Dr Waggle's Website |
|
| PHIL 254 PHIL 112 PHIL 238 IDS 121 PHIL 101H PHIL 114 PHIL 224 PHIL 207 Research Vita Home |
Course Prefix and Number: PHIL 114 Introduction: Welcome to the study of philosophy and, in particular, the study of ethics. T= his course does not presuppose any previous experience with philosophy, but it = does presuppose some interest in it. Unlike other disciplines, philosophy = does require the student to ask questions. Often, these questions will con= cern things we normally take for granted. But, I strongly encourage you to= ask questions. Questions are a normal part of learning, and are an indica= tion for me to gauge your understanding of the materials we are covering. = From your questions and the other forms of feedback you provide me, I can judge whether or not I need to make changes in the methods I use to assist your understanding of the materials. One thing needs to be said at the very beginning, in = philosophy, unlike other disciplines, there are no “golden formulas” that y= ou can plug data into variables and crank out results. What we are deali= ng with are ideas, methods of investigation, and the justifications given to support ideas. We are not looking for uniformity in the responses we = give to problems. Instead, we are attempting to understand the reasons giv= en for holding a view or position, and then deciding whether the reasons given= are strong enough to justify holding such a position. As you can imagine, there are a wide number of different views or positions given for any topic. We ourselves will not always agree about whether the reasons g= iven for holding any particular view are strong enough to support that view.&nbs= p; Hence, we are going to agree to disagree. One of the best ways to lea= rn philosophy is to discuss what you have read. We are going to spend a = good portion of our time discussing the ideas and the implications of the ideas = of the authors we are going to read. You will feel challenged in this cl= ass to push your mind and your thinking into new areas. At times, the new= ness might interest you, even excite you. At times, it might intimidate or anger you. You might wonder why anyone would be interested in some of these topics. All of these responses are normal, and depending on your interests, you may feel all of them over the course of the class. In order to get the most out of your encounter with philosophy, it is vital to= ask questions and to try out possible responses or objections to the positions = held by our authors. Be bold. Don’t let the newness of the sub= ject matter overwhelm you. The best advice I can give you at the beginning= is to accept that the material in this course will be different and challengin= g, but you should believe in yourself, and respond boldly to the challenges set forth. Catalog Description: An introduction to the study of moral philosophy. This course will provide an introductory historical survey of the major ethical systems and will consider their application to contemporary moral problems.= Instructor Information: Phone number to contact instructor: Hours and days of instructor’s office hours:&nb= sp; Office hours will be held the hour after class meets on those days when we = have class. I reserve the right to exclude weekend appointments and night = time appointments. Textbook: Relationship to Academic Development Programs and Tra= nsfer: PHIL 114 fulfi= lls
3 of the 9 semester hours of credit in Humanities/Fine Arts required
for the A.A= . or A.S. degree. It satisfies the Humanities component
of this requirement. PHIL 114 should transfer to other Beliefs: All introductory level courses serve a double purpose: 1. Introduce the student to a wide variety of topics in a given subject matter. 2. Inform and guide the student to develop basic skills assumed in any career. It is this second purpose that I would like to elaborate on. I understand academic discipline to be a matter of time management and organizational skills. These skills are important not = only for success at the college level, but are also important in the wider work environment. You should maintain a daily calendar and write your assignments, tasks, expectations, etc., on this calendar. This is the first step to successful time management. On your calendar, you should note all important deadlines: reading assignments, project deadlines, revie= ws, test dates, etc., so that you can always be aware of the time demands each week = and day will place on you. Plan accordingly, and review your weekly commitments so that you are managing your time, and not that time is managi= ng you. Student Learning: As a part of this syllabus, there is a list of all of= the required readings for the entire semester. It is imperative that you = stay on top of these readings, and be prepared for each class by having read and either summarized or outlined the readings. In the study of philosoph= y, written arguments are the primary tool philosophers use to express positions. The lecture portion of this course will not outline these readings. In order to dig deeper into the implications of these readi= ngs, you should not only have read but prepared a summary of these positions.