Southwest Missouri State University, Spring 2007, T - 6:00 p.m. to 8:50 p.m. Room 201 Strong Hall
Phil 115, Professor Douglas F. Olena
Disability Accommodation Policy
This course is included in the General Education Curriculum. Click for a list of the goals of general education.
Help with school!! General student FAQ and answers to questions.
General Rules for paper writing in this class.
You are responsible to read and review these policies.
I can not overstate the reasons why a course in Ethics is so essential for a Liberal Arts education. The history of ethical thought runs continuously alongside the history of civilization. Mankind has for all his existence sought to understand what his obligations are and how it should undertake the project of living well. Answers to questions of human obligation have been answered in many ways by many cultures. The most troubling issue that proceeds from this is that the answers given are not only in huge variety but often contradictory.
What is one to do in the face of these often contradictory belief systems? The answer is not a simple one and can't be answered by a simple appeal to any authority. Even when we appeal to authority, we are faced in civilization with the knowledge that various cultures permit what others don't and forbid what others permit. As you might expect, there is no absolute answer in ethical literature.
However, the study of ethics provides a language and categories to discuss moral problems. Its usefulness as a foundation for law, government, medicine, the individual, family and society in general shows up in the myriad explanations we give for our behavior. As well, justice demands not only explanations but the justifications which a study of ethics provides.
Ethics is a course that helps us put in perspective many of the moral issues and decisions that face us in life. It is a course that asks questions unasked anywhere else in the curriculum and gives a language to form reasonable answers.
This course examines ethical principles and theories in relation to contemporary moral issues (e.g. euthanasia, capital punishment, economic justice, environmental issues, world hunger). Through a consideration of ideals of justice and human dignity, as well as concepts of rights and responsibilities, it also explores the moral requirements for community and justified political order.
This Ethics and Contemporary Issues course will survey some of the history of ethical development, major schools of thought, the modern dilemma arising from a scientific treatment of human character, and an extensive discussion of practical dilemmas.
Students explore fundamental Ethical issues in western philosophy such as relativism, egoism, right and wrong, the nature of happiness, moral obligation, virtue, duty, utility and justice. These issues are explored through readings and discussion of major ethical problems, ancient and modern.
A. Ethics, Theory and Contemporary Issues, Edited by Barbara MacKinnon.
This text contains the majority of essays to be discussed. The book excels in drawing a clear view of the major issues while bringing contrasting opinions to bear on the same problems. As well, the introductory material is first rate.
B. The Trial and Death of Socrates; Plato.
This text is a narrative of the final events in Socrates' life. After Christ, the death of Socrates is the most famous execution in history. The tragedy lies in the injustice of the execution. The power of the final dialogues is in their clarity and insight into central ethical issues.
C. Suggested reading: The Elements of Moral Philosophy Fourth Edition; James Rachels.
This text is a lucid description of many moral issues with some of the best examples of moral dilemmas illustrating ethical thinking in the literature.
Periodically I will call on you in class. Your responses will accrue points toward your grade.
On-time attendance is part of your class participation grade. If you miss a class or come in late after I make announcements and I mention or explain an assignment during that time, you are still responsible for the assignment. A failure to attend will result in a grade of F for the class. Skipping class will reduce your class grade.
Announced or unannounced quizzes will be counted in your class grade. A student who is absent for an unnanounced quiz, may not make it up without special permission.
According to the MSU policy on class attendance, "students are required to attend all classes in which they are enrolled." However that policy statement also states that "the instructor shall not make attendance requirements a disproportionately weighted component of the final grade."
Please, if you cannot be there on time, come in when you can during the class. Having class only once a week leaves you at a terrible disadvantage if you miss.
My policy is this: For every class you attend you acquire two points. Over the course of the semester a perfect attender will acquire around 60 points. If this is the only component of the Class Participation and Homework grade (which it will not be) which is 1/4 of the final grade and you miss half of the classes, complete all your other assignments, tests and requirements with an A, your final grade will be a B.
However my belief is that a student who voluntarily skips half the classes, really isn't interested in the MSU project and probably will do very poorly on other accounts.
Illness, family problems or attendance at university-sanctioned activities and programs will not be counted against a student on two conditions. 1. The student notifies me by email, telephone or in class that they will not be able to attend; 2. When they return, they give an account to me of the absence so that I may at that time mark it on my attendance worksheet.
For any illness lasting more than one class session the student must, in addition, bring a doctor or medical professional's excuse.
Each sectional exam will cover material discussed recently in class. Together they will total one quarter of the grade. The format for the questions may be multiple choice, true/false, short answer, matching or fill in the blank. The tests will take up no more than 40 minutes of class time.
The class project will take place in the second half of the term. You will be responsible to choose the members of your project team. A number of class sessions will be devoted to manageing and producing the project. Near the end of the semester, the oral presentations will be given. You may have to defend your position.
3. Grading issues
Your section of the written paper constitutes one quarter of your grade.
The oral report constitutes one eighth of your grade.
The final exam is optional for those whose grades are (up to that point) an A. However for those who's grade is B or below, the final exam is mandatory.
The topics of the exam and study materials will be announced near the end of the semester.
To request academic accommodations for a disability, contact the Director of Disability Services, Plaster Student Union, Suite 405, (417) 836-4192 or (417) 836-6792 (TTY). Students are required to provide documentation of disability to Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations. Disability Services refers some types of accommodation requests to the Learning Diagnostic Clinic, which also provides diagnostic testing for learning and psychological disabilities. For information about testing, contact the Director of the Learning Diagnostic Clinic, (417) 836-4787.
Missouri State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution, and maintains a grievance procedure available to any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against. At all times, it is your right to address inquiries or concerns about possible discrimination to the Office of Equal Opportunity Officer, Siceluff Hall 296, (417) 836-4252. Other types of concerns (i.e., concerns of an academic nature) should be discussed directly with your instructor and can also be brought to the attention of your instructor’s Department Head.
Missouri State University is a community of scholars committed to developing educated persons who accept the responsibility to practice personal and academic integrity. You are responsible for knowing and following the university’s student honor code, Student Academic Integrity Policies and Procedures. This is also available at the Reserves Desk in Meyer Library. Any student participating in any form of academic dishonesty will be subject to sanctions as described in this policy.
If you have any questions about any of this syllabus or any of the course requirements, please email me. You are responsible for everything in this syllabus and if you fail to hand in an assignment, you are still responsible for it and will be graded without it. I may remind you the assignment is due, but am not obligated to. I will also direct you to this syllabus if the answer you seek is in it.
I have made and will make mistakes. When I do, I am disposed to favor the student. Begging me to reconsider a grade sometimes will help you, though the last time I read a paper for the second time, I found more mistakes, and realized why I had given the student the grade I did. I did not lower the student's grade.
If you are having trouble in class, please see me, email me or call me. I am more likely to be generous to you if we have a relationship of some kind. If you sneak into class late, leave early, never say anything in class or out of it, show no interest in the material, etc., there are few options to me when it comes to grading your work. I will be as fair as humanly possible, but if I don't know you, all I will have is the work you give (or don't give) me.
As much as the techne of education disposes us to treat each other perfunctorily (adj. (of an action or gesture) carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection), I am convinced that the effort required to master the material is a very humanizing process. We depend on each other for this conversation to be productive. Fostering relationships with fellow students and professors will be to our mutual advantage.
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