Sept. 1 |
Thursday |
Introduction |
6 |
Tuesday |
Defining Moral Problems: Everyday Moral Reasoning
- journal guidelines
- In-class writing assignment: write a short essay in which you describe a contemporary moral issue that you think is genuinely difficult to decide. Indicate the pro's and con's and explain why you think it is difficult to decide. What would help to resolve the issue? Writing time: 15 minutes. Followed by in-class discussion.
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8 |
Thursday |
Ethical Theory: Overview, Utilitarianism
- in class writing assignment: write a brief paragraph in which you describe your own position on a specific moral issue about which you have a definite position. Begin the essay with, "I think that [x] is morally [right/wrong] because..." and then give three reasons for your position. Writing time: 5 minutes.
- Background reading: Hinman, "The Ethics of Consequences," eReserve.
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13 |
Tuesday |
Ethical Theory: Rule-based approaches to morality
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15 |
Thursday |
Ethical Theory: Character-based approaches to morality
- Background reading: Hinman, "The Ethics of Character"
First Journal Assignment: Write an essay discussing the various major approaches in ethical theory and your own position in this regard. |
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Cloning, Genetic Manupulation, Regenerative Medicine |
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Part One. Ethics of Life and Death |
20 |
Tuesday |
Shaping Our Children through Genetic Manipulation
- Read CMI, Chapter One
- "Making Laws about Making Babies," New York Times, Sept. 13, 2011. (also on eReserve)
- Hinman, "Chapter 01. Reproductive Technology. An Introduction to the Moral Issues." (emailed to you and on eReserve) This replaces the introduction to the ethical issues in your textbook.
- "Sandel, Enhancement--with commentary." (emailed to you and on eReserve)
The octuplets case
Case Studies: Liver Cancer, Down Syndrome
Stock-Fukuyama debate
Additional Resources
Stem Cell Ethics & Regenerative Medicine
Video
PowerPoint presentations:
Recommended on eReserve:
- "Girl or Boy? As Fertility Technology Advances, So Does an Ethical Debate." Grady, D.
- "There is No Me Without You." Shapiro, D.
- "Wanting Babies Like Themselves, Some Parents Choose Genetic Defects." Sanghavi, D.M.
- Katrina Clark, "My Father Was an Anonymous Sperm Donor" Washington Post. December 17, 2006.
- Peggy Orenstein, "In Vitro We Trust" New York Times. July 20, 2008.
Additional resources:
Second Journal Assignment: Genetic testing has made it increasingly possible to test for genetic traits extremely early in a pregnancy. In some cases the results of these tests may result in abortion, in non-implantation of embryos, or in modification of embryos. What general principles should be used in deciding (a) when such tests can be performed and (b) what actions may be taken as a result of such tests. (2 pages, double-spaced). |
22 |
Thursday |
Study day: no in-class meeting. (LMH off campus) |
27 |
Tuesday |
Genetic Enhancement and Designer Babies
In the news:
Video: Gattaca
Genetic Enhancement and Cloning (continued)
attaca (concl.) Ethics in the news:
Third Journal Assignment: Essay discussing ethical issues in "Gattaca."
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29 |
Thursday |
Class Lecture on Genetic Technologies
PowerPont: Genetic Technologies
In the News:
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Oct. 4 |
Tuesday |
Continuation of Genetic Technologies
Eugenics
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6 |
Thursday |
Stem Cell Research
PowerPoint
Videos
Web Resources
- NBAC Executive Summary on stem cell research
- additional material
- President's Council on Bioethics
- Alternative Sources of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
- National Institutes of Health website on stem cell research
- National Academies Guidelines for Stem Cell Research (April 2005)
- Catholic perspectives
- Hinman and Kalichman, "Moral Questions about Stem Cell Research" San Diego Union-Tribune , January 6 2005, p. B9.
- Lawrence M. Hinman and Michael Kalichman, KPBS, "These Days" on stem cell ethics, June 8 2005
- Stem Cell Ethics--Canada
- Overview of embryonic development
- Michael Sandel, "Embryo Ethics," Boston Globe, April 8, 2007.
