Our course begins Monday, January 23 and ends Friday, May 5 .
Module 1: Introductions, January 23 – 24
1. Assignment: Post to Discussions in our Canvas Classroom a biographical sketch of yourself so we can get to know you. Your sketch could include things like your major, where you work, how long you have been at SEU, your interests and hobbies, your family, the last book you read or movie you saw, and so forth. If you have a picture of yourself, you can include that as well.
2. Assignment: Send me an email directly to me (not through Canvas) with (a) the name of this course in the Subject line, (b) your name (if different from your name, what do you like to be called), (c) postal mailing address (include zip code), (d) daytime phone number (or a number where I can leave a message), (e) your major, (f) have you had other philosophy or ethics courses, and (6) anything else you would like me to know about you.
3. Assignment: After you have closely reviewed the syllabus, complete the syllabus quiz located in Canvas, under Quizzes . If your score is below a 70 you will need to retake the quiz.
–Time Commitment for session: approximately 2 hours
Module 2: January 25 – 31
Assignments:
(1) Watch Damon Horowitz’s We Need a Moral Operating System
(2) read and study Morality is a Culturally Conditioned Response in the Files section of Canvas.
(3) read and study Our Morality: A Defense of Moral Objectivism in the Files section of Canvas
(4) read and study the 7-page essay, Trying out One’s New Sword by Mary Midgley.
(5) I will post our start-up discussion question for this module in Canvas Discussions Wednesday, January 25 with your first required response deadline, 11 p.m. Saturday and your final discussion post by 11 p.m., Tuesday January 31. Please review the material at sites.stedwards.edu/ursery under Online Discussions. Your discussion grade could be penalized if you miss the first deadline and responses made after the ending deadline do not count toward your participation grade.
–Time Commitment for session: approximately 4 to 5 hours
NOTE: Students who have not satisfactorily completed modules one and two by January 31 will be automatically withdrawn from the course. Since this is not a digital correspondence course, your active participation is required as well as adherence to deadlines. For additional information see the Requirements section of the syllabus.
Module 3: February 1 – 7
(1)Read and study “Introduction to Moral Reasoning” at Moral Reasoning and Moral Reasoning, part 1, also under Files in Canvas.
(2) Listen and take notes over the short audio Morality v. Ethics under Audio, Video, MP3 Lectures under Resources on the home page or under Files in Canvas.
–No required class discussion for this module, but feel free to post comments and questions.
–Expected Outcomes
Understand and be able to apply the distinction between morality and ethics
Understand the goals of moral reasoning
–Time Commitment for session:
Reading and Listening: approximately 5 hours
Module 4: February 8 – 11 Overview of Ethics and Moral Reasoning
(1) Review the Moral Reasoning Guidelines (MRG) in the Moral Reasoning booklet, read Moral Dilemmas, parts 1 and 2, listen to the Moral Dilemmas audio and read the mini-lecture on moral dilemmas all under Files. If you are unclear about the assignment raise your questions in class or email me directly. No required class discussion for this module, but feel free to post comments and questions.
(2) A paragraph or two statement of your moral dilemma, section A in the MRG is due no later than 11 p.m., Saturday, February 11 and should be emailed directly to me, not emailed through Canvas. I will either approve or offer comments for revision before February 14.
–**Time Commitment for session:
Reading and Listening: approximately 2 hours
Essay: approximately 2 hours
Module 5, February 15 – 20: The Discovery Essay Assignment
—Review Introduction to Moral Reasoning which is found under Resources or in the Moral Reasoning booklet, pages 1- 10, before you begin this assignment.
–-Assignment: Follow the guidelines from the Discovery Part, essay B, of the Moral Reasoning Guidelines (MRG) also found under Resources (also available in the Moral Reasoning booklet). If you have questions, please let me know as soon as possible. Your essay should be submitted through the Assignment link within Canvas; please do not email me your essay. Late papers will be penalized five (5) points per day. Your Discovery Essay is due no later than 11 p.m. Monday, February 20
–**Time Commitment:
Essay: approximately 10 hours
Module 6, February 21 – 28: Utilitarianism Normative Ethics
(1) Read and Study Mill’s Utilitarianism , chapter two, “What Utilitarianism Is.” This will be our primary focus for this session. Your discussion grade will be penalized if you miss the first deadline and postings made after the ending deadline do not count toward your participation grade.The deadline for the first post is 11 p.m. Saturday and the deadline for the additional posts is 11 p.m. February 28.
(2) Listen to audio this 3+ minute audio on Mill’s Higher / Lower goods.
