Steven M. Cahn and Peter Markie. Ethics: History, Theory, and Contemporary Issues. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press (1998).

Suppose you borrow an ax from your neighbor to split some firewood for the winter. You keep the ax for a few weeks, and one evening your neighbor comes pounding on your door and demands that you return the ax immediately. Your neighbor's eyes are wild with anger and he is sweating profusely. You ask if something's the matter. Your neighbor replies, "Shut up and give me that ax!!" What ought you do? I suspect most of us would decide not to return the ax until, perhaps, the neighbor has calmed down. But why is that the morally right thing to do? What reasons do we have for claiming that it is the right thing to do? What are the reasons for thinking the previous reasons are good reasons? What do we mean by 'right' and 'good', anyway? The answers to these questions fall into the horizon of "ethics" or "moral philosophy."

In this course, we shall consider a variety of moral issues which have generated a considerable amount of heated debate in our society and attempt to get clear about how one might go about giving a thoughtful response to these issues. One way to determine what is right is to appeal to a particular moral theory; there are many to choose from, so we shall spend a good portion of the class discussing the pros and cons of a few you may or may not have considered.

The mid-term and final exams will be multiple choice, true/false, matching (i.e., no essay); 50 questions per test. The final is NOT cumulative. You are responsible ONLY for the material introduced and discussed in class and material in the text that is discussed in class. These tests are designed to assess your absorption of information and your ability to apply what you have learned, rather than your ability to do philosophy.

You will be required to write three reaction papers throughout the semester. Topics will be announced ahead of time. The papers are to be original work, involving philosophical criticism of a particular person's opinion or argument. These papers must be double-spaced, typed, and no less than 2-3 pages in length. You will not be required to use any outside sources; these papers should reflect your ability to summarize and discuss a particular position concisely and critically. Be sure to check grammar and spelling! Any paper not meeting these requirements will receive a grade no higher than the equivalent of a 'C'. I accept rough drafts, and in fact I encourage you to give me one (please, no later than two days before the due date!). Papers are due no later than the beginning of class on the assigned day. Late papers will not be accepted. In the case of an emergency, you will need to supply written documentation.

Plagiarism and Cheating: I strictly uphold the TCU Academic Honor Code published in the TCU Student Handbook.

About mid-way through the semester, when we are ready, I shall divide the class into small groups or two or three. Each group will be assigned an essay or article out of the text and will be required to prepare a summary and criticism of that piece and lead the class in discussion on the specified day. The group as a whole will be required to construct a handout for the class. The handout can take any form but should at least provide instructional information such as main ideas and arguments. Each member of each group will also be required to write a 4-5 page paper in which s/he offers his or her own summary and discussion of the topic and any pertinent criticisms. Details on what counts as a good summary and good philosophical criticism will be provided in class during the semester.

Class participation is a must! I encourage everyone to participate regularly in any class discussion. For some of you this will be a painful experience; for others, not so. But everyone stands to benefit from learning how to express themselves clearly and confidently. One of the skills which I would like for you to develop is the ability to express your opinions with well-reasoned argument. I shall be explaining what counts as well-reasoned argument as the semester progresses, but part of the key to success involves becoming comfortable with class participation. There is no formal grade for class participation, but since the class size is small I shall remember those who do participate come final grade time.

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should contact and provide appropriate documentation to the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities (Center for Academic Services) as soon as possible.

It is important that you attend class, and therefore you MUST come to class. Again, since the class size is small I shall remember those who do and do not attend class regularly. If you do not attend class regularly, I guarantee you will NOT do well in this class.

Note: I have left the schedule fairly flexible so that we can allow room for extended discussion. The following the the general course of events. Any modifications to the schedule will be announced ahead of time in class.