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CONTEMPORARY MORAL ISSUES PHI 2630 Section 001C Summer A 2015 It is your responsibility to read and be aware of all the policies and expectations set out in this syllabus. Be sure you read it in its entirety within the first week of class. Times Location Instructor Office Office hour Email
Mondays through Fridays, period 3 (11:00 AM - 12:15 PM) FLO 100 Aubrey Spivey Griffin-Floyd Hall, Room 318 Mondays through Fridays, 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM And by appointment
[email protected]
Course description Moral philosophy is central within the study of philosophy and central to intellectual inquiry in general. Furthermore, it is of significant practical and personal importance since the proper understanding of and response to moral dilemmas is not only a part of every individual's life but part of how we judge societies. As will be discussed at the start of the course, moral philosophy stands apart from religious, legal, or scientific inquiry (though there are relations between these different subject matters). Specifically, moral philosophy studies moral reasoning and moral justification by way of such concepts as obligation, duty, goodness, justice, care, and virtue. The course begins with four different conceptions of moral theory and then turns to specific moral issues that have been selected to stress the differences and clashes between these moral theories. The readings in the second part of this course fit into three areas: Race, Feminism, and Prisons. The readings for the course range from moderate to very difficult. They will be explained as well as critically assessed in lectures. Canvas Environment The online component for this course will be limited but important. Some of the reading for this course will be accessible via the “Resources” tab. Further, papers will be submitted and returned with comments through the “Assignment” tab. To access Canvas go to lss.at.ufl.edu and click the blue e-Learning in Canvas button to log in. You will be prompted for your Gatorlink username and password. Canvas support the most recent versions of Flash and popular web browsers: Internet Explorer 10 and 11, Chrome 40 and 41, Safari 7 and 8, Firefox 36 and 37 (Extended Releases are not supported), Flash 15 and 16 (for recording or viewing audio/video and uploading files), Respondus Lockdown Browser (supporting the latest system requirements). Some supported browsers may still produce a banner stating “Your browser does not meet the minimum requirements for Canvas.” If you have upgraded your browser but you are still seeing the warning banner, try logging out of Canvas and deleting your browser cookies. For any questions or assistance regarding Canvas please go to wiki.helpdesk.ufl.edu/FAQs/E-Learning?title=Student_Faq or contact the help desk either in person at HUB 123, by phone at 392-HELP (4357), or email at
[email protected] Required text There is one required text for this course: Gordon Marino, ed. Ethics: The Essential Writings. Random House Modern Library, 2010. ISBN-10 1118479394, ISBN-9780812977783. $18.00.
Syllabus-PHI2630, Contemporary Moral Issues, Summer A 2015
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This should be available at the University Bookstore at the Reitz Union. Of course, you don’t need to use that bookstore, but you do need to get a copy of this anthology. In addition to readings from the above anthology, there will be a number of readings made available on the Canvas site in PDF form. Grade determination & scale Three papers (about 1500 words each) Argument outlines Class activities Quizzes Participation in class discussion
75% (35% for the best, 20% for each of the others) 8% 4% 8% 5%
Grading Scale % 92-100
Grade A
90-91
A-
88-89
B+
82-87
B
80-81
B-
78-79
C+
% 7277 7071 6869 6267 6061 0-59
Grade C CD+ D DE
Any fractions in the final total will be rounded up to the nearest whole number. Note that a grade of C- for the course is not a qualifying grade for major, minor, General Education or College Basic Distribution requirements. For further information on UF's Grading Policy, see: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx. Papers There will be three papers (about 1,500 words each); the prompts will be posted online and explained in class a week prior to the due dates. Papers will be due on Saturday 5/30, Saturday 6/13, and Friday 6/19 at 11:55 PM online. The best of the three papers submitted will be weighted heavier than the other two. Whichever paper you receive the highest grade on will be worth 35% of your course grade, but all three papers are bound to be worth at least 20%, so a serious effort is in order each time. What I look for in grading papers can be broken down into three main elements: the clarity and organization of the writing, evidence of comprehension, and the merits of the argument you defend (including your anticipation of likely objections and responding to them). These are general elements of my expectations in grading and not a specific rubric. For each paper, you must hand in a draft. These drafts are not given a grade beyond a pass/fail mark. So long as you make a serious effort you will receive a passing grade for the draft. You are to bring two hard copies of your draft to class on the days indicated on the schedule. Those drafts will be used in a peer review process. For more on that process, see the section on "Class Activities and Quizzes" below.
