HUMAN 30A – ETHICS Fall 2010 Instructor: Eric Gerlach
WED 6:30 – 9:20 PM Office Hours: Mon 11-12 @ K’s Coffee
Class Code 42046 Email: ericgerlach@gmail.com
Room: BCC 54 Blog: ericgerlach.blogspot.com
Ethics: Syllabus and Schedule
Course Description
This course introduces students to central concepts and issues of Ethics and systems of human values. We will first study concepts such as principle, virtue, balance, utility, drive, and perspective. We will then study issues such as theft, lies, violence, environment, class, gender and race from an individual and social perspective.
Required Texts:
The text for the class is the Course Reader, available at Lazer Image, 61 Shattuck Square, Berkeley, (510) 644-3339. A copy of the reader will be held on reserve in the BCC Library.
Required Assignments:
- Four In-class Responses 30%
- Midterm Exam 30%
- Final Exam 30%
- Class participation 10%
Class Schedule
Readings (in bold) are to be completed by the class date for discussion
Aug 25 Introduction: What is Ethics?
Sept 1 Morals & Virtue: Kant’s Metaphysics of Morals & Aristotle’s Ethics
Sept 8 Use & Consequence: Mill’s Utilitarianism (1st In-Class Response)
Sept 15 Balance: Egyptian Wisdom & Confucius’ Analects
Sept 22 Drive & Desire: Nietzsche’s Beyond Good & Evil
Sept 29 Perspective & Plurality: Heraclitus’ Fragments & Chuang Tzu
Oct 6 Review for Midterm (2nd In-Class Response)
Oct 13 Midterm Exam
Oct 20 Theft: Zinn’s People’s History of Am. Empire & Andreas’ Addicted to War
Oct 27 Lies: Herman & Chomsky’s Manufacturing Consent
Nov 3 Violence: Lt. Col. Grossman’s On Killing
Nov 10 Life & World: Carson’s Silent Spring & BCEP (3rd In-Class Response)
Nov 17 Class & Power: Karp’s Indispensable Enemies & essays from RC&G
Nov 24 Gender & Sex: De Beauvoir’s The Second Sex
Dec 1 Race & Culture: Hannaford’s Race & more essays from RC&G
Dec 8 Review for Final Exam (4th In-Class Response)
Dec 15 Final Exam
Student Learning Outcomes:
Information Competency: understand philosophical concepts and systems
Critical Thinking: evaluate philosophical concepts and argue for and against viewpoints
Global Awareness & Valuing Diversity: understand and appreciate diverse cultures of thought
General Student Requirements
Students are expected to come to class prepared to ask questions and participate in discussions. All readings and assignments should be completed by the beginning of class on the day they are listed here. This class is run as a lecture/discussion course. Students are responsible for all class material (even if they miss class). If you miss class, it is strongly advised that you ask a classmate for notes. It is your responsibility to ask if you missed something; it is not the instructor’s responsibility to remind you. Please read through the syllabus and plan ahead.
Late assignments will only be excused in cases of well-documented emergencies; in addition, students must have evidence that substantial progress has been made on the assignment before the emergency took place. Otherwise, late assignments will be downgraded a letter grade for each class day they are late. If a student has any extenuating circumstances which may affect full participation in the class, the student must speak to the instructor as far ahead of any due date as possible. Keep back-up copies of your work; never hand in the only copy of your work. All assignments must be completed and all requirements must be met in order to pass the class. You must turn in all assignments (even if they are late) in order to be eligible to receive a “C” grade or higher. There are no exceptions, under any circumstance.
Plagiarism—“[t]o use another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the source” (MLA Handbook, 5th ed., §1.8)—will not be tolerated. Plagiarists, intentional or inadvertent, will receive a zero on the assignment in question; repeat offenders will get an F for the course and will be subject to college disciplinary action. Students are encouraged to review plagiarism policies in the current Vista College catalog. All out-of-class assignments must be word processed or typewritten—more information will be given out later in the semester.
Attendance is mandatory. If you miss more than five classes, you will receive an F in the course. (Note: I do not distinguish between “excused” and “unexcused” absences; if you miss more than five classes, for any reason, you cannot pass the class.) You must be on time and stay the length of class to be given credit for attending.
A Note on Disabled Student Program and Services (DSP&S): DSP&S services are provided for any enrolled student who has a verified disability that creates an educational limitation that prevents the student from fully benefiting from classes without additional support services or instruction. Please let the instructor know if you require any support services or would like more information about DSP&S.
The syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. Any changes will be announced in class. Additional handouts of required readings may also be added.