&nb= sp; This will prepare you for class participation. Consistent participati= on in this course is essential to your success, because the reading assignment= s, class discussions, and other activities are designed to help you better understand. You will need to set aside at least two hours per wee= k for every hour you spend in class. Since this is a three credit hour cour= se, I will assume that you have spent at least six hours outside of class with = the readings, doing outlines, and any projects or assignments given over the co= urse of the semester. You should record all of the reading assignments and= due dates for all projects or assignments on your personal calendar. The actual number of hours you will need to prepare for this course depends gre= atly on your study habits, and your comprehension of the readings. I do anticipate that you will need to read each of the readings assignments at l= east twice in order to better understand the author. Ideally, you would re= ad each assignment three times. I should mention that there will be an essay portion = of any assignment I assign throughout the semester. For those assignments th= at are take home, I anticipate and expect you to write multiple drafts of these essays, and to make use of the writing rubric I will make available this semester. Instructor’s Role: I see my role in this course as three fold. Fir= st, I will provide guided commentary on the readings assignment materials we are investigating. I must assume that you are current with your readings = in order to facilitate your understanding. I will use a number of method= s to aid your understanding of this material. Some of these methods range = from providing needed historical information, thought experiments, etc. I = will have more to say about my teaching methods below. Second, I will try = to set an example of what a professional philosopher does with respect to the materials we are investigating. In this role, I see the types of objections I raise to the positions held by our authors to be not only star= ting points for challenging these views, but also as standard examples of critic= isms leveled against these views. You should not be confused between the v= iews held by the author, and the criticisms leveled against these views. T= his is not to say that the author’s views have been completely rejected, = nor that the author might have something to say against this criticism. T= he idea here is to show you ways to probe these views and construct criticisms= of these views on your own. Third, I will try to assist you in your understanding of this material to the best of my abilities. That does= not mean that I can give you all of the answers to these problems. What it does mean is that I am committed to your success in learning this material,= and committed to improving your writing skills. I take the concept of wri= ting across the curriculum very seriously. During this semester, I will ma= ke available a writing rubric that I use to evaluate your written work. = This writing rubric is modeled after the State of Illinois Department of Educati= on persuasive essay writing rubric for the 11th grade. This serves as a good model for the level of expectations an entry level college student ought to be able achieve in his or her writing. This rubric is exhaustive, and covered a number of important features any persuasive essay should contain. I strongly encourage you to make use of it in self-criticism of your own writing. Course Objectives (Learning Outcomes): After completing this course you should be able to: <= o:p> 1. Distinguish various ethical theories and recognize the ethical theory embodied in any particular work of moral philosophy. 2. Identify and appraise some of the most important
problems and concepts from the history of ethical theory (P1). 3. Outline the historical development of m= oral philosophy, matching important works with the philosophers who wrote them a= nd important beliefs with the philosophers who held them (D5). 4. Analyze critically the extent that a philosopher's identity and assumptions influence his or her perspective or beliefs (D4). 5. Improve your ability to aptly interpret difficult texts in moral philosophy and support those interpretations with reasoned arguments (C7). 6. Define the main moral problems or dilem= mas posed by current practices in the field of applied ethics (P2).<= /span> 7. Explore the effectiveness with which va= rious ethical theories can be utilized to design solutions to contemporary proble= ms in applied ethics (P3,P4,P5,P6). 8. Demonstrate awareness of the effects of various social practices on diverse populations in our society (D1). 9. Appreciate the importance of cultural v= alues, assumptions, and practical considerations that may weigh in favor of various perspectives on a moral problem--not just the perspective the student prefe= rs (D2,D4). 10. Exhibit responsibility for your learni= ng by participating in critical and creative dialogues about ethical theory and social issues, synthesizing diverse sources and arguments (D6,C7). 11. Demonstrate the ability to write criti= cally and analytically about ethical theory and social issues, supporting opinions with arguments, evidence, and reasoning (C3). Course/Lab Outlines: 1. Moral Reasoning