(3) Watch the YouTube video, Three-Minute Philosophy , on Utilitarianism..
–**Time Commitment:
Studying, Reading and/or Listening: approximately 10 hours
Class Discussion: approximately 4 hours
Module 7, March 1 – 7: Application
(1) Watch the 17 minute video by Peter Singer, The Why and How of Effective Altruism
(1) Read the article, Rich and Poor by Peter Singer located under Files in Canvas
(3) Watch the 9-minute video on Peter Singer’s Ethics.
Module 8, March 8 – 11: Mid-term Exam
–The first exam will be posted to our classroom Wednesday and it is due by 11 p.m. Saturday. Late exams will be penalized five (5) points per day, but the online part cannot be made up or the deadline extended after the deadline passes. Exam one which covers all material, books, audios, and web assignments, up to this point.
–The first official discussion/class participation grade, based on sessions three and six will be posted to the online grade book. Your grade will be based on the criteria outlined in Discussion Guidelines and Grading Standards also under Resources.
–**Time Commitment:
Mid-term: approximately 10 hours (this includes study time)
Module 9, March 11 – 17: Spring Break
Module 10, March 18 – 23: Virtue and Aristotelian Normative Ethics
(1) Read and Study and the section by Aristotle in the Moral Reasoning booklet which can be found under Resources. This material from the will be our primary focus this session. Start early! The deadline for the first post is 11 p.m. Monday and the deadline for the additional posts is 11 p.m. Thursday.
(2) Listen to audio titled Character Ethics
(3) Read the material on Character Ethics under Files in Canvas.
–**Time Commitment:
Reading, listening and studying: approximately 7 hours
Class Discussion: approximately 3 hours
Module 11, March 24 – 31: Kantian Normative Ethics
—Read and Study the material at Kantian ethics or in the Moral Reasoning booklet. This article is tough, slow going and can cause heartburn and indigestion. It will also require at least two close readings. This will be our primary focus this session. Start early!
(2) Watch the three-minute video on Kant’s philosophy.
The deadline for your first post is 11 p.m. Sunday and the deadline for the additional responses is 11 p.m. Friday.
–**Time Commitment:
Reading: approximately 15 hours
Class Discussion: approximately 4 hours
Module 12, April 1 – 6: Application
(1) Read and study the article by Tom Regan, The Case for Animal Rights.
The deadline for your first post is 11 p.m. Sunday and the deadline for the additional responses is 11 p.m. Thursday.
–**Time Commitment:
Reading: approximately 15 hours
Class Discussion: approximately 4 hours
Module 13, April 7 – 12: Care Ethics
(1) Watch the seven-minute video by Carol Gilligan, Women and Moral Development, and the two-minute video by Nel Nodding, Kindness in the Classroom
(2) Read and study section 1 a and b and sections 10 and 11 in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. You can find these selections in Files, then Care Ethics, IEP.
(3) Watch the 28 minute video: Moral Dilemmas: Can Ethics Help?
The deadline for your first post is 11 p.m. Sunday and the deadline for the additional responses is 11 p.m. Wednesday.
–**Time Commitment:
Reading, watching and studying: approximately 4 – 6 hours
Class Discussion: approximately 2 hours.
Easter Break: April 13 – 17, No Classes (except Monday night).
Module 14: April 19 – 22, Final Exam
–The final exam will be posted to our classroom by 5 p.m. Wednesday and is due by 11 p.m., Saturday. The exam could cover anything we have discussed, read, or listened to this semester, but will primarily cover the material since the mid-term exam.
–Late exams will be penalized five points per day. You should email the essay part of your exam to me as a file attachment in MS Word. The online part of the exam cannot be made up or the deadline extended.
–Discussion Grade number two is assigned. Your discussion grade will be based sessions eight through ten and on the criteria outlined at Discussion Guidelines and Grading Standards.
–**Time Commitment:
Final Exam: 8 hours (this includes study time)
Module 15: May 1, 11:00 p.m., Justification Essay
–The normative justification of your moral rule and judgment which you derived in your Discovery Essay is due by 11 p.m., Monday, May 1 – late papers will be penalized 10 points per day. Review the Justification Process of the Moral Reasoning Guidelines before you begin this assignment as well as my comments on your earlier paper. Your justification essay MUST be submitted to Assignments then Essay 3 link within Canvas by the deadline; please do not email the essay to me.
–**Time Commitment:
Justification Essay: approximately 20 hours
Course ends Friday, May 5.
Updated January 16, 2017