HUMAN 30A – ETHICS Spring 2011 Instructor: Eric Gerlach
FRI 9:00 – 11:50 AM Office Hours: Mon 11-12 @ K’s Coffee
Class Code 20740 Email: ericgerlach@gmail.com
Room: BCC 53 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 40%
- Midterm Exam 30%
- Final Exam 30%
Class Schedule
Readings (in bold) are to be completed by the class date for discussion
Jan 28 Introduction: What is Ethics?
Feb 4 Morals & Virtue: Kant’s Metaphysics of Morals & Aristotle’s Ethics
Feb 11 Use & Consequence: Mill’s Utilitarianism (1st Response)
Feb 25 Balance: Egyptian Wisdom & Confucius’ Analects
Mar 4 Drive & Desire: Nietzsche’s Beyond Good & Evil
Mar 11 Perspective: Heraclitus’ Fragments & Chuang Tzu (2nd Response)
Mar 18 Midterm Exam
Mar 25 Theft: Zinn’s People’s History of Am. Empire & Andreas’ Addicted to War
Apr 1 Lies: Herman & Chomsky’s Manufacturing Consent
Apr 8 Violence: Lt. Col. Grossman’s On Killing
Apr 15 Life & World: Carson’s Silent Spring & BCEP (3rd Response)
Apr 29 Class & Power: Karp’s Indispensable Enemies & essays from RC&G
May 6 Gender & Sex: De Beauvoir’s The Second Sex
May 13 Race & Culture: Hannaford’s Race & more essays from RC&G
May 20 Review for Final Exam (4th Response)
May 27 Final Exam (all work must be in by this day)
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.
