Heartland
Community College
Humanities
& Fine Arts
Course
Syllabus for Students
Course Prefix and
Number: PHIL 114
Course
Title: Ethics
Credit
Hours: 3
Lecture
Hours: 3
Laboratory Hours:
0
Days
and times the course meets: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:00
to 4:50.
Introduction: Welcome to the study of philosophy and, in particular, the study of ethics. This
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 concern things we normally take for granted. But, I
strongly encourage you to ask questions. Questions are a normal part of learning, and are an
indication 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 the study of philosophy, unlike other
disciplines, there are no “golden formulas” that you can plug data into variables and crank out
results. What we are dealing 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 given 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. As well, we ourselves will not always agree about whether the reasons given for
holding any particular view are strong enough to support that view. Hence, we are going to
agree to disagree. One of the best ways to learn 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 class to push your
mind and your thinking into new areas. At times, the newness 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 subject
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 challenging, 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:
Instructor
name: Dr. Larry J Waggle
Phone number to
contact instructor:
Instructor
e-mail address, if one: Unclelahr@aol.com
Location
of instructor’s office: In the commons area just outside
of the classroom.
Hours and days of instructor’s office hours: 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:
Required:
David Theo Goldberg. Ethical Theory and Social Issues
Relationship to Academic Development Programs and Transfer: (Indicate if course is
General Education/IAI)
PHIL 114 fulfills 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 Illinois colleges and universities as the equivalent of the General
Education Core Curriculum course H4 904, described in the Illinois Articulation Initiative.
However, students should consult an academic advisor for transfer information regarding
particular institutions. Refer to the IAI web page for information as well at
Beliefs:
Academic
Discipline:
All introductory level courses serve a double purpose: 1. To introduce the student to a wide
variety of topics in a given subject matter. 2. To 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, reviews, 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 managing 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 philosophy, 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
readings, you should not only have read but prepared a summary of these positions. This will
prepare you for class participation. Consistent participation in this course is essential to your
success, because the reading assignments, class discussions, and other activities are designed to
help you better understand.
You will need to set aside at least two hours per week for every hour you spend in class. Since
this is a three credit hour course, 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 course 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 greatly 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 least twice in order
to better understand the author. Ideally, you would read 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 that 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. First, 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 methods 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 starting points for challenging these
views, but also as standard examples of criticisms leveled against these views. You should not
be confused between the views held by the author, and the criticisms leveled against these
views. This 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. The 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 writing across the curriculum very seriously. During this semester,
I will make available a writing rubric that I use to evaluate your written work. This writing
rubric is modeled after the State of Illinois Department of Education 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:
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 moral philosophy, matching important works with the
philosophers who wrote them and 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 dilemmas posed by current practices in the field of
applied ethics (P2).
7. Explore the effectiveness with which various ethical theories can be utilized to design
solutions to contemporary problems 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 values, assumptions, and practical considerations that
may weigh in favor of various perspectives on a moral problem--not just the perspective the
student prefers (D2,D4).
10. Exhibit responsibility for your learning 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 critically and analytically about ethical theory and social
issues, supporting opinions with arguments, evidence, and reasoning (C3).
Course/Lab Outlines:
1. Virtue Theory
2. Deontological and
Utilitarian Ethical Theories
3. Social Contract Theory
and Contemporary Liberalism
4. Social Issue: Environmental
Ethics
5. Social Issue:
Censorship and Hate Speech
6. Social Issue:
Punishment and the Death Penalty
7. Social Issue:
Affirmative Action
Course Policies:
Method of Evaluation (Tests/Exams, Grading System):
There will be 2 in-class examinations. Exams will consist of both "objective" questions and
essay questions.
GRADING SYSTEM:
A=90%
B=80%
C=70%
D=60%
F=less than 60%
A
grade of “A” means that your work is judged to be
of exceptionally high quality, going well beyond what is needed
to be minimally acceptable. “A” level work shows originality,
depth of thought, factual accuracy, good logic.
