GLOBAL ETHICS  

Professor: Eva Maria Raepple

Office: IC 2011d / Tel. 630 942 3983

Web site: http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/raepple/index.htm

Southerfried. Justicia. morgue file.08/02/07. http://morguefile.com/archive/?display=93433

How ought one to live as a human being among other human beings? This central question of the study of ethics becomes considerably more complex if asked in a global context. In the multifaceted global environment, theoretical reflection and analysis need to be drawn from a variety of disciplines to address justice and injustice beyond national, ethnic or religious boundaries. To determine what values and guidelines are most suitable answers to the above questions have occupied the minds of many human beings throughout the centuries. Whether a certain basis for moral decision-making or theory is more appropriate than another one requires our ability to analyze diverse approaches to ethical questions, investigate their complex contexts, and begin to critically assess those. Ultimately, such a discourse should enable everyone to argue convincingly for a certain moral position. The goal is to critically investigate, discuss, and analyze theoretical frameworks in order to address current policy and develop the ability to responsibly deal with situations posing ethical dilemmas on a practical level.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of the course the student should be able to do the following:

• Comprehend major ways in which humankind has tried to think about and understand moral/ethical questions, issues, and problems regarding human values and actions from philosophical and religious perspectives.
• Describe the major elements, theories, and principles involved in ethics
• Describe philosophical and religious approaches to moral/ethical decision-making in a global context
• Debate some traditional and contemporary moral/ethical problems or issues using the elements of ethics to analyze them and thereby apply theory to practice
• Recognize issues of racism and sexism in current concrete manifestations in areas of concern
• Argue convincingly and responsibly for a certain moral position in a global context

Requirements

Participation in this class is vital for a grade A or B. It is worth 20% of the grade. Discussions regarding theories of ethics and moral issues in a global context require the diverse perspectives of all students to make this an interesting and most productive course. There are several ways to show your contribution:

a) Read the texts, mark key concepts and passages, and, if necessary, read again. It is very hard to talk about a topic if students are not informed about it. Thorough preparations of the sometimes complex texts will also be your most valuable preparation for the required written essays.

b) Please ask questions. Questions offer important contributions to class discussions.

c) Bring current materials, for examples newspaper articles, to be discussed in the context of the class.

You are asked to keep a notebook in MYCOD with the questions for each reading. Please include the topic of the reading and the date. The questions need to be submitted with the project and will play an important role in you participation grade.

Assignments - 40% of the accumulative grade will be determined by a number of essays written during class sessions in the computer-lab. Please check the calendar in MyCOD regarding place and times. The assignment will require a brief analysis of a philosophical theory or argument as well as a critical response. Usually, an assignment should be 1-2 pages; double spaced 12 point font. The goal is to develop argumentative skills. The assignments need to be turned in after 75 minutes.

Project: During the second half of the semester, all students will be required to initiate a discussion about an ethical question in the current global context. Please begin early to consider which issue you might be interested in. Select bibliographic sources and materials, study those, and develop an argument. Ideally your group should present several controversial perspectives since each group member presents an argument. Your argument should take at least one of the global ethical theories into consideration, which are studied in this course (check the textbook for the diverse ethical theories and a list of potential issues for discussion pp. 437 ff.). With your project, you will be required to hand in an outline of your argument, a bibliography with descriptive abstracts of your sources as well as materials used to prepare your topic for the class discussion.

Please submit:

a) Your ethical argument (3 pages for each student). A brief overview on the structure of arguments is available at: http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/raepple/philosophy/Structure%20of%20an%20argument.htm

b) Abstracts of all your bibliographic academic sources (minimum five). A Goggle search on your topic one night before the project is due will not be sufficient! Here is a guide to Writing Abstracts .

d) Abstracts of other materials (video, newspaper articles)

Please use MLA style documentation. The following Web sites are very helpful tools for the documentation of your sources:

Sources: Their Use and Acknowledgment http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sources/

The grading will particularly consider the following aspects:

a) the scope of preparation for the project (research, academic resources)

b) whether the presentations and questions initiated lively discussion in the classroom

c) whether your topic is addressed, taking a global perspective into consideration where applicable

d) whether the topic is investigated from diverse ethical perspectives (such as Kantian ethics, Aristotelian Virtue ethics, Confucian ethics et el.)

e) a clearly and concisely stated: thesis (the main claim or idea -- of the view(s) you are explicating), the argument to support your thesis, and your own evaluation of the merits or demerits of the view(s).

Be creative in your approach to present your topic in an interesting way and prepare questions that engage the students in a debate about the topic.

Attendance - In case a class is missed, it is your responsibility to keep up with the material, in particular the computer sessions and assignments. Please be on time for class. Respect for others will make this class a much more enjoyable and productive environment for, thinking, and learning. You can withdraw from this course until the eight day after the mid-term without my permission. Yet often it is a good idea to contact me before you take this step. In many cases, adjustments on my or your side can lead to other solutions. In general, after the 8th day after the mid-quarter, I only allow for withdrawal if you have significant reasons, which were out of your control. Please, also consult the withdrawal policy of College of DuPage.

Grading

Course Material:

• Michael C. Brannigan. Ethics Across Cultures. Boston: Mc Graw Hill, 2004.

The book is available in the College of DuPage bookstore.

Academic Resources Online:

• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 08/02/07 http://plato.stanford.edu/
• Oxford Dictionary to Philosophy.08/02/07 Philosophy, The Oxford Dictionary Of (Advice: You need to have a current library card to access the source. Have this link open on your computer while reading the primary philosophical texts.)
• BBC World Service. 08/31/07. http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/global_business.shtml
• Human Rights Watch.08/31/07 http://www.hrw.org/
• Amnesty International. 08/31/07 http://www.amnesty.org/
• Oxfam. 08/31/07 http://www.oxfam.org.uk/

Readings (tentative)