PHILOSOPHY 120Y CONTEMPORARY MORAL PROBLEMS
FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE COURSE
FALL 2011 SYLLABUS

Room 230 Morgan Hall
Professor: Dr. Gordon Pettit
E-mail: g-pettit@wiu.edu; Phone: 298-1284
Office: 412 Morgan Hall
Office Hours: Mondays: 1:30 - 2:30, Wednesdays: 1:30-3:15, Fridays: 1:30 - 2:45
Course web site at http://westernonline.wiu.edu
Professor's Home Page: http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfgp1
Section 4 M, W, F, 9:00-9:50 - Peer Mentor: Avery Lejeune, AM-Lejeune@wiu.edu
Section 5 M, W, F, 10:00-10:50 - Peer Mentor: Meghan Krase, MA-Krase2@wiu.edu

Goals: The first goal is to consider whether all ethical claims are relative to a person, situation, or culture and to understand why one might answer negatively to that question. The second goal is to become familiar with the foundational principles of three most influential moral theories while pursuing questions such as: How should one live? What is the nature of goodness? How can you tell what is the right thing to do? The third goal is to learn some of the reasoning for various views on contemporary moral issues, which includes gaining an understanding of views other than one's own. We will focus on topics that are relevant for health care, though we will also consider other contemporary moral issues. The fourth goal will be a task spread throughout the semester. The student will learn to evaluate arguments for conflicting positions, and to articulate rationally one's views both verbally and in writing.

Required text: Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Moral Issues, Twelfth Edition, Stephen Satris, McGraw Hill, 2010 (ISBN: 9780073545622). NOTE: There is a 13th Edition out, but the 12th is more readily available and less expensive, so it is the one we will use. Some required readings are also available in PDF file format in the Readings section of the course site, indicated as "CSR" below. If you need to download or upgrade the Adobe Reader for pdf files, a link is available in the Web Links section of the course site.

Course Content and Objectives: As a First Year Experience course, we will integrate campus activities into the class, emphasizing how philosophy is related to various aspects of a well-rounded life and other academic disciplines. The goals of this course are for the student to become familiar with the methods and value of philosophy in general and ethical reasoning in particular, while considering several contemporary moral issues. We will focus on the arguments of various authors while reading in a deliberate and critical manner.

The course will consist of readings, discussions, at least three co-curricular activities, lectures, writing assignments, and examinations that include both objective questions (primarily true/false and multiple choice) and essay questions. By the end of the course, students should be able to rationally defend their own beliefs and understand arguments in opposition to what they believe.

Assignments and Evaluation*
Your course grade is determined by your total scores for short writing assignments, exams, and course participation. The writing assignments will be worth 20 points each for a total of 100 possible points (only your top five scores count out of the six assignments), the three exams will be worth 50 points each and course participation is worth 50 points. You will be allowed to rewrite up to two of the writing assignments if you choose, but you should consult with the professor for more detailed feedback before doing so. There are no options for late writing assignments except those made PRIOR TO when the assignment is due. All grades will be posted on the WesternOnline course site.

The grade for course participation is determined primarily by attendance (in class and at other class events) and also considers contributions in the classroom (both quantity and quality). Roughly, each class and class event attended earns you 1 point. For purposes of calculation, everyone starts with 50 points, and each missed class and each missed Co-Curricular activity is a one point deduction from 50. Any deducted point may be made up with an additional approved co-curricular activity. Both Discussion and Chat areas are provided on the course site for your convenience; participation there is optional and does not affect your grade.

The grading scale for the course is

276 - 300: A	261 - 267: B+	231 - 237: C+	201 - 207 : D+	F: 177 & below
268 - 275: A-	249 - 260: B	219 - 230: C	189 - 200: D
	238 - 248: B-	208 - 218: C-	178 - 188: D-

Please contact me during the semester if you have any questions about your grades.

SCHEDULE The schedule is subject to change, though we will make every attempt to maintain the exam schedule as stated. Any changes to the schedule will be announced in class.

