3/25/12
PHL 204.2: Ethical Problems in Contemporary Life
Class meetings
§2: Monday-Wednesday-Friday 10:30-11:35,
building 1, room 316
Instructor Michael Cholbi (that’s Chol-be,
with a hard ‘h’)
E-mail mjcholbi@csupomona.edu
My website: http://michael.cholbi.com
Phone 909.869.3845
Office Building 1, room 331
Department office Building 1, room
320
Office hours, spring 2012: Mondays
1:00-2:00 and 4:00-5:00,
Wednesday 12:00-1:00, Friday
12:00-1:00, and by appointment
Blackboard login:
https://blackboard.csupomona.edu/
Description
The ability to participate meaningfully in
discussions of ethical questions is a valuable
skill in a democratic society, regardless of a
person’s background, career plans, or
academic major. Furthermore, most of us
seek to make sound ethical choices in our
personal and professional lives. Our course
will therefore aim to enhance these abilities
through (a) the critical investigation of several
contemporary ethical controversies, and (b)
critical engagement with the main theoretical traditions in philosophical ethics. The
question that lies behind all of our activities in this course is ‘Is it possible to enrich our
knowledge of ethical issues by rationally investigating them?’
After studying a little bit of logic and investigating an ethical controversy with which you
are likely familiar —abortion —, we will investigate several other controversies. You will
vote to determine which other controversies we study. We will spend the last third of the
quarter investigating the main theoretical traditions within ethics. These theoretical
traditions include
• Cultural relativism
• Divine command theory
• Consequentialism (utilitarianism)
•
•
Kantianism
Virtue theory
Course learning objectives
By the conclusion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Engage in reasoned inquiry and dialogue about controversial ethical issues, with
said inquiry and dialogue informed by their knowledge of ethical theories
2. Give reasoned arguments for positions on these controversial ethical issues
3. Differentiate among several prominent ethical theories, including cultural
relativism, divine command theory, consequentialism, Kantianism, and virtue
theory, making reference to the key features that define these theories
4. Give reasoned arguments in favor or against these theories
5. Think, speak, and write more carefully and critically about ethical questions
Evaluation and requirements
Your grade will be calculated based on the following five components:
[1] A weekly quiz will be provided on Blackboard each Friday, starting Friday
March 30. Each quiz will have a maximum score of 30 points and will be
based on the assigned readings and in-class discussion. You may take each
quiz only once. The quizzes are timed and will be available from Friday until
the subsequent Monday at 10 a.m. (NOTE the one exception to this: The
quiz posted on Friday, May 25 will be due the subsequent Wednesday, May
30, due to the Memorial Day holiday.) These quizzes will constitute 30% of
your quarter grade, with points assigned as follows:
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
[2]
Point range
255-300
249-254
244-248
227-243
222-226
216-221
Grade
C
CD+
D
DF
Point range
200-215
194-199
188-193
172-187
166-171
0-165
Three short writing assignments (approximately 1,000 words each, or 3-4
double-spaced pages) will be required in this course.
• The first writing assignment will be distributed (via Blackboard) on
Wednesday March 28 and due via Blackboard Friday April 6.
• The second writing assignment will be distributed (via Blackboard) on
Friday April 6 and due via Blackboard Monday April 16.
• The third writing assignment will be distributed (via Blackboard) on
Monday April 16 and due via Blackboard Wednesday April 25.
Each of these assignments will be graded on a pass/fail basis and constitute
5% of your quarter grade (making the writing assignments 15% of your
2
quarter grade in total). You will not receive a letter grade for these
assignments, but in order to pass, you must turn your assignment in on time,
it must address one of the assigned topics, and there must be evidence that
your work was a serious attempt to complete the assignment. In addition, I
will provide group feedback based on a subset of the assignments turned in.
[3] Review and revision project: This project has two parts:
[a] Early in the quarter, you will be placed in a learning group with 3-4
other students. After the due date for the third writing assignment (April 25),
you will be required to have two independent meetings of your learning
group during which you will discuss and critically analyze one another’s
writing assignments. Further details about these meetings will be provided
later, but you will be required to submit documentation of your meetings
and the feedback you received from the other members of your learning
group.
[b] You will select one of the three short assignments you completed under
requirement [2] to be turned in at the conclusion of the quarter. You may
revise this assignment to whatever extent you wish. Your revised writing
assignment is due to my office (building 1, room 331) by Thursday, June 7,
noon. This revised writing assignment constitutes 25% of your grade.
