PHIL 2306 500 - INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS

Introduction

SYLLABUS

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

M / W 9:30 – 10:50 am FLM Room #210

Course Title: Introduction to Ethics
Course Prefix & Number: PHIL 2306	Section Number: 500	Sem: Spring 2019
Semester Credit Hours: 3	Lecture Hours: 3	Lab Hours: 0
Course Description (NCTC Catalog): The systematic evaluation of classical and/or contemporary ethical theories concerning the good life, human conduct in society, morals, and standards of value.
Course Prerequisite(s): None
REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS: Michael Morgan. Classics of Moral and Political Theory. 5^th edition. Hackett Publishing Company. ISBN #13-978-1-60384-442-0. In addition, there is one film you will be expected to watch outside the classroom: Planet of the Apes* (1968). This can be viewed online at Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, or other (unspecified) places. The Flower Mound library has 1 copy on reserve (24-hrs.). Public libraries might also carry it. You will also need notebook paper and pencil/pens. These are standard tools of students and should always be carried into class for unannounced and otherwise spontaneously produced assignments. You will also need 2 BLUE BOOKS for your 2 exams. *The TEXTBOOK / HANDOUTS are required on designated days. HARD COPIES ONLY. No computers/phones will be allowed once class starts.

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Mark Thompson
Campus/Office Location:	Room #107 (Office Hours: Mon. and Wed. 11 am – 12 pm OR by appointment)
Telephone Number:	--------------------- (use email)
E-mail Address:	USE CANVAS or mthompson@nctc.edu

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Percentage or Point Values
daily	In-Class Assignments / Oral Participation/ Attendance	10% (100 pts)
2	Exams	48% (480 pts)
2	Movie Essays	32% (320 pts)
4	Discussion Boards	10% (100 pts)

CALENDAR

Instructor reserves the right to alter syllabus schedule at ANY time.

Ì = Bring textbook or hard copy of handout to class (or 1 pt. deducted for attendance)

UNIT 1: VIRTUE ETHICS (“Be virtuous! Why?”)

JAN.

W (23rd) INTRODUCTION; DISCUSS SYLLABUS

*Reminder: 1^ST DISCUSSION BOARD DUE Sat. 1/26 at midnight (Part 1: main post)

M (28th) Ì Discuss HAND OUT (have read before class): “Ethics: Thou Shalt Become Perfected” by Donald Palmer

W (28th) LECTURE: “Ethics and Ancient Greece”

*Reminder: 1^ST DISCUSSION BOARD DUE Sat. 2/2 at midnight (Part 2: responses)

FEB.

M (4th) Ì A. Group Quiz: (have read): Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, pgs. 252-262; 355-357 (Books I [Ch. 1-9] and X [Ch. 7-8])

B. LECTURE: ARISTOTLE

W (6th) Ì “ “ “ “

M (11^th) “ “ “ “

W (13^th) Ì A. Group Quiz: (have read): Aquinas, “Disputed Questions on Virtue,” pgs.458-59; 490-91, 494-96; 500-503 (“On the Cardinal Virtues”)

B. LECTURE: AQUINAS

M (18th) Ì “ “ “ “

W (20th) EXAM 1 (Bring BLUE BOOK and PENCIL OR PEN). NO NOTES ARE ALLOWED

Be sure to watch Planet of the Apes (We will discuss on Monday)

UNIT 2: HUMAN NATURE(“What am I able to do morally as a human?”)

M (25th) DISCUSS FILM (Planet of the Apes)

W (27th) LECTURE: “Political Rights in the Early-Modern Period”

MARCH

M (4th) Ì A. Group Quiz: (have read: Hobbes, Leviathan, pgs. 575-76; 593-97 [Ch. 6]; 618-625 [Chs. 13 & 14]

B. LECTURE: Hobbes

W (6th) Ì “ “ “ “; DISCUSS MOVIE PAPER #1 GUIDELINES

SPRING BREAK (No class)

M (18th) LECTURE: “Deontology and Kantian Ethics”

W (20th) “ “ “ “

MOVIE ESSAY #1 DUE SATURDAY (3/23): 9 pm (Upload to “Vericite.com”): Link is in CANVAS (Under “Assignments”)

UNIT 3: SOCIAL ETHICS (“How do societies impact ethical thinking?”)