A
grade of “B” means that your work is judged to be
of high quality, going well beyond what is needed to be minimally
acceptable. “B: level work shows some of the same good qualities
as “A” level work, but not as consistently, or to
the same extent.
A
grade of “C” means that your work is acceptable –
that is, it meets the standards of college level work in terms
of relevance, factual accuracy, and logic. “C” work
is at the minimal acceptable level.
A
grade of “D” means that your work does not meet the
standards for acceptable college level work, but it does exhibit
some positive qualities that prevent it from counting as a failure.
A
grade of “F” means that your work is so weak that
it does not earn college level credit.
Grading
Policy:
I will use a 10% gradation scale for evaluating all of the work you submit during the semester.
Your total grade at the end of the 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. Should you have any questions concerning your grade, please
discuss it with me either 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 period, then do not
interrupt the class. In the event that any of the following 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. 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 written note, tell me: a) Why you re unable to attend
class. b) what you will be doing instead of attending class. c) Give me some details about the
event in question (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 not 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.
C. Absences due to illness are excusable only if you provide me with a doctor’s note for my
file. Please do not come to class if you are contagious.
D. Attendance for religious holidays may be waived provided you prepare the written
attendance waiver.
In case of family emergencies or accidents that require 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. Without regular communication from and with you to negotiate changes in deadlines
during the absences, progress in and thus completion of the course is impossible. It is
impossible to “re-teach” extensive parts of the course.
Class Participation:
One of the best ways to learn philosophy is to discuss what you have read. There is a difference
between discussion and participation. 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 presented in
the work of one of the authors we are reading. It is that second type of participation that I will
be assessing. There seems to be some confusion about class participation. With each class
period, there will be a portion of the class devoted to discussing the readings. These
discussions are for you, the student, to discuss with each other your thoughts 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 philosopher 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.
Class participation is required. Each class session will have an activity that will receive a
grade. An occasional absence can be negotiated with me if you have compelling reasons. In
that case, in-class activities that are suitable for make-up must be finished within one week of
the absence in order to receive any grade consideration. In any case, talk to me about planned
absences in advance and either call or e-mail me as soon as possible if you miss class
unexpectedly.
There are some in-class assignments that are impossible to make up, e.g., small group
discussions, class discussions, pop quizzes. 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 receive a zero
on those assignments.
Incompletes:
I follow the official college policy, as found in the College Catalog, as illustrated by the
following excerpt: “An incomplete 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 visit 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 credit
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 appreciate it if you were pro-active rather than reactive
with any of the assignments. 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. 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 negotiate with students over make-up exams.
I do allow students “one bite at the apple” during the semester. What this means is that one
time during the semester, excluding the final exam, you may request to rewrite an essay for
grade reconsideration. In order to exercise this, you must request the rewrite within one week
from the date the assignment is returned graded. After this one week period, I will assume that
you are satisfied with the grade you received. No assignment may be “redone” after the one
week period.
Deadlines:
Barring the exceptions noted above, all of the assignment or exam deadlines are listed in this
syllabus. Work turned in after these 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 copy 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 of 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 there is no extra credit post-semester.
Required Writing and Reading:
Required writing will take the form of 2 position papers of 2-3 pages in length and one longer
critical paper of 6-8 pages in length. Required reading will be from the textbook, although
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 atmosphere conductive to learning. When you are
late (and within the 10 minute grade 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 top 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. Please do not hassle the clerical personnel at the
Division of Humanities, Fine Arts, and Human Services. Please be respectful of them, and
afford them the same or more respect than you would me.
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a fundamental principle of collegial life at Heartland Community College
and is essential to the credibility of the College’s educational programs. Moreover, because
grading may be competitive, students who misrepresent their academic work violate the right of
their fellow students. The College, therefore, views any act of academic dishonest as a serious
offense requiring disciplinary measures, including course failure, suspension, and even
expulsion from the College. In addition, an act of academic dishonesty may have unforeseen
effects far beyond any officially imposed penalties.
