AP/MODR1760 6.0 D: Reasoning About Morality and Values
Offered by: MODR
Session
Fall 2020
Term
Y
Format
LECT
Instructor
Calendar Description / Prerequisite / Co-Requisite
This is a skills-based course focusing on critical thinking, critical writing, and logical and linguistic analysis. The course uses examples drawn from areas in the humanities where value judgements are made. Different sections will stress different topics in ethics, aesthetics, religion or law. Course credit exclusions: AP/MODR 1730 6.00, AP/MODR 1770 6.00.
Course Start Up
Course Websites hosted on York's "eClass" are accessible to students during the first week of the term. It takes two business days from the time of your enrolment to access your course website. Course materials begin to be released on the course website during the first week. To log in to your eClass course visit the York U eClass Portal and login with your Student Passport York Account. If you are creating and participating in Zoom meetings you may also go directly to the York U Zoom Portal.
For further course Start Up details, review the Getting Started webpage.
For IT support, students may contact University Information Technology Client Services via askit@yorku.ca or (416) 736-5800. Please also visit Students Getting Started UIT or the Getting Help - UIT webpages.
Professor Brian Huss
huss@yorku.ca
Times and locations: Please note that this is a course that depends on remote teaching and learning. There will be no in-person interactions or activities on campus.
This course is about reasoning, and more specifically, about the difference between good and bad reasoning. It is imperative that you are able both to reason well yourself and to evaluate the reasoning of others. The particular focus here is reasoning about ethics, but we will also cover probabilistic reasoning, scientific reasoning, and the nature of evidence in general.
There are a variety of topics covered in this course from various fields, including philosophy, other humanities, and the social sciences. Sources for these topics will include a textbook written by me, academic articles, pieces written for a general audience, videos, and other media.
There are a variety of teaching and learning techniques employed as well, including online lectures, online quizzes, reading assignments, and short papers.
Technical requirements for taking the course: Video lectures will be available on the Moodle site for students to view at their convenience. Optional live Zoom meetings with the instructor will take place at the time scheduled for this class in order for students to discuss issues with each other and with the instructor. Written assignments will be turned in via the Moodle site, and timed quizzes will also take place via Moodle’s interface.
Here are some useful links for student computing information, resources and help:
Zoom@YorkU User Reference Guide
Computing for Students Website
Student Guide to eLearning at York University
To determine Internet connection and speed, there are online tests, such as Speedtest, that can be run.]
All required readings will be made available on the Moodle site.
Times and locations: Please note that this is a course that depends on remote teaching and learning. There will be no in-person interactions or activities on campus.
- Academic Honesty
- Student Rights and Responsibilities
- Religious Observance
- Grading Scheme and Feedback
- 20% Rule
No examinations or tests collectively worth more than 20% of the final grade in a course will be given during the final 14 calendar days of classes in a term. The exceptions to the rule are classes which regularly meet Friday evenings or on Saturday and/or Sunday at any time, and courses offered in the compressed summer terms. - Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
