Phil. 321: Social Ethics
Lawrence M. Hinman, Ph.D.
Fall Semester, 2009

This course is a consideration of a number of specific moral issues in applied ethics. These include abortion, reproductive technologies, stem cell research, euthanasia, the death penalt, war, humanitarian intervention, and torture.

Required Texts

We will have a lot of additional reading, but almost all of it will be available in PDF format or on the web. A more detailed list of the readings will be available in our course schedule.

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Assignments

All students are expected to complete the following assignments:

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Grades

Assignment  
Possible Points:
First exam:  
35 points
Second exam:  
30 points
Final exam:  
5 points
Journals/Participation  
30 points
TOTAL  
100 points


98-100
A+
 78-79
C+
93-97
A
 73-77
C
90-92
A-
 70-72
C-
88-89
B+
 68-69
D+
83-87
B
 63-67
D
80-82
B-
 60-62
D-
0-59
F
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Office Hours

Lawrence M. Hinman, Teaching and Office Hour Schedule, Fall Semester, 2009

Schedule: Fall Semester, 2009

  Monday Tuesday Wendesday Thursday Friday Room
Phil. 321, Sect. 1: Social Ethics   7:45-9:05   7:45-9:05   C109
Office Hours   9:10-10:40   9:10-10:40   F-164
HNRS 347: Computer Ethics   10:45-12:05   10:45-12:05   M222
Office Hours   12:10-1:10   12:10-1:10   F-164
Other times by appointment

My e-mail address is hinman@sandiego.edu.
My office phone is 619-260-4787.

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World Wide Web Site

This syllabus, including specific reading assignments throughout the semester, will be available on the World Wide Web at:
http://ethics.sandiego.edu/courses/phil321/

Also, a variety of resources for ethics is available at my site, Ethics Updates. Its address is:
http://ethics.sandiego.edu/
Please consult these regularly. All specific assignments, etc. will be available on the web site.

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Attendance, Participation and Journals

Attendance and participation are an integral part of the course. Participation is judged on (1) students' grasp of the assigned reading material; (2) their ability to apply ideas developed in the readings to new situations, including their own experience; and (3) their ability to listen to, and respond relevantly to, the comments of other students in the course. Missing class may severely affect your grade.

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Code of Classroom Conduct

The classroom provides a space within which we can learn from one another and share ideas. In order to insure the goal of providing such a space, we should treat one another with respet, listen carefully and considerately to one another, and contribute to the discussion of the topic at hand in appropriate ways.

Listening to Others

The classroom is a place for the exchange of ideas. The first step in that process is to be attentive and to listen to one another. This is not a place for doing homework for other classes, organizing your notes for the last month, or otherwise catching up on the many responsibilities you have. If you need to do work for another class, go to the library.

Cell Phones

Calls. Please do not take phone calls during class unless it is an emergency. If you must answer an emergency call, please quietly step out of the classroom and come back when you are finished.

Texting. Please do not read and send rext messages during class.

Computers

Please do not use computers during class. It is almost impossible to have a latpop turned on and connected to the internet and not be distracted by it. .

Journal assignments are given weekly. Journal entries are to be handed in as a packet on the beginning of the mid-term exam and the beginning of the final exam. They must be printed out, and should be 2-3 pages typed, double-spaced.

Journals are an opportunity for the student to explore reactions and ideas relating to the assigned readings. They should be thoughful and probing, and they should speficially address the readings that are assigned. It is not necessary (or desirable) to summarize all the readings, but your journals give me (the teacher) an opportunity to see how deeply you are willing to explore these issues and how far you are willing to push yourself intellectually. Journals which do not discuss the details of the readings but simply offer generalities about the topic will not merit more than a "C" grade. Journal entries that provide a series of very loosely connected thoughts and criticisms of the readings will typically fall in the "B" range. Journal entries that show sustained and rigorous thinking about the specific issues in the readings will usually be in the "A" range.

Exams

There will be three exams in the course. Details about the exams will be given in class and on the schedule.

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Cheating

Any student caught cheating on an exam, paper, or other assignment will automatically receive a grade of "0" on that assignment and, in addition to this, have his/her course grade lowered by an additional full letter grade. When appropriate, this will be reported to the proper University authorities. USD Integrity Policy.

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