Week |
Date |
Day |
Topic/Assignments, etc.
Note: All assignment are due on the day on which they are listed. |
| |
Introductory Matters |
Week 0 |
Jan. 29 |
Tuesday |
Introduction |
Week 1 |
Jan. 31 |
Thursday |
Defining Moral Problems: Everyday Moral Reasoning; Overview of Moral Theories
 Journal assignment: write a short essay (1-2 pages) 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?
 Required reading: None
|
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Overview of Moral Theory |
Week 2 |
Feb. 5 |
Tuesday |
Ethical Theory: Overview, Utilitarianism
 Presentations
Required reading: Hinman, "The Ethics of Consequences," eReserve.
Journal assignment: write a two-page essay (typed, double-spaced) in which you apply utilitarian ethical theory to the problem of world hunger. Explain what kinds of factors the utilitarian would consider and how the utilitarian would reason about this issue. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this approach. Note: three students will be asked to present their paper in class. Be ready to volunteer! |
Feb. 7 |
Thursday |
Ethical Theory: Rule-based approaches to morality
Presentations
Required reading: Hinman, "The Ethics of Duty." eReserve.
Journal assignment: write a two-page essay in which you apply deontological moral theory to the problem of world hunger. Be sure to state what version of deontology you are using. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this approach. Note: three students will be asked to present their paper in class. Be ready to volunteer!
Ethical Theory: Character-based approaches to morality
Presentations
- Character-based Approaches
Required reading: Hinman, "The Ethics of Character." (eReserve)
Journal assignment: write a two-page essay (typed, double-spaced) in which you apply character-based ethical approaches to the problem of world hunger. Explain what the virtue theorist finds morally interesting. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this approach. Note: three students will be asked to present their paper in class. Be ready to volunteer! |
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Cloning, Genetic Manupulation, Regenerative Medicine |
Week 3
|
Feb. 12 |
Tuesday |
Designing Humans: Shaping Our Children through Genetic Manipulation
Required Reading:
- Read CMI/4, Chapter One
- "Making Laws about Making Babies," New York Times, Sept. 13, 2011. (also on eReserve)
- "Sandel, "Enhancement--with commentary." (on eReserve); this provides you with a model of how to analyze a philosophical article.
 In the News:
- The Fertility Institutes, Los Angeles
- Harriet A. Washington, "A Genetic Blueprint of Your Unborn Baby," New Scientist, Sept. 8, 2012.
Jasmeet Sidhu, "How to Buy a Daughter. Choosing the Sex of Your Baby Has Become a Multi-million-dollar Industry," Slate, Sept. 14, 2012
- Gina Kolata, "Bits of Mystery DNA, Far From ‘Junk,’ Play Crucial Role," NYT, Sept. 5, 2012.
- Project ENCODE
Case Studies: Liver Cancer, Down Syndrome
 View "Embryo Screening", New York Times video
View Down Syndrome, New York Times video
Read: Amy Harmon, " Prenatal Test Puts Down Syndrome in Hard Focus." New York Times, May 9, 2007.
- "Genetic Enhancement." Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, August 17, 2007. Bob Abernathy, host. includes interviews with Michael Sandel and Greg Stock.
Stock-Fukuyama debate
Presentation
Stock-Fukuyama Debate on-line in RealVideo and available in transcript from from the Cato Institute. This is an excellent resource.
Additional Resources
|
Feb. 14 |
Thursday |
Stem Cell Ethics & Regenerative Medicine
Videos
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.
- "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.
Additional resources:
- President's Council on Bioethics
- Genetics and Public Policy Center: Publications
- 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.
Videos
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).
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| |
Gattaca |
Week 4
|
Feb. 19 |
Tuesday |
Envisioning the Future: Gattaca
In the news:
Video: Gattaca
Journal Assignment: Essay discussing ethical issues in "Gattaca." |
Feb. 21 |
Thursday |
Discussion: Gattaca
Presentation: Genetic Technologies
In the News:
- Larry Greenemeier, "Information Nation: Digital Social Experiment to Put a Human Face on Big Data," Scientific American, October 3, 2012. "...One question, for example, hypothetically asks, "If you could enhance your unborn child's DNA in only one way, would you choose: Immunity, Life Span/Longevity, Intelligence, Appearance or Nothing?" Based on the more than 1.5 million answers received through Tuesday morning, it's already clear that respondents who believe in a supreme being are less likely than other participants to want to alter an unborn child's DNA in any way."
- Jasmeet Sidhu, "How to Buy a Daughter," Slate, Sept. 14, 2012.
