ETHICS
PHL 201 - Fall 2016
Hybrid: MW 2:00 - 3:20pm
- Building 4, Room 253
(CRN
20124
)
------ OR ------
Online (CRN 21068)
Prof. Borrowdale
WARNING: You
may be dropped from the class! To avoid being dropped, post a
brief personal introduction in Moodle by THURSDAY 3PM. To
do this, log into the Moodle class at
classes.lanecc.edu,
click on the "Personal Introductions" forum in Week One and post
before the Thursday 3pm deadline. For help logging in to Moodle
contact the
Student Help
Desk (SHeD) online or at 463-3333.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There
is no guarantee any
instructor will drop you. Make sure you drop any
unwanted classes. You will be
charged for any class you do not drop by Sunday, October 2, 11:59pm.
If you drop after Sunday, a "W"
(for withdrawal) will appear next to the class on your
transcript. The last day to drop without a refund (or change your grading option
to pass/no pass or letter grade) is Friday, November 18 at 5pm (the
end of the 8th week). If you do not drop by this deadline, you will receive
a grade. For students who
forget to drop and do not complete the course requirements, this grade will be an F.
MOODLE MESSAGING
|
Preferred
form of communication. Please
use this method for any time-senstive issues. To
send me a message, click on my name anywhere in Moodle and
click the Send message
button at the bottom of my profile. If you click the Add Contact button in
the messages tab, you can easily send me messages by
clicking the word Messages
in the Message
block in the upper left of the main course page. When I
respond, you will see an indicator in the Messages block. To
use Moodle messaging, make sure your web browser's pop-up
blocker is off or is set to allow lanecc.edu. The Student
Help Desk (SHeD) can help you with this. Moodle will
send you email notifications of new Moodle messages by
default; please do not reply to these emails. Instead, log
into Moodle and respond there. This keeps the record of
communication unbroken and with the course and helps
refresh my memory about ongoing issues. You will receive a
response within 24 hrs or less.
|
EMAIL |
borrowdalej@lanecc.edu
Use Moodle
messaging, not email, for all time-senstive issues.
Not usually checked on weekends or holidays.
Second preferred form of contact, after Moodle
instant messaging. Please use descriptive subject lines (e.g. "Extension
request for Second Midterm Exam") and include your class (e.g. REL 203, or
"Mideast" and whether classroom or cable/online) and
full name in your email. Note that emails with no
subject or subject lines like "Test" "Hey" or "Hi there!"
will probably be filtered out by the Digitar spam filter
and may never be read. |
PHONE |
463-5434. Least preferred form
of contact. On voicemail messages please give your name
and call-back number clearly and slowly so I can write
them down correctly. Phone messages are answered last,
after I've answered all incoming Moodle instant messages
and email and are generally not checked evenings,
weekends, or holidays. If possible, avoid completely.
|
OFFICE |
CEN 410 J
(Enter Hallway B, next to the interior North stairs,
across from the restrooms) |
OFFICE HOURS |
M 3:30-4:30, Tu 3-4, Wed 11-12, Th 12-1 in CEN 410J; Fri
11-12 Moodle online chat only, or by appointment |
SUBJECT MATTER |
Ethics is the study of morality, including an
analysis of the concepts of good and evil, right and
wrong, justice and injustice, duty, responsibility,
character, and successful living. Possible topics include
whether morality is relative to culture or to the
individual, the relationship between morality and
religion, theories about what make particular actions
right or wrong, moral skepticism, and eastern perspectives
on right action. |
TEXT |
Borrowdale, Ethics: An Anthology of Classical
Readings, 6th Edition (available at the LCC Titan Bookstore) |
REQUIREMENTS
FORUM
POSTS
|
Due
before Sunday 11:55pm each week
|
10% of
grade
|
FIRST MIDTERM EXAM |
Begins:
Wednesday, October 12 at 3:30pm
Ends: Wednesday, October 19 at 7pm
|
30% of grade |
SECOND
MIDTERM EXAM
|
Begins:
Wednesday, November 2 at 3:30pm
Ends: Thursday, November 10 at 7pm
|
30% of
grade
|
FINAL EXAM |
Begins:
Wednesday, November 30 at 3:30pm
Ends: Thursday,
December 8 at 5pm
|
30% of grade |
COURSE
OBJECTIVES: The
objectives are this course are for students to (1) acquire
some factual knowledge about the history of ethics,
classical and contemporary theories, and important figures
in moral philosophy (2) acquire or sharpen critical and
analytical reasoning skills (3) come to their own
conclusions about which ethical theories are best or most
likely to be true, even if those conclusions are of a
tentative nature (4) bring their conclusions about ethics
to bear on their present values, goals and way of life.
