CNM: Phil 1102-301: Biomedical Ethics (Salbato)
Fall, 2008
Syllabus: Philosophy 1102: Ethics and Society
(3 credits)
Instructor: Jeff Salbato
E-mail: jsalbato@cnm.edu
Website: http://planet.cnm.edu/jsalbato
Office: WS-201: M-F 1:30-3:00
(Please do not use voicemail)
Days, times, locations, & final exams:
M 6:00-8:45om in WS TBA
Final Exam: TBA
Official Course Description: Examines important ethical theories and contemporary moral
issues. Such issues as war and violence, the death penalty, euthanasia, privacy, animal rights and
world hunger are discussed. The course will assist students in critically examining their own
views and those others, past and present, on these issues.
What this course is REALLY about: This will be a semester-long challenging (or
longer, if I can get into your heads!) of your everyday presuppositions about morality.
We will be reading and discussing issues in moral theory, relativism, human nature,
justice, punishment, war, abortion, health care, and race/gender/sexuality. My goal in
your written work is to make this a course in moral therapy, allowing you to articulate,
critique, and defend your moral beliefs and values in order to terrify you into becoming
smarter and, most importantly, better people (yes, I’m serious, and, yes, I’m nuts).
Text: All readings/handouts are available on my website: http://planet.cnm.edu/jsalbato
- These are Word documents that can only be opened with the following password:
Evaluation: Grades based on 100 point scale (90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, etc.)
5pts. Opinion Paper: Your own ideas about ethics & society: 2-3 single-spaced pages
14pts. Reading Quizzes: Every meeting: easy if you’ve kept up (½ point each)
52pts. Reading Questions: Every week (1 point for rough draft; 3 points for final draft)
30pts. Position Papers: Three critiques/defenses of your positions (10 points each)
10pts. Final Exam: Short and medium essays: based on an explicit study guide
(Note: Total points possible: 121)
Pep talk: I will do my best to make this as interesting as possible. If you do your best to
get involved with the issues, you will do fine in here. I will try to make the details clear
and keep the conversations down-to-earth. This is the type of course that is really
improved by having as many different perspectives as possible participating in the
discussions. I am especially eager to challenge you shy students to participate (I was
desperately shy in college): your ideas are usually more thoughtful than those annoying
outgoing students. There is no competition or curve in here, and my job is to make sure
you are understanding the material, so you are helping me do my job if you ask questions
and get after me if I am not being clear. For instance, if I begin babbling like Ozzie, you
would be doing the class a big favor by raising your hand and saying, “What are you
talking about, you spastic, unshaven bookworm?”
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Course Policies Page:
Late Work/ Attendance/ Tardiness: Late work will automatically be worth half credit except in cases of a
legitimate excuse (“I had to work to pay for cigs” is not a valid excuse). The reading quizzes cannot be made up
if you are tardy or absent. Of course, if a catastrophe occurs, we can work something out, such as giving your
final exam greater weight.
Cheating/Plagiarism: The only materials you will need for this class are the lectures, course readings, and your
own delusional minds. Your written work is supposed to reflect your personal battle between the ideas presented
in class and your pathetic attempts to justify your moral beliefs. This is not a class based on your ability to look
stuff up on the internet. Although, if your interests drive you to seek out some additional original sources (not
second-hand summaries like wikipedia or textbooks), just warn me ahead of time. In your Position Papers, you
will need to cite your source for every idea that came from outside your own beer-inspired brain, whether it is a
quote, paraphrased content, or even just an idea. Simply put the author’s name and page number in parenthesis at
the end of the sentence that contains the borrowed material: Example: Mill suggests that philosophy brings more
pleasure than porn.(Mill, 1) For citing an idea from class, supply the name and date: Example: Jeff thinks we’d
vote for universal texting over universal health care.(Salbato, 9/8/08) Outside sources will require a full citation:
Example: “Death is our constant companion” (Weisenthal, Simon. Sunflower (Schocken, 1997): 24).
Format for All Assignments: I want all of your work to be typed in size 12 Times New Roman font with
standard margins. The only non-standard thing I prefer is single spacing to save paper, but please double space
between questions or sub-topics to organize your work (like this page). Please, NO title pages or works cited
pages, and NEVER worry about a certain page length. I only care about your brilliant content, not length.