- Gina Kolata, "Infant DNA Tests Speed Diagnosis of Rare Diseases," NYT, October 3, 2012.
- Gina Kolata, "Bits of Mystery DNA, Far from 'Junk,' Play Crucial Role," NYT, September 5, 2012. text.
- Andrew Pollack, "DNA Blueprint for Fetus Built Using Tests of Parents," New York Times, June 2, 2012.
- Andrew Pollack, "Clinical Trial Is Favorable for a Prenatal Gene Test," NYT, August 8, 2012.
- 23andMe
- US Apologies for Syphilis Experiments done in Guatemala
- Susan Reverby. "PHS 'Tuskegee' Doctor in Guatemala, 1946-48"
- Pioneer of IVF Wins Nobel Prize
Eugenics
Presentation on Eugenics
|
| |
Abortion and Contraception |
Week 5
|
Feb. 26 |
Tuesday |
Abortion and Contraception
Required Reading: CMI, Chapter 2
 Surveys
- {Please take the following surveys:
- Also, pleas look at the following:
In the news:
- "Tennessee abortion bill would require publishing names of doctors," LAT, March 19, 2012.
- "Death benefits for children produced by in vitro fertilization?," LAT, March 19, 2012.
- Personhood in Alabama
- Pam Belluck, "Abortion Qualms on Morning-After Pill May Be unfounded," NY Times, June 5, 2012.
PowerPoint on Abortion
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?
Presentation: The Concept of Personhood
|
Feb. 28 |
Thursday |
Abortion (continued)
Review for Mid-term exam |
| |
Mid-Term Exam |
Week 6
|
March 5 |
Tuesday |
Mid-Term Exam--please make sure you bring a black pen for the exam.
- Turn in three journal entries for the first part of the semester. These must be printed out and turned in at the beginning of the exam period.
Possible long essay questions (to be posted at 9:30 AM, March 1, 2013):
- What's wrong with enhancement? Write an essay in which you develop and defend your own position on this question. Show a critical awareness of the course readings, videos and lectures. Be sure to include a discussion of the relevance of the distinction between deontological and consequentialist theories to your position.
- Several moral issues depend, at least in part, on your views about the moral status of the embryo. Write an essay in which you develop and defend your views on the moral status of the embryo. be sure to include a discussion of relevant course materials and possible objections to your position.
Material for short answer questions (to be updated)
- Readings
- CMI, Chapter One and Introduction (Overview of Ethical Theories)
- Sandel, "Enhancement--with commentary." (on eReserve);
- CMI, Chapter 2: Abortion. An Introduction to the Moral Issues
- Presentations
- Overview of Ethical Theories
- Reproductive Technologies
- Personhood
- Videos
- Embryo Screening (NYT)
- Gattaca
- Classes
- Class lectures and discussions
Previous exam (updated) |
March 7 |
Thursday |
No class
|
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End-of-Life Decisions |
Week 7
|
March 12 |
Tuesday |
Presentation on End-of-Life Issues
: Required Reading: 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.
|
| March 14 |
Thursday |
|
Week8 |
March 19 |
Tuesday |
Euthanasia & End-of-Life
Moyers, "A Death of One's Own"
Scenes
Journal Assignment: Write an essay in which you discuss the issues raised by the Moyers' video "A Death of One's Own."
|
|
March 21 |
Thursday |
Euthanasia & End-of-Life
Moyers, "A Death of One's Own"
Presentation on End-of-Life Issues
Presentation on the Principle of Double Effect
Required Reading: 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.
Journal Assignment: Write an essay in which you discuss the issues raised by the Moyers' video "A Death of One's Own." |
Week 9 |
March 26 |
Tuesday |
Spring/Easter Break |
March 28 |
Thursday |
Spring/Easter Break |
| |
Punishment & the Death Penalty |
Week10 |
April 5 |
Tuesday |
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.
Video:
 Some useful staistics:
- Californis
- DOJ
- Pew Center:
- Sentencing Project
- NYT
Watch first half of "Dead Man Walking"
|
April 7 |
Thursday |
Capital Punishment
Presentation on Capital Punishment
California Death Penalty
In the news:
Journal entry on issues in punishment or capital punishment. |
Week 11
|
April 9 |
Tuesday |
"Dead Man Walking"
Video: Dead Man Walking
|
April 11 |
Thursday |
"Dead Man Walking" (continued)
Discussion: "Dead Man Walking," Capital Punishment |
| |
War, Terrorism, and Torture |
Week 12 |
April 16 |
Tuesday |
Concluding discussion about the death penalty
Introduction: War, Terrorism, and Torture
Just War, Just Peace
Presentation
Required Reading:
- CMI, Chapter on war
- Hinman, eReserve overview on just war theory
|
| |
April 18 |
Thursday |
Jus post Bellum: Justice and Reconciliation
Humanitarian Intervention; Torture
Presentations
Additional Resources:
- Jeff McCann, "Rethinking the Just War Tradition," Part 1; Part 2. NYT, November 11 & 12, 2012.
