Houston Community College
Course Syllabus
PHIL 2306 Ethics
Spring 2014
Department of Philosophy
Ethics
Williams
Spring 2014
Course Description
Prerequisite: College level reading competency
This course provides a practical, community-minded introduction to questions of character
and human excellence in a multi-cultural, global environment. Traditional and
contemporary views concerning the nature of goodness, happiness, duty, and freedom
(HCC Catalog) serve as points of departure for this largely thematic inquiry into right
conduct. Particular emphasis is placed on the scope and problems of ethical reasoning and
decision-making and may include correlative inquiries into current social, workforce, and
professional moral issues. Fulfills the ethics requirement for various academic and
professional four-year college majors and HCC concentration in philosophy. Fulfills state of
Texas and HCC core curriculum Humanities requirement.
Instructor Information
Name: Christi Williams
E-mail: christilwilliams@yahoo.com
Office Phone: (cell) 254.214.2570
Office Hours: By Appointment
Classroom: 003
Class Time: 6-9pm
Course Texts
Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Translated by Martin Ostwald. Prentice Hall, 1962. ISBN
0023895306.
Kant, Immanuel. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. Edited by Mary Gregor and
Christine Korsgaard. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. ISBN
0521626951.
Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism, Edited by George Sher. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing
Company, 2002. ISBN 087220605X.
De Beauvoir, Simone. Ethics of Ambiguity. Translated by B. Frechtman. New York, NY:
Citadel Press, 1990.
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Course Objectives
Ethics
Williams
Spring 2014
There are three marks of a great person:
One who is a great thinker;
One who is a great lover;
One who is a great doer.
This course develops core competencies in written and spoken discourse and critical thinking. Specifically,
students will:
 Acquire a working knowledge of traditional and contemporary ethical views
 Define human excellence and its acquisition in practical, everyday terms
 Develop a clear sense of ethical judgment and how it is cultivated
 Consider the concerns of ethics from a multi-cultural, gender sensitive perspective
 Discover how learning and character relate to freedom and community well-being
Student Learning Outcomes
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This section describes the skills that you will use and develop to complete different
assignments:
Recall and Identify the major thinkers, schools, core philosophical questions, terms and
concepts found in the history of ideas cross-culturally construed, from ancient times to the
contemporary world.
Interpret and Explain core philosophical questions and concepts in terms that illustrate a
comprehensive understanding of each.
Apply core philosophical questions and concepts to contemporary issues and personal
experience.
Compare and Contrast related core philosophical questions and concepts, and the
correlative thinkers and schools with which they are commonly associated.
Justify a sound philosophical position on a topic, or topics of contemporary human interest
in the areas of knowledge, ethics, or human condition that Integrates and Logically
Demonstrates a Synthesis in thought.
Evaluation
Paper #1 (20%): An expository paper comparing or contrasting a theme/text/argument in
any of the thinkers we cover prior to Kant (~1000 words). Due Mar 7.
Paper #2 (20%): An expository and application paper in which you explain the ethical
insights of a particular thinker (from Kant onward) and then apply those insights to a
current area of life that matters to you (~1200 words). Due Apr 25.
Midterm (20%): Essay test covering the ancient and medieval philosophers. Oct 10
Final (20%): Cumulative essay test on the day of the final.
Reading Quizzes (20%): Since completing the reading and reading well is crucial to this
class, there will be short reading pop-quizzes at the beginning of class over the reading to
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Spring 2014
be discussed that day (you will not know which day to expect a quiz ahead of time, so
always be prepared!). There are no make-up quizzes.
All assignments are to be completed and submitted to turnitin on the scheduled due date
by 11:59pm. Please attach a copy of your paper to www.turnitin.com in .doc format. I will
take off 10 points for each day the papers are late (24 hour-period, not class day).
Assessment of Learning
Quizzes (20%)
Midterm, Feb 17 (20%)
Paper #1, Nov 1 (20%)
Paper #2, Nov 30 (20%)
Final Exam, (20%)
Make-Up Exams
You may only make up class work and tests if they are missed due to serious illness,
accident, or death in the family. Make-ups of exams given during class-time are
administered by the campus testing service at the instructor’s request.
Students with Disabilities:
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision,
hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the
Disability Services Office at the respective college at the beginning of each semester.
Faculty are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability
Support Services Office.
