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Professor: Prof. Perkins |
E-Mail: karey1@charter.net |
Text: Thinking Critically about Ethical Issues, 6th ed. Vincent Ryan Ruggiero
"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" by Ursula K. LeGuin
"Mending Wall" by Robert Frost
"These Yet to be United States" by Maya Angelou
Rented Movies:
Portfolio 1: Understanding Ethics (due at midterms).............. 50%
Portfolio 2: Applying Ethics (due at finals).......................... 50%
Attendance & Participation............................................ -15%
Portfolio I: Understanding Ethics (50% of grade) Portfolio I.A: Self Test
Portfolio I.B: "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"
Portfolio I.C: Legal/Ethical Chart
Portfolio I.D: "Cider House Rules"
Portfolio I.E: "Chocolat"
Portfolio I.F: "Mending Wall"
Portfolio I.G: Ethical Theory Presentation
Portfolio I.H: Writing - Creating a Personal Ethical Code
Portfolio I.I: Test on Ethical Theory
Portfolio II: Applying Ethics (50% of grade)
Portfolio II.A: "A Civil Action"
Portfolio II.B: "The Insider"
Portfolio II.C: Applied Ethics - Issue Presentation
Portfolio II.D: Writing - Applied Ethics Paper
Portfolio II.E: Ethical News Story
Portfolio II.F: Service Learning Response Paper
Portfolio II.G: ThrEaded Discussions (printed out)
Portfolio Cover Sheets are required: BOTH PORTFOLIOS MUST HAVE A COVER SHEET or they will not be accepted. Your portfolio cover sheet/checklist will help you be sure to include everything needed for each portfolio. Include these in the front of your portfolio; three hole punch them and place them at the FRONT; they will be the first page of your portfolio. These will function as a grading sheet for me and provide a guide for you as to what assignments are necessary to include in your portfolio. Do NOT include your syllabus or class handouts that I give you, only include YOUR work that you do in class. Portfolio Cover Sheets can be located at: Portfolio Cover Sheet I and Portfolio Cover Sheet II
Grading of Portfolios: All assignments must be included for full credit. One assignment missing will reduce portfolio grade one letter grade, and so on.
"Daily assignments" are assignments of lesser value, often done in class. Each daily assignment will receive one of the following:
a check plus (100%) = excellent work that exceeds assignment requirements
a check (90%) = good work, meets all assignment requirements, questions answered correctly
a check minus (70%) = assignment not adequately completed, something is missing, or questions insufficiently answered
a check with two minuses (50%) = assignment is present in the portfolio, but completed poorly
a zero (0%) = assignment is missing entirely
"Major assignments" are writing assignments, tests, or presentations that require more thought and presentation; they will be given letter grades and weighted more.
There are four "projects" you will do this semester:
(1) Ethical Theory Presentation (first portfolio/midterms): A 15 minute presentation on one of the ethical traditions or approaches and the philosopher associated with that:
Ethical Egoism (Ayn Rand)
Ethical Hedonism (Epicurus)
Act Utilitarianism (Jeremy Bentham)
Rule Utilitarianism (John Stuart Mill)
Cultural Relativism
Kantianism (Kant)
Intuitionism (Plato, Descartes, W.D. Ross)
Theologism (various religious traditions)
Aristotle's Virtue Ethics (Aristotle)
Ethical Skepticism (Pyrrho, various contemporary thinkers)
Ethical Nihilism (Nieztsche, various contemporary thinkers)
Emotivism/Logical Positivism (A.J.Ayer/Vienna Circle)
Process: Exchange e-mail addresses and phone numbers with your group members. You will decide together how best to divide the work responsibilities, but all should participate equally in creating the content and giving the presentation. Make sure that you get together with your group members to discuss your presentation and integrate your findings. The group should work together and share responsibilities equally. Don't just divide tasks and do this separately -- divide tasks, then come together and discuss what you have found to prepare your presentation together. Each group member must share a part in the presentation itself.
Grading for Ethical Theory Presentation: Grading is on content and presentation:
Content is best presented in this order:
Historical/Social Context: Discuss the political, social, economic, historical context of the origins of the theory and the effects these may have had on it. Discuss how the historical/social context may have affected it later.
Major Philosopher Associated with Theory: Most Ethical theories began with/are associated with a particular philosopher(s) or major thinker; discuss his/her life and thoughts. This should be a significant portion of the presentation.
Major Ideas and Tenets of Ethical Theory/Tradition/Approach: Outline the major ideas and tenets of the theory to the class. Include OBJECTIONS and REPLIES. This should be a significant portion of the presentation - it is the most important.
Examples and Discussion: Application of your ethical theory to cases/scenarios, including real-life examples. Ask the class questions to spark discussion; use case scenarios/examples.
