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Ethics Homepage > FAQ |
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Philosophy 302: Ethics Frequently Asked Questions Table of Contents
The class essentially centers around three topics:
(1) What is the nature of the life of excellence? Although these questions are simply stated, they prove to be most difficult to clarify. The objective of the course is for you to establish some good answers to these questions in light of a critical analysis of several theories of ethics including those of Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Mill, Epicurus, stoicism, utilitarianism, and egoism. |
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| 2. What kinds of things are done in class? |
There is little doubt that many teachers attempt to inform students to an excessive degree; students have little enough time to assimilate the data given them, much less to entertain such questions as
What is the nature of this information?What is the scope of its application?
What is the context and limits of its truth?
It might be surprising to learn that students acquire information just about as well with a teacher as without one. (Indeed, teachers learn the same way students do.) These are some general reasons why our Ethics course is not a course designed to be primarily informational, instead the class is more adequately described as an introduction to shared inquiry into the clarification of life’s values.
I think you will find that learning, inquiry, and problem solving are most enjoyable human experiences. I expect to learn a great deal from our shared inquiry. You and I both have a personal stake in the quality of the class and a personal responsibility for making it challenging. This class, more than any other class in your university career, is designed to encourage you to think about your responsibility for your own life course.
We will adopt certain techniques recommended by may educators, namely those of guided discovery through problem-oriented Socratic lectures, group discussion, simulations, papers, and review examinations.
Socratic lectures are used to focus on principles and methods appropriate to our study of ethics. The lectures are not expository. Ultimately, of course, you learn about a method, not by listening to me talk, but by using it yourself. If I do my job correctly, you will discover and evaluate the significance of philosophical principles yourself. Moreover, if I attempt to instruct you on what is important about the topics discussed, the art of inquiry, both shared and personal, is lost. A Socratic lecture is a series of carefully framed questions followed by considered responses. Your answers and those given by other students usually give the direction of the lecture. I might suggest how problems can be best approached, but we will both be thinking.
Class discussion is used to enable you to think and converse critically. In order to understand a given problem, often both questions and answers must be rephrased. We are seeking to solve problems (or at least devise methods to go about solving problems): non-directed or street-corner conversations are out of place. We will attempt to discover the inadequacies of a given hypothesis as well as attempt to develop alternative hypotheses. Responsibility for the direction of the discussion is mine; responsibility for specific contributions to the class is yours.
Simulations are sometimes called “educational games.” Very often students and teachers speak of the “real world” in contrast to “the classroom.” As an individual trained in philosophy, I am not sure that the real world can be opposed to anything, and so it is difficult for me to see that the classroom itself is not part of the real world. Be that as it may, there are definite learning advantages in classroom situations that are absent in less structured situations. “When you are up to your waist in alligators, it’s difficult to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp.” Educational games streamline learning by simplifying otherwise complex situations so that basic principles and strategies become evident. Although experience is said to be the great teacher, good simulations are often the next best thing.
Papers and tests are different in this class from many other classes. If there be the Great American College Student, then that person is one who has learned the technique of passive acquiescence in the memorizing of material, especially material which he or she thinks the teacher thinks is of some importance. Unfortunately, in many other classes this strategy almost always works. In our class the strategy of the passive acquisition of facts will probably not be successful. You will be encouraged to rely on yourself to produce considered responses—responses from your point of view from a rational perspective. Positions are to be substantiated, and alternative points of view are to be seriously and sincerely explored. Your papers and tests will demonstrate some of the ways an educated mind approaches life’s problems. It is my job to supply the tools to help you in this endeavor. We will learn by trial and error how to express ideas clearly, what constitutes a good argument, what constitutes a fallacious one, and how a reasoned position for most persons is usually superior to an intuitive one. All papers will be assigned a grade. The purpose of the tests is to provide a limited opportunity to organize your thoughts about ethical problems into some kind of consistent framework.