M (25th) LECTURE: “Nietzsche and the ‘Will to Power’”

W (27th) Ì Have read: Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morality, pgs. 1214- 1215; 1271-1276 [2nd Treatise, secs. 1-6]; 1284-89 [secs. 16-23]

APRIL

M (1st) Ì “ “ “ “

W (3rd) Ì A. Group Quiz: (have read: HANDOUT on CANVAS (NIEBUHR, “Moral Man and Immoral Society”)

B. LECTURE: NIEBUHR

M (8th) Ì “ “ “ “

W (10th) Ì Have read: HANDOUT on CANVAS (MLK, “What is Man?” and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”)

M (15th) Ì “ “ “ “

W (17^th) EXAM 2 (Bring BLUE BOOK and PENCIL OR PEN). NO NOTES ARE ALLOWED

UNIT 4: UTILITARIANISM vs EGOISM (“Whom do I really care about?”)

M (22nd) LECTURE: “Mill and Nineteenth-Century Liberalism”

W (24th) Ì Have read: Mill, Utilitarianism, pgs. 1008-1009; 1069-1072; 1086-1089 [Ch. 4]

M (29th) LECTURE: “Ayn Rand and American Capitalism”; DISCUSS MOVIE PAPER #2 GUIDELINES

MAY

W (1st) Ì Have read: HANDOUT on CANVAS (Rand, “Ethics of Objectivism”)

M (6th) WATCH FILM (in class): The Fountainhead (Part 1)

W (8^th) WATCH FILM (in class): The Fountainhead (Part 2)

EXAM WEEK: MOVIE ESSAY #2 DUE (Date/Time to be Announced Later)

Discussion Board Dates to Remember (each part due by MIDNIGHT): Discussion Board 1 Due (Saturday) 1/26 and 2/2, Discussion Board 2 Due (Sat) 2/16 and 2/23, Discussion Board 3 Due (Sat) 4/6 and 4/13, Discussion Board 4 Due (Sat) 4/27 and 5/4

You can earn a maximum of 1,000 pts. in this course:

In-Class Assignments and Attendance 10 % 100 pts.

Discussion Boards 10 % 100 pts.

First Exam 24 % 240 pts.

Second Exam 24 % 240 pts.

1^st Movie Essay 16 % 160 pts.

2^nd Movie Essay 16 % 160 pts.

FAQ

The In-Class Group Quiz will occur during the first 15-20 minutes of class (see calendar). Each student will be part of a small group of students (4-5) in which these conversations will take place. The aim of these discussions will be to go over the assigned material and/prepare both a written and oral group response. Each group will then be assessed by the professor during the group quiz.
For Discussion Board Participation students will reply once to the professor’s prompt and twice to 2 other students (in that student’s group). The first reply should be at least 200 words and will be due 1 WEEK before the actual deadline (see calendar above); the second and third should be at least 100 words each (400 words total). The first reply is 28 pts; each response to a classmate is 11 pts (max. total of 50 pts.) Each discussion board thread will open on a Monday and remain open for 2 weeks (closing on Saturday night at MIDNIGHT). The 1^st response is due the 1^st week; the 2 classmate responses are due the following week.
The First and Second Exams will occur in class (blue book and pen/pencil required). Both essays will have a prompt given at the beginning of class, which will relate to the assigned readings and material covered in class. Students will have 1 hr. and 15 minutes for each exam.

NOTE ON ABSENCES: Students who arrive 20 or more minutes after the start of class will be considered partially absent for that day (1 pt. deduction), as will students who leave early or who attend without a hard copy of the required text/handout. As we have only 25 total class meetings, attendance, bodily participation, and reading are all crucial components for this class.