HYBRID INSTRUCTION (CRN 20124): A hybrid
class is a combination of traditional classroom and online
instruction. Hybrid students are required to attend
classroom sessions MW 2-3:20 in Building 4, Room 106 and
particpate in an online forum.
ATTENDANCE
POLICY
FOR HYBRID STUDENTS: It will be very difficult to succeed in
this class without regular attendance. Some material
may appear on the exams which is not covered in the
text, and students with sporadic attendance almost
always do poorly on exams. After the first week, do not burden the
instructor with messages about absences of
one or two class days due to illness or other
contingencies. With upwards of 160 students per term
and the rate of absenteeism being what it is, such
"courtesy" calls or emails are a nuisance. On the
other hand, if you must be absent for more than a
week due to serious illness, military service,
business travel, family emergency, and so on, don't
hesitate to contact me if you must take an exam at a
later date or require other help. If you don't
require special accommodation, please simply
download the podcast and check for any new
announcements or handouts on Moodle.
If you are sick, please
stay home and rest. Coming to class sick will
prolong your own illness and infect others. Also,
please refrain from visiting my office if you
still have flu or cold symptoms; it is a small,
confined space and I do not want to contract your
illness. You can reach me by phone during office
hours if you need to speak with me or send a
Moodle message or email.
ONLINE
STUDENTS (CRN 21068)
: Online students are required to listen
to podcasts of classroom sessions, uploaded by evening
each class day. They are expected to keep up with the pace
of the class and listen to the previous podcast by the
time the next one is made available. As with any class,
students are encouraged to take notes while listening.
READING: It is important to
read the material in order to participate intelligently in online
forums and to perform well on exams.
FORUM
POSTS: The purpose of the forum assignment is to allow
you the opportunity to interpret, evaluate and apply what you have
learned, and to discuss the merits and implications of class
concepts and theories with your classmates. At the beginning of
each
week, a new forum will be open for posting. To receive
credit, you must make one post (or reply) which substantially
addresses a class topic. Postings will be graded on a
credit/no-credit basis and are due
before Sunday 11:55pm at the end of each week.
Late posts will not receive credit.
An extra credit forum will be available in Week Ten to make up for
one missed post. Students are also expected to read every post. If
you do not wish to receive email copies of posts, click
Profile -->
Edit Profile tab -->
Forum auto-subscribe (change
to "No; don't automatically subscribe me to Forums."). If you do
this, you'll want to turn read-tracking on. In the Edit Profile
tab, change
Forum Tracking
to "Yes; highlight new posts for me."
COMPUTER USE: This course requires you
to use (but not necessarily own) a computer. Testing,
distribution and archiving of notes and handouts and reporting and calculation of grades are all done via Moodle. Campus labs
are staffed with people who can help you if you are new to
computers or have difficulty using them. Visit
the
Student
Help Desk (SHeD) website at
https://www.lanecc.edu/atc/student-help-desk,
call them at 463-3333 or visit them in Building 2, Room 121/122.
Campus computer labs and hours may be found at
https://www.lanecc.edu/cit/computer-lab. Please make sure your current email
address is in your myLane account and Moodle profile.
EXAMS: You will have a
window of several days during which you must take each exam in
Instructional
Testing Services in the in CEN 311 on the Main Campus
or at the
Cottage
Grove Center or with an approved
proctor.
Exams cannot be taken at home. You will need a
photo I.D. and to know your L Number and myLane PIN to log into
the test. The exam format will be multiple choice and true/false
questions.
During the exam you may use
a 3 x 5 card note card (both sides) or a piece of paper measured with a ruler and
cut to the same size.