Reading Questions: The reading questions are a multi-step assignment. First, read and try your best to answer
the reading questions on your own handwritten. These questions are aimed at helping you to focus your reading,
because many of these readings are very difficult. Turn these in as you enter class, and I will be giving them
credit during our reading quiz. These are worth 1 point just for making an honest effort, so please make a full
effort at every part of each question even if the reading is difficult. Your second task is to make notes and
corrections on your first draft to improve your original answers as we discuss these readings in class. Then, you
will produce a final, typed, revised draft of your answers based on our class discussion that will be due at the
beginning of the class the next week. These are worth three points and are graded based on the accuracy and
clarity of your answers. Notice that your final draft of the previous week and your rough draft of the current week
are both due at the beginning of each class.
Position Papers: Pick one of your answers from your Opinion Paper that we have covered and critique and
defend your answers using the course content. Begin (A) by pasting in the question and your original answer.
Then, (B) explain how one or more of our authors would criticize your answer. Then, (C) use one or more of our
authors to either help you defend your original answer or help you explain your new position on the issue.
Grading the Essays: I reserve “A” grades for those papers that are so clear that your drunk, slack-jawed friends,
who are not as smart as you, could understand them. As such, you’ll need to explain each concept and viewpoint
clearly. I will try to be gracious about grammar/spelling errors in your reading questions, unless the mistakes
prevent me from being able to understand you. I’ll circle the mistakes I see to point them out to you, just to help
you with your writing. But, in the Position Papers, I will expect to see no more than a couple mistakes per page
or it will affect your grade. Also, particular to the grading of the Position Papers will be the need to interact
accurately and personally with the ideas from the class and your Opinion Paper.
Playa’ hata’ rule: Silence your cell phones and put them away. I am not disrespecting your urgent need to buy
meth or get directions to tonight’s rave; I am just trying to help you learn.
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Reading & Assignment Schedule:
Week 1 (No class; Monday is a holiday: Hatred for Labor Rights Day)
Week 2 (9/8): Welcome: What is philosophy? Why should I study it? Who is this nerd?
Is my television wrong about personal truth, tolerance, and relativity?
Opinion Paper Due 9/15: Answer 10 of the following sets of questions about your moral
views. Respond directly to every part of each question. Do not just give me a
series of “I believe...” statements; give me your principled REASONS for your
view. Pretend every question ends with, “Why or why not?” You will only get
the full 5 points if you explain yourself fully and clearly. Also, these are moral
questions for you, not questions about what the law says.
1. Are morals completely relative to one’s culture, or are we ever justified in judging
others’ values? Can we say that intentionally flying a plane into a building is wrong
if the terrorist’s morals say it’s okay? How could we make such a judgment without
just being ethnocentric jerks?
2. What makes an act right or wrong? What makes lying, stealing, and murder wrong?
Are these sometimes okay? How do you tell when they are okay? In other words,
what is the core principle that determines when something is morally right or wrong?
3. Are human beings naturally/innately good or bad? Are human being typically good
or bad as we find them in our society today? If you answered those two questions
differently, explain what causes this difference.
4. What role should the laws and the government play in distributing resources? On one
extreme, should it allow stealing? On the other extreme, should it force everyone to
have exactly the same things? How should it work?
5. When are you obligated to help those in need? When should you help those in need?
How should YOU respond to poverty and hunger in our country and in the world?
6. Is the death penalty right or wrong? Which kinds of crimes deserve death? What
should be the goals of the death penalty? Does the death penalty serve these goals?
7. How should thieves and drug dealers be punished? How should rapists and
murderers be punished? What should be the goals of these punishments? Do prisons
serve these goals? Is there a better way to serve these goals?
8. Why do we put our kids in school? Do our schools meet this need? What problems
do our schools pose for our kids’ lives and for your goals for them?
9. Do race and gender still produce social inequalities? How do we distinguish race?
How do we distinguish gender? Should we allow gay marriage? How about civil
unions? Are there good reasons for legally discouraging homosexuality?
10. Is the typical abortion right or wrong? When is abortion permissible? What makes
those situations morally different? Should a fetus be considered a person with the full
rights of an adult or just a clump of cells, like tonsils? Or something in between?
11. Why does the US intervene in other countries so often? Does the U.S. support human
rights and democracy in the world? How do governments get their soldiers to kill
and/or commit atrocities? What affect does war have on soldiers? What does this tell
you about human nature?
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Week 3 (9/15): How can MTV be wrong about relativism? Why shouldn’t I be selfish?
Does God expect too much? Kill granny or some toddlers?
