Course Syllabus

PHIL 192F. Topics in Ethics Fall 2020

Class Meetings

Monday/Wednesday/Friday 11:00-11:50am via Zoom

Instructor

Description

From the catalogue:

Topics include: animal rights, abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide, poverty, race, gender, same-sex marriage, war and humanitarian intervention, environmental ethics, ethics of science or technology, and other advanced topics in bioethics.

More!

This semester we will focus on ethical, political and legal principles and ideas in two areas of significant historical interest: the Ancient Near East, as presented in the Hebrew Scriptures, and the Early Modern “Enlightenment” in Western Europe. Our study will presume somewhat more than a passing familiarity with Early Modern social contractarian, utilitarian and duty-based moral and political theorizing, which (to simplify) largely took shape during the 17^th and 18^th Centuries. Our examination of Hebraic moral and political thought will throw into sharp relief potentially significant differences between these two periods concerning, for example, notions of individual rights and liberties, autonomy, obligation, authority, community and institutional design.

Prepare yourselves, then, for a no-holds-barred cage match between Ancients and Moderns. We’ll begin with an overview of the Enlightenment Project and, in addition to noting important differences among social contractarian, utilitarian and deontological theories, also identify the normative commitments that make the Moderns a potential target for the Ancient worldview in general, and for that of the Ancient Hebrews in particular. The remaining weeks are devoted to presenting their alternative vision.

This focus, and comparative philosophy more generally, can accomplish several ends. It provides opportunity to reflect on deeply entrenched and possibly unexamined assumptions within our own normative tradition. It may also help uncover non-obvious influences of one tradition on another and/or relative strengths and weaknesses of one relative to the other. You’ll notice that the presentation on our schedule is backwards (at least from a historical perspective). This is to highlight the idea that these traditions are not simply of antiquarian interest. Our goal is to see them as interlocutors in an important debate about the features of a good and just society.

Course Objectives and Outcomes

By the conclusion of this course, it should be true that students (1) understand the distinctive approach of the Hebrew Scriptures to normative concepts and issues (2) analyze and apply this understanding to make sense of their (and, perhaps some of our own) moral, political and legal practices, and (3) evaluate them. You will need to give evidence of your ability to understand, analyze, apply, and evaluate in your writing and contributions to class discussions.

Class procedures and expectations

A word of caution (enticement?): this is an advanced-level philosophy seminar. Most of our class time will be open Socratic roundtable discussions of assigned readings, rather than me lecturing at you. It is therefore essential that you come to class having done the reading, and with something to say. That doesn’t mean you have to have a brilliant original analysis of the text or a knock-down argument against ideas presented therein. A question is something to say, too. Good questions will critically engage the readings by probing ideas that you find surprising or ones that clash with your presuppositions. In any case, you need to show up ready to actively engage with the text. If that sounds interesting and exciting to you, then this should be a very rewarding class. If not, then you might want to look elsewhere.

Text

All required readings are available on the internet or provided in the course Canvas site. For selections from the Bible, I recommend the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). If you have the means, I would also recommend the translations with commentaries by Robert Alter. These are The Five Books of Moses (2004) and Ancient Israel: The Former Prophets (2013).

See schedule in the Modules section.

Assessment

Please do not plagiarize or cheat. If you do then at a minimum you will be marked with a zero on the assignment. Multiple and/or flagrant violations will lead to me assigning a failing grade for the course and initiating disciplinary action through the Office of Student Affairs. Familiarize yourselves with the University’s Academic Honesty Policies and Procedures document (see below).

Your final course mark is based on the following:

Précis (6 x 5pts = 30pts)

You will be required to write and submit 6 short précis papers, each of which will consist of a 300-500 word (no more than 2 pages, double spaced, normal font & margins) summary of a selection from the reading list. Papers are due the day we discuss the selection. Restrictions: the reading from Module 1 is not eligible for this assignment; and all précis papers should be based on readings from different modules.

These written assignments should follow “the method of successive elaboration.” Following this method should help to avoid writing poor, surface-level, generic summaries. The most common way of writing a poor summary is to simply restate a number of things in the assigned reading. But I don’t want a listing of things in the reading; rather, I want you to identify the key idea in it and explain the argument(s) for that idea. Focus. Go for depth of explanation, rather than breadth of coverage.