NOTE ON TECHNOLOGY: The use of electronic devices—phones, laptops, e-readers, etc.—are prohibited. Such devices should be put away during class time. Further, students are required to bring their books/handouts to class, having completing the assigned reading for that class session. Students must bring materials (paper and pen) with which to take notes and work on any in-class assignments. WARNINGS will be given during the first 2 weeks. Thereafter, each interruption of class by a student using their phone/computer will result in the student being counted as fully absent. Students who persist may be subject to disciplinary actions (SEE HANDBOOK BELOW)

Campus Behavior (Academic Catalog: “Student Responsibilities”)

North Central Texas College reserves the right to take disciplinary measures appropriate to any violation and in keeping with its own best interests and the interests of other students. Such disciplinary action may result in a student being placed on probation or suspension from the College. In the latter case, a student will be given the opportunity to show his or her innocence or mitigating circumstances in a hearing before a Student Services Committee. This committee may uphold previous decisions or refer the case to the Chancellor of the College for final review. See handbook: https://www.nctc.edu/_documents/academics/student-handbook.pdf, specifically “Responsibilities” 2. d.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN THIS CLASS:

When studying/reading the text, turn off your phone/computer—or better yet, place these “things” in a different room; the spatial arrangement of your study area can significantly determine your brain’s ability to concentrate for extended periods of time. Don’t believe me? Just try it!
Don’t think of your engagement with the textbook as a “forced exercise” or an “assignment I have to do” for “school.” Instead, view this moment as an opportunity to converse with the dead; in essence, you’re conjuring the ghost of Aristotle/Nietzsche, etc. and seeking advice/knowledge about this crazy world we all inhabit (and in their case, have inhabited).
After completing the readings and assignments (exams, etc.), think about the level of comprehension and exam score you projected to obtain. Was it accurate? If not, come talk to the professor, bringing your notes and textbook so you can display what kind of notes you are taking while reading at home to prepare for each classroom sitting. It’s no use expecting different results by doing the same thing over and over: learn from your experiences.

Other Helpful Texts and Support Materials:

Try looking at these books in the LIBRARY. Some items are on both campuses (Flower Mound and Corinth) while others remain in one or the other:

Philosophy in 90 Minutes: One of my favorite series—you can read these literally in 90 minutes. Most of the early philosophers that we have assigned text readings for can be found on reserve at Flower Mound’s library for 2 hours (with the exception of our last 3: Niebuhr, MLK, and Rand). They must be read inside the library, but I found these very helpful when first studying philosophy. In addition to being very concise and to-the-point, the author (Paul Strathern) is usually funny (a little anti-religious, however). You can also buy these online for pennies and find some in used book stores. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BEFORE COMING TO CLASS ON THOSE DAYS IN WHICH WE HAVE ASSIGNED READINGS OVER A PARTICULAR PHILOSOPHER.

Does the Center Hold? This is an introduction to the big philosophical issues accompanied by bizarrely drawn illustrations.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (online). plato.stanford.edu: a trusted online source of everything philosophical.

ABSENCES/MAKEUPS:

There are no makeups for in-class assignments. EXAMS ARE TAKEN IN CLASS ON THE ASSIGNED DAYS (SEE CALENDAR/SCHEDULE). If student is absent they need to bring medical/legal/funeral documentation for why they were not able to make it to class. Student should contact professor via email ASAP. If makeup exam is approved by professor, it will need to be taken within 1 week or a zero will be recorded.

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is Thursday, April 4th.

DISABILITY SERVICES (OSD)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 or call 940-668-4209. Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209.

North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112). http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices/Disabilityservices.aspx

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook. https://www.nctc.edu/_documents/academics/student-handbook.pdf

Name of Chair/Coordinator:	Crystal R.M. Wright
Office Location:	Gainesville Campus, Room 824
Telephone Number:	940-668-7731, ext. 4320
E-mail Address:	cwright@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean:	Dr. Bruce King
Office Location:	1525 W. California St., Gainesville, Texas
Telephone Number:	bking@nctc.edu
E-mail Address:	940-668-4267

Syllabus File(s)

There are no Handouts for this set.