a= nd Argumentation 6. Applied Ethics Topic: Environmental Ethics Course Policies: Method of Evaluation (Tests/Exams, Grading System):&n= bsp; There will be 2 exams. Exams will consist of bo= th "objective" questions and essay questions. There will be two position papers assigned. GRADING SYSTEM: A=3D90% I will use a 10% gradation scale for evaluating all o= f the work you submit during the semester. Your total grade at the end of t= he semester will consist of the total number of points you have earned compared to a 10% gradation scale from the total number of points possible. Hence, 100 – 90, 89 – 80, etc., scale. Sh= ould you have any questions concerning your grade, please discuss it with me eit= her before or after class. Attendance: You are to be in class every time class meets. = Please be prompt and prepared to discuss the materials. If you know that you= are going to be over 10 minutes late, please do not disrupt the class in progress. If the door is shut, and it is over the 10 minute grace per= iod, then do not interrupt the class. In the event that any of the followi= ng occur, please act accordingly. A. = In case of extreme weather, please consult the local weather channels and the university information line to determine if the university has cancelled classes. If classes have not been canceled, use your best judgment.&n= bsp; If the roads are dangerous, please think of your own safety. B. = In the event that you have an appointment that requires you to miss class, then you may be exempt provided you follow the procedure outlined below: You = are to inform me in writing if you are unable to attend class. In your wr= itten note, tell me: a) Why you re unable to attend class. b) what you will be do= ing instead of attending class. c) Give me some details about the event in ques= tion (is this related to your major? Is this a job interview? Is this an out-of-town class project?) This written note must be delivered to me= or e-mailed to me before the event in question. Attendance waivers are n= ot guaranteed. Without a written attendance waiver in my file at the end= of the semester, the attendance was not excused. There are no oral attendance waivers granted. I= do not grant attendance waivers in the summer for family vacations.= C.= = Absences due to illness are excusable only if you provide me with a doctor’s n= ote for my file. Please do not come to class if you are contagious.<= /o:p> D.= = Attendance for religious holidays may be waived provided you prepare the written attendance waiver. In case of family emergencies or accidents that requi= re you to miss more than one class, I expect that you communicate with me early in= the absence so that make up arrangements can be pre-arranged. Excessive absences for any reason create an obstacle to completion of the course.&nbs= p; Without regular communication from and with you to negotiate changes in deadlines during the absences, progress in and thus completion of the cours= e is impossible. It is impossible to “re-teach” extensive part= s of the course. Class Participation: One of the best ways to learn philosophy is to discus= s what you have read. There is a difference between discussion and participa= tion. What I mean by participation is the normal responses that any student ought= to offer when that student is asked a question. Any student ought to be prepared to respond in this manner whenever that student is asked a question. By discussion I mean that particular form of participation = in which a student freely expresses, whenever there is time set aside for discussing the implications and reactions to the ideas or positions present= ed in the work of one of the authors we are reading. It is that second t= ype of participation that I will be assessing. There seems to be some confusion about class participation. With each class period, there wi= ll be a portion of the class devoted to discussing the readings. These discussions are for you, the student, to discuss with each other your thoug= hts about the issues raised in these readings. What I am anticipating is a thoughtful discussion of the relevant merits and deficiencies of these topics. Remember, rational people of good will can legitimately differ about the correctness of any philosophical position. A good philosoph= er will recognize that often good points can be made on both sides of any issue. Some issues and topics may be of a sensitive nature. I expect that you will conduct yourself with maturity. Class time is a precious commodity. Please respect it and your fellow students.<= /o:p> Class participation is required. Each class ses= sion will have an activity that will receive a grade. An occasional absence can be negotiated with me if you have compelling reasons. In that cas= e, in-class activities that are suitable for make-up must be finished within o= ne week of the absence in order to receive any grade consideration. In a= ny case, talk to me about planned absences in advance and either call or e-mai= l me as soon as possible if you miss class unexpectedly. There are some in-class assignments that are impossib= le to make up, e.g., small group discussions, class discussions, pop quizzes.