Core 1300 Ethics -- Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. Bill Short
Office: Cooke 106
Office Hours: MWF 2-4, TR 2:30-4:30
Telephone: 793-4660 (Office)
673-5901 (Home)
e-mail: bshort@mcm.edu

Text: The Moral of the Story: An Introduction to Ethics, 5^th ed., Nina Rosenstand, McGraw-Hill, 2005.

Course Goal: To think about and discuss the nature and importance of Ethics in societies and individuals in such a way as to make practical applications of moral theories in everyday life.

Course Objectives:

To explore the importance and nature of integrity

To explore the relationship of integrity and thinking

To explore the importance of character in integrity

To explore the relationship of moral theories and character

To explore the importance of personhood
To explore the relationship of personhood, rights, and duties

Grading System:

25% Participation and attention in class, daily quizzes,

answers on handouts for group discussions

25% Team reports,(2)(You will work as a team to develop ideas, but receive individual grades according to the quality of your own part of the report.)

25% Mid-term exam

25% Final exam

Attendance will be taken every class period. Three unexcused absences will mean you lose a letter grade. Six unexcused absences will drop you from the course. If you have a written, official excuse, you are excused from a quiz or daily work in terms of being specifically graded on it, (there will be no make-up required), but you are responsible for learning the missed material in preparation for team reports and major exams. If you have an official, written excuse for absence from a team report or major exam, you can make it up.

Tardiness as a habit will hurt your grade. Two tardies will equal one unexcused absence.

Rudeness will receive one warning, after which the disruptive student will be asked to leave class, and will be counted absent without excuse. If a student refuses to leave class when requested, she/he will be dropped from the course. Allowing a cell phone to disrupt class with various noises is a form of discourtesy and should be avoided. Bringing a cell phone or similar instrument to a test or exam simply must not be done, no matter how good one’s intentions are.

Cheating in any form will result in an F on the assignment or test in question. A second offense, or cheating on the final examination will result in an F in the course.

Jan. 17 Tu. Introduce course. Integrity. Priorities. (Assignment due Th. 19: letter, read pp. 3-13)

19 Th. Implications of integrity. Group discussions. (Assignment due Tu. 24: write a half page on the function of integrity in university life, read pp. 13-23)

24 Tu. Ethics, morals, values. Assign team reports for Feb. 14 from list of novels given. (Assignment due Th. 26: read textbook pp. 28-40top)

26 Th. Competing values. Give back letters to re-read. (Assignment due Tu. 31: read 41-62. Bring letters

in addressed envelopes)

31 Tu. Thinking and integrity. (Assignment due Th. 2: read pp. 62-81)

Feb. 2 Th. Ethical relativism and character (Assignment due

Tu. 7: Write half page on moral character, or

lack of character in your novel, read pp. 84-99)

7 Tu. Ethical relativism (Assignment due Th. 9:

read pp. 105-123top)

9 Th. Strength of character versus intolerance (Assign.

due Tu. 14: read pp. 123-128. Finish team reports. After doing team report you will turn in a copy of your individual report to complete your grade.)

14 Tu. Team reports. Ethical relativism and multiculturalism (Assign. due Th. 16: read 128-142, 142-150)

16 Th. Ethical egoism. (Assign. due Tu. 21: read 156-165)

21 Tu. Preliminary description of mid-term exam. Egoism and integrity, cont. (Assign. due Th. 23, read 171-182)

9 Th. Personhood, rights, duties (Read 253-255, 283-291)

Spring Break

21 Tu. Personhood and justice. Group discussion. Answer questions on handout.

(Write 1/2 page on your theory of rights and

duties, based on your concept of personhood

and your definition of morality. Read 299-308)

23 Th. Science and ethics. (Read 308b-317, 320m-326)

28 Tu. Criminal justice and rights. Assign team reports

from list of films, for Apr. 25. (Read 334-345)

30 Th. Film

Apr. 4 Tu. Plato’s theory of The Good. (Read 382b-394)

6 Th. Arostotle’s Golden Mean. (Read 416-431t)

11 Tu. Contemporary perspectives. (Read 455-467t)

13 Th. The quest for authenticity. (Read 467-488)

18 Tu. Courage. (Read 500-514)

20 Th. Gratitude. (Read 514-522, finish team reports)

25 Tu. Team reports. After doing your team report you will turn in a copy of your individual report to complete your grade.

27 Th. Preliminary description of final exam. Gratitude. (Read 523-534)

May 2 Tu. Review for final.

4 Th. Review for final.