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Purdue

University
PHIL: 111, Introduction to Ethics
Fall 13- Tues/Thurs, 1:30-2:45PM, BRNG 1268
Dr. Tina Rulli

Course Description:

What, morally, should I do? What does the morally good life look like? These are the questions of
primary inquiry in this course, where we will examine how secular, normative ethical theories
define morally right action, moral goods, and moral lives. But we will also examine metaethical
questions: what am I doing when I make a moral judgment? Am I asserting an objective moral
truth or merely expressing my feelings? If the former, in virtue of what are moral judgments true
or false? And we will also look at moral theory in action as applied to important issues that affect
our lives in practice, including how we ought to treat animals, whether abortion is forbidden or
permissible, and what we owe to the global poor? Along the way, we will read many contemporary
philosophers, as well as the canonical greats (Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Bentham, and Mill). The
first goal of the course is to paint a comprehensive landscape of the most prominent issues in
moral philosophy. The second goal is to learn the methods of philosophical argumentation and
dialectic through reading the works of others and testing ones own arguments in class and in
writing.

Required Texts:

Steven M. Cahn and Peter Markie's Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues (5th Ed.)
Additional readings will be posted on Blackboard.

Contact:

Email: crulli@purdue.edu
I check email during normal working hours (9AM-5PM weekdays). On those days, please allow me
24 hours to reply. I may not reply on weekends/holidays.

Office: Beering Hall, 7th Fl. Rm. 7136.
Office hours: Tuesday, 3-5PM or by appointment. Please feel welcome to make use of office hours.

Course Requirements/grades:

Rough grade % breakdown* and due dates:



Requirement:
Due Date
Percentage of Grade
Paper 1
September 19- start of class
20%
In-Class Exam 1
October 3
20%
In-Class Exam 2
November 12
20%
Paper 2
December 11- noon
30%
Participation
N/A
10%
*The breakdowns are rough because if there is significant improvement between papers 1 and 2, I
will weigh more heavily paper 2.



PurduePhilosophyRulliPHIL 111Intro EthicsFall 13


Grade percentages are as follows:


93-100% = A
90-92% = A-
87-89%= B+
83-86%= B
80-82= B-
77-79%= C+
73-76= C
70-72= C-
60-69 = D
0-59= F

Papers: Essay prompts for each paper will be distributed in-class 2-3 weeks before they are due.
We will discuss at length how to write a philosophy paper. Papers should be 3 pages, i.e. 750
words, (4 pages absolute maximum), with 1-inch margins, 12-point font, double-spaced. I will not
read drafts of papers, but I will read and discuss outlines of papers, in advance of the due date, in
office hours or by appointment.

Exams: Exams will be closed-book, in-class, written exams. Students may be required to purchase
and bring to class a Blue Book for the exam. (Details to follow). Exam 1 will cover material from
previous readings and lecture; Exam 2 will cover only material after Exam 1. The exams will
require short-answer or short essay responses. As a study guide, I will keep a document on
Blackboard with a running list of themes from the readings or lecture that may appear on the
exam. I will update this each week, as we progress.

Late papers/missed exams: Stapled, hard copies of paper 1 are to be turned in at the
beginning of class on September 19th. Papers turned in after the beginning of class are considered
late. Paper 2 must be submitted by email or Blackboard (TBD) by noon on December 11. It is your
responsibility to ensure that I receive a properly formatted document file. So please allow yourself
time to resend the file if necessary. Papers turned in past noon on that day will be considered late.
For either paper, I will reduce the paper grade by 1/3 of a grade for each day it is late. If you
cannot be in class on the day that a paper is due, please come talk to me in advance and well make
other arrangements.

You must talk to me in advance if you cannot make a scheduled exam date.


Participation: Participation is 10% of your gradea full letter grade. Discussion of ideas is a
crucial component of philosophical engagement. In philosophy, we voice our opinions as
proposals for others to consider, and we expect to be respectfully criticized. I will be grading the
quality of your participation, not the content of what you say. Good participation includes not only
speaking in class, but being a good class citizen. That means being receptive to others critiques of
your ideas, allowing others to speak, staying on topic, and helping to advance the discussion. I will
take individual personality differences into account (that is, I wont grade on a curve or compare
you to fellow students who may be naturally more or less talkative). Being attentive and an
engaged listener matters too. If you find you have trouble speaking in class, please come by my

PurduePhilosophyRulliPHIL 111Intro EthicsFall 13


office hours. We can discuss some of your ideas, and we can talk about ways of including you in
class.

