1. Philosophy 107 H: Ethics
Harold Washington College
Course Syllabus | Summer 2016
Course Instructor: Michael Ossman
Office: 311F
Office Hours: 10:30 am - 12:00 pm M, W, TH (also by appointment after 2:30 pm those days)
Contact info: mossman@ccc.edu
Course information:
Location/time: Room 317 / M, W, TH 12:30 – 2:20 pm
Credit hours: 3
Catalog number: 10181
Term length: 8 weeks (06/08/16 – 07/30/16)
Course Description:
Ethics is one of the most easily defined branches of philosophy: put simply, it is the study of right and wrong.
However, as the philosopher John Stuart Mill remarked in the opening paragraph of his 1863 treatise on ethics,
Utilitarianism,
"There are few circumstances among those which make up the present condition of human knowledge,
more unlike what might have been expected... than the little progress which has been made in the
decision of the controversy respecting the criterion of right and wrong." [emphasis added]
In other words: after thousands of years of trying, humanity still has no consensus on the big question of ethics
(even after Mill's attempt in his book). Yet, this lack of consensus, perhaps even the impossibility of consensus,
should not stop us from pursuing the study of ethics.
This is where you come in. Although we will not solve the big problem, we may be able to solve some smaller
ones. Even if we cannot define Right and Wrong for all time, we can expand our individual and collective
understanding of those concepts and their usage throughout history and in modern society. That's exactly what I
intend to ask of you in these eight weeks: to open your mind and expand your understanding.
This course will be one part history of ethics and another part modern takes on some of those issues. It is my hope
that you will join me in our collective effort to understand these issues more deeply – even if we end up raising
more questions than answers.

2. By choosing to take this course, you are committing yourself to making an honest effort to attend class every day
we meet, and be prepared with required work and reading on those days. Our class is a kind of short-term
community, and if everyone in the community does their work, then it will function well, and increase the benefits
we all get from it. In other words, your preparedness and effort affects not only you, but also the class as a whole.
My hope is that by the end of the semester, our group will function like a well-oiled machine, ready to
tackle any philosophical issue, large or small. If we get there, the rewards for all of us will be significant.
Required Text (definitely required):
Cahn, Steven. Ethics. 5th
ed. ISBN: 0199797269. Can be purchased through the Harold Washington College
bookstore or by other means (e.g. Amazon.com).
Course Objectives and Outcomes:
1. That students become familiar with the several historically representative theories/systems of Ethical
philosophy and their key terms and concepts.
2. That students differentiate the subject matter and concerns of Ethical/Moral philosophy in general, religious
Ethics, and other disciplines.
3. That students achieve a basic understanding of the issues involved in the often perplexing, always controversial
moral dilemmas of our time.
4. That students come to view the representative Ethical theories as distinctive perspectives from which to
generate possible solutions to often difficult moral problems.
Required Coursework:
Weekly Summaries (40% of total grade, 8 summaries @ 5% each)
These summaries will ask you to read carefully and pick out the main arguments or claims the philosopher is
making, and also the evidence or support for that claim. You will be required to write about one page, typed,
double spaced, 12 pt font, standard margins. For the first four summaries (which we will do in the first two weeks
– hitting the ground running!), you will be given a prompt or question to answer. The next four will be more
open-ended, it will be up to you to pick out the major points being made and the support for those points.
Think of these assignments as reading comprehension tests. It will be difficult at first, because philosophy is hard
to read and understand, but with practice you will get better! I will grade them on completion and accuracy,
though with an emphasis on the former with the first four summaries.
I will accept hard copies or electronic on the due date (email mossman@ccc.edu), but you must have access to
them in class after week 2 (read: roundtable discussions below). Using a phone, laptop, or tablet is fine, but if you
lack those, then you should bring a hard copy to class. The first four summaries are due by midnight after class,
the next four are due before class on the due date.

3. "Roundtable" Discussions (30% of total grade, 6 sessions @ 5% each)
Beginning week 3, we will engage in either small group or full class “roundtable” discussions every Thursday
(with the exception of the final week). These discussions will be an opportunity for us to practice analyzing and
talking through arguments together in a much more interactive fashion than our standard lectures.
Prior to the discussion, I will pose specific questions that will be up for debate. I ask you all to prepare for these
by (a) bringing your summaries to class and (b) thinking about the questions posed before class begins (I
recommend taking notes on your thoughts). Make sure you are prepared in these ways and you will get full credit
for the discussion.
Lastly, I know that unexpected stuff happens, so you will each have one ‘freebie’ session for the semester, which
you will get full credit for regardless of being absent or unprepared. After that, if you are absent or unprepared,
you will get no credit or half credit for the discussion.
Final Essay (30% of total grade)
Incorporate your summary and analysis skills learned throughout the course to write a 4-5 page essay that
explains and criticizes a major claim of a philosopher we have studied. Topics will be distributed two weeks prior
to the due date but I highly encourage you to come up with a topic that you would like to write about (of course, it
must be based on the in-class readings). I will provide more guidance as the final approaches. Note that this paper
takes the place of any in-class final exam for the course (we will still meet during exam week, however).
Breakdown of points/grades:
1000 points total
A = 900-1000 points
B = 800-899 points
C = 700-799 points
D = 600-699 points
F = 0-599 points