Syllabus-PHI2630, Contemporary Moral Issues, Summer A 2015
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Paper topics and parameters will be given in class as well as posted online in Sakai. Late papers will not be accepted, unless there is a very good reason covered by university attendance policy. (UF's general policy on attendance, including an official statement of what counts as an acceptable reason for missing class, can be found here: catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx.) If you fail to submit an assignment, you will receive a grade of zero for it. Papers will be submitted online in the Canvas environment for the class. All submissions should be MS Word documents (with a .doc or .docx extension); if you have any trouble providing such a format you need to speak to me about alternatives at the start of the semester. This class qualifies for 4000 words of credit for the university writing requirement (Gordon Rule). Note that there is a separate grade for the writing requirement. As stated in the UF catalog: Professors will indicate whether or not students met the writing requirement AND will assign a course grade. Therefore, to receive writing credit students must receive a grade of C or higher AND satisfactory completion of the writing component. It is possible not to meet the writing requirement and still pass the class. (From: www.registrar.ufl.edu/catalog/policies/advisinggordon.html) Satisfying the Gordon Rule Requirement requires at a minimum completion of all three papers with a C or better. Argument Outlines Outlines will be assigned as the semester progresses. These are exercises in argument recognition. You will be expected to read the assigned section and reconstruct the argument in it. These will be turned in on the indicated day, in class. A more detailed account of the assignment requirements will be provided. Quizzes
Quizzes. There will be any number of quizzes given at any time during the course. Anything covered in the assigned readings or lectures up to that point (down to the minute) is fair game for a quiz. The quizzes will typically be either multiple choice or short answer and will be given at the beginning of class. If you are late then you will have the remaining time to finish the quiz and if you arrive after the quiz is over you will not be able to take it. The number of questions will vary. A missed quiz will get a score of zero. The average of all your quizzes counts for 8% of the total course grade. Class Activities
Peer review of drafts. For each of the three papers, you must bring in two hard copies of a draft on the class days indicated. As mentioned above, these will be given a grade for effort; if an appropriate effort is made, you will receive 100% for that class activity. In addition, however, these drafts are used in a peer review process, whereby each draft is examined by a student peer who is required to write up a report on his or her evaluation of that draft. That report is itself a class activity, a separate activity for which you get credit—supposing, again, a serious effort is made. As with the drafts, the grading is basically a grade for effort, but I am willing to fail an evaluation report that does not demonstrate an appropriate degree of seriousness. The critical evaluations are done in class and are due at the end of the period after you share your evaluative remarks with the author of the draft you are evaluating. Other class activities. There may be other graded class activities, such as small group projects requiring brief presentations or reports or the like. How exactly these are graded depends on the particular task and will be explained at the time of the assignment. The average of all class activities will count for 4% of your overall course grade.
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Makeup exams and other accommodations. If you miss a quiz with a good excuse, you will be allowed a makeup quiz using a different set of questions and covering perhaps different material, depending on when the makeup quiz is held. Makeup quizzes will only be granted in cases of serious disruptions. There will not be a makeup opportunity for quizzes without an excuse. Extensions for papers are granted only for more serious disruptions and normally only if you ask for the extension ahead of time. If something serious comes up at the last minute and you have not had a chance to make such a request, you can hand in your work as it is and let me know you'd like to ask for more time; if I can see the work done up to that point, that will help. Attendance & Participation Attendance is considered mandatory, but I will not take the time to record attendance each class. You need to understand that it is extremely difficult to do well on the graded material if the pertinent lectures and discussions have been missed. You are held responsible not only for what is in the assigned readings but also any material covered in class lecture or discussion. Arranging for a classmate to share his or her notes in case of a missed class is strongly suggested. Two other considerations: the quizzes are not fixed on the schedule, and getting a zero on a quiz will drastically lower your average quiz score; and it should go without saying that you cannot get a good participation grade if you do not attend class. Miss class at your own risk—quizzes may be given at any time. Philosophy is not something that is effectively done all by yourself; discussion is vital both to understand complex positions from a variety of perspectives and to check your own reasoning. To encourage such active engagement with the material, you will be graded on your in-class participation. Your current participation score will be posted on Canvas (generally updated weekly). Technology Policy I will allow the use of laptops or tablets for note taking and class purposes. If it comes to my attention that a laptop or tablet is being used for non-class specific tasks, you will be asked to put the item away for the remainder of the session. If the problem recurs, then laptop or tablet use will be restricted for the remainder of the semester for the entire class. Cellphone use is prohibited during class time. They must be muted during class, and you may not use the phone unless it is an emergency. If you use a cellphone during class time, you will be asked to put it way. Should I have to ask a second time, you will be asked to leave class. Academic Honesty You must abide by the university’s academic honesty policy. See details at: www.dso.ufl.edu/studentguide/studentrights.php www.registrar.ufl.edu/catalog/policies/students.html#honesty. You should expect the minimum penalty for academic dishonesty to be a grade of E for the class (not just the assignment). All incidents of academic dishonesty will be reported to Student Judicial Affairs. Repeat offenders may be penalized by suspension or expulsion from the university. You should already have a good idea of what constitutes plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty. I will also review this when handing out assignments. If you have any questions about this, ask me before it is too late.
