Parisa Moosavi

pmoosavi@yorku.ca

This course is an introduction to some of the foundational questions in moral, political, and legal philosophy. We will engage with ethical questions regarding global justice and poverty, punishment and the death penalty, liberty and drug use, oppression, affirmative action, and sexual morality. Our aim in this course is not necessarily to find the right or wrong answers to all of these questions. Instead, we will use the fundamental tools of philosophy to better understand what these questions are asking and how best to argue for and defend various conclusions intended to answer them.

The core elements of this course can all be completed asynchronously on eClass (Moodle). However, there are also a few synchronous extensions available in the course, which are conducted on Zoom. Participation in these synchronous extensions is optional.

• eClass: eClass (Moodle) will be used for delivering the course lectures, assignments, discussion forums, and quizzes. The students will need a computer or smart device with an internet connection to access eClass.
• Zoom (for optional extensions): The course includes a number of optional synchronous extensions that are conducted through Zoom. These extensions include virtual office hours and virtual small-group writing workshops. Participation in these extensions requires access to stable, higher-speed internet connection. The students will need a computer or smart device with webcam and microphone to access these extensions.

Please review this syllabus for the details of how the lectures, tutorials, assignments, quizzes, and office hours will be delivered.

Here are some useful links for student computing information, resources and help:

Student Guide to eClass

Zoom@YorkU Best Practices 

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.

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.

Please review the section titled “Organization of the Course” below for a detailed schedule of various elements of the course.

Virtual Office Hours: The course instructor’s virtual office hours are scheduled on Tuesdays, 4:30 - 5:30 pm. The meetings are conducted on Zoom as optional live Q&A sessions. You may drop in to chat and ask your questions. The Zoom link for the live sessions can be accessed on eClass. For individual appointments, please email the course instructor.

The course will use a reading kit. This reading kit is available as a physical book (not an e-book) to purchase through the bookstore’s website.

The core elements of this course can all be completed asynchronously. However, there are also a few synchronous extensions available in the course. Participation in these synchronous extensions is optional. These optional extensions are conducted via Zoom, and include virtual office hours and virtual small-group writing workshops.

Please review the table below for the details of various elements of the course.

Completing the work for this course will:

• Introduce you to some of the most central questions in moral philosophy and applied ethics.
• Teach you the motivations behind the primary positions in the field, along with their benefits and flaws.
• Improve your ability to read difficult texts with comprehension.
• Improve your ability to analyze and evaluate arguments.

Improve your ability to communicate complicated ideas in concise prose.

Grading Policy:  The grading scheme for the course conforms to the 9-point grading system used in undergraduate programs at York (e.g., A+ = 9, A = 8, B+ - 7, C+ = 5, etc.).  Assignments and tests* will bear either a letter grade designation or a corresponding number grade (e.g.  A+ = 90 to 100, A = 80 to 90, B+ = 75 to 79, etc.)

(For a full description of York grading system see the York University Undergraduate Calendar here.)

Assignment Submission: Proper academic performance depends on students doing their work not only well, but on time.  Accordingly, assignments for this course must be received on the due date specified for the assignment.

Assignments are to be submitted electronically on eClass.

Lateness Penalty: Please see the policy for each type of assignment below.

Paper assignments: You may be granted an extension of up to 5 days on a paper assignment, no questions asked, only if you email your TA requesting an extension at least 48 hours before the due date of the paper assignment. Late submission of any written assignment without an extension will be penalized 3 percentage points for each day that the assignment is late.

Completion quizzes: Completion quizzes are due 24 hours after class time on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The quizzes won’t be available online after the deadline. If you have a valid reason for missing a quiz, contact the course instructor as soon as possible to receive a make-up assignment. Note that you can miss one completion quiz (out of 21) with no penalty without having to provide justification.

Workshop Activities: These are two writing workshops that are designed to help you succeed in your major paper assignments. In order to participate in the workshops (either synchronously or asynchronously), you need to submit your topic and your draft/outline by the specified due dates. Given that the workshops are group activities, you won’t be able to participate in the workshop without submitting these elements of the assignment on time. If you have a valid reason for missing the workshops, contact the course instructor as soon as possible.

Tutorial Forum Participation: You will have 24 hours after the end of your specific tutorial time to submit your discussion forum contributions on eClass for receiving credit. The forums will remain open after the deadline, but contributions submitted after the deadline won’t receive credit unless they are accompanied with an acceptable justification. If you have a valid reason for missing the deadline (e.g., illness), you need to email your TA and provide supporting documentation (e.g., a doctor’s letter) as soon as possible. Note that you can miss one tutorial forum participation (out of 11) with no penalty without having to provide justification.

Use of Lecture Recordings: Students do not have permission to duplicate, copy and/or distribute the lecture recordings outside of the class (these acts can violate not only copyright laws but also FIPPA).