[4]
A mid-quarter self-evaluation will be distributed on Blackboard Friday April
20 and due through Blackboard by 5 pm, Monday April 23. This selfevaluation will be graded on a pass/fail basis and constitute 5% of your
quarter grade.
[5]
A final exam, to be held on Wednesday, June 6, 9:10-11:10. The final exam
will constitute 25% of your quarter grade. The exam will cover only the
portion of our course on ethical theory (from April 20 to June 1).
Blackboard
We will be use Blackboard (https://blackboard.csupomona.edu/) in support of the in-class
activities in this course. In order to use Blackboard, you will need to know your
Bronconame and password. You should be checking the Blackboard site several times
weekly for updates on course activities, etc.
Texts and required materials
1. Shafer-Landau, Fundamentals of Ethics, 2nd edition. (Oxford, 2012)
2. Shafer-Landau, Ethical Life: Fundamental Readings in Ethics and Moral Problems,
2nd edition. (Oxford, 2012)
3. Other readings will be made available in class or through Blackboard.
4. You are required to purchase at least 25 standard 3x5 notecards (preferably lined).
You should bring these to each class meeting.
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A note on in-class technology use
Technology, particularly mobile technology, is a ubiquitous feature of our lives. I have no
objection to your using laptops, tablets, e-readers, smartphones, etc., to perform classrelated tasks during our class meetings. However, their use for other purposes is distracting
to me and to other students. In addition, while I am teaching, helping you to learn is the
most important thing I am doing. Consequently, I expect that during our class meetings,
learning is the most important thing for you as well. If it is not, I would appreciate your
leaving the classroom. I may contact you if I have evidence that you are using technology
in class in ways that inhibit your learning or the learning of others.
Various issues
• Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty will be addressed according to Cal
Poly policies. A statement of those policies, as well as advice as to how to avoid
violating them, is available at:
http://dsa.csupomona.edu/judicialaffairs/academicintegrity.asp
• The copyright for these course materials is held by the instructor; any attempt to
distribute or sell this material without instructor authorization is in violation of that
copyright.
• If, for any reason, you believe that it is appropriate for you to receive assistance due to
physical handicap or learning disabilities, please contact me immediately.
Students offer free advice on how to succeed in PHL 204!
Based on feedback from students past, here is some advice on how to succeed in this class:
Take every quiz. They can only help your grade, for one, and even if you miss some
questions, you get a good idea what you need to know and pay attention to.
Be ready for the early tide. The tasks in this course are somewhat front-loaded, with all the
writing assignments due in the first four weeks of class. Be prepared for this.
Read — seriously! Read the material in this course carefully. In a quiet place. With full
attention and some materials with which to take notes. Once we discuss a reading in class,
consider reading it again.
Pay extra attention to your revised writing project. Expectations for this assignment will be
high. You have a long time to complete it, but devote yourself to making this assignment as
clear and convincing as it can be.
Show up. Yes, it’s a ‘duh.’ But we’ll be discussing a lot of arguments and ideas in class,
and this is where a lot of the intellectual heavy lifting will take place.
Topics and readings
Readings from Shafer-Landau’s The Fundamentals of Ethics are marked FE. Readings from
Shafer-Landau’s The Ethical Life are marked EL. Readings from Blackboard are designed
with Bb. You are expected to complete the assigned readings prior to the indicated
meeting. The total reading load for this course is about 320 pages, or 32 pages weekly.
