| Week / Day |
Activity / Assignment |
| WEEK 01 |
|
| M-8/29 |
Introduction – Syllabus – Blackboard – House of Life |
| |
http://getsyllab.us/ |
| W-8/31 |
Workshop: What counts as an ethical problem? “Ethics training is most effective when it asks questions that help people think through their dilemmas. Lecturing, sermonizing, telling, or reading about moral dilemmas have little impact — and would likely put my attendees to sleep. Likewise, casting shame and assigning blame on someone at the point his hand is in the cookie jar, so to speak, yields very ineffective results. It’s not until people actually address and discuss relevant moral and ethical dilemmas that they care about — with people they care about (their coworkers) — that change occurs (DeMars 57).” — Nan DeMars, You’ve Got to Be Kidding!: How to Keep Your Job Without Losing Your Integrity (Wiley, 2011) |
| F-9/2 |
Surveying Contract Theories: What do they have in common, what is different? What differences do the differences make? |
|
Hobbes Leviathan, Ch XIII |
|
http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/texts/hobbes/leviathan-c.html |
|
Locke Two Treatises, Bk 2, Ch 8 |
|
http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/locke/loc-208.htm |
|
Rawls Theory of Justice |
|
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/original-position/ |
| WEEK 02 |
|
| M-9/5 |
Labor Day Holiday |
| W-9/7 |
Pateman Sexual Contract |
|
http://books.google.com/books?id=jH2KPvZF1L0C |
| |
Mills Racial Contract |
| |
http://www.uic.edu/classes/phil/phil104/the_racial_contract_ii.htm |
| F-9/9 |
Workshop: Experimenting with Ethical Analysis using Social Contract Theories. Due in class: 4 paragraphs that (1) describe a contemporary policy debate, (2) present one of the social contract theories using “quotes” and (cites), (3) use the contract theory in the second paragraph to evaluate the contemporary policy debate in the first paragraph, and (4) discuss how the ethical analysis in the third paragraph would differ from your own? (10 points per paragraph, 10 points for the sum of the parts) |
| WEEK 03 |
|
| M-9/12 |
Emerson on “The Oversoul” (1841) with references to Transcendental traditions in Hinduism, Confucianism, and Kant |
|
http://moonchalice.com/emerson_oversoul.htm |
| W-9/14 |
Thoreau on “Civil Disobedience” (1849) |
|
http://thoreau.eserver.org/civil.html |
| F-9/16 |
Workshop: Experimenting with Ethical Analysis using American Transcendentalists. Due in class: 4 paragraphs that (1) describe a contemporary policy debate, (2) present one of the Transcendentalist philosophies using “quotes” and (cites), (3) use the the philosophy in the second paragraph to evaluate the contemporary policy debate in the first paragraph, and (4) discuss how the ethical analysis in the third paragraph would differ from your own? (10 points per paragraph, 10 points for the sum of the parts) |
| WEEK 04 |
|
| M-9/19 |
Hegel’s “Lordship and Bondage” |
| |
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/hegel/works/ph/phba.htm |
| W-9/21 |
Marx’s “History: Fundamental Conditions” (1846) |
| |
http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/german-ideology/ch01a.htm#p41 |
| F-9/23 |
Workshop: Experimenting with Ethical Analysis using Hegel and Marx. Due in class: 4 paragraphs that (1) describe a current event, (2) present Hegel or Marx using “quotes” and (cites), (3) use the theory in the second paragraph to evaluate the current event in the first paragraph, and (4) discuss how the ethical analysis in the third paragraph would differ from your own? (10 points per paragraph, 10 points for the sum of the parts) |
| WEEK 05 |
|
| M-9/26 |
Kierkegaard on History: “Interlude” from “Philosophical Fragments” (1844) |
| |
http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=2512&C=2383 |
| W-9/28 |
Kierkegaard’s “What Then Must I Do? Live as an ‘Individual’” (1846) |
| |
