Dr. Duff R. Waring, LL.B., Ph.D.
dwaring@yorku.ca
Office Location:  S428 Ross Building
Phone Number:  (416) 736-2100 Ext. 33522

Office Hours:  Mondays 1:30 - 2:30

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 engage with are abortion, euthanasia, pornography, free speech, capital punishment, recreational drug use, the right to bear arms, environmental ethics, world hunger, immigration, and the waging of war. 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.

Course Structure: This course is completely in-person. There are no asynchronous, online components. The eClass/Moodle course website will be used to post course-related documents and anonymized grade sheets. My lectures will be delivered on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:30 – 12:30. I always leave time in my lectures for class discussion, so be prepared to think out loud with me and your student colleagues.

This course is not all about me. You have two eminently qualified TAs who will be leading your tutorials. As such, the three of us are a teaching team. Your TA is an invaluable resource for questions about the required readings, essay writing, and proper citation. Some of the most interesting discussions will take place in their tutorials, so if you want to make the most of this course, make the most of what your TAs have to offer.

Your tutorials will be held on their scheduled days and times (TBA). They will not be recorded, and I urge you to attend them diligently. Students are expected to read the assigned materials beforehand and to participate actively in tutorial discussions. Exam questions will be related directly to the materials discussed in tutorials, contained in the required readings, and covered in the lectures. You will be discussing some very contentious moral issues about which reasonable people disagree. Civility and intellectual respect for colleagues are virtues we will cultivate.

Hugh LaFollette, ed., Ethics in Practice: An Anthology, 5^th edition (Malden, Massachusetts: Wiley-Blackwell Publishers, 2020). Abbreviated references in the lecture schedule will be to this volume. You can also purchase an eBook edition that you can order from the Yorku eClass course website.

General Normative Theory Quiz: Mon. Sept. 26: 10%. This quiz will be handwritten in class. You will have 30 minutes max to write it. Answer booklets will be provided. Submit your booklets to your TA upon completion.

Short Paper (1500-2000 words max exclusive of bibliography and title page) due on Mon. Oct 17: 25%. Submit electronic copies to Turnitin on the eClass website by midnight.

Longer Research Paper (2500-3000 words max exclusive of bibliography and title page) due Friday Nov. 25:  35%. Submit electronic copies to Turnitin on the eClass website by midnight.

Final Exam: TBA. 30%.

By the end of this course, students will have have developed their abilities to: read and evaluate complex lines of argument and analysis; apply moral theory to concrete, contemporary moral problems, debate these problems with student colleagues, and to write argumentative essays.

Course Policies:

There are no marks for attendance or participation. You are, however, responsible for the required readings and everything covered in the lectures and tutorials. You will do much better, and get more out of the course, if you attend both.

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. 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. The proper citation of sources is an essential scholarly skill that is required in this course. You must be honest about submitting your own work and you must cite all of your sources with accuracy. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Please review the Yorku Senate Policy on Academic Honesty (https://secretariat-policies.info.yorku.ca/policies/academic-honesty-senate-policy-on/). I also urge you to complete the Academic Integrity Tutorial: (https://www.library.yorku.ca/spark/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 by your TAs. 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.