HUMAN 31A – ETHICS Summer 2013 Instructor: Eric Gerlach
WED 6 – 9:50 PM Office Hours: WED 5- 6pm @ K’s Coffee
Class Code 30817 Email: ericgerlach@gmail.com
Room: BCC 55 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 morals,
virtue, balance, utility, drive, and perspective. We will then study
issues such as theft, lies, violence, environment, class, gender and
race from both individual and social levels.
Required Texts: The text for the class is the Course Reader, available at Lazer Image, 61 Shattuck Square, Berkeley, (510) 644-3339. Two copies of the reader will be on reserve in the BCC Library.
Required Assignments:
- Four Response Essays 40%
- On-Line Discussion Participation 10% http://online.peralta.edu/summer2013/
- Midterm Exam 25%
- Final Exam 25%
Class Schedule: Readings
are to be completed by the class date for discussion. Response essays
(three pages, typed and double spaced) are assigned for the following
class.
June 19 Introduction: What is Ethics?
Morals & Virtue: Kant’s Metaphysics of Morals & Aristotle’s Ethics
Use & Consequence: Mill’s Utilitarianism
June 26 1st Response Due
Balance: Egyptian Wisdom & Confucius’ Analects
Drive & Desire: Nietzsche’s Beyond Good & Evil
Perspective: Heraclitus’ Fragments & Chuang Tzu
July 3 Review for Midterm
July 10 Midterm Exam - 2nd Response Due
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
July 17 3rd Response Due
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
July 24 Final Exam - 4th Response Due
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. 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.
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.
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.