4. Course Schedule (Subject to change – check Blackboard for latest)
Key:
R = Reading (to be done before class!)
C = In-class activity
Week Unit Monday Wednesday Thursday
1 (6/6) NO CLASS Introductions,
Syllabus
R: Plato, Crito (textbook or
online)
Summary due (Crito)
2 (6/13) Egoism R: Plato, Phaedo
(selection, textbook
or online)
Summary due
(Phaedo)
R: Hobbes,
Leviathan
(selection)
Summary due
(Hobbes)
R: Hobbes, Leviathan
(selection)
Summary due (Hobbes)
3 (6/20) Egoism R: Feinberg,
"Psychological
Egoism"
R: Finish Feinberg R: de Waal, "Lessons from
Primate Research"
(Blackboard)
C: Roundtable Discussion 1
Summary due (Feinberg)
4 (6/27) Utilitarianism R: Mill,
Utilitarianism
(selection)
R: Mill,
Utilitarianism
(selection)
C: Roundtable Discussion 2
Summary due (Mill)
5 (7/4) Utilitarianism NO CLASS –
Independence Day
R: Williams, "A
Critique of
Utilitarianism"
C: Roundtable Discussion 3
Summary due (Williams)
6 (7/11) Virtue Ethics R: Aristotle,
Nicomachean Ethics
(selection)
R: Aristotle,
Nicomachean Ethics
(selection)
C: Roundtable Discussion 4
Summary due (Aristotle),
Final Paper topics assigned
7 (7/18) Virtue Ethics R: Rachels, "The
Ethics of Virtue"
R: Wolf, "Moral
Saints"
C: Roundtable Discussion 5
8 (7/25) Applied Ethics R: TBD R: TBD C: Roundtable Discussion 6
Final Paper due
Housekeeping
Catalog Description – Philosophy of Religion—Introduction to major religious traditions, analyzing various conceptions
of God, values, reason, and faith. Writing assignments, as appropriate to the discipline, are part of the course. 150 minutes
per week. 3 credit hours.
No-Show Withdrawal Policy (NSW)
A student who is absent from the first two class sessions and has not contacted his/her instructor of intent to pursue the
course will have his/her registration canceled by the college and will be given NSW (no show withdrawal) status. For
classes meeting only once a week, the first session is considered the equivalent of two class meetings for purposes of
NSW.
Blackboard

5. To access Blackboard please go to ccc.blackboard.com and enter your CCC username and password. Your course will
appear once you are logged in. If you do not have (or forgot) your CCC username and password, go to my.ccc.edu and
click on the link at the bottom of the screen to retrieve your username.”
Grades First
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in their classes. Use Grades First to schedule tutoring or advising appointments, or to see communications about your
course progress generated by me or your other professors.
Active Pursuit
You must be in Active Pursuit of the course to remain enrolled in the course. Active Pursuit is defined as: “The
completion of assignments, In-class-projects and general activities of the class, as well as maintaining attendance that
allows you the opportunity to effectively succeed in the course.”
Plagiarism
Plagiarism in any form will not be tolerated. See the Student Policy Manual, page 65 for the CCC plagiarism policy.
Student Conduct Policy
I expect you to be respectful in the classroom to myself and your classmates. This includes silencing cellphones before
class begins and using laptop computers only for note taking, so as not to be distracting to the other students. See the
Student Policy Manual, p.66 for details.
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Tutors are available in a wide variety of subjects to assist students through individual and group tutoring sessions. Any
student should utilize tutoring services to gain a deeper comprehension of course content and to enhance learning
development. Free academic workshops are also available throughout the semester and will be advertised in the tutoring
areas and tutoring website.
Students can meet with a tutor by visiting one of the following tutor locations:
•Main Tutoring Center - Room 409
•Art Tutoring - 8th Floor (Must be currently enrolled in an HWC Art course)
•Applied Sciences - 7th Floor
•Math Tutoring - Room 702
•Math Emporium- Room 502 (Subject to Availability)
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services.
Additional Information
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Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973