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Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation. Counseling and Other Services Contact information for the Counseling and Wellness Center: Website: www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/Default.aspx Phone: 392-1575 University Police Department: 392-1111 or 9-1-1 for emergencies. Subjects and readings Below is the list of readings planned. Readings from the anthology are given page numbers; readings made available on Canvas are indicated with "PDF". Introduction Ali Almossawi – Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments Moral Theory Aristotle – Nicomachean Ethics Immanuel Kant – Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals John Stuart Mill – Utilitarianism Nel Noddings – Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education Robert Coles – The Disparity Between Intellect and Character Jonathan Bennett – The Conscience of Huckleberry Finn Race Philip Hallie – From Cruelty to Goodness Martin Luther King – Letter from a Birmingham Jail Feminism Martha Nussbaum – Sex and Social Justice Simone de Beauvoir – The Second Sex Diana Meyers – Personal Autonomy and the Paradox of Feminine Socialization Prisons Joanne Belknap – The Invisible Women: Gender, Crime, and Justice Michelle Alexander – The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness Angela Davis – Are Prisons Obsolete?
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Schedule of Readings You are expected to have read the material by class on the date listed. For instance, when you come to class on May 14th you should have already read the first paper the Aristotle piece. The dates listed are subject to change. Should a change occur an announcement will be made and an updated list provided through Canvas. Week Date Topics & Readings Due Dates 1
5/11 Introduction 5/12 Argument and Theory: Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments (pp. 10-53) https://bookofbadarguments.com/ 5/13 Moral Theory: Aristotle (pp. 43-56, 66-84) 5/14 Moral Theory: Aristotle 5/15 Moral Theory: Kant (pp. 188-200, 207-220)
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5/18 Moral Theory: Kant 5/19 Moral Theory: Mill (pp. 225-255)
Argument Outline #1 Due in Class
5/20 Moral Theory: Mill 5/21 Moral Theory: Noddings (pp. 424-444) 5/22 Moral Theory: Noddings 3
5/25 Holiday – No Class 5/26 Moral Theory and Its Importance Reading: Coles (pp. 350-355) and Bennett (PDF) 5/27 Peer Review
Draft #1 Due in Class
5/28 Race: Hallie (pp. 333-349) 4
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5/29 Race: Hallie
Paper #1 Due: 5/30
6/1
Race: Martin Luther King (pp. 357-377)
Argument Outline #2 Due in Class
6/2
Race: Martin Luther King
6/3
Feminism: Nussbaum (PDF)
6/4
Feminism: Nussbaum
6/5
Feminism: Beauvoir (PDF)
6/8
Feminism: Beauvoir
6/9
Feminism: Meyers (PDF)
6/10 Peer Review
Argument Outline #3 Due in Class Draft #2 Due in Class
6/11 Feminism: Meyers 6
6/12 Prison: Belknap (PDF)
Paper #2 Due: 6/13
6/15 Prison: Belknap
Argument Outline #4 Due in Class
6/16 Prison: Alexander (PDF) 6/17 Prison: Alexander 6/18 Peer Review
Draft #3 Due in Class
6/19 Prison: Davis (PDF)
Paper #3 Due: 6/19
Syllabus-PHI2630, Contemporary Moral Issues, Summer A 2015
