Ethics Bowl 2014
AL 422
Tuesdays: 7-8:30 & Saturdays 3-4:30
Instructor:
Office:
Email:
Alison M. Brown, Ph.D., Esq.
AL 429
AlisonMarieBrown@gmail.com
Office Hours: After class and by appointment.1
Phone:
(650) 906-99142
Required Text:
 Moral Theories – I’ll email these to you
 The 12 Cases from the 2014-2015 Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl – I’ll email these to you
 The research needed to aid in the formation of your arguments and defense of your positions – You’ll have
to find these
Course Description:
Participate in the 2014-2015 Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl California Regional Competition. The class will focus
on 12 cases disseminated by the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl Competitions, focusing on ethics, public policy,
and debate. The team will meet about twice per week to analyze the cases, plan strategy, and mock debate.
Course Goals and Objectives:
The goals of this course are to prepare for vigorous oral, ethical debate and to compete in the 2014 California
Regional Ethics Bowl Competition. At the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Identify (and avoid making) fallacious arguments
2. Identify and analyze various moral theories as applied to specific ethical issues;
3. Construct arguments in a legal context and critique counter arguments;
4. Identify and reconstruct arguments in a legal context;
5. Evaluate/analyze legal arguments; and
6. Demonstrate analytic oral argument skills.
Expectations I have of you:
Students are expected to have read and thought about the assigned text and to arrive on time. In addition to
expecting you to meaningfully contribute to class, I also ask that you do everything to foster a professional and
positive learning environment. While I strongly encourage vigorous debate, I expect that everyone will treat
others respectfully at all times. I also ask that you do nothing to distract me or classmates during class. In
particular, please only use laptops or other electronic devices in class to take notes and access course-related
materials. Also, I beg of you to curb electronic distractions: turn cell phones off, refrain from playing computer
games, abstain from using all communication tools such as email, IM, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,
Chatroulette, or webcams during class. Also, please disable/pause your Shake Weight screensaver or otherwise
distracting graphics, and YouTube how-to videos.
Course Assignments:
 Class Attendance – You must attend as many class/practice meetings as possible
 Writing Assignment – You will be required to turn in 3 case summaries analyzing cases from both the
Utilitarian and Deontological points of view.
 Mock Competitions – You will be expected to argue your Ethics Bowl 2014 cases before 4 panels of
Mock Judges
 Competition – You must attend and participate in the 2014 California Regional Ethics Bowl
Competition
1
2
I’ll likely be on campus at least an hour before each class but please email me to confirm an appointment if you want to meet then.
Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but here's my number, so call me, maybe, but only in the event of a true emergency.
Grading:
 Class Participation:
 Writing assignments:
 Mock Competition 1:
 Mock Competition 2:
 Mock Competition 3:
 Mock Competition 4:
 Competition:
30%
30%
10%
10%
10%
10%
0%
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D- 60-62
F 0-59
Academic Honor Policy:
Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities: http://csrr.sdsu.edu/index.html. Plagiarism
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism) or cheating may result in a grade of “F” for the course.
Americans with Disabilities Act:
University policies regarding ADA-compliant accommodations and procedures to receive accommodations:
http://oerc.sdsu.edu/disabled-student.html
Students who need accommodation of their disabilities should contact me privately, to discuss specific
accommodations for which they have received authorization. If you need accommodation due to a disability,
but you have not registered with Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473 (Calpulli Center, Suite 3101),
please do so before making an appointment to see me.
Student Privacy and Intellectual Property:
I will protect your privacy by not distributing or posting grades in a way that allows anyone other than the
individual student to access them. In addition, San Diego State University policy grants to students intellectual
property rights to work products they create as part of a course unless they are formally notified otherwise.
Furthermore, I expect each of you to abide by these policies in your dealings with fellow students.
Date
Tuesday
26 August
Tuesday
2 Sept.
Saturday
6 Sept.
Tuesday
9 Sept.
Topic
Intro, continued try-outs, moral theory basics
Saturday
13 Sept.
Tuesday
16 Sept.
Saturday
20 Sept.
Tuesday
Meet to discuss and assign cases (if not
already done)
Discuss cases
Possibly more try-outs, read old cases and
discuss argument set-up and strategy
Go over cases and expectations
Discuss the homework as a group and answer
any remaining questions about moral theories
or argument structure
Class Assignments
Discuss moral theories
Homework due: Give both the Utilitarian and
Deontological arguments for ANY case you
choose – this is just to show to me that you
understand the basic differences between the
theories – no need to do research.
Discuss cases
Discuss cases
Homework due: Give both Utilitarian and
23 Sept.
Deontological (Mill, Kant, Lock, Hume, etc.)
arguments for your assigned cases
Saturday
27 Sept.
Start practicing giving arguments
Tuesday
30 Sept.
Saturday
4 Oct.
Tuesday
7 Oct.
Practice giving arguments
Saturday
11 Oct.
Tuesday
14 Oct.
Saturday
18 Oct.
Tuesday
21 Oct.
Saturday
25 Oct.
Tuesday
28 Oct.
Saturday
1 Nov.
Tuesday
4 Nov.
Saturday
8 Nov.
Tuesday
11 Nov.
Saturday
15 Nov.
Tuesday
18 Nov.
Saturday
22 Nov.
Tuesday
25 Nov.
Friday
5 Dec.
Saturday
6 Dec.
Practice – Mock Judges??
Ali may be out of town
Practice
Practice giving arguments
Practice
Homework due: Give REVISED Utilitarian and
Deontological (Mill, Kant, Lock, Hume, etc.)
arguments for your assigned cases
Give Arguments to Mock Judges
Practice
Give Arguments to Mock Judges
Practice
Give Arguments to Mock Judges
Practice
Give Arguments to Mock Judges
Veterans’ Day – No Classes – We can still
meet if you want to (TBD)
Practice
Practice
Practice
No meeting – Pre-Thanksgiving
Drive/Train to Santa Barbara
COMPETITION!
Discuss you cases with your families – practice
giving your arguments, ask for counter argument
Eat nice dinner together, go to sleep early