Heres a breakdown of the participation grade. 7-10% is for those who regularly participate in
discussion, engaging in good participatory citizenship. That is, they stay on topic, and they listen to
and engage with other discussants respectfully. 3-6% is for those whose participation, as above, is
sporadic or mediocre. 0-2% will be given to those who have poor attendance, no participation, or
engage in disrespectful behavior.

Diversity Welcome Statement: Each voice in the classroom has something of value to
contribute. Please take care to respect the different experiences, beliefs and values expressed by
students in this course. I support Purdue's commitment to diversity of all kinds, including all ages,
backgrounds, citizenships, disability, sex, education, ethnicities, family statuses, genders, gender
identities, geographical locations, languages, military experience, political views, races, religions,
sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, and work experiences.

Let
me
point
out
the
following
resources:
Purdues
LGBTQ
Center:
http://www.purdue.edu/lgbtq/index.html, and the Division of Diversity and Inclusion:
http://www.purdue.edu/diversity-inclusion/


Attendance: I will distribute a sign-in sheet for each class. Several unexcused absences will hurt
your grade. Excessive unexcused absences could be grounds for failing the class. If you anticipate
an absence (e.g. due to a religious holiday or a University sponsored activity) please let me know
as far in advance as possible. In the case that there is an unexpected absence due to emergency or
illness, please let me know as soon as possible or contact the Deans Office. If you expect to miss an
exam or a paper due date, you must come talk to me far in advance.

Purdue has an official Grief Absence Policy.
See: http://www.purdue.edu/odos/services/griefabsencepolicyforstudents.php

Academic Integrity: I take cheating and plagiarism very seriously and will enforce the
maximum penalty (you will fail the assignment, you will fail the course itself, and I will report you
to the Dean). Please just dont do it! If you feel tempted to take a shortcut because you are
stressed, you dont understand the subject, or feel that you lack time to do adequate work, please
come talk to me. I urge you to do so early before things get out of hand. If you become aware of
other students cheating or plagiarizing, please inform me. This is a requirement of academic
integrity.

Please consult these resources.
Academic Integrity: a Guide for Students
http://www.purdue.edu/odos/aboutodos/academicintegrity.php

Purdues official statement on academic integrity:
Purdue prohibits "dishonesty in connection with any University activity. Cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly
furnishing false information to the University are examples of dishonesty." [Part 5, Section III-B-2-a, University
Regulations] Furthermore, the University Senate has stipulated that "the commitment of acts of cheating,
lying, and deceit in any of their diverse forms (such as the use of substitutes for taking examinations, the use of

PurduePhilosophyRulliPHIL 111Intro EthicsFall 13



illegal cribs, plagiarism, and copying during examinations) is dishonest and must not be tolerated. Moreover,
knowingly to aid and abet, directly or indirectly, other parties in committing dishonest acts is in itself
dishonest." [University Senate Document 72-18, December 15, 1972]


You are responsible for knowing what constitutes plagiarism; ignorance will not be grounds for an
excuse. To avoid unintentional plagiarism, please follow these guidelines in referencing,
paraphrasing, or citing sources:

External sources: In writing your papers, I would prefer that you do not use external sources
(other books, articles, or the internet) other than those that are assigned for this course. This
being an introductory course, you are not expected to have knowledge of the existing literature. I
want you to think through the problems yourself, with the aid of the assigned readings, and not
worry about what others have said about the issue. If you want to better understand an issue,
please raise questions in class or visit me during office hours.

Needless to say, I urge you to stay away from Wikipedia on philosophical topics. It is oftentimes
inadequate/inaccurate.

Citations: List the class readings you have cited in your paper at the end of the paper, on a
separate page, entitled Works Cited. If for some reason (against the above advice), you do
consult or cite any other works (including the internet), please cite them here. You will not be
penalized for consulting other works, but you will be penalized for plagiarism if you havent
properly credited them. You must also footnote any quoted or paraphrased text (from assigned
readings or elsewhere) and any borrowed examples from the readings.

How to write a philosophy paper: I will offer a detailed class on how to write a philosophy
paper and will post a handout on Blackboard. Please consult this document when writing your
paper.

