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PHIL 2200 (UGA)
Introduction to Ethics (3 semester hours)

Web Course Format: ALISSA

This course can be taken
    -> as a web course
    -> as a print course
    -> in CD-ROM format

Lessons for this course can be submitted and/or be returned
    -> via U.S. mail
    -> via fax return from IDL

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Not open to students with credit in UGA PHIL 2200H.

The major philosophical positions concerning right and wrong, ethical values, and moral responsibility. The relevance of moral philosophy to current issues of personal and social ethics.

Requirements: Five lessons, one examination.

Instructor: Bryan Baird, The University of Georgia.

Texts: Rachels, James. The Elements of Moral Philosophy (4th ed.), New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003

________.The Right Thing to Do: Basic Readings in Moral Philosophy (3rd ed.), New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003.

Introduction

This course will survey some traditional views about ethics and its applications. We will explore what sorts of reasons there are for thinking about ethics and ethical problems in particular ways.

Ethics is that part of philosophy that studies notions of right and wrong, especially as they bear on human life. Ethicists often discuss what people mean when they use ethical language, but ethics is not a sociology of ethical language. Ethics does not simply describe; it offers a critical exploration of what (if anything) ethical terms refer to, what such terms ought to refer to, and how human beings might best live their lives.

When philosophers study ethics (as when they study anything), the prime tools they use are philosophical arguments. A philosophical argument is a piece of reasoning in which some author or speaker attempts to prove or establish some point using reasons. The strength of the argument depends on how well the given reasons support the conclusion. Some arguments are more successful than others at proving their points. Through a study of the strength of arguments, we can hope to amplify our understanding of ethical issues.

We can think of philosophers as participating in an ongoing conversation about certain themes. So, for instance, philosophers may discuss what the proper standard of right and wrong ought to be. Some may claim that maximizing human happiness is the proper measure of right and wrong. (This is the view of the utilitarians, whom we’ll study later.) Others may counter with new arguments that amplify and/or criticize such a view. They may claim, for instance, that promoting human happiness is a morally worthwhile goal, but that it cannot be the sole measure of right and wrong since there is much else that is of moral value. Others may then enter the discussion and offer new arguments of their own. Throughout, we hope that through an ongoing interchange we can get a bit closer to a clearer understanding of the issue. Often, the interchange provides its own rewards; participating in a critical discussion cultivates a critical sensitivity to ourselves and our world that can only enrich our lives.

We’ll approach the subject first by exploring some traditional views about the nature of moral reasoning. Some people believe that morality is just a function of what some person or persons believe. This is the view known as relativism; we will discuss both its merits and serious drawbacks.

We’ll then briefly study that part of ethics known as meta-ethics, in which we explore just what it is that people do when they’re doing ethics. Some writers claim that ethical utterances merely report our attitudes. Others claim that when we engage in ethics, we’re exhorting others to have attitudes similar to our own. Still others claim that ethics is a discourse in which we attempt to approximate some realm of moral truth.

But where do standards of right and wrong come from? It is tempting to think that morality must be rooted in some religious framework. Some people believe that only a divine sanction could possibly give substance to notions of right and wrong. We’ll spend some time discussing this view and why morality can be freed from any necessary connection to religion. We’ll then study some traditional views about the roots of morality. Often, we’ll see how such views might bear on issues of contemporary social significance. The hope throughout is that you’ll come to see the power of philosophical reflection and that you might gain a clearer understanding of how to approach issues in ethics in your own life.

And, no, you won’t need a toga. As for that question mark—well, these are perennial questions, after all.

Course materials

In addition to this course guide, there are two textbooks for the course, both by James Rachels. The Elements of Moral Philosophy provides a clear discussion of key theories and issues in moral philosophy. The Right Thing to Do: Basic Readings in Moral Philosophy is an anthology assembling some important excerpts from the writings of key Western philosophers. It also offers a stimulating group of essays dealing with important issues in contemporary applied ethics.

The course guide will serve three functions: 1) it structures the course, helping you guide yourself through a study of key issues in moral theory; 2) it contains the assignments you need to complete the course; 3) it supplements the main readings, helping you to see connections among the theories and essays you will have studied.

