PHIL 105: Ethics (XC, HU; 3 credits) Spring 2021 (section 001C-LEC 14W)Instructor: Dr. Kreider MoWeFr 11:30am-12:30pm (UW Fox, Room 1229)Office: UW Fox, Room 1512Office Hours: online (by appointment)E-mail: [email protected] - Students are responsible for reading this syllabus thoroughly and asking if they have any questions. - Everything on this syllabus is tentative and subject to change with notice.Course Description: From the course catalog: “Analysis of the principal theories of ethics and their practicalapplication to problems concerning the individual and society. Proposed methods of justifying moral principles willbe examined. Students cannot receive credit for both Philosophy 105 and 106 (the Honors version of the course).”PHIL 105 is an introduction to the academic discipline of philosophical ethics. Course content will include a surveyof the major philosophical theories of the nature and directives of ethics. In addition, there will be some discussionof contemporary moral issues for the purpose of illuminating various theories.HyFlex Mode: Due to COVID, I am running this class in HyFlex mode. HyFlex differs from fully online classes inthat there are some face-to-face components. However, I have decided to lean heavily on the online components, sothere will be no required synchronous and/or face-to-face attendance or activities. Just like a fully online class, allstudent work (e.g., discussions, tests, papers) will be completed online. Just like a fully online class, my lectureswill be recorded and placed online. Unlike a fully online class, I will record my lectures at the days and times and inthe classroom as per the schedule and post them on Canvas later that day. This gives you the option to show up ifyou want to for any reason (e.g., because you feel you learn better face-to-face, because you have specific questionsyou’d like to ask, because you’d like something that resembles the usual college experience despite the pandemic …). Be advised that depending on the classroom, there may be limited social-distanced seating available, so if you dowant to attendance face-to-face on any given day, I advise showing up early before we hit our maximum capacity.Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of the semester, students should be able to- Identify and describe the components of philosophical arguments about ethical issues;- Identify and explain some of the most influential theories of morality and value;- Engage in moral reasoning to evaluate particular policies in moral terms;- Analyze moral disagreements and respectfully engage in discussions with others about moral issues.Grading Breakdown:Participation: 20%Tests: 60% (4@15% each)Final Paper: 20%Participation. Participation is worth 20% of your grade and is earned via discussions on Canvas. Therewill typically be one or two per week. Directions will be posted on Canvas at the appropriate times; they typicallyinvolve answering a discussion question and then responding to some of your fellow students’ answers (in otherwords, an online discussion).Tests. There are four tests, each weighted at 15% of your final grade, totaling 60% of your final grade.The exact format may vary, but they typically involve answering essay questions. Study guides will be handed outin advance. Tentative dates are 2/26, 3/19, 4/16, and 5/7 (any changes will be announced, but are unlikely).Final Paper. The final is a take-home exam / term paper worth 20% of your final grade. Directions willbe handed out in advance. The due date is 5/12.Grading Scale: Your total percentage determines your letter grade. A = 93 or greater, A- = 90-92, B+ = 87-89, B = 83-86, B- = 80-82, C+ = 77-79, C = 73-76, C- = 70-72, D+ = 67-69, D = 63-66, D- = 60-62, F = 59 or less. For a general idea of standards, A = excellent, B = good, C = fair, D = poor, F = failing. Your grades are determined solely on your actual performance on the assignments, not on your reasons for failing to perform well (no matter how good those reasons may seem), nor how much you need, want, or “deserve” a certain grade; please do not ask me to “go easy” on you or give you a higher grade than you earned. Your grades are recorded on Canvas; it is your 1PHIL 105: Ethics (XC, HU; 3 credits) Spring 2021 (section 001C-LEC 14W)Instructor: Dr. Kreider MoWeFr 11:30am-12:30pm (UW Fox, Room 1229)responsibility to keep an eye on them and your overall performance in the class throughout the semester.Text: The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 8th ed., J. Rachels, ISBN: 9780078119064, and Ethics and College StudentLife: A Case Study Approach, 3rd ed., K. Strike, ISBN: 9780132343312. I may also distribute other readings. Course Outline: The following is an extremely approximate and tentative outline of course topics, mostly to meetsyllabus requirements, but also to provide some information about course content. I do not have a day-by-daycalendar of readings; every semester is different. Instead, I will simply announce each class what you should readfor the next one, based on how far we’ve gotten that day. These reading assignments will also be posted on Canvaseach day promptly after class, in case you are absent and need to know what to read. - Weeks 1&2: Introductory concepts, the minimum conception of morality, basic logic and methods- Week 3: Cultural relativism- Week 4: Divine command theory, natural law theory- Week 5: Psychological egoism and ethical egoism- Week 6: Social contract theory- Weeks 7&8: Utilitarianism- Weeks 9&10: Kantianism- Week 11: Feminism and the ethics of care- Week 12: Virtue ethics- Week 13: Subjectivism- Week 14: Conclusions Canvas: As mentioned, there is a Canvas website for this class. I will show it to you during the first week ofclasses. You are responsible for making sure you can access it, use it, etc. If you have questions about anything,please ask.Email: Email is the best way to get a hold of me; please feel free to email me with questions, etc. I strongly suggestthat you always email me from your UWO email account and always include a subject line. You should also checkyour UWO email regularly, in case I need to send announcements, class cancellations, etc.; when I need to do so, Iwill send such emails to UWO email accounts only, and I consider you responsible for anything I email you about(“I don’t check my email” is not an excuse).The University Studies Program, Explore Courses, and Liberal Education: