The study of Ethics and Value Theory enables students to develop the skills to

Transcription

1 Ethics and Value Theory General objectives for students in Ethics and Value Theory The study of Ethics and Value Theory enables students to develop the skills to 1. Carefully read scholarly debates about moral issues so as to extract claims and evaluate the soundness of the supporting arguments 2. Identify, compare, explain and autonomously assess the major moral theories and principles in the analytic tradition 3. Extrapolate conclusions derived in one normative domain to other related areas 4. Apply abstract moral theory to particular areas of human endeavor 5. Critique moral theories in their application to particular problems and domains 6. Develop and critically examine one s personal moral views in light the primary ethical traditions and competing moral theories within those traditions 7. Understand and appreciate alternative interpretations of historical texts in value theory 8. Identify and apply major theories of aesthetics. Representative Courses: Phil 113: Introduction to Moral and Social Philosophy 1. Define and explain the main concepts (such as rights, duties, liberty, etc.) in the literature on moral and social philosophy 2. Compare and contrast the major moral and social theories (such as consequentialism, deontology, virtue ethics, etc.) 3. Critically evaluate and apply moral principles and ideas to practical moral issues (such as euthanasia, free speech, punishment, employee rights, etc.) 1. Essay examinations will assess the student s ability to classify, compare, explain, and evaluate the major moral theories and to reconstruct and evaluate the various authors arguments on particular issues discussed in the course 2. Writing assignments will enhance the student s ability to construct and evaluate his or her own arguments using reasons and to apply moral principles and ideas to practical moral issues 3. Online discussions will probe the student s ability to articulate and defend (or revise) his or her ethical views on particular issues and in response to other students views. Phil 213: Contemporary Moral Problems 1. Discuss real-world controversies in a sophisticated fashion, using critical thinking and argument analysis

2 2. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of philosophical principles applied to everyday moral problems 3. Analyze the coherence in the dynamic relationship between moral principles and moral facts. Students will be evaluated along the following dimensions: (a) Essays will assess the student s comprehension and ability to evaluate and compare the strengths and weaknesses of arguments. (b) The writing assignment will assess the student s ability to i. develop a clear and coherent thesis about a controversial moral problem ii. demonstrate how arguments support a thesis iii. Identify evidence in argumentation. (c) Online discussion will serve to assess the student s reading comprehension and ability to engage in reasoned argumentation while respectfully coping with the dissenting opinions of other students. Phil 323: Environmental Ethics 1. Read, comprehend, and critique philosophical analyses of the central problems in environmental ethics (including the proper boundaries of moral concern, the scarcity of natural resources, the policy options available to regulators and legislators, etc.) 2. Speak knowledgeably about noteworthy events in the history of environmentalism (including for example the damming of Hetch-Hetchy Valley, the collapse of the Atlantic cod fishery, the Progressive conservation movement, and the animal rights movement) 3. Apply insights from environmental ethics to more general political and economic analyses (including private property theory, cost-benefit analysis, and the problem of global climate change). 1. Students must complete five short (2-3 pages) writing assignments over the course of the semester. Each assignment differs, but students are asked to explain technical distinctions, articulate philosophers arguments, identify points of disagreement, adjudicate between opposing views, and articulate their own well-reasoned positions. 2. Two examinations each include a multiple-choice portion and an essay portion. The examinations test for students breadth of knowledge, understanding of key concepts and distinctions, and ability to perform complex analyses of relevant issues.

3 3. A term paper (5-7 pages) requires students to synthesize themes from throughout the course and to develop their own positions in light of the material covered in class. Phil 320a: Philosophy of Freedom 1. Situate the concepts of freedom and responsibility in philosophical and historical contexts 2. Discover political, moral, and economic relations between the ideals of freedom and equality, and assess the political, moral, and economic significance of these ideals 3. Identify past and present barriers to freedom. 1. Essay tests will assess the student s knowledge of views advanced in course texts and his/her ability to synthesize the mastered material to gain insight into various relevant problems 2. Writing assignments will assess the student s ability to articulate, by way of sound argumentation and analysis, his/her comprehension of the ideas put forth in the course 3. Online discussions will permit assessment of the student s ability to verbalize his/her thoughts clearly and persuasively in a scholarly forum, and to re-evaluate these ideas in response to the critical examination of peers. Phil 348 The Moral Mind Learning Objectives: By the end of the course students should be able to 1. Explain what morality is and how it is different from other domains 2. Distinguish between descriptive, normative, and prescriptive approaches to morality 3. Articulate what moral psychology is and explain how empirical studies are (and are not) relevant for ethics and vice versa 4. Define and explain the main terms and concepts (such as egoism, altruism, moral intuition, moral responsibility, etc.) as they are used in the moral psychology literature 5. Articulate, evaluate, and compare the authors descriptive claims regarding the various moral phenomena discussed in the course (such as moral motivation, moral judgment, etc.) 6. Articulate, evaluate, and compare the authors normative or prescriptive arguments on particular moral issues discussed in the course (such as moral reasoning, moral luck, etc.).

4 Assessment Students will be evaluated along the following dimensions: 1. Discussions will permit assessment of the student s ability to articulate and defend (or revise) his/her views on particular descriptive, normative, and prescriptive moral issues and to respond to diversity in other students views. 2. Multiple-choice, true/false, matching, fill-in-the-blank quizzes, and short essay quizzes and examinations will assess students ability to define, explain, classify, compare, and evaluate the major moral concepts and theories. Phil 322 Business Ethics Learning objectives By the end of the course students should be able to: 1. Explain what morality is and how it is different from prudence, the law, and conscience 2. Articulate the major normative ethical theories discussed in the course (such as utilitarianism, Kantian deontology, virtue ethics, etc.) and compare, contrast, and evaluate them 3. Define and explain the main terms and concepts (such as rights, liberty, coercion, fiduciary duties, etc.) as they are used in the business ethics literature 4. Apply moral principles and ideas to issues in business ethics (such as corporate responsibility, whistle blowing, sweatshops, etc.) 5. Articulate and evaluate the various authors arguments on particular business ethics issues discussed in the course 6. Construct and defend arguments on particular business ethics issues. Course assessment Students will be evaluated along the following dimensions 1. Discussions will permit assessment of the student s ability to articulate and defend (or revise) his/her ethical views on particular issues and to respond to diversity in other students views 2. Multiple-choice, true/false, matching, short answer, and short essay examinations will assess the student s ability to define, explain, and compare the major moral concepts and theories

5 and to articulate, evaluate, and respond to the various authors arguments on particular business ethics issues discussed in the course 3. Short papers will assess the student s ability to gather information relevant to a particular topic in business ethics and to construct and evaluate his/her own arguments.