Recommended on eReserve:
- "Can Science Resolve the Ethical Impasse in Stem Cell Research?" Snyder, E.Y., Hinman, L.M. and Kalichman, M.W. Nature Biotech
- Stem Cell Reviews: Volume 1, Number 4
- Michael J. Sandel, "Embryo Ethics: The Moral Logic of Stem-Cell Research," NEJM 351;3 (www.nejm.org , July 15, 2004) (eReserve)
- Shari Roan, "Infertility patients caught in the legal, moral and scientific embryo debate," Los Angeles Times, October 6, 2008.
Review for the mid-term exam |
11 |
Tuesday |
Mid-Term Exam
- turn in three journal entries
Short Answer questions will cover:
- Hinman, "Chapter 01. Reproductive Technology. An Introduction to the Moral Issues." (emailed to you and on eReserve) This replaces the introduction to the ethical issues in your textbook.
- Sandel, "What's Wrong with Enhancement--with commentary." (emailed to you and on eReserve)
- Sandel, "What's Wrong with Enhancement?"
- "Embryo Screening", New York Times video
- Gattaca
- PowerPoints:
- Ethical Theory: Overview
- The Ethics of Genetic Manipulation
- Stem Cell Ethics
- Eugenics
Long Essay Question (two possible questions will be posted here, I will choose one. Click here for grading rubric for the long essay. Here are the two possible questions:
- Consequentialist and deontological approaches to moral questions sometimes yield quite different answers. Write an essay, showing a critical awareness of the class readings and lectures and discussions, in which you discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of both deontological and consequentialist approaches to the question of stem cell research. Be sure to include a discussion of the relevant course materials.
- Write an essay critically applying the ideas in your readings and other course materials to the movie "Gattaca." In your discussion, be sure to state and defend your own position on the issues discussed and to highlight the difference between consequentialist and deontological approaches to these issues.
Previous exam (updated)
Journals:.
- three journal entries, covering topics in ethical theory, genetic technologies and Gattaca.
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13 |
Thursday |
No class |
18 |
Tuesday |
Abortion
PowerPoint
Fourth Journal Assignment: Write an essay discussing your views on the moral status of the embryo. Is it a person? Why, why not? When? How does your view relate to the authors we are considering? |
20 |
Thursday |
In the news:
- EU Court of Justice Ruling on stem cell patents:
- Sequenom's test for Down syndrome
Abortion, Part II
Return of mid-term exams; guidelines for grade appeals |
25 |
Tuesday |
Return of exams. Euthanasia & End-of-Life
- Moyers, "A Death of One's Own"
PowerPoint on Euthanasia
Read CMI, Chapter Three
Recommended: reading
- Joan Didion, "The Case of Theresa Schiavo"
New York Review of Books, Volume 52, Number 10 - June 9, 2005; (eReserve)
- John Cornwell, "The Undead." The Times of London. December 9, 2007. (eReserve)
- Lawrence M. Hinman and Michael Kalichman, "The Schiavo Case: What Can We Learn?" Voice of San Diego, April 25, 2005.
- Michael Kalichman and Lawrence M. Hinman, "The Schiavo Case: Ethics and the End of Life" North County Times, March 26 2005.
- William Saletan, "The Doctors Who Are Redefining Life and Death." Washington Post, October 5, 2008.
Fifth Journal Assignment: Write an essay in which you discuss the issues raised by the Moyers' video "A Death of One's Own."
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27 |
Thursday |
Euthanasia & End-of-Life (Moyers, conclusion)
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Nov. 1 |
Tuesday |
Sr. Prejean talk at USD
- Note: You may attend this lecture and write a 2 page response paper as a substitute for one of your journal entries.
In the news:
Punishment and the Death Penalty
PowerPoint on Punishment
Read:
- CMI, Chapter on Punishment
- Atul Gawande, "Hellhole," New Yorker, March 30, 2009.
- Peter Catapano, "They Messed with Texas." NYT, Sept 9, 2011. (also on eReserve, but without video clip)
- Adam Liptak, "Does Death Penalty Save Lives? A New Debate," New York Times, November 18, 2007.