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 found in
the college catalog.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presenting of others’ ideas as if they were your own. When you write a paper,
create a project, do a presentation 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 your own.
4 Using an image or a copy of an image without 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 not the only form of plagiarism.
The penalties for plagiarism may be severe, ranging from 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. New York: MLA, 1995: 26]
Support Services:
Heartland Library Information www.hcc.cc.il.us/library
The Library, located within the Academic Support Center (ASC) on the Normal campus, provides
Heartland students with a variety of on-campus resources that support both class work and personal
inquiry. These include: reference tools (print and non-print), periodicals, audio-visual materials and
equipment, reserves, a general circulating collection, and a fiction collection. Computer terminals
provide access to various electronic resources, including Academic Universe, FirstSearch, and
EbscoHost databases; CARL online card catalog, and Internet access. Several electronic resources are
accessible from computers off campus. Students may borrow books from the fiction and general
collections and may renew materials, in person or by phone, if requests have not been placed on them.
Heartland students also have Interlibrary Loan privileges from Heartland Library. Items usually take 1
to 3 weeks from date of the order to arrive.
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 Illinois State University is a public institution so you may use their collection on site.
If you want to request to check out materials, ask for a free Community Borrowers card application at the
Milner Library circulation desk. It is important that you have specific titles to request for check out when
you apply for the card. The card will give you access to their circulating collection for three months, with
a four week check out period. To qualify for this service you must live within 50 miles of Milner, have a
current state ID (driver's license) with current address on ID, and be over age 18. After you fill out the
application Milner will perform a background check on you for over due books, etc.
For more information about Library services please call the Library at 268-8200.
Tutoring and Academic Support
Heartland Community College offers learning assistance in various forms at no cost to
Heartland students at the Academic Support Center (ASC) in Normal and at the Pontiac and
Lincoln Centers. Tutors are available at convenient times throughout the week. Study groups,
group tutoring facilitated by a specially-trained tutor, are also available by request. Help is also
provided through instructional materials, study skills workshops, open computing, and the
Library. For more information about services available at each location, please call the ASC in
Normal at (309) 268-8235, the Pontiac Center (815) 842-6777; or the Lincoln Center (217)
735-1731.
Academic Support Services (Academic Support Center) Lab
www.hcc.cc.il.us/divisions/asc
Testing Center Lab www.hcc.cc.il.us/divisions/asc/testing
The Testing Center proctors make-up exams for students enrolled in traditional courses. In
addition, regularly scheduled exams for alternative delivery courses are also proctored at this
Center. Exams are proctored free of charge in a secure and quite environment. For more
information about exam proctoring services contact the Testing Center at (309) 268-8231.
Open Computing Lab www.hcc.cc.il.us/divisions/asc/complab
The Open Computing Lab provides free computing for HCC 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 statements in this document, and unexpected demands on the
instructor.
Course Calendar:
PHIL 114 Reading Assignments Version 1.0 (Note: this may be subject to change)
June 1 Class orientation,
syllabus, history of philosophy
June 3 What is Philosophy and what is the place of ethics? (Introduction
p 9 - 13)
June 8 Virtue Ethics: Plato and Aristotle: Chapter One - entire
June 10 continued from above
June 15 Social Contract Theory: Chapter Two - Hobbes, Locke
June 17 continued from above - In class exam over chapters 1 and
2
June 22 Deontology: Kant: Chapter Three – pages 91 - 114
June 24 continued from above
June 29 Utilitarianism: Chapter 4 - pages 116 - 141
July 1 continued from above - midterm exam – Term paper
topics due
July 6 Censorship and Hate Speech: pgs 328 - 352
July 8 Censorship and Hate Speech: pgs 353 - 377
July 13 Capital Punishment: Haag (Handout) and Bedau pgs. 304
- 314
July 15 Affirmative Action: Ezorshy pgs 310 - 320 and Goldberg
pgs. 321 - 325
July 20 Environmental Ethics: Handouts
July 22 Review for final exam – term papers due
FINAL EXAM: As scheduled by the university calendar.
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