The final will
not be comprehensive. Opening and closing times
of exams are in the syllabus and may also be seen by clicking on
the exam name in the main course view as soon as the date is set.
Lab hours for the
Instructional
Testing Services are posted at
https://www.lanecc.edu/learningcommons/its. You must
arrive one hour before closing. See
http://www.lanecc.edu/laneonline/test-proctoring
for details on proctoring if you are taking the course from out of
the greater Eugene area. If you need help locating a proctor, try
The National College Testing Association at
http://www.ncta-testing.org/cctc/. A per test fee is usually
required, though fees will vary by institution.
Note: LCC
Testing labs will be closed Friday, November 11 (Veterans'
Day). They will also close at 2pm on Wednesday, November
22 for Thanksgiving, not opening again until Monday,
November 28.
The optional
Extra Credit Exam, based on the material from
the First and Second Midterm Exams. It opens Monday of Week 8 and
closes Friday of Week 10. It will replace the lowest of your First
or Second Midterm Exam scores. If it is lower than either, it will
have no effect. In order for it to count, you have to take both
midterms. It is not a substitute for taking either midterm or the
final exam.
MAKE-UP EXAM POLICY: Since
you will have at least a week to take the exam, you will be
expected to meet the deadline. If you may contact the instructor
before the deadline via
Moodle messaging, email or in person to request an extension
without penalty.
The Final Exam must be completed by THURSDAY 5PM of
Final Exam Week. Since the lab
closes at 5pm and I will be determining grades
Thursday night, MAKE UPS ARE USUALLY NOT POSSIBLE
for purposes of Fall Term grades. If you
have a legitimate excuse for missing the Final, see me
Winter Term about a make-up and grade change.
PENALTIES FOR CHEATING: Students caught cheating will
be given an F in the
course.
GRADING: At the end of the term, the
class will be graded on the following absolute scale. Extra credit work does not count towards the
A+.
A+ 97% -100% |
A 93% - 96%
|
A- 90% - 92% |
B+ 87% - 89% |
B 83%
- 86% |
B- 80% - 82% |
C+ 77% - 79% |
C 73% - 76% |
C- 70% - 72% |
D+ 67% - 69% |
D 63% - 66% |
D- 60% - 62% |
|
F 0% - 59% |
|
AVAILABILITY
OF THE INSTRUCTOR: I am available by Moodle
messaging, email, phone, or in-person office visits. If
you are having difficulties with the class, please
contact me as soon as possible; I am here to
help. If you performed poorly on your first exam, please
come by office hours or make an appointment to see me to
see what we can do to improve your next exam score and the
Extra Credit Exam, which will replace your lowest midterm
score. I am also available to discuss any issue in the
class which has piqued your intellectual curiosity, or
which you find interesting or important, outside of the
realm of assignments and testing.
COURSE OUTLINE
WEEK 1: Basic Ethical Theories (Ch. 1), Moral Relativism (Ch.
2)
Post to Weekly Forum before Sunday 11:55pm each week through
Week 10.
WEEK 2: Moral Skepticism (Ch. 3)
WEEK 3: Divine Command Theory (Ch. 4)
First Midterm opens Wednesday 3:30pm
WEEK 4: Egoism & Social Contract Theory (Ch. 5)
Take First Midterm Exam in the Computer Testing Lab by Wednesday
7pm
WEEK 5: Utilitarianism (Ch. 6)
WEEK 6: Utilitarianism (Ch. 6)
Second Midterm opens Wednesday 3:30
WEEK 7: Deontology (Ch. 7
Take Second Midterm Exam by Thursday 7pm
WEEK 8: Virtue Ethics (Ch. 8)
Drop/Grade Option Deadline Friday 5pm
WEEK 9: Virtue Ethics, Nietzsche (Ch. 8-9)
WEEK 10: Moral & Political Knowledge (Ch. 10)
Final Exam opens Wednesday 3:30pm
FINAL EXAM WEEK
Take Final Exam in the Computer Testing Lab by Thursday 5pm
Accessibility and Accommodations: To request assistance or
accommodations related to disability, contact the Center for
Accessible Resources at
(541) 463-5150 (voice), 711
(TTY),
AccessibleResources@lanecc.edu (email),
or stop by Building 1, Room 218.