readings and the larger issues that they suggest. You are expected to be an active and productive participant in our conversations. To do this, you must carefully read (and sometimes re-read) the assigned texts before class, and come to our meetings with questions, issues, and ideas to discuss. There will occasionally be more specific assignments for you to complete. You are also expected to be a productive and contributing member of your research group. More details about expectations and grading standards are available on the class website.
Response Papers — 30% of your total grade
As we are examining the different views about ethics, it is important for you to reflect on the ideas presented and to develop your own thoughts. At least once each week (until we begin the student-led discussions) you should articulate and develop your views on the material in a brief essay. More details are provided on a separate sheet and available on the class website.
Research Project & Term Paper — 30% of your total grade (5% outline / 25% paper)
During the course of the semester, you will work with a small group of students to become the resident experts on a particular concrete ethical issue. You will research any relevant factual and theoretical background, as well as the major philosophical approaches to your topic. Throughout the semester, we will be drawing connections between the more general theories that we’ll be focusing on as a class and the particular topic that you’re researching. The last two weeks of class will be devoted to discussion of your research topics, led by each group.
At the end of the semester, each student will submit a complete, free-standing essay in which you articulate and defend a thoughtful, well-grounded position on your topic.
More details on specific steps will be provided as the semester progresses.
Oral Examination — 25% of your total grade
During the final exam period, I will conduct a brief (30 minute) oral examination of each student. The exam will be comprehensive, and may cover any of the material that we’ve read or discussed this semester. The focus will be on the general ethical theories and approaches, although we may also touch on issues relating to your particular research topic. This one-on-one conversation will give you the best opportunity to demonstrate that you have understood, synthesized, and reflected on the theories and ideas that we’ve examined throughout the semester. More details will be provided toward the end of the semester.
** NOTE **
You cannot receive a passing grade for the course if:
◦ You miss 10 or more classes, for any reason.
◦ You miss 3 or more response papers, for any reason.
◦ You miss or fail the oral exam.
Tentative Schedule of Topics and Assignments
Tue. Jan. 21 course introduction
Thu. Jan. 23 what is ethics? how is ethics done?
Kagan, Normative Ethics, ch. 1
Williams, Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy, ch. 1
Mon. Jan. 27 how is ethics done? cont.
Tue. Jan. 28 basic ideas of virtue ethics
Aristotle, Ethics, book I chs. 1-5 and 7-12
Thu. Jan. 30 virtues of character first response paper due
Aristotle, Ethics, book I ch. 13 and books II-III + syllabus quiz
Mon. Feb. 3 virtues of character, cont. choose research topics & groups
Tue. Feb. 4 virtue and friendship
Aristotle, Ethics, books VIII-IX
Thu. Feb. 6 virtue, friendship, and society
Mon. Feb. 10 weakness of the will
Aristotle, Ethics, book VII chs. 1-10
Tue. Feb. 11 pleasure and the good life
Aristotle, Ethics, book VII chs. 11-14 and book X
Thu. Feb. 13 virtue-based approaches to your research topics
readings TBA
Mon. Feb. 17 NO CLASS (Presidents’ Day)
Tue. Feb. 18 introduction to Kant and deontology group proposal due
Thu. Feb. 19 good will and duty no response paper due
Kant, Grounding, preface and ch. I
Mon. Feb. 24 the Categorical Imperative – universal law formula
Kant, Grounding, ch. II only 406-427
Tue. Feb. 25 the Categorical Imperative – ends-in-themselves formula
Kant, Grounding, ch. II only 427-445
Thu. Feb. 27 the Categorical Imperative – ends-in-themselves formula, cont.
Mon. Mar. 3 Kantian approaches to your research topics
readings TBA
Tue. Mar. 4 methods & strategies for your research projects
Thu. Mar. 6 deontology and society
Rawls, A Theory of Justice, excerpts
Mon. Mar. 10 deontology and society, cont. refined proposal
Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, excerpts & prelim bib due
Tue. Mar. 11 Mill’s utilitarianism
Mill, Utilitarianism, chs. 1-2
Thu. Mar. 13 Mill’s utilitarianism, cont.
((( S P R I N G B R E A K (((
Mon. Mar. 31 the case for utilitarianism
Mill, Utilitarianism, ch. 4
Shaw, “Arguing for Utilitarianism,” excerpts
Tue. Apr. 1 utilitarian approaches to your research topics
readings TBA
Thu. Apr. 3 utilitarianism and rights special response paper due
Mon. Apr. 7 utilitarianism and rights, cont.
Mill, Utilitarianism, ch. 5
Tue. Apr. 8 NO CLASS (Undergraduate Conference)
Thu. Apr. 10 beyond consequentialism and deontology
Scanlon, “Rights, Goals, and Fairness”
Mon. Apr. 14 background and introduction to ethics of care general outline due
Gilligan, In a Different Voice, excerpts
Tue. Apr. 15 analysis of caring
Noddings, Caring, chs. 1-3
Thu. Apr. 17 caring as a basis for ethics last response paper due
Noddings, Caring, ch. 4
Mon. Apr. 21 the ethical ideal
Noddings, Caring, ch. 5
Tue. Apr. 22 care and education
Noddings, Caring, ch. 8
Thu. Apr. 24 extending ethics of care
Held, “Meshing of Care and Justice”
Tronto, “Care as a Basis for Radical Political Judgments”
Mon. Apr. 28 care-based approaches to your research topics detailed outline
readings TBA & bibliography due
Tue. Apr. 29 student-led discussion: genetic engineering
readings TBA
Thu. May 1 student-led discussion: abortion
readings TBA
Mon. May 5 student-led discussion: treatment of non-human animals
readings TBA
Tue. May 6 student-led discussion: poverty & hunger
readings TBA
Thu. May 8 student-led discussion: physician-assisted suicide / euthanasia
readings TBA
Mon. May 12 student-led discussion: capital punishment
readings TBA
Tue. May 13 semester wrap-up * TERM PAPER DUE *
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