Presentation should include a visual aid, an outline/handout, clarity and organization, and professional presentation (don't read from notes).
(2) Applied Ethics - Issue Presentation (second portfolio/finals): Some topics to consider:
The Taking of Human Life (Suicide, War & Just War, Capital Punishment and the Death Penalty, Mercy Killing and Euthanasia, Abortion)
Marriage & Sexuality (Premarital Sex, Serial Monogamy, Polygamy, Homosexual marriage; Non-standard sexual activity: Pornography, Prostitution, Perversion)
Bioethics: Cloning, Reproductive Technologies
Social Ethics (Lying, Cheating, Breaking Promises, Stealing)
Business and Media Ethics (Whistleblowing, Freedom of Speech, Right to Privacy, Gender, Sexism, Sexual Harassment)
Environmental Ethics (Animal Rights & Endangered Species, Natural Resources & Development)
International Business: American Business in Third World countries (conditions equity, effect on economy)
International Politics
World Hunger
Poverty, Welfare, and Economic Justice
Race & Racism: Affirmative Action
Other topics
The Ethical Issue presentation is much the same as the Ethical Theory presentation with some minor differences: History of the issue and people involved will take precedence - tenets and principles do not apply as much to your ethical issue. The issue must be presented in CONTEXT - that is described as it has happened within a particular time and place (or times and places). Discuss both sides of the issue and where it stands today. Relate to our ethical discussions and theories covered in class. Start a class discussion
The graded evaluation sheet and outline for your both ethical issue and ethical theory presentations are placed in your portfolio when portfolios are due.
(3) Ethical News Story: A current news story that you find in the newspaper, on television, in a newsmagazine that has ethical implications. Bring to class a copy of a current event that is ethical in nature and present it to the class. This is an informal presentation; all you will need to do is start a class discussion on the topic. Ask some questions of the class on the ethical concerns involved. Bring a handout for everyone -- with the information of the story or a copy of the article itself. Put this handout in your second portfolio
(4) Service Learning Response Paper: A service learning project in which you will choose the service or charity of your preference, and do volunteer work for half a day or a day in that capacity. Select a charity of your choice, and work for one half day to one day in service to that charity. This could be something like serving for a soup kitchen for the homeless, working for the American Kidney Fund or Vietnam Veterans, or helping underprivileged children, or some other similar project. You may complete this at any time during the semester - but do not wait til the last minute or end of the semester for your own sake! Upon completion, you will write a Service Learning Response Paper.Write a one to two page paper describing your experience and discussing what you learned from it, how it affected you. This will be included in your last portfolio. Include also any pertinent documentation.
Attendance & Class Participation: Attendance and participation can affect your final grade for a total of 15%. Everyone starts out with full points of the 15% in this area, and points are taken away (your grade is reduced) as classes are missed. Each missed class/lack of participation is worth minus 1%.
Late Work: Portfolios are marked down 10% for each day they are late. Portfolios will not be accepted after one week after the due date. In-class quizzes cannot be made up.
Professionalism: If you have to miss a class, you are responsible for getting assignments, handouts, etc. from a classmate or via eCollege. In order to do this, you must have an email address other than DeVry student email and you must sign up for eCollege by the end of the first week of class. If for any reason eCollege is not working, you can submit any assignments directly to my home email address. PUT HUMN 445 IN SUBJECT LINE.
Homework: Read the assigned chapters/readings before you come to class. Keep up with the portfolio assignments and do them the same week that we cover them in class, that way you won't fall behind.
Academic Integrity: As a student, you are expected to read, understand, and follow the procedures and rules of conduct as stated in the DeVry/Atlanta Institute of Technology Student Handbook. You are expected to adhere to the Student Academic Integrity Policy. Plagiarism is covered in the handbook, and includes improper paraphrasing, copying and lack of proper documentation of sources. Keep in mind that all writing submitted to me must be written by you for this class. Any time you borrow an idea or passage from an outside source (newspaper, book, TV show, friend, relative, etc.) without giving that source credit (quotations or citations), you have plagiarized. If you let a fellow student borrow from your work or copy your essay then you are guilty of plagiarism, too. Please see the handbook for DeVry's policies.
1. Define philosophy and explain its relationship to ethics in terms of their continuity in forming a valid intellectual discipline.
Portfolios: Portfolios are your collection of all of your assignments for this class, both in-class and homework. You will include all work done on your major assignments in the portfolios, as well as homework and other daily assignments. This means that you must save all your work that you do in class, collect it all together, and put it in the appropriate portfolio - we will do two portfolios.