Read: 1.) Shaw, “Relativism and Objectivity in Ethics”
2.) Rachels, “Critique of Ethical Egoism”
3.) Bible, “Abraham and Isaac”
4.) Bible, “Matthew 5: The Sermon on the Mount”
5.) Mill, “Utilitarianism”
6.) Rachels, “Debate over Utilitarianism”
Reading questions:
1. (Shaw) What is the difference between saying that moral beliefs differ between
cultures, a view known as descriptive relativism, and saying morality is dependent on
culture, a view known as ethical relativism? Then, explain three problems with
ethical relativism, either ones discussed in class or from the Shaw reading.
2. (Rachels on egoism) Briefly explain the difference between psychological egoism and
ethical egoism. Give reasons why each of these brands of egoism are mistaken.
3. (Abraham and Isaac) What would you have done if you were Abe in his day? What
would you do if you were given the same command today?
4. (Matthew) Paraphrase, in your own words, these two teachings of Jesus and what
changes would need to be made by Americans if we really believed them: (a) “unless
your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you
will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven”, (b) “love your enemies”.
5. (Mill) What is the basic duty of a utilitarian? What is Mill getting at when he says,
“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.” Whose happiness is
the Greatest Happiness Principle concerned with?
6. (Rachels on utilitarianism) What else matters besides just happiness and
consequences? Then, summarize the utilitarian’s “third line of defense”.
Week 4 (9/22): Kant’s version of the Silver Rule and what we should learn from women.
Read: 7.) Kant, “Categorical Imperative”
8.) O’Neill, “Simplified Version of Kant’s Ethics: Hunger”
9.) Gilligan, “In a Different Voice”
10.) Noddings, “An Ethic of Caring”
11.) Caputo, “Against Ethics”
Reading questions:
7. (Kant) Try you best to put Kant’s 2 versions of the Categorical Imperative in your
own words. Then, do your best to paraphrase his reasons for why lying and refusing
to help others are wrong. Try to explain their wrongness both in terms of “universal
law” and “treating others as ends in themselves”.
8. (O’Neill) Paraphrase O’Neill’s interpretation of Kant’s “Ends in themselves” version
of the Categorical Imperative. Then, show how this implies that we have a moral
duty to aid others in need of food (or health care or housing or ...).
9. (Gilligan) Summarize the difference in how boys and girls form their gender identity
when they are young. Then, explain what their play reveals about them? How do
these different approaches to rules reflect differences in most adult men and women?
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10. (Noddings) First, explain what she means by saying “I must” and “I want” are
together in natural caring. Second, explain when we should extend our care to others
who we don’t naturally care about.
11. (Caputo) What does Caputo mean by “obligation”? What is Caputo’s best rebuttal
against all of you who think it is obvious that we should not let innocent children
suffer? How is Caputo’s core concern different from that of most thinkers? What
exactly is he trying to say by sarcastically calling certain people “fools”? From
whose perspectives are they fools? Do they like their foolish lives?
Week 5 (9/29): If everyone is bad (except me), what kind of government do we need?
Read: 12.) Plato, “Ring of Gyges”
13.) Hobbes, “Leviathan”
14.) Rousseau, “Origin of Inequality”
15.) More, “Utopia”
16.) Locke, “Two Treatises of Civil Government”
Reading questions:
12. (Plato) What does the ring story imply about how human beings would treat one
another if there were no laws? What happens to this behavior in a society with laws?
13. (Hobbes) What is Hobbes’ best rebuttal against those who think he is exaggerating
about how nasty humans are?
14. (Rousseau) Describe the life of the natural savage. How does the savage treat others
who take from him? How does he treat others who are injured? How did greed and
inequality arise?
15. (More) What are the two or three key features that make Utopia flourish? What is
your favorite feature? Your least favorite? Would you be happy in this society if you
were born into it and grew up with these rules and values? If you then saw our
society, which one would you prefer?
16. (Locke) What sort of right to property does God give to everyone? What actions
concerning property are forbidden? What is the chief role of money? What is the
chief role of government?
Week 6 (10/6): I don’t have a clue what socialism or anarchism is, but it can’t work.
Read: 17.) Smith, “Theory of Moral Sentiments”
18.) Proudhon, “What is Property?”
19.) Kropotkin, “Anarchism”
Reading questions:
17. (Smith) Explain Smith’s conception of Sympathy? Why do so many of you seek after
luxury? How does God use this idiotic desire to feed everyone? Does it really work
out like this for the poor in the real world?
