Instructor Photo (2002)
Moral
Philosophy 201 - Ethics
Instructor: Philip M.
Fortier, M.A. (
Lecture: TBA
Office Hours: By Appointment
Mailbox:
Office Phone: Messages can
be left with Tai:
E-Mail: oldsoul1966@yahoo.com;
UDM E-mail: fortiepm@udmercy.edu
Academic Website: http://fortiepm.faculty.udmercy.edu
This course is an
introductory examination into ethical theories and their respective moral
principles. Different sections of this course emphasize different topics and
questions, including both issues in ethical theory and the more specific or
applied moral questions. Some of the issues include the following: whether
morality is subjective or objective, the relationship between morality and
religion, promoting the greatest good, doing one’s duty, personal virtue or
moral character development and the practice of ethics in one’s professional
life, including an analysis of particular ethical issues associated with
industry and business.
Specific Course Objective:
Ethics (Gr. ta ethika, from ethos) refers to that study
or discipline which concerns itself with judgments of approval and disapproval,
judgments as to the rightness or wrongness, good or evil, virtue or vice,
desirability or wisdom of actions, dispositions, ends, objects, or states of
affairs. The study of Ethics may proceed
in two main directions: as an explanation, either in sociological or
psychological terms or as a recommendation for action, either establishing a
system of conduct or discovering such system (s).
Moral philosophers are also largely
concerned with the development and role of virtue, self-examinations, the consistency
of moral character and its practical disposition. In either case, Ethics must involve
consideration into the nature of ethical statements, their meaning and truth,
their objectivity or subjectivity, and the possible relationship to one
objective principle or between associated principles. Ethics also must necessarily involve the
applications of those ethical truth(s) to the lived experience of the
individual and/or community. The format
of this course, while respecting a certain diversity of opinion, will for the
most part progress from a consideration of various perspectives on human
nature/reality (metaphysics) to their possible ethical dimensions (ethics) and
finally, will consider how such ethical beliefs influence the practice of
ethics in everyday life. In particular,
we will consider issues pertaining to ethical practice in business, industry
and the professional life.
Learning Course Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course,
the student should be able to:
§
Define and discuss contemporary moral
issues and their relation to
fundamental principles and philosophical
systems.
§
Analyze relevant ethical issues in
professional situations and develop appropriate and ethical resolutions to
those problems.
§
Present logical and consistent arguments
in support of ethical positions in industry
§
Discuss issues related to the boundaries
of philosophical speculation.
§
Examine the differences between some
modern scientific/technological perspectives and the more classical understandings
of human nature.
§
Acquaint the student with some of the
major themes in the history of moral philosophy.
Required Texts:
Basic Moral
Philosophy; Author: Robert
L. Holmes. Third Edition Thomson/Wadsworth: Belmont, CA. ISBN: TBA
Proteus Anthology (Customized
Thomson/Wadsworth
Publishing, ISBN: TBA
Course Packet:
o
The instructor course packet (containing
case analysis worksheets, paper writing help, charts, etc) will be available
early on in the course.
o
Supplemental Readings may be provided
and/or referenced via Internet sources.
Course Prerequisites: None
Employer Tuition Remissions:
Students receiving course tuition
reimbursement from employers must submit a written request for letters verifying
attendance and/or earned credits.
Academic Dishonesty:
Academic Dishonesty means any activity
that tends to compromise the academic integrity of the institution or subvert
the educational process.
Fortier Class Policy
If plagiarism is detected in a student's work, that student will
not receive credit for that assignment. If plagiarism occurs a second time, the
student will be assigned an‘E/F’ or ‘0’ for the
course.
If any instance of plagiarism is suspected, that paper (without
any of its name identifying characteristics) will be submitted to a third party
for plagiarism analysis. Please refer to
the UDM handbook for particulars on further instances and sanctions involving
plagiarism.
Examples of academic dishonesty include but
are not limited to the following:
a) Having a tutor or friend complete a portion of your assignments.
b) Having a reviewer make extensive revisions to assignments.
c) Copying work submitted by another student.
d) Using information from online information
services without proper citation
e) Having someone write or edit examination questions or cases, or
having someone see/review/critique your answers prior to submitting those
answers
Class Composure/Attitude & Etiquette
Students are expected to show respect and understanding
in their rapport with other students and instructor. Disrespect, unkindness or rudeness of any
kind should not occur. Offensive,
obscene or vulgar language or actions will not be tolerated. Please be mindful of a respect for personal
spacing, professional boundaries and the appropriate discussion of personal
lives/issues.
v It is the policy of UDM and this class not to discriminate
against any person on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation,
age, marital status, handicap or national origin.
Moreover, it is the essence of
philosophical inquiry to encourage a genuine respect for persons with diverse
beliefs, cultures or personal lifestyles whenever or wherever they may exist.
Student
Responsibilities
·
The student is responsible for completing
all requirements outlined in this syllabus, the addendum and information
documents.
·
The student is responsible for informing
the instructor about any health conditions which might create a classroom
emergency, i.e. seizure disorders, diabetes, heart conditions, et. al. and
notifying the instructor of any special needs for exam taking or other
accommodations.
·
Each student is responsible for reading
the material and not relying entirely on the instructor for presenting every
detail.
·
At all times be considerate to your
classmates and to your instructor.
Further Class Guidelines
·
Attendance is taken daily and
participation is noted. Be
punctual. If you should arrive late or
want to leave early, please try not to disturb the lecture.