Portfolio Format: You will save your work and turn it in in a paper two-pocket folder with 3 hole fasteners in the middle. Work must be secured in the folder - everything must be three-hole punched and fastened in the middle, placed in the portfolio neatly and in order. You must also LABEL each assignment correctly, prominently, and CLEARLY (i.e.: "Portfolio II.A" or "Portfolio I.C" at the top of the page). In addition, use tabs/dividers to separate your assignments. Portfolio folders should NOT contain MY assignments, syllabus, or copies of handouts given to you or from the web. Only YOUR completed work should be included. Failure to turn in work according to specifications (out of order, in a different kind of folder, not labeled, or otherwise incorrectly turned in) will result in a 10% drop in your grade on that folder, or if it is sufficiently disorganized, a zero will be given.
Projects
Primary Objectives: (1) To present an overview of the major tenets of the ethical theory. Be sure to include objections and replies to the theory's claims. (2) To discuss the major thinker(s)/originator(s)/philosopher(s) of the ethical theory; discuss their life, philosophy, and thoughts; discuss the times (history) of the ethical tradition's origination. (3) To give examples of your ethical theory in action, and spark class discussion by asking class questions, preferably in context, using an example. (4) Use of visual aid required. (5) Use sources to gather your information in addition to just your textbook - you may use the Links and Resources site, and you may also use other print or electronic sources. (When doing a Google/other search, include the word "philosophy" or "ethics" in your search words.)
Course Guidelines
Humanities 445 Daily Outline/Schedule
(Note: Schedule and syllabus subject to change as per individual class needs)
Week/Topic
In-Class
Homework
Due
Week One
Introduction to Ethics:
Theories and Traditions
Introduction to class: What is Philosophy?
Discuss syllabus, assignments, and projects.
What is Epistemology, Metaphysics, Ethics?
Sign up for day(s) to present your Current Ethical News Story
Choose Ethical Tradition & Issue for presentation
Do Threaded Discussions
Week Two
Introduction to Ethics:
Theories and Traditions
DISCUSS NEWS STORIES
PP Presentation: Ethics and Morality: An Introduction
Commandant Example
Portfolio I.D: Self Test
PP Presentation: The Traditions
Overview of Ethical Theories: Discuss ethical traditions/approaches broadly
Sign up for Ethical Theory Presentations and Applied Ethics Presentations
See Sign Up Sheet
Read Chapter 1 & 12 of your text
Related chapters:
2-6, 10
Watch Cider House Rules
Do Threaded Discussions
Week Three
Rules, Individual Rights & the Community
DISCUSS NEWS STORIES
Continuation and Review of the Ethical Traditions
Omelas
Legal VS. Ethical Chart
Discuss
"Cider House Rules"
Work on presentations
Watch Chocolat
Work on presentations
Read Developmental/Self Realization Ethics page
Do Threaded Discussions
Week Four
Self-Realization/
Developmental Ethics and Stages
THEORY PRESENTATIONS
DISCUSS NEWS STORIES
Drowning persons example
Discuss Developmental/Self Realization Ethics
Kierkegaard & Marcel
"Mending Wall"
Watch Some Mysteries of Love
Discuss "Tree Stories"
Discuss "Chocolat"
Work on completing Portfolio I for next week
Review ethical traditions for test
Do Threaded Discussions
Week Five
Test/Portfolio Due
Applied Ethics/
Ethical Issues
Midterm Test and Portfolio I due
DISCUSS NEWS STORIES
Ethical Issues & Personal Ethics
Watch "A Civil Action"
Week Six
Ethical Issues
A Civil Action
DISCUSS NEWS STORIES
Discuss A Civil Action
Work on Issue Presentation
Work on Issue Paper
The Insider
Work on Issue Presentation
Do Threaded Discussions
Week Seven
Ethical Issues
Insider
DISCUSS NEWS STORIES
Discuss The Insider
Work on Issue Presentation
Work on Issue Paper
Don't forget Service Project
Do Threaded Discussions
Week Eight
Ethical Issue Presentations
Final Portfolio due
Issue Presentations
Portfolio II Due Issue Presentations
Portfolio II due
Terminal Course Objectives
2. Compare and contrast the predominant general world views.
3. Compare and contrast the predominant general views of human nature.
4. Assess the primary theories of knowledge (epistemology).
5. Apply the principles of logical/critical thinking to a variety of cases.
6. Compare and contrast the positions of the primary schools of ethics.
7. Apply the primary factors in ethical decision making to a series of cases.
8. Analyze the ethical issues involved in environmental/ecological concerns.
9. Analyze the ethical issues in questions of human life and death.
10. Analyze the ethics of behavior in interpersonal relationships.
11. Analyze the ethics of personal and institutional behavior in institutional/organizational relationships.
12. Assess questions of the proper role of the state.
13. Assess the issues involved in professional ethics.
14. Negotiate an agreement on a disputed ethical issue using the tools of etiquette, respect, open mindedness, rational debate, clarity, honesty, and compromise.
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Copyright(c) 2002 by Karey Perkins /
E-mail: karey1@charter.net
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