Academic Honesty:
The pressure to earn high grades and belief that a good end can justify any means
whatsoever leads many students to try cutting corners by resorting to less than honest
methods. Do yourself a favor by avoiding that trap. The HCC Student Handbook lists
cheating, plagiarism, and collusion as scholastic dishonesty. It defines plagiarism as "the
appropriation of another's work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in
one's own written work offered for credit." It defines collusion as "the unauthorized
collaboration with another person in preparing work for credit." Any work submitted for
this course that is determined by the professor to be the result of either cheating,
plagiarism, or collusion will earn a "0" for that assignment, and may easily cause the
student to receive either an "F", or “I” in the course depending on your professor’s stated
requirements for the assignment and the weight it carries in determining your course
grade. Students receiving an “I” for a course are ineligible for graduation until the “I’ has
been removed from a student’s transcript. Your professor may also recommend a further
punishment of probation, or dismissal from HCC and ALL of its several colleges. See the
Student Handbook for further information.
Attendance and Withdrawal Policies:
HCC Students are expected to attend class regularly. A daily record of absences will be
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Spring 2014
maintained throughout the semester. NOTE: IT IS THE RESPONSBILITY OF THE STUDENT
TO DROP, OR OFFICIALLY WITHDRAW FROM THIS COURSE IF, FOR ANY REASON, THAT
STUDENT IS NO LONGER ATTENDING. NEW RULES ARE IN EFFECT THAT GREATLY
CHANGE HOW AND WHEN THAT CAN BE DONE. YOU WILL NOT BE WITHDRAWN FROM
THIS COURSE BY YOUR PROFESSOR. FURTHERMORE, THERE ARE POSSIBLE PENALTIES
OTHER THAN LOSING ONE'S PAID TUITION THAT EVERY STUDENT MUST CONSIDER
CAREFULLY BEFORE WITHDRAWING. THESE INCLUDE:
(1)
Students who repeat a course for a third, or more times, may face a
significant tuition/fee increase at HCC and other Texas public colleges and
universities.
(2)
The Texas Legislature passed a law limiting new students (those starting
college in Fall 2007) to no more than six total course withdrawals throughout their
academic career in obtaining a baccalaureate degree. There may be future penalties
imposed.
(3)
No student may withdraw from a course following the set “last date to
withdraw.” After that date, a student can only be given a grade earned, or an "I" for
incomplete. Incompletes must be made up by the end of the following long semester,
after which they will automatically change to a grade of "F". Your instructor will not
withdraw you for non-attendance and will withdraw a student if and only if
provided a written request from that student.
ALL STUDENTS ARE ADVISED: Contact your professor/counselor about opportunities for
tutoring and other assistance prior to considering withdrawal, or if you are not receiving
passing grades. There are many opportunities available to assure your success!
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Receiving either a “W”, or “I” in a course may affect the
status of your student Visa. Once a W is given for the course (after you have submitted
withdrawal form), it will not be changed to an F because of the visa consideration. An “I”
does convert to an “F”, but only after six months have passed from the end of the term it
was received. Please contact the International Student Office at 713-718-8520, if you have
any questions about your visa status and other transfer issues.
Grading:
A = 90% to 100%
B = 80% to 89.9%
C = 70% to 79.9%
D = 60% to 69.9%
F = 0% to 59.9%
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Tentative Course Schedule
Class #
Date
Subject
1
01/13/14
Introduction, Plato
2
01/27/14
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Bk 1, chs 1-5, 7-10;
Bks II-IV)
3
02/03/14
Aristotle, NE (Bk VI, VIII-IX)
4
02/10/14
Bernard of Clairvaux (available online)
Aquinas (available online)
5
02/17/14
Midterm
6
02/24/14
Kant, Groundwork, Preface-Ch 2
7
03/03/14
Kant, Groundwork, Ch 3
Mill, Utilitarianism (entire work)
03/07/14
Paper #1 Due
Kierkegaard, 3 Stages of Existence (TBA)
Hugo – Les Miserables (available online)
MacDonald – Phantastes (available online)
Dostoevsky – Brother's Karamasov (available online)
8
03/17/14
9
03/24/14
10
03/31/14
Beauvoir, Ethics of Ambiguity (Ch 1-2)
11
04/07/14
Beauvoir, Ethics of Ambiguity (Ch 3)
12
04/14/14
Lewis, Four Loves
13
04/21/14
Lewis, Four Loves
04/25/14
Paper #2 Due
04/28/14
TBA
14
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Ethics
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Spring 2014