Ethics
Philosophy 215, Section 1 | University of the Arts | Spring 2015
Terra 702 | T 10:00 AM – 12:50 PM
Patrick Denehy
Email: pdenehy@uarts.edu
Website: patrickdenehy.com
Office: Terra 835B
Hours: T 9:00 – 10:00 AM and by appointment
Required Texts
All material will be made available to you electronically. Please have the
relevant text with you during class, either electronically or in print.
Generic Course Description
The history of ethics and the fundamental ethical problems that have concerned
philosophers for the past 2,500 years. The study begins with Plato and Aristotle
and extends to the contemporary analytic philosophy, phenomenology, and
existentialism. Problems include the ""is/ought"" distinction, the ultimate
objective of life, religious issues, human rights, justice, and welfare.
Our Course & Objectives
We will look at a number of issues and theories in moral and political
philosophy. Some theories include: virtue ethics (Aristotle), utilitarianism
(Mill), deontology (Kant), libertarianism (Nozick), egalitarianism (Rawls), and
communitarianism (Sandel). Some dilemmas and issues include: abortion,
poverty, disabilities, friendship, medical rights, market values, and parental
duties. We will watch one film (Wendy and Lucy, Reichardt) and one
documentary (Sound and Fury, Aronson) and discuss the ethical environment of
characters’ situations and choices.
There is no direct link between studying ethics and being a better person. Life
just isn’t that easy. Nevertheless, my hope is that you are able to achieve a
greater understanding of the history of Western philosophical ethics, including
the theories and thinkers that have shaped our own thoughts. Likewise, I hope
you become more skilled in the art of ethical judgment, to recognize moral
phenomena in our contemporary world, and to appreciate the difficulty of
addressing moral dilemmas.
Assignments & Grades
 Participation
 Response Papers (10)
 Argument Paper
 Midterm Exam
 Final Exam
 Total
20 p
30 p
10 p
20 p
20 p
100 points
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Participation
Participation includes contributing to our class discussion and paying attention
during class, which implicitly requires being present and prepared. By the end
of the course, you will be judged as a frequent, regular, occasional, or rare
contributor, with the following grade structure:




Frequent:
Regular:
Occasional:
Rare:
18 – 20 points
15 – 18 p
10 – 15 p
<= 10 p
If you are having difficulty participating as much as you would like, please talk
to me and we will come up with solutions.
As for attendance, you are permitted one absence without penalty. After that, I
will reduce your grade by 2 points for each absence. You should keep track of
your absences throughout the term. I will grant excused absences only for
legitimate and documented reasons, and only within two weeks of the relevant
absence. Specifically, I will not accept excuses late in the term for classes
missed earlier in the term outside the two-week window.
Avoid cell phone and Internet-browsing temptations. Most students desire a
classroom free of needless distractions, so this is not just for your sake, but for
the sake of your peers. I may take off points if your inattention becomes
problematic – and this is entirely up to my discretion.
Response Papers
You are expected to write 10 response papers worth 3 points apiece. Response
papers will largely be graded pass/fail resulting in 3 points or 1 point. Missing
response papers, i.e. fewer than 10 by the end of the term, will receive a zero.
Each response should be 200-250 words (about 1 page double-spaced). Any
citations should be footnoted in some recognizable style. You must submit
response papers in two ways:
1.
2.
Hard copy in class
Digital copy uploaded to Digication (within an hour post-class)
The reason for the digital copy is to keep a running record of your responses –
that way we can track them together. If you do one without the other, you will
fail that response paper and receive 1 point.
These can be done on a weekly basis. Turn in your response paper the week
after we discuss the topic in class. Since our class meets once per week, we will
often have two or more large topics we discuss in a given meeting. Therefore,
you should feel free to write up to two response papers (maximum) for a given
week’s issues. For example, if we discuss Aristotle’s theory of friendship and
May’s contemporary article on friendship in week 3, you could write one
response on either topic or two responses on each topic. Either way, I should
receive your response paper(s) during week 4. Nothing on those topics would
be accepted after week 4 because late response papers will not be accepted.
Please note that my comments on response papers may be minimal. However, if
you would like to discuss any in more depth, just come chat with me.
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Argument Paper
You have to write one mid-length paper due in class during week 14 (April 21).
Here’s the format: 4-5 pages, 12 pt. font, double-spaced, numbered pages, with a
separate bibliography and any citations placed in footnotes. The topic is of your
choosing insofar as it is about one of the theories, principles, or cases we discuss
throughout the course of our term. The purpose of the argumentative paper is,
as the name suggests, to argue for a position and defend the argument against
some plausible objections. Besides the mechanics, your grade will reflect your
understanding of the relevant issue and the strength of your argument.
If you are having difficulty starting or coming up with a topic, we can set aside a
little time as a class to discuss it, or come talk to me. One great way to begin is
to choose (1) a topic that interests you and (2) a response paper that received a
pass and expand the thoughts of the paper.
You will submit the argument paper the same way as response papers – hard
copy in class and a digital copy uploaded in Digication. No late papers
accepted.
Exams
The midterm and final exams will test your comprehension of the theories,
applications, and case studies throughout the term. Expect a combination of
multiple choice, short answer, and short essay questions. The final exam will be
cumulative with an emphasis on the second half of the course. I will make a
study guide available before each exam. If you are going to miss an exam for
any reason, you have to contact me before the exam period; otherwise, you will
receive a zero.
Grading Scale
A
93 – 100
A90 – 92
B+
87 – 89
B
83 – 86
B80 – 82
C+
77 – 79
C
CD+
D
DF
73 – 76
70 – 72
67 – 69
63 – 66
60 – 62
<= 59
Educational Accessibility Statement
Students who believe they are eligible for course accommodations under the
ADA or Section 504 or have had accommodations or modifications in the past,
should contact the Office of Educational Accessibility at (215) 717-6616 or
dathomas@uarts.edu to arrange for appropriate accommodations and to obtain
an accommodations letter, if applicable. Faculty can provide course
accommodations/modifications only after receipt of an approved
accommodations letter from the Office of Educational Accessibility.
Accommodation letters can be provided to qualified students at any time during
the semester, but grades earned before the letter is received by the faculty cannot
be changed.
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Academic Integrity
I take academic integrity and related matters very seriously. Plagiarism and
other forms of cheating will not be tolerated. If you have any questions about
this, please don’t hesitate to ask me. Alternatively, feel free to check out the
university’s policies on the matter.
Technology Policy
Cell phones should be silent. Any use of electronic devices for purposes other
than the discussion at hand will reduce your participation grade (see above).
Caveat
I reserve the right to modify the syllabus, schedule, and grading schema as the
circumstances dictate. Any significant changes will be relayed to you in
advance.
Schedule
See my website for the schedule and the readings. If we get off-track, I will
rearrange the schedule.
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