PHIL 220—Introduction to Ethics, three Credit Hours
Black Hills State University
Fall, 2012
Course Meeting Time and Location:
Tuesday 4:00—7:00 RC Univ. Center 206
Last Day to drop course without transcript entry--Sept 5, 2012
Last Day to drop course with a “W”--November 8, 2012
November 13--December 7--IDEA Surveys open online
Instructor’s Contact Information
Dr. Charles Follette
No office (emeritous)
Office hours: I will usually be available before and after class.
Office phone number: 641--1240
Email address: charles.follette@bhsu.edu
Web address:
http://www.bhsu.edu/Default.aspx?alias=www.bhsu.edu/charlesfollette
Course Description:
Catalog description: Examines the major currents and components of ethical
theory from classical times to the present, investigating problems arising from
specific theories, as well as critically analyzing the validity of these theories for
current ethical concerns.
Course Prerequisites: none
Previous courses/experience: none
Technology skills: access the web site
Description of Instructional Methods: lecture/discussion
Course Requirements
Required textbook(s) and other materials:
TEXT: MacKinnnon, Barbara. Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues.
Wadsworth.
Supplementary materials
The Encylopedia of Philosophy; Collier Macmillan
Much of the material for this class will be primarily available from Dr. Follette’s
website, so students need access to computers capable of accessing it. They will
find it useful to have similar access to recent versions of word, excel and power
point. Project Gutenberg http://www.promo.net/pg/ has a wealth of links to
important texts including Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics
Class attendance policy This class will enforce a “week’s work” policy. Every
student is entitled to a number of unexcused absences equivalent to a full week of
meetings (1). Each unexcused absence after that will reduce the student’s final
grade by one point on the 12 point scale. Dr. Follette will make REASONABLE
accommodation for school approved activities and medical and compassionate
emergencies. Activity excuses must be arranged before the absence—others within
a week of their occurrence. In all cases, absence notification may be sent by email
to Dr. Follette and is the responsibility of the student. It is not adequate to be listed
on a general email announcement. “Attendance” assumes attention. Students using
class time for other class work or napping will be counted absent. Under no
circumstances should the student expect special consideration because of (1)
workload in other classes, or (2) the desire to leave early for or return late from
vacations. If class is canceled for any reason on, say, a quiz day, the student should
assume that the class will resume with the missed activity. Attendance will
typically be taken before and after break. each session counts as 1/2 week.
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism
Each faculty member needs to establish a policy for cheating or plagiarism on his or her
syllabus. When cheating or plagiarism has occurred, the faculty member should report
the incident in writing to the Vice President for Academic Affairs’ office. The form is
available on the BHSU Website at:
http://www.bhsu.edu/Portals/0/facultystaff/policy/AcademicDishonesty.doc
A copy of the Documentation of Academic Dishonesty should be given to the dean of the
faculty member’s college and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Formal procedures for filing a complaint for academic misconduct are in the Student
Conduct Code in the Student Handbook. Cheating and plagiarism are defined in Section
2, Part B, 1. Disciplinary sanctions are outlined in Section 3, Judicial Policies.
The use of someone else's organizational form or wording—either written or
oral—must be limited and acknowledged. Misusing sources either by failing to
acknowledge them (plagiarism) or using them excessively constitute cheating and like all
other forms of cheating (giving or accepting assistance on examinations, presenting
another’s work as ones own, etc.) will not be tolerated. Any form of cheating will result
in the activity's being graded N with no make-up option. In egregious cases, it may result
in failing the class.
Texting, web surfing, etc. is absolutely forbidden during this class.
Make-up policy: Quizzes may not be made up. In the case of a school-approved
absence, missing the quiz will not count against the student who has notified the
instructor in advance. Documentable cases of unavoidable absence will be
similarly treated if the instructor is notified within one week following the
absence. Barring exceptional circumstances, a student missing the midterm
or final must contact Dr. Follette within 24 hours of the absence to make
arrangements for makeup. Failure to do so will result in the exercise’s being
graded N.
Course Goals
I.
To acquaint the student with the legacy of classical and modern thought
regarding the nature of the "good life" and of the proper relationships of
one person to another.
II.
To provide experience in taking ethical questions seriously.
III.
SDBOR requirement: students will understand the diversity and
complexity of the human experience throught the sstudy of the arts and
humanities. Student learning Outcomes: As a result of taking courses
meeting this goal, students will:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the diversity of values, beliefs, and ideas
embodied in the humanexperience;
2. identify and explain basic concepts of the selected disciplines within
the arts and humanities
3. Identify and explain the contributions of other cultures from the
perspective of the selected selected disciplines within the arts and
humanities
GOAL #4: Arts & Humanities
SDBOR requirement: Students will understand the diversity and complexity of the
human experience through study of the arts and humanities
Student Learning Outcomes: As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students
will:
Demonstrate knowledge of the diversity of values, beliefs, and ideas embodied in the
human experience;
Identify and explain basic concepts of the selected disciplines within the arts and
humanities.
In addition, as a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will be able to do at
least one of the following:
Identify and explain the contributions of other cultures from the perspective of the
selected disciplines within the arts and humanities;
Demonstrate creative and aesthetic understanding;
Explain and interpret formal and stylistic elements of the literary or fine arts;
Demonstrate foundational competency in reading, writing, and speaking a non-English
language.
Each course meeting this goal includes the above student learning outcomes:
Required: #1, #2 - At least one of the following: #3, #4, #5, or #6 - Credit Hours: 6 hours
(in 2 disciplines or a sequence of foreign language courses)
Student Learning Outcomes: evaluation will be in the form of essentially
objective quizzes and tests over lecture material and reading assignments. There is
no assumption that material must have been covered in class to qualify for
evaluation
Evaluation Procedures of Learning Outcomes:.
Assessments: the final grade will be determined by averaging grades from three,
equally weighted exercise groups:
(1) a midterm examination,
(2) a final examination, and
(3) average of quizzes and exercises. Quizzes are typically 20 questions long, the
student will have 10 minutes to complete them (unless they arrive late) and they
will be graded from 0 errors (A+) through 12 or more errors (F).
Retain all graded materials until receiving final grade. We are all subject to
clerical errors and I am delighted to correct any I make. I do, however, need the
graded material as evidence of the error. Performance standards/grading policy
Grades will be computed by assigning the following point values to the letter grades.
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
NOT
COMPLETED
-5
ADA Statement (must be used verbatim)
“Reasonable accommodations, as arranged through the Disabilities Services Coordinator,
will be provided students with documented disabilities. Contact the BHSU Disabilities
Services Coordinator, Mike McNeil, at 605-642-6099 (Woodburn 134), fax number 605642-6095 or via email at mike.mcneil@bhsu.edu for more information.” additional
information can also be found at:
http//www.bhsu.edu/StudentLife/Learning/DisabilityServices/tabid/162/Default.aspx “
Freedom in Learning
"Under Board of Regents and University policy student academic performance may be
evaluated solely on an academic basis, not on opinions or conduct in matters unrelated to
academic standards. Students should be free to take reasoned exception to the data or
views offered in any course of study and to reserve judgment about matters of opinion,
but they are responsible for learning the content of any course of study for which they are
enrolled. Students who believe that an academic evaluation reflects prejudiced or
capricious consideration of student opinions or conduct unrelated to academic standards
should contact the chair of the department in which the course is being taught to initiate a review
of the evaluation."
Tentative Course Outline/Schedule
All units after the first will be organized around three general areas: the view of persons
implied by the system, the value theory of the system (axiology) and the system's theory
of obligation (deontology). Some periods will be devoted to "doing" ethics as we
consider ethical problems suggested by class members, the instructor, or the appropriate
selections from the text.
UNIT I: INTRODUCTION: A development of the nature of ethics in
terms of its fundamental questions and concepts and it relationship to other
branches of philosophy. Text ch 1,2,3
Unit II: THE CLASSICAL TRADITION: an examination of the
eudaemonist approach of Classical Greek and Christian thought. ch 7&6;
Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Aristotle (ethics and politics), Augustine, St.
Unit III: KANTIANISM: ethics as "unconditional imperative." Text ch 5
Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Kant, Immanuel (ethics)
Unit IV. MODERNISM: a comparison and contrast of contractarians and
utilitarians and their efforts to construct theories of obligation independent of
axiology. Text
ch 4, 13 Encyclopedia of Philosophy, (Locke, John). We
will, as
time allows, explore other modern options. Readings will be announced as
appropriate.
Additional material as time allows: Leon Cass The Wisdom of Repugnance, 404: ch
14 Legal Punishment, 300; ch 9 Abortion 162; ch 18 Violence, Terrorism and War 419.
Barring the instructor’s illness, etc., all meetings will occur in the designated classroom.
THE SCHEDULE AND PROCEDURES IN THIS COURSE ARE SUBJECT TO
CHANGE IN THE EVENT OF EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES