PHI2604

Critical Thinking & Ethics

"Virtue... is concerned with that which is harder."
-Aristotle

Specific reading assignments to follow.
Section 1 (Weeks 1-4): Critical Thinking 
Section 2 (Weeks 5-8) Moral Theories
Section 3 (Weeks 9-12) Applied Issues
Section 4 (Weeks 13-16) Business, Ethics, and the Environment

***Click here for the syllabus***

Please log in to Angel Learning for additional materials.

About this Course:
This course develops skills in critical thinking by examining various topics in professional ethics. The course is designed to achieve two broad objectives: first, to enable students to reason more effectively, enhancing their problem-solving abilities; and, second, to provide students with a foundation in ethics, enabling them to think more constructively about ethical issues that arise in the workplace. This course combines these two objectives by using professional ethics as a vehicle for developing critical thinking skills. In accomplishing the course objectives, students will study methods of effective reasoning, reflect critically upon their own values and ethical standards, develop a philosophical understanding of the nature of work, and formulate a professional code of conduct. With this foundation, students will apply their critical thinking skills to various problems that arise in professional ethics, such as affirmative action, sexual harassment, age discrimination, and the impact of industry upon the environment.

This is a paper-less, web-enhanced course. That means that throughout the duration of this class, you will need access to a computer and will need to spend approximately two hours weekly on the course in Angel Learning. You may use computers for free through the campus library and computer courtyards.

Textbook
The text for this class is Critical Thinking and Ethics by Seay et al. Its ISBN number is 978-0-536-19567-1. There will be two copies of the text available on reserve at the library. Supplemental materials will be available on MDC Angel Learning. I will also put several reference books on reserve for you to use when you are working on your term paper.

Course Competencies

·  An understanding of the principles of critical thinking

·  An understanding of ethics

·  The ability to apply critical thinking skills to the study of professional ethics

 General Education Outcomes

·     Solve problems using critical and creative thinking and scientific reasoning.

·     Create strategies that can be used to fulfill personal, civic, and social responsibilities.

·     Demonstrate knowledge of ethical thinking and its application to issues in society.

·     Use computer and emerging technologies effectively.

·     Recognize the impact of humans on the environment.

There will be four main requirements in this course: three unit exams and a term paper. All of these assignments will be completed online in Angel Learning.  Each assignment is worth 100 points, and there are total of 400 points.

Unit Exams: The first three units of the class each have a unit exam worth 100 points.  The exams will be administered online in Angel Learning, and you will have four days to complete each exam.

Term Paper: The term paper will be about 3-4 pages and will demonstrate your ability to make and assess arguments. You will have the option to turn in at least one draft of the paper to me for review. I recommend this to ensure optimal performance on the paper, and to maximize the skills you will take away from writing this paper. Though only 3-4 pages in length, there will be very specific parameters to this assignment, and it will make very particular demands of your writing skills and critical thinking skills. We will spend some class time going over exactly how to write the paper so you will be adequately prepared to meet the challenge. You will also receive a rubric that will show you exactly how the paper will be graded.

Each of the four assignments are worth 100 points. At the end of the semester, I will total together your points, add any extra credit you have earned, and divide by 400 for your final percentage. The percentages convert to letter grades using the standard 10 point grading scale.

 ·  Reading Assignments: Reading assignments are posted on the course site and in Angel Learning on http://faculty.mdc.edu/sjamil. It is your responsibility to keep up with the reading assignments.

 ·  Academic Integrity: Lying, cheating, plagiarism, or any form of academic dishonesty in anything related to this course (attendance, make-up work, etc.) will be grounds for institutional punishment in accordance with the Students Rights and Responsibilities Manual.

 ·  Late Work and Make-Up Work: The only reason I will accept late work is when an appropriate, documented excuse is presented. Because most of the graded work is done online, and you have several days to do it, it is only in rare cases that I will accept work late for full credit. Work turned in late without a documented excuse will be subject to a ten point per 24 hours late penalty. Incompletes are only granted in extreme cases, when documentation is provided.

 ·  Attendance: I keep track of attendance for administrative purposes only. There will be a pre-printed sign-in sheet handed out each time class meets. You will initial to sign in for that day. By initialing, you agree that you were present in class for the material covered. It is your responsibility to withdraw from the course by the requisite deadline if you do not want to stay in the course.

 ·  Lateness: Walking in late disrupts the class and the learning curve for everyone in the room, so do not be late to class.

 ·  Access: Students requiring special services to aid them in this course need to self-identify to the Access office, and have the Access office send me the requisite paperwork within the first three weeks of the semester. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Access office will make all arrangements necessary, but you must self-identify and specifically request that the Access department contact me. For more information, see the Student Rights and Responsibilities manual.

 ·  EA/EO: MDC is an Equal Access/Equal Opportunity campus. As explained in the Student Rights and Responsibilities manual, MDC does not discriminate on the basis of gender, religion, race, ethnicity, disability, or national origin.

 ·  Intellectual Respect: The college community represents a wide diversity of opinions and beliefs, and though one of the goals in this class is to challenge those opinions and beliefs (our own and those of others), we must do so in the most respectful of ways. Eye-rolling, name-calling, etc. are not acceptable at all in this classroom. If you do decide to degrade, insult, or demean someone’s opinion, you will be asked to leave class and not to return until you can act like a grown-up. All challenges to opinions and beliefs must be intellectually grounded and appropriately spoken. I never, ever, ever want to hear the words “That’s stupid.” We aren’t five year olds, and we can articulate our thoughts beyond that.