Social Ethics

Requirements and Course Outline

Philosophy 329, Summer, 2002

Instructor:   Tom Weston (note change)

Times:                    8:00 - 9:40, May 28 - July 5

Office:                    AH-4143

Office Phone:         594-6218

Office Hours:         Monday, Wednesday 10:00 - 11:00 and by appointment

Email:                     tweston@mail.sdsu.edu or 329@tomweston.net

Web page:              http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/phil/wwwest.html

Course Requirements and Expectations:

          1) Two midterm exams, at the end of the first and second weeks. These will be essay form, and each will count 20% of your final grade.

          2) A short 1800 - 2000 word paper giving a critical exposition of a paper or book chapter on a morally controversial social issue. Instructor will provide suggested topics and readings during second week, or you may choose your own topic. Counts 20%.

          3) A comprehensive final exam, essay form, with questions available in advance, given on last day of class (July 5). Counts 35%.

          4) Approximately 10 unannounced 5 minute quizzes, counts 5%

          5) Students are expected to have read assigned reading. Instructor understands that some readings are difficult, and students will not be expected to have mastered them completely before coming to class. Students are expected to attend regularly and to participate in class discussion at least occasionally.

Course Objectives: This course is about the application of moral reasoning to social issues. We will study a number of moral and political theories, and apply them to current social controversies. You will be able to explore an additional issue in your paper. Our main text is D. Bonevac, Today's Moral Issues, fourth edition. This text is available in the Aztec Bookstore. You will also be required to purchase some photocopied material.

Partial Syllabus--Will Be Added to and Otherwise Modified

Moral Arguments and Moral Relativism

pp. 1 - 13

First Principles

Intro, 15 - 19              Aristotle 20 - 24  

Kant 33 - 38              Mill, 39 - 45 

Rawls 46 - 50 “Class Moralities” in Xerox Packet

Rights Theories

Hobbes, 253 - 257

Locke, 258 - 264, 423 - 427 (top left)

Topic I: Abortion

Blackmun, 315 - 319             Thomson 320 - 329

Marquis 347 - 358.

First Midterm Exam

Topic II: Euthanasia

TBA

Topic III Theories of Justice and Equality

Marx & Engels, 444 - 449     Rawls 452 - 3

Nielson 464 -6                       Dworkin 473 - 478

Hospers 467- 472                 Hardin 589 - 595

Topic IV: Racial Equality

Jensen in Xerox Packet         Reich in Xerox Packet

Herrnstein and Murray in Xerox Packet

and others TBA

Second Midterm Exam

Topic V: The Morality of War

Wiegel in Xerox Packet

Zunes in Xerox Packet

Topic VI: The Environment

TBA

Topic VII: Either Pornography or Capital Punishment (students decide which)

TBA

Final Exam