·
Ask pertinent questions; contribute to
discussions; avoid private conversations that distract the instructor and other
students. If you wish to ask a question
or make a comment – please raise your hand and wait your turn when it is
appropriate.
·
Remember the faculty is the person to end
the class: do not prepare to leave early.
·
Recording the lecture is not permitted.
·
No food or smoking is allowed in the
classroom. Non-alcoholic beverages,
however, are permissible.
·
If you have a cell phone/pager – please
either turn them off or place them on mute during class time.
·
Dozing/sleeping is not permitted in
class. If you wish to sleep, do it
elsewhere.
·
No incompletes will be given for this
course, except those allowed by UDM and described in their college procedures.
·
If the class cannot meet for some reason,
a note will be posted at the door.
·
Find ‘a study partner’ and exchange phone
numbers or e-mail addresses with at least two other students for class
information if you are absent.
Name: Number/E-mail: Best Time to Call/Contact:
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Credit Value: 3 Credits
Class Discussion/Participation
Class discussion/participation is required
to keep the class interesting and to maximize your learning. Students are
required to actively participate in discussions. Students are also encouraged to bring
personal experiences to the class forum.
However, in the true spirit of philosophical reflection, discussion will
be directed toward the objective and philosophically relevant. Students are encouraged to bring into the
course any material from current events that are relevant to the subject matter. A portion of the course grade depends upon
your participation in class discussion.
ATTENDANCE WILL BE TAKEN EACH CLASS
Grading
90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
0-59% E
Course Grading Weights
The maximum weight percentages for each portion
of the grade are noted below:
Ethics Interview Paper (approx. 4 p) 10 %
Argument/Position Paper (approx. 5-6 pp.) 15 %
Midterm Exam 20%
Group Project (approx. 4 p)
10%
Assignments/Participation (approx. 15
assign) 30%
Final Exam 15%
Bonus:
Argument Paper on Moral Issue in a Film (5-6 pp, 0-3 points added to
final average)
A film
review on relevant philosophical themes will be allowed for extra credit due
toward the end of the course. It will
not replace a test or paper grade. A
list of film titles is located in the packet
Course Exam & Due Dates: TBA
Assignments/Participation Grade: All in-class work
individual/group work and at-home work (case analysis, reading guides, impromptu
essays, worksheets, etc.) will be evaluated according to a √ or a √-,
an acceptable or unacceptable mark.
These written assignments along with your participation in discussion
will be regarded as 30% of the final grade.
Occasionally, throughout the term, I will supply you with Xerox copies
of reading questions for some of the assigned text pages. Otherwise, we will use the discussion
questions and case studies after the chapters.
Exam Format: Generally, the format of the exam follows a 60%/40% split between
short answer and/or multiple choice and essay questions. An exam review will be distributed and
discussed one week prior to the exam.
On Class Papers & Submission Methods: It is wise to save
a backup copy of your papers. All
student papers must be typed using only one font: New Times Roman on a
twelve-point style, normal college-style format, double-spaced, appropriate
margins and references. I will supply
you with required format and content information during the second week of
class and some of this information may be located in the course packet. A simple title page will suffice and no fancy
folders, binders and the like will be accepted.
Assignment submissions are taken during class time and via email only
not in any office mailbox. PLEASE
FOLLOW THE MLA CITATION ROUTINE: See: http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite5.html
Thus, on the respective due date, one
group member must submit their MGC paper via the following two methods:
a.
one hard copy during class time
b.
and one copy as an attachment using MS
Word via E-mail
q Papers will be returned without a grade if sources are
not referenced properly.
Policy on
Missed Exams/Late Papers:
An exam can be
made up or an extension on a paper will be granted provided you can produce
upon request-documented evidence supporting your absence/lateness, such as a
medical note in case of illness. In
cases where no documented excuse is provided, a paper will drop by one letter
grade each day the paper is late.
q All paper topics must be submitted in writing and approved by the
instructor before final paper submission.
All paper guidelines, topic choices, ethics interview instructions and
my paper evaluation criteria are contained in the course packet and syllabus.
Topics of the Course (Subject to Change)
1) Philosophy - Divisions/Historical Framework
- Terms
- Metaphysics/Science of
Being- (metaphysical statements)
- Dualism/Monism
- Role of Ethical
Systems
2) Use of Logic
- Major Fallacies
- Argument
Construction/Critique
- Critical Thinking and
Moral Reasoning
3) Psychology and Moral
Development
- Gender and Culture
- Metaethics,
Norms and Applied Ethics
4) Legal and Moral Distinctions
- Values vs. Moral Truth
- Factors in Moral
Decision-making
5) Relativism vs. Objectivism
- Absolutes
- Various Schools of
Thought
- Moral Pluralism?
6) Case Studies
- Professional: Business, Industry, Medical/Bioethics
- Social Ethics
- Personal Ethics
7) History of Moral Philosophy
- Greek & Complete
Systems
- Early Christian Ethics
- Later Christian Ethics
- Modern Moral
Philosophy
- Contemporary Moral
Philosophy
- Sartre
8) Applied Ethics
- Tentative Issues:
- Voluntary Artificial
Termination of Pregnancy
- Euthanasia and
Assisted Suicide
- Poverty
- Capital Punishment
- Bioethics and
Environmental
- Sexual Morality
- Variation on Topics TBA
Please refer
to the Syllabus Addendum for further information on student assessment, class
activities and assignments.
Philip Fortier, M.A.
Department of Philosophy
University of Detroit Mercy
"Two things fill
the mind with increasing awe: the starry heavens above and the moral law
within"
–
Immanuel Kant