A SAMPLE SYLLABUS FOR OUR COURSE

 

Philosophy 310, Ethics

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

 

 

      You will meet the overall objective of Philosophy 310 if you demonstrate that you can reason competently about moral issues facing Air Force officers.  More specificically, in order to meet course requirements, by the end of the course cadets will:

 

1. Understand the need for ethical reflection in the military

 

2. Demonstrate skills in critical reasoning such as clarification of terms, identification of underlying assumptions and the dialectical treatment of alternatives

 

3. Demonstrate skill in the reading, interpretation, and application of classics of moral philosophy

 

4. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of different accounts of moral character and of different approaches to ethical decision making, especially

 

a. Deontological Theory

b. Consequential Theory

c. Virtue Theory

 

5. Frame and resolve moral problems in the profession of arms concerning:

 

a. When is it morally justified to use military force?

b. What are the moral limitations on how military force is used?

c. What are the moral obligations of the military leader?

d. What kind of person, morally speaking, must the military leader be?

 

ADMINISTRATION

TEXTBOOKS: I will assign readings from our textbooks, which are available at the bookstore:

Lucas, George R. and Rubel, W. Rick, editors, Ethics and the Military Profession, Second Edition, Boston: Pearson Publishing, 2006 (EMP in reading assignments).

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, second edition, translated by Terence Irwin, Hackett Publishing: 1998.

Kant, Immanuel, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, translated by James W. Ellington, Indianapolis/Cambridge, Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1981.

Plato, The Republic, second edition translated with notes and an interpretive essay by Allan Bloom, Basic Books, 1968.

Mill, J.S., On Liberty and Utilitarianism, New York, Bantam Books, 1993.

Cook, Martin, The Moral Warrior, State University of New York Press, 2004.

I will also on occasion provide you with handouts to supplement the texts you purchase.

  

ABSENCES: If you know in advance that you will be absent, let me know. If you miss, take responsibility for make-up work.  Also keep in mind that I consider class attendance vitally important to accomplishing the goals set out for this course--let's work together to keep absences to an absolute minimum.

EXTRA INSTRUCTION: When study and class discussion have not clarified some topic for you, I urge you to seek out help.  I am eager to provide extra instruction.

GRADED ASSIGNMENTS:

        WRITING: You will write a term paper for this course, which will be due near the end of the semester.  Since this is a large project, which will require a lot of reading, thinking, writing, and re-writing, I'd like you to settle on a topic by mid-term.  I'll give you more detailed instructions in class.

       IN-CLASS GRADED REVIEW: You will be given an in-class graded review on lesson 16 which will cover the main concepts covered in the course to that time.  Besides testing important material, this GR will give you some idea about the kinds of objective questions you will be asked on the final exam.

       IN-CLASS ESSAY: You will write an in-class essay on lesson 19.  You will pick the question for yourself (in coordination with me), research and prepare an answer that can be written during class, and then write the essay in class without any notes. Notice that an important part of this exercise is developing the question.  Besides developing your moral reasoning skills, this essay will help prepare you to write the term paper and the essay portions of the final exam.

       HOMEWORK.  I'll assign homework that will be based on doing your reading assignments.  I'll work some flexibility into this part of your grade--you'll have some choice over which assignments to turn in and when.

       PREPARATION: In this course, you will learn the important skill of evaluating moral claims.  It is a skill which you can master, but only through practice. Therefore, we expect you to be an active participant in the classroom process.  To do this, you must do all the assigned readings and complete all essays and other homework on time.  All readings assigned in the syllabus are testable, whether I cover them in class ("spoon feed" style) or not.

      LATE WORK.  Late work will be assessed a deduction of 10% of available points per calendar day for up to four days.  After four calendar days the work will receive no credit.  The assignments are course requirements.  You must complete them even if you will receive a failing grade because they are late.  If you believe that you deserve an extension because of circumstances beyond your control please discuss this with me.

      FINAL EXAM: There are no exemptions to taking the final exam in Philosophy 310.  The final will consist of three sections worth a total of 400 points.  Section one will test theoretical concepts, section two will be a case in applied military ethics, and section three will deal with professional issues.  More information will be given to you toward the end of the semester.

 

CONCLUSION

This course is a unique and important part of your education here at the Academy. More than in any other class, you will be required to think for yourself. And what you will be thinking about is the most important thing any of us can address: how we ought to live. Nothing is more vital to your education as a future Air Force officer.

 

 

GRADE CUTS:

 

 

 

        SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS:

 

Daily Lesson Assignments