Special Needs: I will work with any student with a disability, alongside the Disability Resource
Center, to make sure you are properly accommodated in class and during exams. Please speak to
me within the first two weeks of class if you need special accommodation (or as soon as you
become aware of such a need) so that we have time to make proper arrangements for you. It is
your responsibility to contact the Disability Resource Center if you have an impairment or
disability that warrants accommodation in class. See: http://www.purdue.edu/odos/drc/

Laptops/Phones: Please silence your phones during class. Needless to say, please do not text
during class. I hate to assume the worst-case scenario, but I will ask offenders to stop or to leave
the class. Laptops are permitted, but I ask that you exercise restraint in doing anything other than
taking notes. My biggest concern is that extra activities are a distraction to other students. If I find
this to become an issue, I will revise the laptop policy accordingly.

PurduePhilosophyRulliPHIL 111Intro EthicsFall 13


Schedule: The following is tentative and subject to change. Any changes to the syllabus will be
posted to Blackboard and announced in class.
*in Cahn/Markie 5th Ed.
**PDF available on Blackboard

August 20: Introduction- The
Structure of Ethics

August 22: A Real-Life Ethical
Problem

August 27: Psychological


Egoism and Cultural Relativism

August 29: Promoting the Good,
Hedonism
September 3: Theories of Well-
being

September 5: Hand out paper
#1 topics
September 10:
Consequentialism/Deontology

September 12: Constraints
September 17: Rights



September 19: Personal
Projects/Paper #1 due

September 24:Agent-centered
Prerogatives

September 26: Kant
October 1: Kant


October 3: EXAM #1

Plato, The Ring of Gyges, Republic, Book II*, pp. 65-68


(357-361.d)

Peter Singer, Famine, Affluence, and Morality*
How to Read a Philosophy Paper**
Recommended: Join Wall Street, Save the World,
Washington Post. http://tinyurl.com/kheo9vd

James Rachels, The Challenge of Cultural Relativism*




John Stuart Mill, selections from Utilitarianism* (Ch. I-II)
Robert Nozick, The Experience Machine, Anarchy, State
and Utopia**

Derek Parfit, Appendix I: What Makes Someones Life
Go Best? Reasons and Persons**

How to Write a Philosophy Paper**
Judith Jarvis Thomson, Turning the Trolley*


Charles Fried, Harm, from Right and Wrong**
Joel Feinberg, The Nature and Value of Rights*
Recommended: The Ones Who Walked Away From
Omelas**

Bernard Williams, A Critique of Utilitarianism*

Samuel Scheffler, selection from The Rejection of
Consequentialism (Ch. 2)**

Immanuel Kant, Groundwork for the Metaphysics of
Morals* pp. 313-332

Immanuel Kant, Groundwork for the Metaphysics of
Morals* pp. 333-350

IN-CLASS EXAM
5

PurduePhilosophyRulliPHIL 111Intro EthicsFall 13


October 8:

October 10: Kant

NO CLASS- FALL BREAK



Barbara Herman, On the Value of Acting from the
Motive of Duty*

October 15: Critiques of Ethical Susan Wolf, Moral Saints*
Theories
Recommended: The Lives of Moral Saints, Boston Review
http://tinyurl.com/kd8fwxg



Aristotle, selections from Nicomachean Ethics* (Books I
October 17: Virtue Ethics
and II)
October 22: Virtue Ethics
Rosalind Hursthouse, Virtue Theory and Abortion*


October 24: Feminist Ethics of
Virginia Held, Feminist Transformations of Moral
Care
Theory*

October 29: Metaethics
G.E. Moore, selections from Principia Ethica*


October 31: Metaethics
A.J. Ayer, A Critique of Ethics, Language, Truth, and
Logic*

November 5: Metaethics
David Hume, selections from A Treatise of Human Nature

(pp. 276-287)*


November 7: Metaethics
J.L. Mackie, Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong*

November 12: EXAM 2
IN-CLASS EXAM


November 14: Animal Ethics
Alistair Norcross, Pigs, Puppies, and People: Eating

Meat and Marginal Cases**
Jeremy Bentham, short piece on animal suffering**

November 19: Animal Ethics
Carl Cohen- The Case for the Use of Animals in

Biomedical Research*


November 21: Abortion
Judith Jarvis Thomson, A Defense of Abortion*
Hand out paper #2 topics

November 26: Abortion
Don Marquis, An Argument That Abortion Is Wrong*


November 28:
NO CLASS- THANKSGIVING BREAK

December 3: Torture
Henry Shue, Torture*


December 5: Torture
David Hill, Ticking Time Bombs, Torture, and the

Analogy with Self-Defense*
Paper 2 Due December 11-

noon

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