FALL 2015
PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy: Ethics
Room: A&L 101
MWF 8-8:50
Steven Schlesinger
Office Location: A&L 436
Office hours: MWF 9:00-9:40, TTH 12:30-1:30
Contact Information: Email address: sschlesi@mail.sdsu.edu Office Phone: 594-4678
Required Text: The Moral Life by Pojman and Vaughn
This text and a handout to be given in class are the basis of all lectures. The book is available at
SDSU bookstore and costs approximately $50.
Statement of Contingency: This syllabus is intended to guide us through the semester. However,
circumstances can change and so I reserve the right to change the syllabus as needed to ensure
that we fulfill the objectives of the course. You will receive full and fair notification regarding
such changes.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
This course fulfills the Humanities portion of the Explorations section of the General Education
(GE) Requirements. Among the “seven essential capacities” that the GE program emphasizes,
this course develops in the student the following in particular:
1. Construct, analyze and communicate arguments.
2. Apply theoretical models to the real world.
3. Contextualize phenomena.
4. Negotiate differences.
Among the “Goals” for GE Courses in the Humanities and Fine Arts, this course aims to fulfill
three of them:
Goal 1: Analyze written, visual or performed texts in the Humanities and fine arts with
sensitivity to their diverse cultural contexts and historical moments.
Goal 2: Argue from multiple perspectives about issues in the Humanities that have personal
and global relevance.
Goal 3: Demonstrate the ability to approach complex problems and ask complex questions
drawing upon knowledge of the Humanities.
Catalogue description: Philosophical inquiry, with emphasis on problems of moral value.
Students are encouraged to think independently and formulate their own tentative conclusions
concerning a variety of vital contemporary issues facing individuals and society
Course Objectives: The aim of this course is first to challenge the idea that there is such a thing
as knowledge of right and wrong. Then acquaint the student with the basic principles of several
influential ethical systems; and how these ethical principles can be applied to a variety of vital
contemporary issues facing individuals and society. In addition, this course gives the student the
opportunity to learn and demonstrate important skills necessary to a well-rounded University
education. As well as reading, these skills include listening, note-taking and organizing ideas to
form a coherent understanding of the material as it relates to their lives.
Learning outcomes- Upon completion of the course student will be able to:
1) Show ability to analyze and critically respond in essay form to the Skeptic’s claim that
we cannot know anything about ethics.
2) Show ability to analyze and critically evaluate the idea that ethics is determined by
something other than Human thinking (i.e. God/Religion).
3) Show ability to analyze and critically evaluate the ideas of major ethical theories.
4) Show ability to analyze and critically evaluate the application of ethical theories to
ethical problems.
5) Show ability to analyze and critically evaluate proposals about how to implement these
theories into practice.
6) Show ability to argue from multiple perspectives.
Organization—Lectures in all classes except for periodic in class essay tests. Readings should be
done before class lectures. ALL LECTURES ARE IMPORTANT.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Week 1. Aug 24th Introduction to Course
Aug 26th Relativism Chapter 3
Aug 28th Relativism, cont
week 2. Aug 31
Moral Objectivism.
Sept 2
Human Rights
Sept 4th Egoism Chapter 8
Week 3 Sept 7th Holiday
Sept 9th Egoism-conclusion
Sept 11
Essay test on relativism and egoism
Week 4 Sept 14th Introduction to Religion and Ethics- Chapter 7
Sept 16th Divine Command Theory
Sept 18th Divine Command Theory, continued
Week 5 Sept 21st Criticism of Divine Command Theory
Sept 23rd Criticism, continued
Sept 25th Criticism, continued
Week 6 Sept 28th Summary of Divine Command Theory
Sept 30 TEST IN-CLASS ESSAY on Religion and Ethics
Oct 2nd Introduction to Utilitarian Ethics Chapter 4
Week 7 Oct 5th John Stuart Mill on the Higher Pleasures
Oct 7th Higher Pleasures, continued
Oct 9th Higher Pleasures, continued
Week 8 Oct 12th Act & Rule Utilitarianism
Oct 14th TEST IN-CLASS ESSAY on Utilitarian Ethics
Oct 16th Kant and Deontological Ethics-Chapter 5-Kant selection
Week 9 Oct 19th Metaphysics of Morals
Oct 21st Metaphysics of Morals, continued
Oct 23rd The Categorical Imperative
Week 10 Oct 26th The Categorical Imperative, continued
Oct 28th TEST IN-CLASS ESSAY on Kant’s Ethics
Oct 30th Virtue Ethics-Chapter 9 chapter 6
Week 11 Nov 2nd Virtue Ethics, continued
Nov 4th Virtue Ethics, continued
Nov 6th Criticism of Action-Based Ethics
Week 12 Nov 9th Criticism, continued
Nov 11th Connections between Virtue-Based & Action-based ethics
Nov 13th A Terrorist Who Claims to be Virtuous; Reading- Trotsky Handout
Week 13 Nov 16th Introduction to Marxist Ethics
Nov 18th Marxist Ethical Criticism of Capitalism
Nov 20th Why Communism is Virtuous.
Week 14 Nov 23rd A Mad Dog Attacks a Child
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Nov 25th A Mad Dog continues
Nov 28th Thanksgiving Break
Week 15 Nov 30 Che Guevara and Virtue Ethics
Dec 2 Oscar Romero and Virtue Ethics.
Dec 4 TEST IN-CLASS ESSAY On Trotsky and Virtue Ethics
Week 16 Dec 7 QUESTION AND ANSWER
Dec 9th Last day of class. Return and review Test 5
Each of the 5 exams count equally at 20%.
Criteria for grading:
1) Essay should contain a clear line of thought and argument, and each paragraph logically
contributes to the development of that line of argument.
2) The essay exhibits a thorough understanding of the work being criticized and accurately
explicates the author’s response to the reading.
3) The essay takes a critical stance toward the material under examination and the criticisms are
based on firm reasoning that is well supported with relevant evidence.
During your Final exam you may retake any 2 of the 5 exams at one hour each—the new grade
will replace the previous grade. Your Final is scheduled for Friday Dec 12th. 10:30-12:30
PLEASE NOTE:
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it
is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any
delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as
soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations
based upon disability cannot be provided until you have presented your instructor with an
accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated