PHIL 102
Contemporary Moral Problems
Course syllabus
Summer 2004
Time: Monday through
Friday
Item no.: 1856
Instructor: W. Russ Payne Ph.D.
Office Hours:
daily
Office: B 100F
E-mail: wpayne@bcc.ctc.edu
Website: http://facweb.bcc.ctc.edu/wpayne/
Texts:
Today's Moral Issues; Classic and
Contemporary Perspectives,
Edited by Daniel Bonevac. Additional
course materials will be posted on my website (above) and on our class website
at: http://www.bcc.ctc.edu/ArtsHum/materials/Spring2004/PHIL.asp
Organization and Content:
This is an
ethics coursed focused on applied ethical theory to real world problems. During the first week and a half of this
course, we will be concerned with a few theories of morality independent of
their applications to specific issues and cases. After this we will
take up a variety of fairly controversial current topics and look at how
philosophers and other writers have reasoned about the moral issues connected
with these topics. Applied issues we will investigate will include, animal
liberation, abortion, euthanasia, genetic engineering and social justice.
Chances are, you
will have strong feelings about one or more of the topics to be discussed in
this class. You may, on occasion, have
to remind yourself that those feelings are not what is at issue. The topics we will be reading about are
serious. But you can expect to enjoy
this class all the same. Our job will
not be to bemoan tragedy or foolishness.
We will be concerned instead with examining the quality of reasons for
acting. This is important and productive
work for the hopeful.
Your aim, in
studying this material should not just be to acquire information about these
topics and the various authors’ points of view on them. I am much more interested in your learning
how to engage these issues as philosophers yourselves. We all have moral beliefs. Some of us, however, acquire our beliefs more
carefully than others. The average
person picks up moral beliefs with little if any critical attention, but then
often clings to them with iron-fisted stubbornness.
Knowing this, I
have little interest in convincing anyone that any of his or her currently held
moral beliefs are true or false. I would
only be either preaching to the choir or engaged in a futile pursuit. Neither falls under my idea of a good time. But what I will try to do for you is help you
develop more sophisticated methods for evaluating the reasons for and against
holding a view. In this class you will
get to see first hand how philosophers have applied these methods to variety of
tough practical moral issues. Better
yet, you will learn how to apply these methods for yourself. And with luck, this might result your
becoming a more careful an sophisticated believer.
Course Requirements:
Your grade in
this course will be determined by your performance on three exams. In addition to the three exam grades, you
will have various opportunities to improve your standing in the class by
demonstrating your mastery of the material and methods in classroom discussions
and on a few minor at home assignments.
Make-up exams
will be given in only the most dire cases and then only at my discretion. Absences in excess of 3 may adversely affect
your grade. Your classroom participation
will also be considered in determining your final grade. Well-intentioned contributions can help you
significantly. Inappropriate or
disrespectful behavior may adversely affect your grade in the course. You should consult the BCC course catalog for
information on grading standards at this institution.
Student Conduct
Maintaining
a good learning environment will be your responsibility as well as mine. Philosophy is best learned through actively
engaging in discussion of the issues.
You may have strong feelings about some of the issues we will
discuss. This is fine and it will
present no problem so long as we all make respect for each other a guiding
principle of our inquiry. While the
experience will be new to many of you, talking about the existence of God or
the nature of morality with people that disagree with you can actually be fun.
Keep in mind that what matters most in philosophy is that we do a good job at
evaluating the reasons for and against the views we consider. And this we can do a good job at quite
independent of our feelings about those views.
That we all end up agreeing is not essential to a fruitful philosophical
dialogue. That we are amicable and
gracious towards one another is.
I take a dim
view of cheating and plagiarism. Write your own stuff. I have a duty to report cheating, plagiarism
and other conduct that is destructive to the course to administration and
student services. I would appreciate not
having to act on that duty.
You should also
read the Arts and Humanities Expectations posted on
our course web site.
Information
about BCC’s Philosophy Tutorial Program and the Philosophy Club can be found on
the Philosophy department’s web site at: http://www.bcc.ctc.edu/philosophy/