Parisa Moosavi
pmoosavi@yorku.ca

Office Location:  S441 Ross Building
Phone Number:  (416) 736-2100 (Ext. 77592)
Office Hours:  TBA

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.

Technical requirements for taking the course:

eClass (Moodle) and Zoom will be used in this course.

The course lectures are pre-recorded and will be delivered asynchronously on eClass.

Tutorials will be in-person. They will be held on campus.

Office hours will also be held on Zoom. To attend office hours, students will need a computer or smart device with webcam and microphone as well as stable, higher-speed internet connection.

The technical requirements for taking the course include:

• A computer or smart device with an internet connection to access eClass (Moodle), which will be used for delivering the course material, including pre-recorded lectures, assignments, and quizzes.
• Software necessary to view Microsoft Office files (MS Word and MS Powerpoint) and Adobe Reader (for pdf files).
• Video-conferencing technology (such as a webcam and microphone) for attending (optional) virtual office hours on Zoom, and in case holding tutorials remotely becomes necessary due to unpredictable circumstances related to the pandemic.

Please review the syllabus for more details on how the lectures, tutorials, office hours, assignments, and quizzes will be conducted.

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 course has both remote and in-person elements.

The course will follow a “flipped classroom” model. It will combine pre-recorded lectures with in-person tutorials. Lectures are to be watched before the time of your tutorials. Note that there is no option to attend the in-person tutorials remotely.

Lectures: Asynchronous

Tutorial 1: Mondays 10:30-11:30 (ACW  209)

Tutorial 2: Mondays 11:30-12:30 (ACW  302)

Tutorial 3: Wednesdays 10:30-11:30 (ACW  003)

Tutorial 4: Wednesdays 11:30-12:30 (CC  208)

Virtual office hours: The course director’s virtual office hours will be held on Zoom. The Zoom link for the live sessions can be accessed on eClass.

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.

Tutorial Attendance and Participation 15%

Quizzes (twice a week) 25%

Paper 1 (Argument Reconstruction) 10%

Paper 2 (Argument Assessment) 20%

Paper 3 (Comparative Essay) 30%

The lectures will be delivered asynchronously on eClass. But tutorials will be in person.

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.

Course policies

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.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI): Students are not permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) in this course. Submitting any work created through the use of generative AI tools will be considered a violation of York University’s Senate Policy on Academic Honesty. If you do not know whether an online resource or tool can be used in this course, please contact your instructor for guidance. For more information, please review AI Technology & Academic Integrity: Information for Students.

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

Paper assignments: You may be granted an extension of up to 3 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.

Quizzes: Quizzes for each lecture are opened at the official class time and are due by the end of the next day. The quizzes won’t be available online after the deadline. Note that you can miss one quiz with no penalty.

Workshop Activities: These are two writing workshops that are designed to help you succeed in your paper assignments. In order to participate in the workshops (which will be held synchronously on Zoom), you will need to submit your draft online by the specified due dates. Given that the workshops are group activities, you won’t be able to participate in the workshops without submitting these drafts on time. If you cannot participate in a workshop, you need to opt out of it online by the sign-up due date.

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).