- Barack Obama, Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech on Just War. NYT, December 11, 2009.
- David Luban, "What would Augustine do?" Boston Review, June 6, 2012. (On Obama, Drones, and Just War Theory)
- Mark McDonald, "Are Drone Strikes Worth the Costs?" NYT, August 22, 2012
- Joshua Foust and Ashjley Boyle, "The Strategic Cnotext of Lethal Drones." American Security Project Perspective, August 16, 2012.
- 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"
- The Geneva Conventions
Video on the ethics of torture
- "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
- Notes on Sussman, Shue an McMahan
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Week 13 |
April 23 |
Tuesday |
Just War Theory: Continuation.
|
Week 13 |
April 25 |
Thursday |
"Saving Private Ryan" |
Week 14 |
April 30 |
Tuesday |
"Saving Private Ryan"
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Week 14
|
May 2 |
Thursday |
"Saving Private Ryan;" conclusion: Ethics of War
Journal Entry: Write a journal entry on Saving Private Ryan, either examining the issues of just war theory or analyzing the first portion of the movie from the perspective of character-based ethics (virtue ethics). |
| 15 |
May 7 |
Tuesday |
Just War Theory: Ethics of Torture
Presentation: Ethics of Torture |
| |
May 9 |
Thursday |
Concluding class
Possible material for short-answer questions:
Hinman articles on eReserve:
- “Applying Ethical Theories: Abortion, Capital Punishment, and Euthanasia.” From: Hinman, Ethics: A Pluralistic Approach, 5th edition, 2012.
Contemporary Moral Issues, 4e, Chapters 3-5.:
- Chapter 3: Euthanasia
- Introduction to the Moral Issues
- Gawande, "Letting Go"
- Rachels, “Active and Passive Euthanasia”
- CMI, Chapter 4: Punishment and the Death Penalty
- Introduction to the Moral Issues
- Sr. Prejean, “Crime Victims on the Anvil of Pain”
- Gelernter, “What do murders deserve?”
- Reiman, “Against the Death Penalty”
- CMI, Chapter 5: War
- Introduction to the Moral Issues
- Nancy Sherman, "Solders' Moral Wounds"
PowerPoints:
- Euthanasia
- Principle of Double Effect
- Punishment
- Capital Punishment
- Just War Theory
- Torture
Videos
Other:
- Oregon Death-with-Dignity Reports--2011
- Liptak, “Does Death Penalty Save Lives?”
Possible Long-Essay Questions:
- One of the two (alleged) Boston Marathon bombers is dead, the other--his younger brother--is under arrest. Imagine that you have been asked to brief the District Attorney on the ethical issues related to the question of whether prosecutors should seek the death penalty for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The District Attorney is well acquainted with the law and the facts of the case, so there is no need to explain the law or do extensive research on the factual background. Write an essay in which you present the ethical considerations that should be taken into account in making the decision about whether to ask for the death penalty or not. In your answer, show off--display your knowledge of ethical theories, of the relevant materials from our course. Please include your own recommendation to the DA and the reasons in support of it.
- Saving Private Ryan presents a vivid picture of war. Analyze that movie in light of our presentation on jus in bello, the just conduct of war, and in terms of Nancy Sherman's article, "Solders' Moral Wounds." Again, please show off--display your finely textured knowledge and understanding of just war theory, the Sherman article, and Saving Private Ryan.
Evaluations: Instructions for on-line class evaluation (same as paper version handed out in class) |
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Final Exam |
|
May 16 |
Thursday
8:00 AM |
Final Exam for Sect. 2 (9:15 class) - please bring a BLACK PEN!
Journals: Please turn in three journals on any of the topics/readings in the second half of the semester. |
|
May 21 |
Tuesday
8:00 AM |
Final Exam for Sect. 1 (7:45 class) - please bring a BLACK PEN!
Note: Students in the 7:45 class may take the final earlier with the 9:15 class by emailing me a couple of days in advance.
Journals: Please turn in three journals on any of the topics/readings in the second half of the semester. |
