MAKING MORAL DECISIONS W252-003 - Fall 2021/Normal Academic Term
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MAKING MORAL DECISIONS
W252-003
Fall 2021/Normal Academic Term
Last updated 14 september 2021
Instructor Information
Name: Dr. John Stetter
Phone: (504) 865-2175
Email: jrstette@loyno.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Office Location: Bobet Hall 439A (Due to Covid-19 Delta variant, office currently remote)
Course Information
Prerequisite Courses: R122 (or equivalent “Phil. of Human Person”)
Course Location:* Bobet Hall 332 and online on Canvas and Zoom.
Credit Hours: 3 Credit hours
Weeks and Dates of the Course: Normal Academic Term (19 Jan.-13 May)
Student Health Services #: 504-865-3326 (Call if you have COVID-19 symptoms, test positive,
or come into contact w/ someone with COVID-19)
Class Meeting Time:* MWF 2:30-3:20pm
Check Canvas regularly for schedule announcements. Class meetings may be remote due to
changing Covid-19 circumstances.
If you feel sick or have any other concerns at all, do not come in person. You will be
accommodated and will not be penalized. Safety first! Think of your communities!
Please see Classroom Policy, below, for essential Covid-19 safety information.
Expectations of Workload:
According to the Loyola University Credit Hour Policy you are expected to spend at least 105
hours, including 35 hours of classwork and 70 hours of out-of-class work, for a 3-credit hour
course. That out of class work is mostly independent study, reading. Good note taking habits are
essential for success in this class. You will be reading, a lot, and then discussing with your peers
what you have read, and then I will be asking you about the reading.
Required Textbooks:
The University bookstore will have copies of core texts. When possible, these will be made
available as PDFs on Canvas. Additional required and suggested readings will be posted on
Canvas.
Brief Course Overview:
This course treats the nature of personal and moral decision making leading to consideration of
some ethical positions influential in contemporary philosophical discourse (e.g., Kantian
deontology, utilitarianism, natural law theory, etc.) and their application to contemporary2 moral problems. We begin by framing the discussions of ethics with a reading of Simon Blackburn’s introductory text, Being Good. We then move swiftly to Russ Shafer-Landau’s collection of papers in The Ethical Life. We will debate selections concerning “The Good Life”, “Normative Ethics”, “Metaethics”, and “Moral Problems”. The aim here is to acquire a sense for current literature and prominent approaches to moral argument in the Anglo-Saxon world. After this, we will discuss in depth a classic in ethics: Lucretius’ De rerum natura, a masterpiece of Latin-language philosophy and poetry. After Lucretius’ Epicurean testament, we conclude with a reading of Albert Camus’ postwar existentialist work, The Myth of Sisyphus. Course Goals: My intention is to help you all refine universally useful skills. These include: critical reading and writing skills; the ability to analyze, reconstruct, and evaluate complex arguments; an understanding of cultural difference and a greater sensitivity to conceptual change over space and time; independent-research skills; and comfort and confidence in shared, cooperative discussion. Course Assessments: All students must complete the same work to pass the class. All written course work is submitted electronically on Canvas. Please consider visiting the Student Success Center for any tutoring needs. For instance, they can help you with your writing. This is a resource at your disposal whenever you need it, make use of it. Consider contacting the OWLS tutoring services, available online. Students can make appointments at loyno.mywconline.com. Midterm Paper: 30% of Final Grade. Min. 3 ½ pages, including bibliography and endnotes or footnotes. Your work is due on Friday Oct. 15. The paper must be submitted on Canvas. There will be a prompt. This is completed asynchronously and “open-book”. Students will be asked to write an analysis (3 ½ pages min.) of a passage I will have selected from the course material we will have read. That commentary should both describe the author’s argument present in the text (re: what are the premises and conclusions) and it should also evaluate it. I will announce the prompt on Canvas as well as in class 2 weeks before the deadline. Term Paper: 35% of Final Grade. Min. 4 ½ pages, including bibliography and endnotes or footnotes. Your work is due on Friday Dec. 10. The paper must be submitted on Canvas. There will be a prompt. This is completed asynchronously and “open-book”. Students will be asked to write an analysis (4 ½ pages min.) of a passage I will have selected from the course material we will have read. That commentary should both describe the author’s argument present in the text (re: what are the premises and conclusions) and it should also evaluate it. I will announce the prompt on Canvas as well as in class 2 weeks before the deadline. The Papers should achieve two goals: One is descriptive. You should tell me what is happening in the passage I assign in simple language. Figure out what the author's views are and describe them to me. What is the context of
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the discussion, or how does the passage I've selected relate to bigger thematic issues from the
work? Aim to restate the author’s views in two or three sentences before further describing the
structure and content of the passage I've selected.
The second goal is evaluative. You should tell me how strong you think the argument(s) is (or
are), and why. Is the author persuasive? How compelling is the evidence the author provides for
their view(s)? Whether you decide to defend or refute the author, consider possible objections to
your own position.
Synchronous Writing Exercises (3): 35% of Final Grade. The type of the exercise can include:
an exercise in de-jargonization; a four-sentence paper; a multiple-choice exam.
For the exercise in de-jargonization, I will ask you in 350 words max. to describe a selected
passage in language appropriate for a upper-level undergraduate. Aim to “de-jargonize” and
present the content as teachable material.
For the four-sentence paper, you will work with the following template, based on a selection
from the reading: (1) They say __________. (2) I say __________, because __________.(3) One
might object that __________. (4) I reply that _________.
The multiple-choice format is straightforward.
Some closing remarks: There is no extra credit. You are expected to attend class. Zoom
recordings will be posted when they are particularly valuable.
The Discussion Board will be an important part of class. I expect weekly discussion board
exchanges.
Written work must be word-processed: 12 pt. Times New Roman, 1.5 spacing, 1-inch margins
top and bottom, 1-inch margins left and right. Indicate your name, the assignment number, the
course number, and my name. All papers are expected to be proofread and edited for spelling
mistakes, etc., before submission. Poor presentation of final work will be reflected in the final
grade. Good writing is important. Consult Strunk and White, The Elements of Style, if you have
any doubts about English prose writing. I also recommend Umberto Eco, How to Write a Thesis,
for research advice. Although designed for graduate level work, it’s useful for student work at
any level, as it is always important to refine skills in citation writing and bibliography writing. I
will do my best to help you develop these as well. Consider visiting the OWLS Center for further
help.
Rubrics for Assessments:
All written work is evaluated in terms of its content (e.g. relevance, originality) organization
(e.g. clarity, logic), and mechanics (e.g. grammar, spelling).
Part of what your work should reflect is your skills at critical thinking.
1. Explanation of issues: Ideally, the issue/problem to be considered critically is stated
clearly and described comprehensively, delivering all relevant information necessary for
full understanding.4
2. Evidence (selecting and using information to investigate a point of view or conclusion):
Ideally, information is taken from source(s) with enough interpretation/evaluation to
develop a comprehensive analysis or synthesis. Viewpoints of experts are questioned
thoroughly.
3. Influence of context and assumptions: Ideally, thoroughly (systematically and
methodically) analyzes own and others' assumptions and carefully evaluates the relevance
of contexts when presenting a position.
4. Student's position (perspective, thesis/hypothesis): Ideally, specific position
(perspective, thesis/hypothesis) is imaginative, taking into account the complexities of an
issue. Limits of position (perspective, thesis/hypothesis) are acknowledged. Others'
points of view are synthesized within position (perspective, thesis/hypothesis).
5. Conclusions and related outcomes (implications and consequences): Ideally,
conclusions and related outcomes (consequences and implications) are logical and reflect
student’s informed evaluation and ability to place evidence and perspectives discussed in
priority order.
You may also want to think about the following as you write:
1. Clarity: Could you elaborate further? Could you give me an example? Could you
illustrate what you mean?
2. Accuracy: How could we check on that? How could we find out if that is true? How
could we verify or test that?
3. Precision: Could you be more specific? Could you give me more details? Could you
be more exact?
4. Relevance: How does that relate to the problem? How does that bear on the
question? How does that help us with the issue?
5. Depth: What factors make this a difficult problem? What are some of the
complexities of this question? What are some of the difficulties we need to deal with?
6. Breadth: Do we need to look at this from another perspective? Do we need to
consider another point of view? Do we need to look at this in other ways?
7. Logic: Does all this make sense together? Does your first paragraph fit in with your
last? Does what you say follow from the evidence?
8. Significance: Is this the most important problem to consider? Is this the central idea
to focus on? Which of these facts are most important?
Classroom Policy:
The guiding principle: your vigilance can save lives! Remember your community here in New
Orleans, your family, and friends at home.
This is a unique experience in our lives… Understand it, embrace it by acting in appropriate
ways, and know that this too shall pass. Covid-19 is manageable, we just need to be smart and
take care of one another. The Delta variant is worrisome, we are not out of the woods yet.
Above all, you must wear a mask at all times and practice physical distancing measures in the
classroom! If you are not wearing a mask, I must ask you to leave. If you do not practice
physical distancing, I must ask you to leave. Stay apart from each other: 2 meters or 6 feet is the
absolute minimum. I’ll be speaking with a mask on. (I’ll try to articulate as best as I can.)
If you are sick, do not come to class. Tell me beforehand by email if possible. You need to
contact Student Health Services, too. When you arrive in the classroom and when you leave the5
classroom, you must clean up your workstation. You cannot eat or drink in the classroom
(because to eat or drink, you need to remove your mask, which you cannot do). If you need to eat
or drink, you will need to attend the class remotely. For more information, see:
https://studentaffairs.loyno.edu/student-handbook (Section 10: Covid-19 Addendum)
The University classroom is meant to be an adult setting. Computers are for classroom related
activities only.
Course Calendar (provisional)
CONSULT the Canvas homepage & Modules for important updates & specifications.
