Suffolk County Community College, Grant Campus
Department of Communications and Arts
PL23: Ethics
Prof. Marc R. Fellenz
Email:
fellenm@sunysuffolk.edu
mfellenz@suffolk.lib.ny.us
PL23-6662, Spring 2005
Office:
Sagtikos 110, 851-6539
Mailbox: Sagtikos 201
Office hours:
 M/F: 12:30-1:45
 T/Th: 12:30-1:45, 5:00-6:00
 W: by appointment
I. COURSE OUTLINE
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Objectives: To enable the student to
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understand the broad range of philosophical problems that occur in the analysis of moral judgments and
issues;
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define the major classical and modern theories of ethics, including utilitarianism, deontology, virtue theory,
contractarianism, and feminist ethics.
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demonstrate the ability to form critical moral arguments about contemporary moral issues.
Text:
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James E. White, Contemporary Moral Problems, 7th edition (required)
Requirements:
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Attendance: Since the material for all assignments and exams will come primarily from class lecture and
discussion, attendance is extremely important. You will be withdrawn if you have more than two unexcused
absences; if you are not passing at the time you last attended you will receive an F for the class.
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Oral Presentation: Each student must prepare a paper on an important moral issue to be presented to
the class. This will entail researching the issue, forming and arguing for a position concerning the issue, and
responding to my and the class's questions. It will account for 35% of the final grade.
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Exams: There will be midterm and final exams; both will be in-class, essay exams. Each will be worth
20% of the final grade.
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Participation: The flow of this course will depend heavily on classroom discussion. Therefore, class
participation will account for 25% of the final grade. "Participation" means active participation, including
initiating discussion, answering questions, and seeking help (in class, during office hours, or by email). You
may also earn credit by participating in Philosophy Club meetings. Mere class attendance does not qualify
as participation!
Academic honesty:
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The rise in popularity of the Internet and other electronic research tools has led to an alarming rise in
plagiarism. Your work in this and all classes is expected to be your own. Any student caught submitting
plagiarized work will receive a failing grade for the assignment, and will be referred for academic discipline.
PL23-6662
Spring 2005
II. SYLLABUS
Dates
Topic
Reading
2/3
Introduction: The study of moral reasoning. Descriptive
vs. prescriptive language. The “is/ought” gap. Moral
beliefs: opinion, knowledge, and wisdom. The need for
moral argument. The three sources of premise material for
good moral arguments.
Chapter 1
2/10, 2/17
Ethics in the context of philosophy: The systematic
approach to ethics. The fundamental areas of philosophy
and their relevance to ethical questions. Philosophical
obstacles to answering the questions of ethics:
Determinism; existentialism; subjective and cultural
relativism.
2/24, 3/3
Ethical Theories: Utilitarianism, deontology, virtue
ethics, contractarianism, feminist ethics. Concepts of the
good and the right developed in each. 2/24: Assignment
of presentation topics.
3/10
Moral arguments: The systematic structure of moral
reasoning. Sample presentation arguments.
3/17
Review of theoretical ethics. Midterm exam.
3/24
Presentations: Abortion
Chapter 2
3/31
No class.
Chapter 3
4/7
Presentations: Euthanasia
4/14
Presentations: Capital Punishment
4/21
Presentations: Paternalism, Sex and Drugs
4/28
Presentations: Affirmative Action and Distributive
Justice
5/5
Presentations: The moral standing of Animals and the
Environment
5/12
Review of applied ethics. Final Exam.
Chapter 1
Chapter 4
Chapters 5, 6
Chapter 7
Chapters 8, 9
PL23-6662
Spring 2005
III. PRESENTATION TOPICS
Below is the list of topics for your term paper presentations. Study the list carefully and select
several that you would be interested in working on. You must be flexible, since I cannot
guarantee that you will be given your first choice. On February 24, topics will be assigned. I
will select names at random, and each student will get to pick from the available topics. If you
are not in class that day, you will be stuck with whatever topics are leftover. Consider the dates
of the presentations carefully because once topics are assigned, I will not rearrange the
presentation schedule.
March 24: Abortion:
a. Abortion is always morally defensible.
b. Abortion is usually morally defensible.
c. Abortion is usually not morally defensible.
d. Abortion is never morally defensible.
April 7: Suicide and Euthanasia:
a. Suicide is morally defensible.
b. Active euthanasia/physician assisted suicide is morally defensible.
c. Passive euthanasia is morally defensible.
d. No form of euthanasia is morally defensible.
April 14: Capital Punishment:
a. Capital punishment is a morally defensible form of retribution.
b. Capital punishment is a morally defensible form of deterrence.
c. Capital punishment is morally defensible even in the case of youthful offenders and the
enfeebled.
d. Capital punishment is never morally defensible.
April 21: Paternalism:
a. Censoring pornography is a legitimate use of government power.
b. Censoring pornography is not a legitimate use of government power.
c. Criminalizing recreational drugs is a legitimate use of government power.
d. Criminalizing recreational drugs is not a legitimate use of government power.
April 28: Affirmative Action:
a. Affirmative action programs are justified restitution for historic discrimination.
b. Affirmative action programs are a justified means of achieving ethnic diversity.
c. Affirmative action is a justified means of achieving gender equality.
d. Affirmative action programs are morally indefensible.
May 5: Duties to non-humans:
a. The exploitation of animals for food/scientific research is morally defensible.
b. The exploitation of animals for food/scientific research is not morally defensible.
c. Humans have direct moral duties to the environment.
d. Humans do not have direct moral duties to the environment.