Some useful staistics:
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3 |
Thursday |
Jeffrey Kleiman, "When Brute Force Fails" C-SPAN, Octobr 23, 2009
Pew Center:
Capital Punishment
- watch first half of "Dead Man Walking"
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8 |
Tuesday |
Jesuit Volunteer Corps presentation (5 minutes)
Capital Punishment
California Death Penalty
Journal entry on issues in punishment or capital punishment. |
10 |
Thursday |
Capital Punishment
California Death Penalty
Journal entry on issues in punishment or capital punishment. |
15 |
Tuesday |
Just War
Just War Theory; Humanitarian Intervention; Torture
Read: CMI, Chapter on war
Jus post Bellum: Justice and Reconciliation
Bill Moyers Video with Mark Danner and Bruce Fein (not: this link takes you to the first of the five segments for this on-line video. Links to the remaining four parts are given on the page for part one. |
17 |
Thursday |
Humanitarian Intervention; Torture
PowerPoints
Additional Resources:
- ICRC Report on the Treatment of Fourteen "High Value Detainees" in CIA Custody
- Mark Danner, The Red Cross Torture Report: What It Means, New York Review of Books, 56, 7 (April 30, 2009)
- Mark Danner, "US Torture: Voices from th Black Sites," New York Review of Books, 56, 6 (April 9, 2009).
- New York Times guide to the Torture Memos
- Office of Legal Counsel Legal Memoranda (April 19, 2009)
- "In Adopting Harsh Tactics, No Look at the Past," NYT, April 22, 2009.
- US Senate Final Report on Detainees in U.S. Custody Released April 21, 2009.
- Timeline. Senate Intelligence committee. Released April 22, 2009. Washington Post summary. April 23, 2009; Post article.
- Thomas Friedman, "A Tortorous Compromise"
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22 |
Tuesday |
Torture
- Video: "Torture and the War on Terror." Case Western Reserve University. Note: the papers from this conference are available on eReserve for our course in the folder "Torture."
- Moderator: Professor Robert Lawry, Case School of Law; Director, Center for Professional Ethics, Case
- "Defining Torture" – Professor David Sussman, University of Illinois
- "Exceptionalism: Torture American Style"– Professor Henry Shue, Oxford University
- "Torture: Morality and Convention" – Professor Jeff McMahan, Rutgers University
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| 24 |
Thursday |
Thanksgiving |
29 |
Tuesday |
Reading day on Sussman and Shue. No class meeting.
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Dec. 1 |
Thursday |
Animal Rights; World Hunger
Population Pyramids:
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6 |
Tuesday |
Announcement: Dalai Lama visit to USD
Short answer questions will cover:
-
PowerPoints
- Abortion
- Concept of Personhood
- Euthanasia
- Punishment
- Death Penalty
- Just War Theory
- Torture
- Virtue Ethics
- Videos
- Moyers, "A Death of One's Own" notes
- Dead Man Walking notes
- Kleiman, "When Brute Force Fails" notes
- Shue and Sussman, "Torture and the War on Terror;" notes
- Readings
Turn in three journals at the beginning of the exam on any of the following topics:
- Moyers' video "A Death of One's Own"
- Punishment
- Death Penalty
- Sr. Prejean talk at USD
- Dead Man Walking.
- Just War Theory
- Torture
- Animal rights/welfare
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8 |
Thursday |
Last day of class -- concluding comments, individual conferences
- Note: Two possible long essay questions will be posted here at noon on December 8.
Final exam long essay questions
- It is often difficult to draw the line between passive and active euthanasia. Write an essay in which you present your position on (a) where the line should be drawn and (b) which of these are morally acceptable. To illustrate your points, use the Moyers’ video, “A Death of One’s Own,” and be sure to refer to the course readings and other relevant material.
- Imagine that you have been asked by the current governor to be part of a panel that will make recommendations to him about whether California should eliminate the death penalty. At the first meeting, each participant is supposed to present his or her initial recommendations. Write an essay in which you present your position on the continuation of the death penalty in California. Be sure to include a critical consideration of the materials on this topic in the course on social ethics that you took as an undergraduate at USD.
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13 |
Tuesday |
Additional office hours: to be posted.
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15 |
Thursday |
Final Exam. Section #3: 8:00-10:00 AM--please bring a BLACK PEN!
Note: Students in Sect. 3 or 4 can take the exam at either time but must tell me in advance if they are not taking the exam with their scheduled section. |
20 |
Tuesday |
Final Exam., Section #4: 8:00-10:00 AM--please bring a BLACK PEN!
Note: Students in Sect. 3 or 4 can take the exam at either time but must tell me in advance if they are not taking the exam with their scheduled section |
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