Course Details

Camden County College, Blackwood Campus
Philosophy 131
Spring 2012
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
Section 03: 9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. in Madison Hall, Room 311
Section 01: 10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. in Madison Hall, Room 311

Instructor: Sean Landis
Email: slandis@camdencc.edu
Phone: 609-980-8367
Course Website: http://cccethics2012.blogspot.com
Office Hourse: by appointment

Required Texts
The Fundamentals of Ethics, Russ Shafer-Landau (BLUE)
The Ethical Life, Russ Shafer-Landau (YELLOW)

About the Course
This course is split into two halves: theory and practice. During the first half, we will study several ethical theories that attempt to answer broad questions about the nature of morality. In the second half of the course, we will apply these theories to particular ethical problems. Topics include abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, torture, aid to those in need, environmental ethics, and our treatment of animals.

We will also be developing various philosophical skills, including:

• Understanding: the ability to identify and explain an author’s main point in your own words, along with the ability to identify and explain an author’s argument in support of this main point.
• Evaluating: the ability to critically and charitably determine whether these arguments provide accurate, logical reasons in support of their main points, along with the ability to engage in critical and charitable dialogue with people who hold different views from your own.
• Defending: the ability to develop your own arguments in support of your opinions on the ethical issues we study, along with the ability to honestly assess your opinions and critically evaluate the quality of your arguments in support of them.

A broader goal of this course is to gain an appreciation for philosophical reflection. Hopefully, we will learn that careful, deliberate examination of the ethical assumptions we often take for granted can improve our own approach to morality, and make us better in our anticipated roles in the medical community.


Assignments
Each assignment is created carefully, and designed to both measure and improve upon specific skills that students are expected to develop throughout the semester. I try to explicitly point out the educational importance of each assignment (both below and when I assign it), but if an assignment’s value is ever unclear, let me know! I value student feedback. Sometimes complacency makes me continue using an assignment that isn’t very helpful, or sometimes I haven’t explained an assignment clearly enough.

Midterm and Final Exams: Exams are a chance to demonstrate your understanding of a wide variety of topics and skills that we’ll study throughout the semester. To this end, there will be a variety of question types on the exams. The midterm tests everything covered during the first half of the course, and will last the full period (50 minutes) on the scheduled day. The final exam is cumulative—that is, it tests everything covered throughout the whole course. The final will also last 50 minutes, and be held during finals week.

Quizzes: Unlike the exams, quizzes will not be cumulative. Quiz #1 will test you on everything covered during the first 4 weeks of class, and quiz #2 will test you on everything we cover after the midterm. Quizzes will last 25 minutes, and be held at the beginning of the period on the scheduled day.

Consensus Session: These are in-class, group presentations during the 2nd half of the course. Each group of 3-6 students will be assigned to a specific article from the textbook that we’re discussing that week, present a short lesson on it to the rest of class, and run a voting session on the issue being debated. Groups should focus on teaching their article effectively. To this end, the main criteria groups shall be graded on are their understanding of the article and their ability to effectively communicate their understanding to the rest of class.

Papers: Paper #1 will be on ethical theories. Due toward the middle of the semester, this assignment provides you with an opportunity to demonstrate whether you have developed two of the most primary skills we’re learning this semester: the ability to understand an ethical theories, and the ability to evaluate a theory’s philosophical quality. Paper #2 will be longer and on some of the applied topics. Due at the end of the semester, this paper will focus partly on your ability to understand what we’ve discussed in class, but mostly be judged on your ability to explain and defend your own opinion on some ethical topics.

Homework: Although I assign a lot of optional extra credit assignments throughout class, there will only be a few graded homework assignments. These homework assignments will be similar to the various extra credit and in-class group work assignments we do. The graded homeworks, however, will usually come at the end of a particular section, after you have had a chance to try a variety of similar assignments in and out of class.

Fun Fridays: There will be 3 in-class graded assignments scheduled on some Fridays during the semester. These will be a chance to more casually discuss some issues more loosely related to the class, yet more closely connected to important practical concerns of our everyday lives.

Attendance/Participation: Most of this will be based on your attendance. If you’re there every class, you’ll get full credit for your attendance grade. In addition, informal group work can impact your grade. I value your attendance, and I expect you to show up each day. I also realize, though, that we sometimes need added motivation to attend each day, and I use this grade as a small carrot to motivate you.

Extra Credit: I like giving extra credit! I’ll be giving both official extra credit assignments to do outside class and offering extra credit points more informally during class time throughout the semester. Remind me about this if I slack off on dishing out extra credit points.

Grades
900-1000 points = A
800-899 points = B
700-799 points = C
600-699 points = D
below 600 points = F.

Midterm 150 points
Final 250 points
Quizzes (2) 75 points each (150 total)
Homework 50 points total
First Paper 50 points
Second Paper 100 points
Consensus Session 150 points
Fun Fridays 50 points total
Attendance/Participation 50 points

Important Dates
August 31st: Last day to drop & receive a full refund.
September 17th: Last day to drop & receive a 50% refund.
September 24th: Last day to sign up to audit the class.
December 5th: Last day to withdraw from the class.

Classroom Policies
Academic Integrity: Cheating and plagiarism (using someone else’s words or ideas in a paper or assignment without giving credit to the source) will not be tolerated in the class. Students found guilty of either will definitely fail the exam or assignment on which they plagiarize—and possibly the entire class. FYI: I’m pretty good at catching plagiarists. I recommend not trying it!

Attendance: I take attendance each class. My policy is that you cannot pass this class if you have been absent for more than 2 weeks (6 classes)—regardless of whether your absences are excused or unexcused. I value your attendance, and I expect you to show up each day. Missing more than two weeks of the course, for whatever reason, shows a lack of commitment to this class.

Excused Absences: Any assignment will only be rescheduled for an excused absence. Excused absences include religious observance, official college business, and illness or injury (with a doctor’s note). An unexcused absence on the day of any assignment or test will result in a zero on that assignment or test. Make-up quizzes and exams will be arranged through the Test Center (2nd floor of the Library).

Disability Accommodations: If you have special requirements let me know as soon as possible so we can make all necessary arrangements.