18. (Proudhon) What are Proudhon’s reasons for rejecting the two most common bases
for property, occupation and labor? Give Proudhon’s reason for why all jobs should
receive the same pay and all products should be shared.
19. (Kropotkin) Summarize your favorite argument Kropotkin gives for anarchism.
Describe a couple of Kropotkin’s examples of free societies that are exactly like the
ones that will develop when governments are abolished. Finally, how does Kropotkin
answer the objections about laziness and crime?
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Position Paper #1 due 10/13!
Week 7 (10/13): Doesn’t being free mean I’m free to be a selfish jerk?
Read: 20.) Narveson, “Feeding the Hungry”
21.) Singer, “Rich and Poor”
22.) Rawls, “The Original Position”
23.) Dworkin, “Why Liberals Should Care About Equality”
Reading questions:
20. (Narveson) According to Narveson, when are we “obligated” to help the needy? By
contrast, when “should” we be charitable and based on what motive?
21. (Singer) State the basic principle that determines when we should feel obligated to aid
others. Show how this principle makes us obligated to save the drowning child. Be
sure to show how the principle applies in detail.
22. (Rawls) What does Rawls mean by being behind a “veil of ignorance”? Then,
explain why someone in the original position would naturally vote for things like
basic health care for all or for better funding for poor schools?
23. (Dworkin) When are differences in wealth fair? When are differences in wealth
unfair? What is wrong with policies that seek to stimulate the economy by using tax
breaks for the rich and reducing social programs for the poor?
Week 8 (10/20): But the poor don’t deserve to eat, just ask rich, white, American Jesus!
Read: 24.) Wallis, “God’s Politics”
25.) “U.S. Statistics: Health & Budget”
26.) Nietzsche, “Master and Slave Morality”
27.) Langston, “Tired of Playing Monopoly?”
28.) Young, “Oppression”
Reading questions:
24. (Wallis) What is one of the most common themes in the Bible that is rarely discussed
in churches? Does your church discuss it? What does Wallis mean when he says
“Budgets are moral documents”? What is meant by a “seamless garment of life”?
25. (US Stats) a) How does the U.S.’s infant mortality rate and life expectancy compare
to those of the rest of the industrialized world? b) What are the budget totals for
defense compared to all other programs/agencies, like Health and Education? For
those who think this kind of spending is tragically necessary because the world is so
scary, how does our defense spending compare to the rest of the world? c) What do
these facts say about our moral values? d) Do you think Jeff fudged some of these
numbers for his propaganda purposes? Will you take the time to check them?
26. (Nietzsche) What do good and bad mean in master morality? In slave morality?
Which set of values do most Americans hold? No, not which morality they say they
agree with, but which one do their lives and choices reflect?
27. (Langston) What are the main ways that we justify class inequalities in this country?
Do you yourself believe these things about the opportunities in this country?
28. (Young) How is Young’s sense of “oppression” different than traditional
conceptions? Apply this concept to explain ways the working poor are oppressed in
this country, using Langston for help.
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Week 9 (10/27): Of course we should kill killers, because killing is wrong.
Read: 29.) Bedau, “The Case Against the Death Penalty”
30.) Camus, “Reflections on the Guillotine”
31.) Reiman, “Justice, Civilization, and the Death Penalty”
32.) Van den Haag, “The Need for Capital Punishment”
33.) Nathanson, “Death Penalty is Arbitrarily Administered”
Reading questions:
29. (Bedau) What are the main reasons why the death penalty fails to deter murderers?
What is misleading about the statistics on repeat offenders (recidivism)? What is
more expensive, execution or life in prison?
30. (Camus) Can you think of examples of crimes that could be explained very well by
the death drive? In your opinion, if Camus is right about the death drive, what
changes should we make concerning the death penalty and how we treat such crimes?
31. (Reiman) Explain the golden rule (Hegelian) senses of why a victim has a right (not a
duty) to equalize harms. In what ways is execution like torture? Do you agree? Give
Reiman’s argument for why civility requires us to refrain from executing. In your
opinion, even if torturing terrorists did lead to good intelligence (it does not, by the
way), do you think torture is “beneath” us as Americans?
32. (Haag) Explain Haag’s analogy to trucking and what makes the executions of
innocent people acceptable? What do you think of this? Summarize his rejection of
the deterrence statistics and also why he still feels the death penalty still must deter?
What do you think of his rejection of the stats? Who do you agree with on the
psychology of violent crime (not theft), Haag or Bedau/Camus? Explain the problem
with life sentences. How does Haag reject the issue of arbitrariness?
