Philosophy 20: Ethics
Los Angeles Harbor College
Fall 2015
Syllabus
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
E-Mail:
Website:
Michael Rooney
MU 107
T Th, 10:35 a.m. to 11:10 a.m.
msrooney@pasadena.edu
http://faculty.piercecollege.edu/rooneyms
Class Hours:
(section #0449) T Th, 12:45 p.m. to 2:10 p.m., in MU 107
Required Texts:
Gensler, Ethics: A Contemporary Introduction 2e (ISBN 978-0-415-80388-5)
Gensler, Spurgin, and Swindal (eds.), Ethics: Contemporary Readings (ISBN 978-0-415-25681-0)
Course Description:
This course studies the basic principles of moral evaluation and applies them to contemporary moral and
political controversies. The course develops knowledge and skills to think critically about moral questions.
Course Objectives (Student Learning Outcomes):
On completing this course, students are expected to be able to correctly
(1) explain, compare, and evaluate ethical and meta-ethical theories,
(2) apply such theories to clarify contemporary moral and political problems (such as abortion, civil
disobedience, drug use, inequality, sexual morality, the treatment of animals, and war), and
(3) think critically about moral claims and arguments.
Coursework:
Achievement of the learning outcomes is measured by performance on four types of coursework in the
following proportions:
Participation
15%
Quizzes
30%
Midterm Exam
25%
Final Exam
30%
Participation consists of attendance, discussion, and in-class activities. Each unexcused absence, or
otherwise missing more than an hour of class time, reduces your participation grade proportionally.
Absences may be excused due to accident, illness, injury, jury duty, or the death of a close family
member, but such situations must be documented for any absence to be excused.
Quizzes are six take-home assignments. They are handed out at the end of a class session and are due at
the start of the next class session. Quiz questions are based on the readings and class discussion.
Exams consist of short answer questions directly based on the readings. You should bring blue books on
the day of the exams. The questions that will appear on the exams will be discussed in class, and some
will also appear on the quizzes. The final exam is cumulative.
Grading Policies:
At the end of the term, I total your points from participation, the six quizzes, the midterm, and the final
exam. If you have 90% or more of the total possible points, you will get an A. Other letter grades follow
on a standard decimal scale (80% for a B, 70% for a C, 60% for a D).
Missed Coursework: Quizzes must be turned in, and exams must be taken, on the scheduled dates. I do
not accept late work. If you are not in class when an assignment is due, you are responsible for emailing
it to me, or having someone bring the work to class before the class meeting when the assignment is due.
If an excused absence prevents you from doing work or taking an exam, then the value of the missed
work or exam will be added to the value of your final exam.
Plagiarism on any work (including copying answers from other students, or unacknowledged use of
material you didn’t write on quizzes and exams) is grounds for an automatic F (zero) for that assignment,
and may be reported to the Dean of Students.
Extra Credit: There will be opportunities for extra credit, usually from in-class activities and assignments.
Appealing grades: I give some written feedback on all graded work, and go over correct answers to exam
questions orally. However, if you do not understand why you received a specific grade, I can explain it in
greater detail. To do so, you must submit a written request, explaining and specifying your question and
(if you disagree with the grade) giving reasons why your answer should have received a different grade. I
then review your request and give a written decision within one week.
Course Schedule
Date
Reading to be done (Numerals and names refer to chapters)
9.1
9.3
-E Introduction, 1; CR Benedict
9.8
9.10
E 2; CR Hume
CR Nagel
9.15
9.17
CR Lewis, Bible
E3
9.22
9.24
CR Moore, Ross
E4
9.29
10.1
CR Ayer, Mackie
E5
10.6
10.8
CR Hare, Sartre
E6
10.13
10.15
CR Frankena, Kant
E7
10.20
10.22
Midterm Examination
CR Hertzler, Nietzsche
10.27
10.29
E 8; CR King, Kohlberg
E9
11.3
11.5
CR Mill, Smart
E 10; CR Williams
11.10
11.12
CR Brandt, Singer
CR Ross, Finnis
11.17
11.19
E 11
CR Rawls, Nozick
11.24
CR Aristotle, MacIntyre
12.1
12.3
E 12; CR Slote
E 13
12.8
12.10
CR Thomson, Callahan; E 14
Review
12.17
Final Examination (1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.)
Work to be turned in
Quiz 1
Quiz 2
Quiz 3
Quiz 4
Quiz 5
Quiz 6