http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=2523&C=2399 |
| F-9/30 |
Workshop: Experimenting with Ethical Analysis using Kierkegaard. Due in class: 4 paragraphs that (1) describe a crossroads of profound life choice, (2) present Kierkegaard using “quotes” and (cites), (3) use the theory in the second paragraph to evaluate the life choice in the first paragraph, and (4) discuss how the ethical analysis in the third paragraph would differ from your own? (10 points per paragraph, 10 points for the sum of the parts) |
| WEEK 06 |
|
| M-10/3 |
Mill ‘On Liberty’ (1869) with some background in Utilitarianism |
|
http://www.bartleby.com/130/ |
| W-10/5 |
Interlude discussion on Ethical Analysis, its forms and uses. |
| F-10/7 |
Workshop: Experimenting with Ethical Analysis using Mill. Due in class: 4 paragraphs that (1) describe a contemporary controversy in which the question of tolerance has become an issue (either because parties argue that tolerance is needed or because tolerance has gone too far), (2) present Mill using “quotes” and (cites), (3) use the theory in the second paragraph to evaluate the issue of tolerance in the first paragraph, and (4) discuss how the ethical analysis in the third paragraph would differ from your own? (10 points per paragraph, 10 points for the sum of the parts) |
| WEEK 07 |
|
| M-10/10 |
Peirce on ‘Fixation of Belief’ (1877) and ‘How to Make our Ideas Clear’ (1878) with background on the logic of evolution. |
|
http://www.peirce.org/writings.html |
| W-10/12 |
James on ‘The Will to Believe’ (1896) |
|
http://des.emory.edu/mfp/james.html#will |
| F-10/14 |
Founder’s Day Holiday |
| WEEK 08 |
|
| M-10/17 |
Evolutionary Progress in the “Charitable Effort” of Jane Addams (1902) |
|
http://www.readcentral.com/valignchapters/Jane-Addams/Democracy-and-Social-Ethics/003 |
| W-10/19 |
“The Thirst for Righteousness” from Jane Addams’ “The Spirit of Youth and the City Streets” (1909) |
| |
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16221/16221-h/16221-h.htm#CHAPTER_VI |
| F-10/21 |
Workshop: Experimenting with Ethical Analysis using Addams. Due in class: 4 paragraphs that (1) describe a contemporary ethical issue involving youth, (2) present Addams using “quotes” and (cites), (3) use the theory in the second paragraph to evaluate the youth issue in the first paragraph, and (4) discuss how the ethical analysis in the third paragraph would differ from your own? (10 points per paragraph, 10 points for the sum of the parts) |
| WEEK 09 |
|
| M-10/24 |
Martin Buber’s “I and Thou” (1923) |
|
http://www.archive.org/details/IAndThou_572 |
| W-10/26 |
Buber continued |
| F-10/28 |
Workshop: Experimenting with Ethical Analysis using Buber. Due in class: 4 paragraphs that (1) describe an interpersonal situation involving an ethically difficult choice, (2) present Buber using “quotes” and (cites), (3) use the theory in the second paragraph to resolve the difficult choice in the first paragraph, and (4) discuss how the ethical analysis in the third paragraph would differ from your own? (10 points per paragraph, 10 points for the sum of the parts) |
| WEEK 10 |
|
| M-10/31 |
Alain Locke’s “Values and Imperatives” (1935) |
|
http://books.google.com/books?id=8p0UmbBg78IC |
| W-11/2 |
Alain Locke “Cultural Relativism and Ideological Peace” (1944) |
| F-11/4 |
At the Blackboard Discussion Forum start a new thread that presents a contemporary controversy that highlights contrasting cultural practices and suggest how Locke might view the controversy. Then explain how your view of the controversy would differ from Locke’s. These entries will be due Friday 8 am. During the day Friday, please review the threads of your fellow students and create a reply to two other threads, evaluating the use of Locke’s concepts and presenting your own view of the controversy discussed in the thread. |
|