Presentations (2 x 10 pts = 20pts)

Most class meetings will begin with an introductory presentation by a student. The purpose of these presentations is not to provide a comprehensive overview of the material assigned for that class. Rather, your assignment is to start a conversation. You should aim to provide a brief summary of the material – enough to remind fellow students of the key points. In addition, you should also do something to spark some critical thinking about the material. Ask a question (or two) about it. Draw a comparison or contrast. Attempt a short criticism. Aim for about 5-7 minutes.

Participation (15 pts)

Because you will learn philosophy by practicing it in conversation with others, you should be a regular participant in classroom discussions. Participation points will be assigned based on the quality and regularity of your contributions to our conversation about the assigned topics and materials. In addition, some class meetings will end with a brief opportunity to write a short reflection about the discussion. These will also count toward your participation mark.

Analytical Essay (35pts)

You will be required to pick one of your precís papers to expand into an analytical essay. The structure should follow that described here: https://www.csus.edu/college/arts-letters/philosophy/_internal/g5-how-to-analyze-a-philosophical-essay.pdf (and your revamped, expanded précis will turn into the “Summary” section of this essay). The final essay should be about 2500 words.

Try to think of the summary section as setting out the key argument you are targeting in your thesis. It’s the argument you will analyze or evaluate in the “Critique” section of the essay. The summary should be focused on only that which is relevant to your analysis. Present and elaborate the argument, explaining how it is supposed to work in the “Summary” section. Evaluate its success, developing an argument that undermines or defends it, in the “Critique” section. The most successful Analytical Essay will be a tightly focused examination of a significant issue raised in one of the course readings.

Grading scale:

93 and above = A

90-92 = A-

87-89 = B+

83-86 = B

80-82 = B-

77-79 = C+

73-76 = C

70-72 = C-

67-69 = D+

63-66 = D

60-62 = D-

59 and below = F

Technical Assistance

It is crucial to seek help when you can’t access Canvas or you have difficulty with your computer settings or browser:

For technical assistance and LMS support, contact the IRT Help Desk.
Please see the LMS Student Guides here, to learn more about specific Canvas functions: Canvas Student Guide

Incomplete Grades

Incomplete grades will not be allowed for this class. If you think you may not be able to finish the work in the course, it would be best if you dropped the course before the final withdrawal date.

University Policies

Late Work

There will be no make-up exams or assignments available. If you miss an exam, or homework/posting due date, a grade of “0” will be recorded without exception. Plan your travel and personal events around your schoolwork, not vice versa. If you have an emergency, please notify me immediately if this affects your coursework or attendance.

Academic Honesty

Students are responsible for knowing policy regarding academic honesty. For more information, visit: Academic Honesty Policy.

Sacramento State Policy and Procedures for Accommodating Individuals with Disabilities Statement

Sacramento State seeks to comply fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students requesting accommodations based on a disability must be registered with the Services to Students with Disabilities Services to Students with Disabilities located in Lassen Hall 1008 ( 916)-278-6955 ).

Here is a link to the Accessibility within Canvas statement.

Add/Drop Policy

If you do not log in and complete all coursework during the first week, you will be dropped from this course by the instructor. It is essential that you stay on track in an online course so you don’t fall behind. Students are responsible for knowing the University policy, procedures, and schedule for dropping or adding classes: Schedule Adjustments (Adding or Dropping)

Email Policy

All Sac State students are responsible for checking their Sac State email account for official communications. While students may elect to redirect messages sent to their official Sac State email address to another address, those who redirect their email to another address do so at their own risk.

Student Support Services

The Reading and Writing Center is where students can receive assistance in writing and editing their own work. You may also utilize the Smarthinking Online Tutoring tool for writing through the link to the left.

Tutoring Services

Peer Advising and Tutoring (PARC) offers free advising and tutoring services to all students on campus.

Advising

Academic Advising Center offers mandatory freshman and transfer orientation, mandatory freshman advising, and general education and graduation requirement advising for all students.

Registration

The Registration Office can guide you through all your registration information.

Counseling

Student Health and Counseling Services support the wellbeing of Sac State students.