HUMAN 30A – ETHICS Summer 2011 Instructor: Eric Gerlach
WED 6 – 9:50 PM Office Hours: WED 5-6 PM @ K’s Coffee
Class Code 30718 Email: ericgerlach@gmail.com
Room: BCC 423 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 Response Essays 20%
- On-Line Discussion Participation 20%
- Midterm Exam 30%
- Final Exam 30%
Class Schedule
Readings (in bold) are to be completed by the class date for discussion
June 22 Introduction: What is Ethics?
Morals & Virtue: Kant’s Metaphysics of Morals & Aristotle’s Ethics
Use & Consequence: Mill’s Utilitarianism (1st Response)
June 29 Balance: Egyptian Wisdom & Confucius’ Analects
Drive & Desire: Nietzsche’s Beyond Good & Evil
Perspective: Heraclitus’ Fragments & Chuang Tzu (2nd Response)
July 6 Review & Midterm Exam
July 13 Theft: Zinn’s People’s History of Am. Empire & Andreas’ Addicted to War
Lies: Herman & Chomsky’s Manufacturing Consent
Violence: Lt. Col. Grossman’s On Killing
Life & World: Carson’s Silent Spring & BCEP (3rd Response)
July 20 Class & Power: Karp’s Indispensable Enemies & essays from RC&G
Gender & Sex: De Beauvoir’s The Second Sex
Race & Culture: Hannaford’s Race & essays from RC&G (4th Response)
July 27 Review & 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.