Extracurricular Report: The Concerned Philosophers for Peace will be meeting at ACC Riverside Nov. 4-5. Attend a session and submit a 2-page writeup. If this activity is not convenient for you, please look for opportunities to attend ethically significant events and submit 2-page reports. |
| WEEK 11 |
|
| M-11/7 |
Gandhi’s “Hind Swaraj” (1938) |
|
http://www.mkgandhi.org/swarajya/coverpage.htm |
| W-11/9 |
Gandhi’s Gita (1929) |
|
http://www.wikilivres.info/wiki/The_Gita_According_to_Gandhi |
| F-11/11 |
Of course, it is natural to argue that nonviolence cannot replace violence; however, for the sake of this exercise, please (1) present an area of human injustice where it would appear that violence is necessary for redress, and (2) create a full-page Ghandian response that would nevertheless show the moral worthiness and practicality of a nonviolent approach, “using quotes” (and citations). Up to 50 points for effectively presenting a credible nonviolent alternative where it would otherwise be widely discounted. |
| WEEK 12 |
|
| M-11/14 |
An Existentialist approach to “Personal Freedom and Others” by Simone De Beauvoir (1948) |
|
http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/philosophy/existentialism/debeauvoir/ambiguity-2.html |
| W-11/16 |
“Conclusion” to “The Second Sex” (1949) |
|
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/ethics/de-beauvoir/2nd-sex/ch04.htm |
| F-11/18 |
Workshop: Experimenting with Ethical Analysis using De Beauvoir. Due in class: 4 paragraphs that (1) describe a local and contemporary issue of human liberation, (2) present De Beauvoir using “quotes” and (cites), (3) use the theory in the second paragraph to evaluate the liberation issue in the first paragraph, and (4) discuss how the ethical analysis in the third paragraph would differ from your own? (10 points per paragraph, 10 points for the sum of the parts) |
| WEEK 13 |
|
| M-11/21 |
Rand on “Man’s Rights” (1963) v Marcuse on “Liberation from the Affluent Society” (1967) |
|
http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ari_ayn_rand_man_rights |
|
http://www.marcuse.org/herbert/pubs/60spubs/67dialecticlib/67LibFromAfflSociety.htm |
| WEEK 14 |
|
| M-11/28 |
Buddhism of “The Noble Eightfold Path” by Bhikkhu Bodhi (1984) |
| |
http://www.vipassana.com/resources/8fp0.php |
| W-11/30 |
and “The 14 Precepts of Engaged Buddhism” by Thich Nhat Hanh (1987) |
|
http://www.plumvillage.org/mindfulness-trainings.html |
| F-12/2 |
Two page meditation on the principles and applications of Engaged Buddhism. Please remain mindful of the formal methods and criteria that we have been developing during the course of the semester. |
| WEEK 15 |
|
| M-12/5 |
Preparing our Final Papers: Beginning with a Difficult Situation that Requires an Imminent Choice of Action. 20 points for a 1-page draft in class. |
| W-12/7 |
Preparing our Final Papers: Selecting Criteria of Ethical Analysis. Two scholarly presentations of material. One critical presentation of your own. 20 points for a 1-page outline in class. |
| F-12/9 |
Preparing our Final Papers: Using ethical analysis to deliberate an imminent choice in an ethically challenging situation by way of carefully selected criteria. 20 points for a one page outline in class. |
| WEEK 16 |
|
| W-12/14 |
9:00 AM. Final Workshop. We will gather for small-group roundtables to present and consider each other’s final work. Final papers must be uploaded to the Blackboard Assignments section prior to class. Double penalty for absence. |
|
Six-page final paper: Present (in about one page) an ethically challenging situation that requires imminent choice. Present (in about three pages) three carefully considered criteria (two from materials, one as you wish). Deliberate (in about two pages) to a resolved choice via careful consideration of the situation and criteria. 20 points per page. 20 points for sum of parts. |
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