Ethics and Values

Instructor: Dr. Alden Stout

Email: aldenstout@gmail.com
Office Hours: By appointment
Class: Tuesday/Thursday 8:30-9:45

Course Objective: The purpose of this course is to provide an overview

of the ethical challenges and issues facing us today. The focus will
primarily lie in the diversity of thinking about these different issues
through the work of past philosophers. Students will be expected to
come to class ready to learn and participate.

Summaries: Each student is required to write fifteen two page

summaries of the readings before they are discussed in class. The
summaries are to be emailed to stout.homework@gmail.com

Final Paper: There is a five page paper which is designed to address

the issues of poverty discussed in The Life You Can Save. This paper is
25% of your grade. The paper is due April 22nd.

Attendance Policy: Attendance will count toward 10% of the final

grade. The attendance score is calculated by dividing the amount of
times attended by the total days class is held. One must be on time to
be counted as present.

Exams: There are two exams through the semester. The first exam is
20% of your grade and the second exam is 30% of your grade.

Academic Dishonesty: All forms of academic dishonesty, including

plagiarism will be result in a E for the class and be reported to the
dean. Plagiarism consists of passing off any other persons work as
one’s own, including, but not limited to, failing to properly cite one’s
sources.
Requirements:

Exam 1 20%
Exam 2 30%
Final Paper 25%
Summaries 15%
Attendance 10%

Grading Scale

A: 94-100
A-: 90-93
B+: 87-89
B: 84-86
B-: 80-83
C+: 77-79
C: 74-76
C-: 70-73
D+: 67-69
D: 64-66
D-: 60-63
E: 59 and Below

Texts:
Living Ethics: An Introduction by Michael Minch and Christine
Weigel ISBN: 0495090239

The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer ISBN: 9780812981568

Schedule:

January 7: Introductory Lecture

January 11: Introduction 8-12
January 13: Plato 159
January 18: Taylor 189
January 20: Aristotle 113; Aristotle 347
January 25: Kant 45
January 27: Mill 515
February 1: Hobbes 216
February 3: Locke 220
February 8: Rousseau 222
February 10: Rawls 238
February 15: Nozick 244
February 17: Pettit (online reading)
February 22: Thomas 401
February 24: Rolston 629
March 1: Leopold 612
March 3: Singer 637
March 8: Steinbock 646
March 10: Mavordes 171
March 15: Nielson 165
March 22: Darwin’s Nightmare (video in class)
March 24: Singer, The Life You Can Save p. 3-22
March 29: Singer, The Life You Can Save p. 23-44
March 31: Singer, The Life You Can Save p. 45-63
April 5: Singer, The Life You Can Save p. 63-81
April 7: Singer, The Life You Can Save p. 81-105
April 12: Singer, The Life You Can Save p. 105-129
April 14: The Life You Can Save p. 129-140
April 19: Singer, The Life You Can Save p. 140-151
Final Paper Due April 22nd