&nbs= p; In these cases, if the absence is unavoidable, and if it is the first one, I will assign alterative work. In other cases, the absentee will receiv= e a zero on those assignments. Incompletes: <= o:p> I follow the official college policy, as found in the College Catalog, as illustrated by the following excerpt: “An incompl= ete grade may be given to a student who, by the withdrawal date, can reasonably= be expected to pass the course. Incompletes may be granted only when justified by extreme circumstances (e.g., serious illness, accident, death = or serious illness in the immediate family).” Extra Credit: = Extra credit is available only after an office visit = with me. Extra credit is not guaranteed. The purpose of the office v= isit is to determine the whether extra credit is should be extended, the amount = of extra credit possible on the assignment, and the due date for the extra cre= dit assignment. Please note that extra credit ought to be reserved for extreme cases. Make-up of tests and assignments: Late work is a serious problem. I would appreci= ate it if you were pro-active rather than reactive with any of the assignments.&nb= sp; What I mean by this is, if you are having some problem with any assignment = that might delay you from meeting any particular deadline, please talk to me, via e-mail, in person, etc., before the assignment is due in order to determine= if an extension should be granted. Any assignment that is turned in late without a written extension will receive a zero (0). Make-up tests are also an administrative problem.&nbs= p; Again, please be pro-active and inform me of any problem that will prevent = you from meeting a particular test deadline. I reserve the right to negot= iate with students over make-up exams. In the event of someone missing a deadlin= e, and not informing me in writing of the absence in advance, I will be most hesitant to schedule a retake. Night courses are very short and we do not have the luxury of time. In order to be fair to everyone, I= must insist that exams either be taken in advance of some absence or during their scheduled time. We simply can= not have any late work and remain on track. Deadlines: Barring the exceptions noted above, all of the assign= ment or exam deadlines are listed in this syllabus. Work turned in after t= hese deadlines will receive a zero unless a written extension has been granted. Assignments must be turned in “hard copy”. = I do not accept digital copies of assignments. E-mailing me a digital c= opy of any assignment, then turning in a paper copy of it, does not constitute turning the assignment in on time. Let me remind you what the word “deadline” means. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines the word “deadline” as 1) a time limit as for payment o= f a debt or completion of an assignment. 2) a boundary line in a prison that prisoners can cross only at the risk of being shot. I understand the = word “deadline” to mean that any given “project” is “dead” (will receive zero grade consideration) after the date in question. Some important deadlines to keep in mind during the course = of the semester are: the semester ends when you take the final for this course. All extensions terminate on the last day of class before the final. There are no “post-semester” assignments, and ther= e is no extra credit post-semester. Required Writing and Required writing will take the form of 2 position pap= ers of 2-3 pages in length. Required reading will be from the textbook, alth= ough occasionally handouts may be distributed. We may have several shorter paragraph length writing assignments throughout the course of the semester.= Student Conduct: The emphasis in this class is maintaining an atmosphe= re conductive to learning. When you are late (and within the 10 minute g= rade period) please arrive quietly. If you leave early, depart gracefully = and quietly. During presentations, listening to the presenter is a form of participation. Differences in perspectives, values and beliefs will surface. The free exchange of ideas is encouraged but intimidating or disrespectful language and behavior have no place in such exchanges. Refer to the College policies section in the Heartland Community College Catalog. In this same spirit, please do not bring children to = class for any reason. Please do not use cellular phones or personal pagers = in class. If you feel you must have a cellular phone or a personal pager with you, please turn the ringer off, or set the pager to vibrate. If= you must make a call, please do so outside of the classroom. Lap t= op computers, or other such devices, are fine to bring to regularly scheduled class meetings for the purpose of taking notes. Lap top computers are= not to be activated or brought to class when an exam is scheduled. Please do not contact me at home by phone. I do= not give out my home phone number. You may contact me via e-mail at any time.&n= bsp; Please do not hassle the clerical personnel at the Division of Humanities, = Fine Arts, and Human Services. Please be respectful of them, and afford th= em the same or more respect than you would me. Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Academic Integrity Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of coll= egial
life at Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to cheating, aiding or suborning cheating or other acts of academic dishonesty, plagiarism, misrepresentation of data, falsification of academic records or documents and unauthorized access to computerized academic or administrative records or systems. Definitions of these violations may be f= ound in the college catalog. Plagiarism Plagiarism is the presenting of others’ ideas a= s
if they were your own. When you write a paper,
create a project, do a presentati=
on or create anything original, it is assumed that all the work, except
for that which is attributed to another author or creator, is your own.
Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offense and may take the
following forms: 1 Copying word-for-word from another source and= not giving that source credit. 2 Paraphrasing the work of another and not giving that source credit. 3 Adopting a particularly apt phrase as yo= ur own. 4 Using an image or a copy of an image wit= hout crediting its source. 5 Paraphrasing someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a topic as if it were your own. 6 Receiving excessive help from a friend or elsewhere, or using another project as if it were your own. Note that word-for-word copying is n= ot the only form of plagiarism. The penalties for plagiarism may be severe, ranging f= rom failure on the particular piece of work, failure in the course or expulsion from school in extreme cases. [Adapted from the Modem Language Association’s = MLA
Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Support Services: Heartland Library Information www.hcc.cc.il= .us/library The Library, located within the Acad= emic
Support Center (ASC) on the Heartland students also have Interli= brary Loan privileges from Heartland Library. Items usually take 1 to 3 wee= ks from date of the order to arrive. <= /o:p> The Library maintains a quiet study environment. Assistance is available for all library and information needs. Heartland Library is open Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.= m., Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the college is in session, but is closed on holidays that Heartland observes. Intersession and summer hours are reduced. Milner Library at For more information about Library services please call the Library at 268-8200. Tutoring and Academic Support Academic Support Services ( Testing Center= Lab www.hcc.cc.il.us/= divisions/asc/testing The Open Computing Lab www.hcc.cc.il.us/= divisions/asc/complab The Open Computing Lab provides free computing for HC= C students at convenient times throughout the week. The computer lab is staffed = by trained Lab Assistants and offers the use of approximately 70 computers, a scanner, a laser printer, and an electric typewriter. Specifications for written materials: Please freely consult the writing rubric that will be= made available during the course of this semester. Each written assignment will have specific requirements that you should follow. Syllabi disclaimer: The class will be notified in writing if changes are = needed due to College closings, severe weather, class progress, incorrect statemen= ts in this document, and unexpected demands on the instructor. Changes to class schedule will be announced in class, and a digital copy will be posted on my website (www.philosophy.ilstu.edu/l= jwaggl). Course Calendar: PHIL 114 August 18, 2005 =
Class orientation, syllabus, history of philosophy September 1, 2005 Catch= up day: Review for initial exam. Initial exam September 8, 2005 Chapt= er 6: Drug and Alcohol Use p. 297 - 309 &nb= sp; = T= homas Szasz. “The Ethics of Addiction” p. 310 – 318<= /span> &nb= sp; = J= ames Wilson. “Against the Legalization of Drugs” p. 318 - 326 September 15, 2005 Douglas Husak. &#= 8220;A Moral Right to Use Drugs” p. 326 – 334 &nb= sp; = C= ase Studies: 341 – 349 &nb= sp; = D= iscussion Section September 22, 2005 Chapter 8: Freedo= m of Speech. p. 427 – 443 &nb= sp; = C= harles Lawrence. “If He Hollers Let Him Go” p. 459 – 467 &nb= sp; = J= onathan Rauch. “In Defense of Prejudice” p. 468 - 473= September 29, 2005 John Taylor. R= 20;Are You Politically Correct?” p. 474 – 480 &nb= sp; = C= ase Studies: 489 – 498 &nb= sp; = D= iscussion October 6, 2005 &= nbsp; Chapter 9: Racism and Affirmative Action p. 498 – 514 &nb= sp; = L= BJ. “To Fulfill These Rights” p. 515 – 518<= /p> &nb= sp; = J= orge Garcia. “The Heart of Racism” p. 523 - 534 October 13, 2005 Michael Levin. “Race, Biology, and Justice” p. 542 – 550 &nb= sp; = C= ase Studies: p. 556 – 563 &nb= sp; = D= iscussion October 20, 2005 = ; Chapter 10: Feminism, Motherhood and the Workplace. p. 563 – 575 Groenhout. “Essentialist Challenges to Liberal Feminism” p. 581 – 58= 9 Sommers. “Philosophers Against the Family” p. 589 - 599 October 27, 2005 Dowd. “Work and Family” p. 599 – 609 &nb= sp; = G= oldberg. “Male Aggression and Power” p. 617 – 622 &nb= sp; = C= ase Studies: 622 - 629 November 3, 2005 Chapt= er 11: War and Terrorism p. 629 – 643 &nb= sp; = A= nscombe. “War and Murder” p. 643 – 348 &nb= sp; = C= oady. “War and Terrorism” p. 649 - 657 November 10, 2005 Granoff. “N= uclear Weapons, Ethics” p. 676 – 681 Luban. “War on Terrorism and End of Human Rights” p. 681 –
688 &nb= sp; = C= ase Studies: 699 - 707 November 17, 2005 Chapter 12: Nonhu= man Animals and Environment p. 707 – 719 &nb= sp; = R= egan. “Moral Basis of Vegetarianism” p. 720 – 725 &nb= sp; = N= arveson. “Animal Rights Revisited” p. 725 – 730<= /p> November 24, 2005 Thanksgiving Brea= k: No Class December 1, 2005 Watso= n. “Anti-Anthropocentric Ethics” p. 759 – 764 &nb=
sp; =
<=
st1:City w:st=3D"on"> &nb= sp; = C= ase Studies: 772 - 781 December 8, 2005 Revie= w for Final Exam FINAL EXAM: As scheduled b= y the university calendar. |
| For questions or comments, e-mail me at ljwaggl@ilstu.edu |
|