Introduction to Ethics-Phil 103w

The Pennsylvania State University at Altoona
Philosophy 103W: Introduction to Ethics
Monday-4:00PM-6:40 PM
Devorris Downtown Center

Instructor: Peter Wolf, Ph.D.
Email: pmw117@psu.edu
Office hours: Before Class 3:30-4:00 (and by appt).

Required Texts
Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography and Other Writings, Penguin.
Jarozsynski and Anderson. Ethics: The Drama of Moral Life, St. Paul’s Publishing, 2003.

Virtue: “To do the right thing to the right person, with the right motive, at the right time and in the right manner.” Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

Course Overview
This course provides the student with an opportunity to grasp the most fundamental concepts in ethics such as: freedom, friendship, the good, agency, conscience, responsibility, intention, action, consequence, norm, law, virtue, value, ethical theory. A brief and concise overview of ethical theory is presented in our class text by Jarozsynski. The student is expected to carefully read all course materials and to express their insights concerning ethics verbally and in writing with concision, clarity and correctness.

The ‘W’ after Phil 103 indicates that this course includes a writing across the curriculum component, hence writing skills and the correct use of written language will be a significant part of the evaluation. Each student may select to write a book report/research paper, and to make an in-class presentation on the book selected. Teamwork is encouraged.

Roughly speaking the course consist of three parts: 1)ethical theory based upon reading Jaroszynski’s text, and Dr. Wolf’s lectures, 2)writing skills as developed in notes, and in film reflections, and 3)the application of ethical concepts and theories to real life situations and case studies.

Tentative Course Schedule and Assignments
8/24: First class. Meet class, set forth course goals. Introductory lecture on ethics. Dr. Wolf to discuss the book report and grading policy as well as assignments this evening.
8/31: a).First lecture notes due. B).Read in Jarozsynski text, preface to English edition, introduction, and chapter one. Study and reflection questions. Answer three out of four questions on p. 8, in one paragraph (at least five formally correct sentences) typed, double space. C)case study due---see hand-out.
9/07: Labor Day-No Class
9/14: Select and declare the proposed theme of your major writing assignment/book report, one page typed, with a written justification of why this book is relevant to ethics.
9/21: J: Be prepared for a quiz on J (through p. 27) and lecture notes. Lecture notes #2 due. Film #1 “What the Bleep Do we Know?” Take notes.
9/28: Two page ethical reflection on the film. Lecture: Overview of ethics thus far… Take notes. Case Study No.2.
10/05: Typed lecture notes #3 to be collected.
10/12: Case Study #3
10/19:Quiz #2: Film #2.
10/26:.
11/02: Case Study #4
11/09: Typed notes (#4) due from last week’s lecture. Film #3.
11/16: Film.
11/23: No Class: Thanksgiving
11/30: Lecture notes #5 typed. Case Study #5. Final quiz.
12/07: Final Class:


Grading Rubric
5 Study and Reflection Questions (Jaroszynski text) 60pts
3 Film Studies: 60pts
3 Quizzes: 60pts-2 quizzes; Final quiz: 60pts.=120pts.
5 Typed lecture notes: 60pts
Book Report/ In Class Presentation : 75 pts.
3 Case Studies: 75pts
In Class Presentation:60 pts.
Participation: 80pts.
Total 590 pts. [the ‘94’ grade (A-)---.94 x 590=555pts and so on…]

Assignments are due on the teacher’s desk at the beginning of each class session. Late work is due no later than one week following its due date, and will lose 25%.

Book Reports/In Class Presentations
1) Applied Fields of Ethics
a) Medical; Nursing
i) euthanasia
ii) abortion
iii) extraordinary life support
iv) universal healthcare
v) Pharmaceutics
b) Environmental
i) animal rights
ii) corporate responsibility for pollution
iii) Global Warming
c) Business
i) Globalization
ii) Truth in Advertising
iii) Consumer Rights
iv) Just and Fair Wages
d) Sports
i)Use of Steroids in Athletes
e) Education
i)Academic freedom
ii) Corporate Influence on Research
f) Technology
g) Marital ethics, or ethics in almost every field of life.

There are as many applied fields of ethics as there are fields of valued human behavior---hunting, entertainment, food, alcohol, drugs, etc… What is unique is the aspect in which we consider the topic. We are concerned about business behavior, for example, not in the typical concern for ‘bottomline’ or ‘profit’ or whether a product is shiny and new, but whether business behaves ethically---that is to say in line with the overarching goal of the human good.

An example of a case study that comes to mind is the Vick case (or Senator Blagojevich or Mr. Madoff) being discussed in the media which concerns animal rights, gambling and several other ethical issues.

Academic Integrity
Students who cheat, plagiarize, commit fraud, etc…will suffer harshly. Consequences in light cases may include failing grade on an exam, essay or course. In serious cases, academic dishonesty may result in permanent expulsion from the university. For details see The Student Guide to University Policies and Rules. http://www.la.psu.edu/CLA-LAUS/integrity/student_resources.shtml

Class Cancellation
In the event of snow or other inclement weather forcing a delay or closing on campus, class may be cancelled. If this happens, contact me at my e-mail address above and I will inform you about the cancellation.

Attendance Policy
Excused absence includes serious illness of student, death in the immediate family, or some extracurricular activity or sport (I need to be notified up front with the schedule).
You will be allowed a total of one unexcused absence during the semester. Any absences beyond this will result in the loss of 35 points (7.5%).

Disclaimer
Please be advised that we will encounter material in this course that may seem offensive to some students in terms of strong language or subject matter.

Letter Grades
94-100 A
90-93 A-
87-89 B+
84-86 B
80-83 B-
77-79 C+
70-76 C
60-69 D
0-59 F

Cell Phones/ Texting Policy
Students will refrain from using cell phones, blackberries, palm pilots, etc. in class. Turn off ringers during class sessions. Their presence and use during class time is considered a breach of etiquette. Students caught texting, ringing phones, etc. will lose grade points.

Papers
All papers must be typed, double-spaced and follow MLA guidelines as outlined in the 6th ed. of the MLA Handbook. Late papers are severely discouraged and will result in a loss of 20 points deduction from grade for each day the paper is late. You are responsible for completing all assignments in this course in order to receive a passing grade.

Quizzes are not intended to be difficult; their primary purpose is to ensure that everyone is keeping up with the material. There will be no make-up quizzes.

Papers will be graded on their thoughtfulness and maturity. They should demonstrate a balanced and conscientious approach to a complex issue. They should not be simplistic, one-sided, or polemical in nature. General topics will be assigned in class. Papers should be typewritten and double-spaced. Spelling, grammar, and organization count. References must be well documented. Each paper should be five to six pages long.

Oral presentation topics will be assigned at the beginning of the semester. Students may work in teams, but each team member must present his or her material from a different perspective. For example, different team members might argue for or against affirmative action. Or, different team members might look at the issue of affirmative action from the perspective of different ethical theories. Each group must inform me of its approach to its topic at least one week prior to presenting.

Class discussion is very important in an issues-oriented class, so your participation is counted toward your final grade. If you are uncomfortable talking in class you may use alternative means to contribute to your class discussion grade, e.g., handing in written comments, contacting me outside of class, etc. Poor attendance will affect your discussion grade adversely.