PHL 201: Ethics in America

Moral Forms & Moral Theory Exercise

15%

Case Postings and Discussions – 5 cases

50%

Research Paper

20%

End of Course Exercise

15%

Total

100%

1

1-5

Topics: Ethical Theory & Forms of Moral Thoughtfulness

• Learning objectives:
  • Become familiar with different historical ethical theories in Western civilization.
  • Be able to identify moral forms of thoughtfulness (deontology, consequentialism, virtue, justice and professional ethics) in the context of ethical cases/decisions.
  • Become more aware of one’s own approaches to and positions on contemporary ethical situations/issues.
• Readings:
• Chapter 1: Moral Reasons (this includes overview of moral/ethical theory and select writings from Aristotle, Kant, Mill, Rawls and Held).
• Lecture notes for Unit One
• "Moral Forms of Thoughtfulness,” by Michael Hartwig (available in the course shell)

• Read assigned chapters
• Participate in the Discussions
• Review the Lecture material
• Complete Moral Forms of Thoughtfulness Exercise
• Introduce yourself and reason you are taking the course. Include an example of an ethical dilemma that challenges you. Identify some resources you would like to learn to resolve the dilemma. (graded)

2

1-5

Topics: Sexuality, Ethics and Religion

• Learning objectives:
• Identify the main characteristics and sources of traditional sexual morality.
• Identify the purpose or objectives of secular/humanistic approaches to sexual morality.
• Explore arguments about sexual orientation and how they impact contemporary debates about sexual morality, sexuality education, and rights for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people.
• Demonstrate ability to think critically about contemporary sexual ethical issues – contextualizing issues in their historical and cultural context.
• Readings:
  • Chapter 3: Sexual Morality in the textbook.
  • Lecture notes for Unit Two
  • Articles posted by Dr. Hartwig (available in the course shell)

• Read assigned chapters
• Participate in the Discussions
• Review the Lecture material
• Post responses to Case 1 and respond to at least two of your classmates.

3

1-5

Topics: Reproductive Technologies and Ethics

• Learning Objectives:

  • Become familiar with different types of reproductive technologies that exist.
  • Identify main ethical questions associated with those technologies.
  • Become competent at outlining main ethical arguments about the moral-ontological status of the embryo/pre-embryo.
  • Develop a moral position on contemporary ethical issues associated with cloning, abortion and in-vitro fertilization.
• Readings:
  • Chapter 4: Abortion & Chapter 6: Genetic Engineering, Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning in the textbook
  • Lecture notes for Unit Three

• Read assigned chapters
• Participate in the Discussions
• Review the Lecture material
• Post responses to case 2 and respond to at least two of your classmates

4

1-5

Topic: Ethics at the End of Life

• Learning Objectives:

  • Become familiar with and competent at distinguishing the various categories of euthanasia (active, passive, voluntary, involuntary, physician assisted suicide, withdrawal of life support).
  • Be aware of different legal aspects of living wills, advance directives, do-not-resuscitate orders.
  • Identify criteria for determining death.
  • Demonstrate ability to articulate arguments about when we have an obligation to preserve life and what the limits to that are.
  • Demonstrate appreciation for the competition between the value to respect autonomy and the value of preserving life/doing good for others.
  • Identify main ethical arguments for and against different approaches to end-of-life decisions and develop your own position.
• Readings:
  • Chapter 5: Euthanasia and End-of-Life Decision in the textbook
  • Lecture notes for Unit Four

• Read assigned chapters
• Participate in the Discussions
• Review the Lecture material
• Post responses to Case 3 and respond to at least two of your classmates

5

1-5

Topics: Environmental Ethics

• Learning objectives:
• Become familiar with the principles in the traditional “just war theory.”
• Become familiar with the principles in the traditional “justice in war theory.”
• Develop an appreciation of the complexity of applying these traditional principles to the contemporary international political situation.

• Familiarize oneself of contemporary environmental ethical issues.

• Compare and contrast personal and social dimensions of environmental ethics.

• Apply various forms of moral thoughtfulness to analyzing environmental ethical issues.

• Readings:
  • Chapter 8: War, Terrorism and Civil Liberties
  • Lecture notes for Unit 5

  • Animal Rights and Environmental Ethics (pp. 444-456)

  • Ethics of Respect for Nature – Paul Taylor.  (pp. 484-494)

• Read assigned chapters
• Participate in the Discussions
• Review the Lecture material
• Look up “just war theory” in Wikipedia.
• Post responses to case 4 and respond to at least two of your classmates.

6

1-5

Topic: Social Justice

• Learning objectives:

  • Become familiar with different theories of justice (egalitarian, libertarian and utilitarian).
  • Identify different ways of thinking about rights (negative, positive, human, civil).
  • Develop an approach to social justice that takes into account respective rights and responsibilities of citizens.
• Readings:
  • Chapter 9: Welfare and Social Justice
  • Lecture notes for Unit 6

• Read assigned chapters
• Participate in the Discussions
• Review the Lecture material
• Post response to case 5 and to at least two of your classmates’ postings.
• Submit End of Course Exercise(summary of learning outcomes)
• Submit Final Paper