Dr. Duff R. Waring
dwaring@yorku.ca

This course offers an introduction to the field of applied ethics, the central concern of which is the application of ethical theory to actual practical problems involving individuals and societies. Some of the controversial problems we will evaluate are abortion, euthanasia, pornography, free speech, and capital punishment. Students will be exposed to the major theoretical approaches to normative ethics in Western philosophy and apply them in a critical evaluation of these problems.

Technical requirements for taking the course: You will need a computer (or other smart device), and a Yorku ID and Password. You are expected to participate in this course via Zoom and the Yorku eClass website. In addition to a stable, higher-speed Internet connection, you will need a computer with webcam and microphone, and/or a smart device with these features. Two lectures per week will be prerecorded and posted on the eClass/Moodle course website before your tutorials. These constitute the asynchronous part of the course. Tutorials will be held “live” via Zoom at the scheduled times (see below).

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

Student Guide to Moodle

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. Your tutorials will be “live” via Zoom and will be held synchronously at the scheduled times specified in the academic calendar. They will not be recorded. Tutorial 1: Mondays at 9:30. Tutorial 2: Mondays at 10:30. Tutorial 3: Wednesdays at 9:30. Tutorial 4: Wednesdays at 10:30.

Virtual office hours: Mondays 11:30 – 12:30 via Zoom.

Hugh LaFollette, ed., Ethics in Practice: An Anthology, 5th edition (Malden, Massacusetts: Wiley-Blackwell Publishers, 2020). Abbreviated references in the lecture schedule will be to this volume.

First Essay: (1500-2000words max) due in class on Thurs. Oct. 22: 30%.

Second Essay: (2500-3000 words max) due Tues. Nov. 24:  35%.

Final Test (essay answer format): 35%.

These essays must be argumentative. See the Essay Writing Handbook for Philosophy Students that will be posted on the Course Website.

This course will have a mixture of asynchronous and synchronous elements. The two weekly lectures will be pre-recorded via Zoom and posted on the eClass/Moodle course website before your tutorials. These lectures were to be delivered on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:30 – 12:30. I will use one of these times for a virtual office hour (Mondays 11:30 – 12:30) and post the pre-recorded lectures before the days on which they were scheduled to be delivered. Your tutorials will be held “live” via Zoom on their scheduled days and times. They will  not be recorded, and I urge you to attend them diligently.

Students will learn to write argumentative essays which outline and defend a position on controversial moral topics.

Students will learn to apply conceptual analysis of key terms in moral debates to practical proposals about how these debates should be resolved through policy, law, or morally sensitive behaviour.

Course policies:

There are no marks for attendance or participation. You are, however, responsible for the required readings and everything covered in the lectures.

Your Use of My Pre-Recorded Lectures:

Please note that 1) the pre-recorded lectures should be used for educational purposes only and as a means for enhancing accessibility; 2) students do not have my permission to duplicate, copy and/or distribute the recordings outside of the class (these acts can violate not only copyright laws but also FIPPA); and 3) all recordings will be destroyed after the end of classes.

Grading and  Assignment Submission:

Late Penalties:

Written assignments must be submitted to on the due date. Late submissions will be penalized 5% of the assignment value per day including weekends. Hard copies must be submitted to your tutorial leader in class. If submitted late, they must be dated and left in the drop box in the Philosophy Dept. on the 4^th floor of the South Ross Building. In exceptional cases (e.g., serious illness with proper and legible documentation from a physician), your tutorial leader may exercise discretion and waive the late penalty.

Grading:  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, B 70 to 74, C+ 65 to 69, C 60 to 64, D+ 55 to 59, D 50 to 54, E 40 to 49 and F is anything below 40).

For a full description of York grading system see the York University Undergraduate Calendar - http://calendars.registrar.yorku.ca/pdfs/ug2004cal/calug04_5_acadinfo.pdf.

The Senate Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy stipulates that  (a) the grading scheme (i.e. kinds and weights of assignments, essays, exams, etc.) be announced, and be available in writing, within the first two weeks of class, and that, (b) under normal circumstances, graded feedback worth at least 15% of the final grade for Fall, Winter or Summer Term, and 30% for ‘full year’ courses offered in the Fall/Winter Term be received by students in all courses prior to the final withdrawal date from a course without receiving a grade (see the policy for exceptions to this aspect of the policy - http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/legislation/senate/gradfeed.htm.

Academic Integrity:

I take academic integrity very seriously. I require that you be honest about submitting your own work and that you cite your sources with accuracy. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. We will review parts of the Yorku Academic Integrity tutorial in class. I strongly urge you to do it on your own and discuss your results with me. To do so, go to the Academic Integrity web site at York University (http://www.yorku.ca/academicintegrity), to read the section ‘For Students’, and to complete the Academic Integrity Tutorial: (http://www.yorku.ca/tutorial/academic_integrity/). The tutorial is designed to help you learn about central aspects of academic integrity. It explores plagiarism and related matters with excellent examples and supportive strategies. It will aid you in your academic endeavors and help you to avoid breaching the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty.

I also require that all students submit their essay assignments to Turnitin.com. Instructions will be provided on the course website and sent to you via e-mail. Pursuant to the Guidelines of the Yorku Academic Advisory Group, students have the right to opt out of submitting assignments to Turnitin. If you elect not to use Turnitin, then your TA and I will conduct our own academic integrity review which will require one or more of the following: the submission of multiple drafts, the submission of a detailed annotated bibliography, or the submission of photocopies of source documents. We may also require you to take an oral examination directed at issues of your assignment’s originality, ask you to respond in writing to questions about your assignment’s originality, or provide a written report concerning the process of completing the work. The easiest option is submitting to Turnitin. We will not assign a grade to any essay that has not been submitted to Turnitin or that has not met my requirements for an alternative academic integrity review.