The reading assignments are fairly short in recognition of the fact that reading philosophy takes time and, in some cases, is exceedingly difficult. As you prepare for your classes, you will probably find that this class is one of the most exciting of your university career. I will attempt to create the conditions under which you can exercise your native curiosity. Class periods will be varied, and I will seek to keep each class tightly organized and effective. If I do my job correctly, our ethics course will be one of the most valuable in your university career.
| 3. Is Introduction to Logic or Introduction to Philosophy a prerequisite for this course? Does this course fulfill any University requirements? |
The Ethics course has no prerequisites. The course is often used to fulfill the General Education Humanities Elective requirement.
| 4. My advisor says this course does not fulfill the Humanities General Elective Requirement. Why not? It's a philosophy course? |
For all disciplines, Ethics meets the General
Education Core Curriculum requirement for Humanities. Nevertheless,
some major programs require you to take specific humanities course to
fulfill the requirement for their program.
My philosophy courses have an average of 15 quizzes and tests for an average of 110 students each semester. In other words, there are about 1,870 papers to be graded. If the normal excused absence rate is 8%, then 150 make-up quizzes and tests would have to be scheduled during the semester. Assuming each make-up takes 1/2 hour to proctor (not counting the time to prepare a different test or quiz), almost two-weeks work would be needed just to proctor make-up quizzes. For these reasons, extra quizzes are given, and a minimum of two quizzes can be safely dropped with other quiz grades substituted.
The purpose of quizzes is to help the student learn the subjects in advance of the tests in order to reduce anxiety, cramming, and poor grades. Unfortunately in the past, some students have come to take the quiz and then leave before the end of class. I find students leaving in the middle of a class disruptive to the learning environment of the class as a whole and distracting to me personally; for this reason, no credit for that day's quiz is given to any student leaving class early.
Students who do not read the syllabus or this FAQ sometimes believe this policy to be unfair. The only consolation I can offer is for extra quizzes to be offered during the semester which may be substituted for a missed or no credit quiz.
In sum, without the extra quizzes and the drop policy, it is impractical to offer so many graded assignments. Most students understand the pedagogic reasons for the quizzes and, and in light of that, enthusiastically support the policy. See the syllabus for more policy information.
Unfortunately, the History and Philosophy Department does not have space available for offering make-up tests and quizzes. No tests or quizzes can be made-up in this course, even though students have good reasons for missing class. Thus, tests cannot be made-up for any reason. There is no comprehensive final exam.
The confidentiality of student grades is a serious concern. Legal considerations involving the privacy rights of individuals prevent the posting of grades. Other than waiting for your grade report from Lander, there are several other methods to obtain your grades at the end of the semester. For personal and legal reasons, I do not post grades on my office door, I do not report grades over the telephone, and I do not ordinarily send grades in e-mail.
(1) Prior to the end of the semester, submit a self-addressed-stamped envelope to the instructor. Your final test grade, course average, and grade for the course will be mailed to you at the completion of the semester's grading.
(3) Visit the instructor's office no sooner than 48 hours after the final exam. Office hours during the week of final exams will be posted. Please note: Normal office hours during the week of final exams are not observed since final exams are not scheduled at the same time as the regular class period.
(4) With your assigned username and password, you may access your grades online as soon as final grades and averages are posted on the homepage for this site.
You can log on to Lander's Bearcat Web, with your Lander student identification number and password. You can find our your grades in all courses before you receive your final official grade report in the mail at your home address.
Extra credit is not offered in this class for two main reasons. First, extra or ``replacement'' work is less important than the required work, and second, extra credit is not an adequate substitute for learning basic ideas of the Eastern philosophy. In my opinion, the offering of extra credit often conflicts with the legal and ethical requirements of equal opportunity since all persons should have the right to the same class policies.
Recommended Sources
Course Requirements: Philosophy 302 Ethics course requirements are listed in the syllabus to the course.
Course Policies: Philosophy 302 Ethics course policies are listed in the syllabus to the course.
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