SYLLABUS FOR PROFESSIONAL ETHICS - SPRING 1999
PHIL 316 - DR. KEITH A. KORCZ
How To Reach Professor Keith Korcz:
My office is in H. L. Griffin Hall, rm. 563. My office hours are MWF 10:00-11:50 and 1:00-1:30, and TTh 11:00-12:30. We can also meet at other times by arrangement - just ask. My office phone no. is 482-5400. You can also contact me (or ask questions) by e-mail at kak7409@usl.edu.
Required Text:
1. Course Pack
Copies are on reserve at the Dupre library.
Assignments & Grading:
There will be two mid-term exams, each worth 20% of your course grade, a cumulative final exam worth 30% of your course grade, and a paper done in successive drafts, the first draft being worth 10% of your course grade and the final draft worth 20%. The exams will consist primarily of short answer and multiple choice questions. A few sample questions typical of some of the sorts of questions which may be on the exams are given in the course pack. The exams will cover both lectures and assigned readings (material in lectures and assigned readings will not always overlap). The paper must be approx. 4-5 pages in length, and will be described in more detail on a separate handout.
The course grades will initially be determined according to the standard scale, i.e., 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, 70-79% = C, 60-69% = D, 59% and below = F, and then may be modified as follows: Course grades might be curved, but, if so, the curve would not be such that any student's grade is lowered. Such factors as improvement over the length of the course, class participation, attendance, etc., may be taken into consideration, especially where doing so may improve a borderline grade. You must complete all course assignments (namely all three exams and both drafts of the paper) to receive a passing grade (i.e., a grade other than F, NC or U).
Class Policies:
If you miss class, for whatever reason, it is your responsibility to get class notes from another student. Missed exams or other assignments can be made up only if an appropriate excuse, e.g., illness requiring medical attention, participation in certain official university events, etc., is provided. If you know in advance that you will miss an exam or due date for an assignment, let me know beforehand. An unexcused late assignment will be dropped 2/3 of a letter grade per day it is late. If you have a disability and require assistance with fulfilling class assignments, don't hesitate to notify the instructor and the Office for Services to Students with Disabilities at 482-5252. Finally, be sure you are familiar with all university policies described in the USL Undergraduate Bulletin.
Emergency Evacuation Procedures:
A map of this floor is posted near the elevator marking the evacuation route and the Designated Rescue Area. This is an area where emergency service personnel will go first to look for individuals who need assistance in exiting the building. Students who may need assistance should identify themselves to the teaching faculty.Course Calendar & Planned Reading Assignments*
(Note: all readings are contained in the course pack)
Topic 1: Logic, Meta-ethics and Theoretical Ethics
Friday, Jan. 15: "What Is Philosophy?" by Keith Korcz.
MONDAY, JAN. 18: Martin Luther King Holiday - NO CLASSES
Week of Jan. 18: "What's Wrong with Moral Relativism?" by Emmett Barcalow; Excerpt from the Bible: Leviticus Chapters 19, 20; "Religion and Ethics" by Yeager Hudson.
Week of Jan. 25: "Utilitarianism" by Emmett Barcalow; "Nonconsequentialism" by Tom Regan.
Week of Feb. 1: "The Ethics of W.D. Ross" by Victor Grassian; "The Central Concepts of Ethics" by David Applebaum and Sarah Verone Lawton.Topic 2: Medical Ethics
a. euthanasia
Week of Feb. 8: ìEuthanasia: The Way We Do It, The Way They Do Itî by Margaret P. Battin; ìEuthanasia, Killing and Letting Dieî by James Rachels; ìKilling and Allowing to Dieî by Daniel Callahan.
MONDAY - WED., FEB. 15-17: Mardi Gras Holiday - NO CLASSES
Weeks of Feb. 15 and 22: ìEuthanasia Legislation: Some Non-Religious Objectionsî by Yale Kamisar; ìVoluntary Active Euthanasiaî by Dan Brock.FIRST MID-TERM EXAM: FRIDAY, FEB. 26.
b. abortion
Week of March 1: ìAn Almost Absolute Value in Historyî by John Noonan; ìOn the Moral and Legal Status of Abortionî by Mary Anne Warren; ìWhy Abortion is Immoralî by Don Marquis.
Week of March 8: ì A Defense of Abortionî by Judith Jarvis Thomson; ìOn A Womanís Obligation to Have an Abortionî by Bambi E. S. Robinson.Topic 3: Business Ethics
a. Corporations and Social Responsibility
FIRST DRAFT OF PAPER DUE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17
Week of March 15: Case Study: ìMerck & Co., Inc.î; ìThe Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profitsî by Milton Friedman; A Stakeholder Theory of the Modern Corporation: Kantian Capitalismî by William Evan and R. Edward Freeman; ìBusiness Ethics and Stakeholder Analysisî by Kenneth Goodpaster.b. Whistleblowing and Company Loyalty
Week of March 22: Case Study: ìThe Aircraft Brake Scandalî; ìWhistleblowing and Employee Loyaltyî by Ronald Duska.c. Withholding Information
Week of March 29: ìIs Business Bluffing Ethical?î by Albert Carr; ìDoes it Pay to Bluff in Business?î by Norman E. BowieSECOND MIDTERM, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31
d. Advertising and Sales
THURSDAY, APRIL 1 - MONDAY, APRIL 5: Easter Holidays - NO CLASSES.
Weeks of April 5 and 12: ìAdvertising and Behavior Controlî by Robert Arrington; ìManipulative Advertisingî by Tom Beauchamp; ìA Moral Evaluation of Sales Practicesî by David Holley.FINAL DRAFT OF PAPER DUE FRIDAY, APRIL 23 , AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS.
Topic 4: Criminal Justice Ethics
a. The Relation Between Law and Morality
Week of April 19: no readings.b. The Justification of Punishment
"Punishment, Protection and Retaliation" by John Hospers.c. The Moral Obligations of Lawyers
Week of April 26: "Lawyers as Professionals: Some Moral Issues" by Richard Wasserstrom.May 3: Finish Remaining Material/ Review
STUDY DAY: TUESDAY, MAY 4.
*NOTE: Topics, readings, course procedures and due dates for assignments are tentative and subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.
FINAL EXAM (IN REGULAR CLASSROOM):
SOME HELPFUL TIPS:
1. On class evaluations, students often state that they would tell friends planning to take this class that good class attendance and good class notes are essential to doing well on the exams.
2. If you have a textbook without an index (or with a very short one), it is not a bad idea to create an index as you read through the book, e.g., by noting important points in the back of the book in alphabetical order, leaving lots of room between entries for future entries. This could also be done on a computer. Be sure to keep up with the readings.
3. If you're having trouble understanding course material, do not hesitate to discuss it with the instructor!