33. (Nathanson) Explain how the arbitrariness of the application of the death penalty is
more serious than Haag suggests.
Week 10 (11/3): Prisons fail in every way, but what else is there, torture or execution?
Read: 34.) “U.S. Statistics: Prisons & Crime”
35.) Levitt & Dubner, “Freakonomics”
36.) Tangney & Stuewig, “Moral-Emotional Perspective on Evil”
37.) Tutu, “No Future without Forgiveness”
Reading questions:
34. (US Stats) How do our incarceration rates compare to the rest of the world? How do
our violent crime rates compare to the rest of the world? Why are our rates so high?
Do you like this about our country? Ire these signs of potential social problems?
35. (Levitt) List, in order of their effect on crime rate, the factors that truly did make a
difference in the decline in crime in the 1990s. Which factors and non-factors are the
most difficult for you to accept, even to the point where you think it might be
mistaken? Explain why.
36. (Tangney) Briefly distinguish guilt and shame. Why is guilt, in their understanding
of its meaning, a better emotional trait? For the majority of criminals who are not
psychopathic, does a prison tend to promote guilt or shame in criminals? How could
our system be changed to promote guilt over shame? How might we apply this
distinction to how we should and shouldn’t “discipline” children?
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37. (Tutu) What is involved in Tutu’s “third way” of handling criminals? How well has
it worked in South Africa? Why was this option used instead of the traditional
models? In your opinion, which is the more healthy and beneficial way for victims?
What are your reasons for not endorsing Tutu’s model in our society?
Position Paper #2 due 11/10!
Week 11 (11/10): We need our kids in school. How else would they learn how to do
work they dislike, read their factory instructions, be on time, obey, and shut up?
Read: 38.) Foucault, “Discipline and Punish”
39.) Gatto, “Dumbing Us Down”
40.) Brown, “Call to Brilliance”
Reading questions:
38. (Foucault) What does the Paris time-table remind you of in your life? Explain the
many ways in which the use of prisons is exactly contrary to the various purposes of
punishment. What, in Foucault’s opinion, is then the real, unstated purpose of
prisons? Where else do we see this structure and purpose at work in our society?
Does this mean doctors, teachers, and officers are malevolent? (Hint: review Young)
39. (Gatto) Who designed our modern schools and what purpose were they designed to
serve. Give several examples of the structure of our schools that help to serve this
economic purpose. Do you think Gatto is right about your schooling?
40. (Brown) Summarize what Brown sees as the biggest problems with our schools.
Which of Gatto’s points does she emphasize? Give some specific ways you could
heed the advice of Gatto and Brown in educating your children?
Week 12 (11/17): But what about those poor census folks? Not to mention the confusion
this will cause for racists and misogynists.
Read: 41.) McIntosh, “White Privilege”
42.) Reddy, “Crossing the Color Line”
43.) Appiah, “Would that still be me?”
44.) Fausto-Sterling, “Sexing the Body”
Reading questions:
41. (McIntosh) Summarize her main point in the piece about the relationship between
disadvantage and privilege. Pick three items on her list that seem particularly
alarming and could radically affect your well-being. Is McIntosh right about that
racial privilege, or is she overstating her case? How should this affect your thinking?
42. (Reddy) Is it true that you would have to warn your son in these ways if he were
black? Is this due to just a few, rare racists out there, or is it much more common?
Explain what she means by saying race and gender are “subjective categories, social
constructions”? Are they real (scientific) categories? Can they be ignored?
43. (Appiah) Which change would be more acceptable in our society, changing my
sex/gender or my race/ethnicity to fit my emotional identity? Explain how you would
react if you heard that I had surgeries and was now insisting on being called black or
female? What does this tell us about our social constructions of race and sex? (Yes,
it’s tricky...just try your best) So, all things considered, how should we think of race?
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44. (Fausto-Sterling) What makes someone male or female? What is her main point in
chronicling the different conceptions of hermaphrodites throughout different eras and
cultures? So, all things considered, how should we think of sex and gender?
Week 13 (11/24): Sex is bad and gay marriage is wrong, mmkay...
Read: 45.) Nagel, “Sexual Perversion”
46.) “Court Cases on Gay Rights”
47.) Wellington, “Why Liberals Should Support Gay Marriage”
48.) Held, “Mrs. Garrison and the Gay Marriage Debate”
Reading questions:
45. (Nagel) What traits can legitimately make an act perverse? Does homosexual sex
have these traits? Explain what Nagel means by the aggressive-passive and ideal
objections to homosexual sex. Then explain why these can’t count against
homosexual sex without unless we want to rule out many heterosexual behaviors.
46. (Court Cases) Summarize Kennedy’s rejection of the Bowers decision. Explain the
analogy being made between laws banning sodomy and laws banning interracial sex.
Then, summarize Marshall’s response to the Departments three rationales, showing
how each would lead to new restrictions on heterosexual marriage. Explain how
Marshall turns these objections around to show how forbidding gay marriage would
discriminate against gay couples and their children in just these ways. Finally, what
do you think of Cordy’s objection about the need to promote ideal families.
47. (Wellington) What is the meaning of marriage? Does marriage require a certain set
of sexual practices between spouses? Summarize Wellington’s response to those who
claim same-sex marriage will harm heterosexual marriage.
48. (Held) Summarize Held’s rebuttal to those who claim children of gay marriage will
be ridiculed. How does Held respond to those who claim this will lead to
polygamous and incestuous marriages? Why aren’t civil unions enough?
Week 14 (12/1): Your bumper sticker completely changed my mind about abortion.
Read: 49.) Sumner, “A Third Way”
50.) English, “Abortion and the Concept of a Person”
51.) Marquis, “Why Abortion is Immoral”
52.) Sherwin, “Abortion Through a Feminist Ethics Lens”
Reading questions:
49. (Sumner) Explain his criteria for giving an entity “moral standing”. Discuss to what
extent these entities would qualify as persons: monkeys, 6 week old infants, dogs, an
adult in a coma? Does Sumner’s view seem consistent with how we should respect
these entities?
50. (English) Why does English conclude that it is useless to try to specify the traits of
personhood? Using your own judgment, what conditions must be present to justify
killing someone in self-defense? When does abortion fit these conditions? Then,
explain her sympathy argument. What animals would you compare 1st trimester, 2nd
trimester, and 3rd trimester fetuses to in terms of their human-likeness and our
sympathy? In what conditions could we kill that animal? Thus, what conditions
could justify aborting these fetuses?
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51. (Marquis) What is it, according to Marquis, that makes killing your philosophy
teacher (because he is so annoying) morally wrong? Does this explain why the death
of a terminally ill person would not be as tragic as the death of a young and healthy
person? Explain how the analogy between a fetus and a depressed teenager is being
used to deflect a common pro-choice argument.
52. (Sherwin) What are some of the most important and often overlooked aspects of a
woman’s pregnancy that need to be more carefully weighed in thinking about
abortion decisions?
Position Paper #3 due 12/8!
Week 15 (12/8): I support the troops with ribbon magnets and the rich with my life.
Read: 53.) Keller, “War and Education”
54.) Chomsky, “Vietnam & Central America”
55.) “U.S. Statistics: International Rights”
56.) Grossman, “On Killing”
Reading questions:
53. (Keller) Why do our political and corporate leaders always want war? Why do the
working classes support war? Should they support war? Do you agree with Keller?
54. (Chomsky) Describe the basic plan for how the US treats foreign countries. What is
the relationship between U.S. aid/military intervention and the human
rights/democratization of these countries?
55. (US stats) a) What is George W. Bush’s stance toward the International Criminal
Courts (ICC)? b) Summarize our UN voting record. c) Does this information support
Chomsky’s claims?
56. (Grossman) What do these firing rates and PTSD imply about human nature? What
was the key to improving firing rates? What happens to a person’s mental health
when they overcome their natural resistance to killing?
Final Exam: Monday 12/15 at 7:00pm: The exam will have two parts. In the first part
you will be asked to answer 5 of 10 provided short essay questions. These answers
should be between 2-5 sentences. A study guide will be provided that will give you a list
of possible topics for these questions. In the second part you will be asked to write 1
longer essay. I will provide you with 3-5 possible essay questions on the study guide,
and I will, literally, roll some dice (Vegas, baby!) when you begin the exam to determine
which one of these essays you will write for the final.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Students with documented disabilities who need special accommodation in the classroom should
contact Special Services for assistance, 224-3259. Also, students should tell the instructor if they
have special needs because of learning or other disabilities. For personal counseling, contact
Merry Guild at main campus, 224-3271.
If, due to hazardous weather or other unforeseen circumstances, a school closure occurs which
prevents us from being able to take the final exam, your Position Paper scores will be increased,
by ratio, to absorb the missed final exam points.
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