MODULE 1: Blackburn and Shafer-Landau
Week 1 (Week of Monday 08/23): Being Good: Alleged “threats to ethics”
Reading: Blackburn, Being Good, Part 1, introduction, ch. 1-4
Week 2 (M 08/30): Ida
Week 3 (W 09/08): Ida
Week 4 (M 09/13): Remote Film screening: Michel Gondry, “Is the Man Who is Tall Happy?”
(2013)
Week 5 (M 09/20): The Foundations of Ethics in Ancient ethical theory. The Euthyphro
Question in Plato: “Is an action morally right because God commands it, or does God command
an action because it is right?”
Reading: Shafer-Landau, The Ethical Life, ch. 6
Week 6 (M 09/27): Human Flourishing in Ancient ethical theory. Aristotle on human
“flourishing” (eudaimonia) and the golden mean in his Nicomachean Ethics.
Reading: Shafer-Landau, The Ethical Life, ch. 12
Week 7 (M 10/04): Utilitarianism. John Stuart Mill on “hedonism” and “utilitarianism”. How
does Mill distinguish between “higher” and “lower” pleasures? What is Mill’s “Greatest
Happiness Principle”?
Reading: Shafer-Landau, The Ethical Life, ch. 1 & 8. (I also suggest rereading Blackburn, Being
Good, ch. 11 & 12.)
MODULE 2: Lucretius’ Materialist Ethics
Week 8 (M 10/11): De Rerum Natura: Fundamental principles and the properties of atoms.
Epicurean anti-Providentialism.
(M 10/11-12 is Fall Break)
Reading: Lucretius, On the Nature of Things (ed. M. F. Smith), Books I-II
Week 9 (M 10/18): De Rerum Natura: Nature and composition of the soul. The fear of death.
The theory of simulacra. Perception and sensation.6
Reading: Lucretius, On the Nature of Things (ed. M. F. Smith), Books II-III
Week 10 (M 10/25): The Ancient Critique of Religion
Submission deadline for Midterm Paper is M 10/25.
Film screening: Alejandro Amenabar, “Agora” (2013).
Recommended re-reading: Plato and the Euthyphro Question (Week 5 above)
Week 11 (M 11/01): De Rerum Natura: Natural history and anthropological history
Reading: Lucretius, On the Nature of Things (ed. M. F. Smith), Books IV-VI
Week 12 (M 11/08: De Rerum Natura: Meteors, Calamities, Plagues
Reading: Lucretius, On the Nature of Things (ed. M. F. Smith), Books IV-VI
MODULE 3: Albert Camus’ Existentialism
Week 13 (M 11/15): The Myth of Sisyphus
Reading: Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus
Week 14 (M 11/22): The Myth of Sisyphus
(Week of Thanksgiving Break)
Reading: Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus
Week 15 (M 11/29): The Legacy of Existentialist Ethics
Film screening: Harold Ramis, “Groundhog Day” (1993)
Week 16. Finals week. Submission deadline for Term Paper is F 12/10.
Attendance Policy and Participation Expectations:
Students should also check their email regularly for important class announcements,
notifications, etc. Active and beneficial participation in discussion is very gratefully appreciated.
Late Submissions and Making-Up Policy:
All assignments must be completed to pass the course. If you are expecting to need more time to
complete an assignment, contact me at least 72 hours in advance. No extensions will be granted
unless in the case of a genuine emergency. If you do have a genuine emergency, say a medical or
mental health emergency, it is extremely important to contact the University Counseling Center
at 504.865.3835— this is a 24/7 counseling number. Counseling is free of charge, make use of it!
In fact, the UCC can help you with several issues you might face while at Loyola. University
classes are often very challenging, but your well-being always comes first.
Please be noted about our University Academic Honesty and Plagiarism policy that violations of
the Academic Honor Code include but are not limited to cheating, lying, false citations, falsified
data, falsification of academic records, plagiarism, participation in any form of unauthorized
collaboration, misuse or misrepresentation of academic work or the academic work of others in
any manner, misuse of electronic material, and violation of academic property laws and that a
student in doubt about whether a particular course of conduct violates the University’s Academic7 Honor Code should consult with the course instructor before engaging in that conduct. This policy is also listed in Syllabus Part II. Please also be noted about our university Administrative Withdrawal policy that students who do not participate in the certain timeframe will be administratively withdrawn. Minimum Technology Requirements: Familiarity with Canvas is very important. It is your responsibility to learn how to navigate Canvas and to check it daily. You should use your own secure login and password for Canvas to complete all coursework and assignments on an individual basis. You must check Canvas daily for any updates and announcements. Canvas keeps accurate records and all claims are verified with the Canvas Administrator. False claims, such as false Canvas issues, are considered cheating and will be pursued to the maximum extent possible. For Canvas help, please visit Canvas Student Guide page, or Canvas Video tutorials for students, or contact Loyola's Online Learning Team (OLT) by sending an email to Onlineed@loyno.edu. You are also responsible for your computer and internet connection. A faulty internet connection or computer system crash does not excuse you from completing an assignment or exam. You must check the connection and functionality of your computer before you begin working on assignments, exam, or other coursework.
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