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DATE
Mo
3/26
We
3/28
Fr 3/30
Mo 4/2
We 4/4
TOPIC(S)
Why we need
philosophical ethics;
Logic and reasoning
overview
Reasoning and
arguments; An
introduction to the
ethics of abortion
No class meeting
(Chavez holiday)
Ethical controversy
#1: Abortion and
personhood
Marquis on abortion
READINGS AND
ASSIGNMENTS
• Reasoning primer (Bb)
• FE 7-14
• Weston, “Ethics as a
learning experience” (Bb)
• 1st writing
assignment
available on Bb
• Quiz #1 posted on
Bb
• Thomson, “A defense of
abortion” (EL 351-63)
• Marquis, “Why abortion is
immoral” (EL 364-74)
• Perrett, “Buddhism, abortion
and the middle way” (Bb)
• Sherwin, “Abortion through
a feminist ethics lens”(Bb)
Fr 4/6
Alternative
perspectives on
abortion
Mo 4/9
Mo
4/16
Ethical controversy
#2
Ethical controversy
#2
Ethical controversy
#3
Ethical controversy
#3
• Readings to be determined
by controversies survey
• Readings to be determined
by controversies survey
• Readings to be determined
by controversies survey
• Readings to be determined
by controversies survey
We
4/18
Ethical controversy
#4
• Readings to be determined
by controversies survey
We
4/11
Fr 4/13
TASKS
• Quiz #1 available
until 10 am
• Quiz #2 posted
on Bb
• 1st writing
assignment due
on Bb
• 2nd writing
assignment
available on Bb
• Quiz #2 available
until 10 am
• Quiz #3 posted on
Bb
• Quiz #3 available
until 10 am
• 2nd writing
assignment due on
Bb
• 3rd writing
assignment
available on Bb
5
Fr 4/20
Ethical controversy
#4
• Readings to be determined
by controversies survey
Mo
4/23
Ethical theory #1:
Cultural relativism
• Benedict, “A defense of
ethical relativism” (Bb)
We
4/25
Cultural relativism:
Arguments and
implications
• Prinz, “Morality is a
culturally conditioned
response” (Bb)
• FE 289-301, 327-28
Fr 4/27
Writing workshop
Mo
4/30
Cultural relativism:
Arguments and
implications
We 5/2
Ethical theory #2:
Divine Command
Theory
Fr 5/4
Objections to Divine
Command Theory
(Euthyphro dilemma)
Mo 5/7
No class meeting
(instructor away)
We 5/9
Ethical theory #3:
Consequentialism:
An introduction (by
• Gensler, “Cultural
relativism” (EL 198-206)
• Skim materials in folder on
sex selection bias (Bb)
• Optional: Mackie, “The
subjectivity of values” (EL
188-97)
• Mortimer, “Morality is based
on God’s commands” (Bb)
• Genesis 22 selection
(Abraham and Isaac) (Bb)
• Plato, Euthyphro, selections
(Bb)
• Arthur, “Morality without
God” (Bb)
• FE 64-68, 328-30
• Quiz #4 posted on
Bb
• Mid-quarter selfevaluation
available on
Blackboard
• Quiz #4 available
until 10 am
• Mid-quarter selfevaluation due
through
Blackboard, 5 pm
• 3rd writing
assignment due on
Bb
• Quiz #5 available
until 9 am
• Quiz #5 posted on
Bb
• Quiz #5 available
until 10 am
• Quiz #6 posted on
Bb
• Quiz #6 available
on Bb until 10 am
• Sandel, JusticeHarvard,
episode 1, part 2 [“The case
for cannibalism”] (link on
6
way of Singer)
Fr 5/11
Defending
consequentialism
Mo
5/14
Objections to
consequentialism:
Justice, impartiality,
and demandingness
We
5/16
Fr 5/18
Ethical theory #4:
Kantianism
Kant’s Categorical
Imperative, version 1
Mo
5/21
Kant’s Categorical
Imperative, version 2
We
5/23
Fr 5/25
Kantianism: Main
objections
Ethical theory #5:
Virtue ethics
Mo
5/28
We
5/30
Fr 6/1
Aristotle’s virtue
ethics
No class meeting
(Memorial Day)
Objections to virtue
ethics
Mo 6/4
We 6/6
Th 6/7
Bb)
• Singer, “The Singer solution
to world poverty” (EL 22936)
• FE 117-32
• Quiz #7 posted on
Bb
• FE 137-49
• LeGuin, “The Ones Who
Walk Away from Omelas”
(Bb)
• Optional: Williams, “A
critique of utilitarianism”
(Bb)
• FE 154-54
• Quiz #7 available
on Bb until 10 am
• EL 102-14
• Quiz #8 posted on
Bb
• FE 168-76
• Baron, selection from
“Kantian ethics” (Bb)
• Johnson, “Maxims” (from
Self-Improvement) (Bb)
• FE 164-67, 176-85
• Quiz #8 available
on Bb until 10 am
• Mayo, “Virtue and the moral
life” (Bb)
• FE 252-58
• EL 138-49
• FE 258-61
• Quiz #9 posted on
Bb
• FE 261-271
• Quiz #10 posted
on Bb
• Quiz #10 available
until 10 am
• Final exam, 9:1011:10 am, 1-316
• Revised papers
due, noon, my
office, 1-331
• Quiz #9 available
on Bb until 10 am
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