Course format

In ideal liberal arts circumstances, a group of students and a professor would gather regularly to discuss some readings. In such a setting, participants would grow from exposure to new ideas and from evaluation and revision of their old ideas in light of critical discussion. Such an environment deepens one’s understanding, appreciation, and retention of course material. But this course will take place outside the traditional setting, where both students and instructors have an extra set of responsibilities. You will need to devote more energy and even more time to critical reading and reflection. You will need to push yourself harder than usual to anticipate how your understanding of the issues in the course might be open to challenge. This requires that you cultivate an almost ruthless open-mindedness and creatively critical attitude toward your studies. As for me, it is my responsibility to be sensitive to the unique needs of a self-directed student.

This course is divided into sixteen units, composing five lessons. Each unit includes a discussion of the reading and some study questions. It would be a good idea to read through the study questions for any given unit before doing the assigned reading. The study questions draw your attention to key points from the reading. You should answer these study questions in a notebook, which would then be a splendid study guide for the written assignments or the exams. Your notebook will not be evaluated, but grasping the issues by addressing them there will go a long way toward helping you master the course material.

For each lesson there is a written assignment for you to complete and submit for evaluation. There is also a cumulative three-hour final examination for you to complete at the end of the course.

This course presupposes no previous exposure to formal philosophy. There are philosophical tendencies in all of us; during reflective moments, we may wonder, for instance, about the basis for any claims about right and wrong or what sort of a thing a “virtue” is. When we wonder about such themes, we’re doing philosophy.

We approach philosophical ethics neither as a “head in the clouds” subject nor as an occasion to encourage strange things to sprout from our skulls. Instead, we hope to deepen our appreciation of the power of philosophical reflection in our own lives. This course guide and the texts are here to assist you to reach this enriched understanding. There are also helpful reference works available to you in the library. A few of these are listed at the end of this section of the course guide.

Written assignments

Since this is mainly a self-directed course, it is your responsibility to study the texts closely and answer the study questions with due diligence. If anything, you have a greater responsibility than you would in an ordinary classroom setting. In this case, you must simulate the environment of critical exchange that typifies a classroom filled with many different minds.

The written assignments are designed to give you an opportunity to synthesize your understanding of the material from a series of units. You should study for them first by reading and reflecting on the reading assignments. Just before beginning the written assignment, you might review the key concepts, terms, theories, and thinkers you will have studied, as well as your answers to the study questions. Since these assignments are (partly) open-book, you should study for them as you would for any open-book examination. This means that you should first have a firm critical grasp of the material before completing the assignment. Sitting down to complete a written assignment is not the time to acquaint yourself with the material. The written assignments presuppose that you are already quite familiar with the material. And, as you’ll see, with open-book assignments there are higher expectations of you: you won’t be able to respond to questions simply by regurgitating what you see in the text.

In order to get the best sense of how well you know the material, you should complete the written assignments only under the specified conditions. Typically, this will mean that you give yourself an uninterrupted block of about fifty minutes and have no resources at your disposal but your thoughts, your notes, and your texts. You must complete these assignments on your own. You may not solicit or benefit from any unauthorized or otherwise inappropriate assistance from others.

Speaking of computers: For print courses all written assignments (except for the final examination) must be submitted typed. They should be printed on standard-size paper, double-spaced to allow for my comments, and use standard 12-point fonts (e.g., Arial or Helvetica) and margins (one inch on all sides). All pages should be numbered and should contain your name. (You can do this by giving your document a header or footer.) You should follow standard precautions when using a computer: save your work as you move along in case of sudden computer failures. At the end, check your spelling and grammar. Web courses will have less formatting options, but do your best to follow the formatting procedures as much as possible.

There are specific guidelines for each of the assignments, but in all cases, your assignments are being assessed for clarity and for how well you demonstrate a critical understanding of the course material. A reader should be able to understand what it is you’re saying and how and why you’re saying it. This means that assignments should certainly reflect mastery of course material but also signs of having synthesized the concepts, themes, and theories you will have studied.

Grading and final examination

The cumulative final examination will ask you to demonstrate a synthesized understanding of all of the course material. The final examination will count for 60 percent of your course grade; the average of your five written assignment grades will count for 40 percent. You can find more details about the exam in the About the Final Examination section of this course guide. Be aware that IDL policy requires that you pass the final in order to pass the course, regardless of grades earned on lessons. See your Student Handbook for detailed information.