Weeks 1-2 (8/22 - 9/2): Introduction to Philosophical Reasoning
What is philosophy?
CSR: Plato's Apology
Some Basic methods of philosophy and principles of argumentation
Writing Assignment on arguments

Weeks 3-4 (9/7 - 9/16): Introduction to Moral Reasoning, Relativism and Objectivism
Introduction to moral theories - Handouts and lecture
Relativism is Correct: Harmon, pp. 2-12
Relativism is Incorrect: Pojman, pp. 13-21
Writing Assignment on relativism

Co-Curricular Event: Monday, September 12 – Panel on Religious Beliefs and Revelation, with a discussion of Mormonism at 3:30-5:00 PM in the Lincoln Room in the Union
Co-Curricular Event: 2011 MOW Lecture Thursday, September 15, 7:30 PM in the Grand Ballroom of the Union
Week 5 (9/19 - 9/23) Moral Theory: Utilitarianism
CSR: Mill

Exam I Planned for Monday, September 26, 2011

Week 6 (9/28 - 9/30) Moral Theory: Kant and Deontology
CSR: Kant

Week 7 (10/3 - 10/7) Moral Theory: Aristotle, Eudaimonia and Virtues
CSR: Aristotle
CSR: Annas
Writing Assignment on virtues

Week 8 (10/10 - 10/14) Marketing of Organs
Pro: Burrows, 146 - 152
Con: Childress, 153 - 158

Week 9 (10/17 - 10/21) Legalization of Drugs
Pro: Cussen and Block, 159 - 169
Con: DEA, 170 - 182
Writing Assignment on drug legalization

Week 10 (10/24 - 10/28) Religion
Religion and health care - Discussion
Religion is essential for morality: Layman, 24 - 34
Morality does not require religion: Arthur, 35 - 46

Exam II Planned for Monday, October 31, 2011

Weeks 11 -12 (11/2 - 11/9) Abortion
Medical Information
Legal Status: Roe v. Wade
Abortion is immoral: Marquis, 50 - 59
Abortion is not always immoral: English, 60 - 69
Writing Assignment on abortion

Weeks 12-13 (11/11 - 11/16) Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide
Should not be legal: Doerflinger, 314 - 322
Should be legal: Watts and Howell, 323 - 330

Weeks 13 - 14 (11/18 - 11/30) Racial Equality and Affirmative Action
Martin Luther King Jr. "I Have a Dream"
See video
Affirmative action is just: Mosley, 207 - 220
Affirmative action is unjust: Pojman 221 - 232
Writing Assignment on affirmative action

Weeks 14 - 15 (12/2 - 12/7) Torture and Terrorism
Torture is sometimes justified, Bagaric and Clarke 290 - 300
Torture is never justified, Tindale 301 - 313

Week 15 (12/9) Reflection and Review

Exam III ("Final Exam")
Section 4: 8:00 AM Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Section 5: 10:00 AM Monday, December 12, 2011

*In accordance with WIU policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor's attention, as he is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of the students. Students who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability Support Services at 298-2512 for additional services.

The WesternOnline Course site will provide an important resource for communication and will be used for course material, resources and posting announcements. Each student will be expected to access the site using his or her ECOM username and password. The Discussion and the Chat features will be available for students to raise questions about the course content and contemporary implications. It will be an area primarily for student to student communication, with the instructor playing a facilitator role only. It is an opportunity to voice original ideas and opinions, and is not a place for merely posting others' ideas or for personal attacks.

The university standards of academic honesty will be upheld in all aspects of the course. All assignments, unless explicitly indicated otherwise, are to be done by the student alone. Please note the university policy on academic honesty. "The submission of the work of someone else as one's own constitutes plagiarism. Academic honesty requires that ideas taken from another source for use in a course paper or project be fully acknowledged." Full context of the policy is available at http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php. Please consult the Hacker Style Manual for proper form for citations. See also http://www.wiu.edu/provost/students.php for other class related policies.

Classroom Etiquette:
1) Please do not get up during class unless there is an emergency. Students are expected to use the bathroom, get a drink, etc. before, not during class. Wait until class is over to discard any refuse.

2) Please turn off cell phone ringers and any electronic devices that may disrupt class.
A) Please do not text message, check e-mail or IM during class.
B) Please do not wear headphones or earbuds in class.

3) Please do not talk unless you are participating in the classroom discussion.

4) Please do not read non-course related materials during class.