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Division of Humanities Course Syllabus
Course Code: HUMA 2921 Course Title: Ethical Theories and Contemporary Issues Course Offered in: Spring 2017 Course Instructor: Nahum Brown Class Schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:00- 10:20 PM Classroom: 2407 (lifts 17-18) Office Hours: Wednesdays, 1:30- 3:30 PM (by appointment) Office: 3334 Prof. Email: [email protected] Teaching Assistant Wong Tung Tin (Sigmund) TA Email: [email protected] 1. Course Description: This course introduces students to some of the most pressing ethical and political dilemmas we face in the world today through an examination of the history of Western philosophy and current applications of ethics. After a short discussion of justice in Plato’s Republic and the social contract in Hobbes, students focus on three of the most important ethical theories in the West: virtue ethics (Aristotle), utilitarianism (Mill), and deontology (Kant). The course then applies these theories to contemporary topics such as world hunger, human and animal rights, family and social obligations, crime and punishment, as well as environmental concerns. *This syllabus may go through modifications during the semester so please look for further versions on Canvas. 2. Course Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs): Upon completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:
1 Rehearse important arguments about human nature in the history of ethical thought
2 Critically analyze contemporary debates about ethical philosophy
3 Develop argumentation and reasoning skills
4 Develop clear writing and clear thinking skills
Division of Humanities Course Syllabus
Course Outline:
Class Date
1 Feb 1
Introduction to the course
2 Feb 6
Plato, the Republic, “the story of Gyges’ Ring”
3 Feb 8
Hobbes, Leviathan
4 Feb 13
Hobbes, Leviathan
5 Feb 15
Hobbes, Leviathan
6 Feb 20
Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics; “Virtue Theory” by Rosalind Hursthouse
7 Feb 22
Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics; “Virtue Theory” by Rosalind Hursthouse
8 Feb 27
Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics; “Virtue Theory” by Rosalind Hursthouse
9 Mar 1
Mill, Utilitarianism; “Consequentialism” by Peter Vallentyne
10 Mar 6
Mill, Utilitarianism; “Consequentialism” by Peter Vallentyne
11 Mar 8 Quiz 1
12 Mar 13
Kant’s Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals; “Deontology” by David McNaughton and Piers Rawling
13 Mar 15
Kant’s Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals; “Deontology” by David McNaughton and Piers Rawling
14 Mar 20
Kant’s Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals; “Deontology” by David McNaughton and Piers Rawling
15 Mar 22
“Punishment and Desert” by James Rachels
Division of Humanities Course Syllabus
16 Mar 27
“Does Punishment work” by John Paul Wright, etc.
17 Mar 29
“In Defence of the Death Penalty” by Louis P. Pojman and “Against the Death Penalty” by Jeffrey Reiman
16 Apr 3
Quiz 2
17 Apr 5
“All Animals are Equal” by Peter Singer
18 Apr 10
“The Case for Animal Rights” by Tom Regan
19 Apr 12 No Class: Mid-Term break
20 Apr 17 No Class: Mid-Term break
21 Apr 19
“Famine, Affluence, and Morality” by Peter Singer
22 Apr 24
CLASS CANCELED
23 Apr 26
“Feeding People versus saving Nature” by Holmes Rolston III
24 May 1
No Class: Labor Day
25 May 3
No Class: the Birthday of the Buddha
26 May 8
“The Land Ethic” by Aldo Leopold
27 May 10
“Ideals of Human Excellence and Preserving Natural Environments” by Thomas E. Hill Jr.
4. Requirements Students are expected to read each week’s assigned text carefully and in advance. There will be a number of individual and group exercises that combine with class lectures.
Division of Humanities Course Syllabus
5. Readings: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics Hobbes, Leviathan Kant, Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals Mill, Utilitarianism LaFollette, Ethics in Practice *All course material will be available online. 6. Assignments:
Attendance: 17% (1% x 17 out of 18 classes) Quizzes: 54% (Quiz 1: 27%; Quiz 2: 27%)
Final Exam: 29% 7. Attendance and Lateness Policy Students are expected to attend classes regularly and on time. Attendance will be checked only at the beginning of class. Missing one or more classes makes it increasingly difficult to keep up with the material. Attendance and punctuality will affect your grade (cf. course evaluation). As a general rule, there will not be any make-up exams for quizzes or other assignments. 8. Academic Honesty Plagiarism and cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. Any evidence of plagiarism will result in immediate failure of the assignment or exam. I also reserve the right to take further appropriate steps, including consultation with the dean and the possibility of expulsion from the University.