PHIL 8: ETHICS
Foothill College Course Outline of Record
| Heading | Value |
|---|---|
| Units: | 5 |
| Hours: | 5 lecture per week (60 total per quarter) |
| Degree & Credit Status: | Degree-Applicable Credit Course |
| Foothill GE: | Non-GE |
| Transferable: | CSU/UC |
| Grade Type: | Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass) |
| Repeatability: | Not Repeatable |
Student Learning Outcomes
- Identify and explain major ethical theories.
- Analyze and evaluate ethical arguments regarding contemporary social issues.
Description
Course Objectives
The student will be able to:
A. demonstrate understanding and evaluate a variety of ethical theories.
B. analyze the underlying logical principles of each theory.
C. demonstrate understanding of the relationship between ethics and other branches of philosophy. Particularly, the implications of metaphysical concepts on ethics as well as the implications of ethics upon political theory.
D. apply ethical principles to contemporary social, political, economic, cultural and scientific concerns.
E. evaluate arguments for and against positions in applied ethics.
Course Content
A. Ethical theory.
1. Consequentialist and non-consequentialist theory.
a. Egoism.
b. Utilitarian theories of Bentham and Mill.
c. Kantian deontological theory.
d. Aristotelian virtue theory.
e. Feminist theory.
2. Relativism and its complications.
B. Issues in applied ethics.
1. Abortion.
2. Euthanasia.
3. World hunger.
4. Animal rights.
5. Environmental ethics.
6. Pornography.
7. Same-sex rights (e.g., gay marriage).
8. Death penalty.
9. Affirmative action.
10. Corporate responsibility.
a. International labor practices.
b. Downsizing.
c. Manipulative advertising.
Lab Content
Not aplicable.
Special Facilities and/or Equipment
Method(s) of Evaluation
A. Quizzes.
B. Argumentative essays.
C. Essay and short answer exams.
D. Class discussion.
Method(s) of Instruction
Lecture, Discussion, Cooperative learning exercises, Lecture and discussion
Representative Text(s) and Other Materials
Thiroux, Jacques. Ethics in Theory and Practice. 11th ed. NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2015.
Shaw, William H. Social and Personal Ethics. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 2014.
Boss, Judith. Analyzing Moral Issues. 6th ed. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2013.
Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments
A. Primary and secondary literature on ethical theory and applied ethics.
B. Written analysis of readings and response to study questions.
C. Application of ethical theory to current events of ethical concern.
D. Argumentative essays regarding major ethical problems.