PHILOSOPHY 2306 ETHICS (ONLINE) DR. STEVE BEST FALL 2016 .docx

PHILOSOPHY 2306: ETHICS (ONLINE)
DR. STEVE BEST
FALL 2016
EMAIL: [email protected] (work); [email protected] (home)
"If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities." Voltaire
"He is a philosopher who tramples underfoot prejudices,
tradition, antiquity, universal
assent, authority, in a word, everything that overawes the mass
of minds, who dares to think
for himself, to go back to the clearest general principles,
examine them, discuss them, admit
nothing save on the testimony of his experience and reasoning."
Diderot
"Why stay we on the earth unless to grow?" Robert Browning
“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do
nothing.” Edmund Burke
“Indifference elicits no response. Indifference is not a response.
Indifference is not a
beginning; it is an end. And, therefore, indifference is always
the friend of the enemy, for
it benefits the aggressor -- never his victim.” Elie Wiesel
“Cowardice asks the question, Ìs it safe?’ Expediency asks the
question, Ìs it
politic?’And Vanity comes along and asks the question, Ìs it
popular?’ But Conscience

asks the question `Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one
must take a position that
is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it
because Conscience tells him it
is right.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
!
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things
that matter." Martin
Luther King, Jr.
“Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain
its full breadth and
depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself
to humankind.” Albert
Schweitzer
Course Description
This course is an introduction to ethics and ethical reasoning.
We will spend most of the
course getting acquainted with the definition and meaning of
ethics, and seek in many
ways to transcend conventional views to produce a broader and
deeper definition and
understanding of ethics that places it at the center of a
meaningful, responsible, and
compassionate life. We will examine key ethical issues, explore
major philosophers’
ideas, and examine a number of core ethical traditions. The
course aims not only to
explain what ethics is, as a historical and philosophical matter,
but also how to do it, as a
reasoned practice relevant to contemporary society and to the
quality of one’s own
existence.

After the main focus on ethical theory, we devote the last part
of the course to applied
ethics, specifically to the topics of animal rights, ethical
veganism, and environmental
ethics. These profound issues surfaced in the last four decades
to become major new
fields of inquiry and to pose powerful challenges to Western
dogmas and humanist
traditions with their violent and destructive power pathologies.
I chose these issues
because: (1) they strongly relate to a key course goal to produce
a more comprehensive
and expansive concept of ethics than given by the Western
tradition; (2) they are
controversial, interesting, and stimulating; (3) they advance
moral evolution and ethical
progress; (4) they formulate bold new ways of thinking and
relating to ourselves, other
animals, and the world around us; and (5) they are deeply
relevant to the social, political,
and ecological change humanity so desperately needs in this
time of planetary crisis.
Course Purpose and Goals
Key objectives of this course are to introduce students to
traditional ethical figures,
theories, and traditions, and to constantly relate these to current
issues and problems in
our contemporary world. The course has an activist thrust that
emphasizes ethics not only
as a theory but most importantly as a practice; thus, ultimately
the course can help one to

become a better individual and better citizen in an era of
narcissistic egoism, vapid
consumerism, apathy, and socially-induced passivity.
By the end of the course, ideally, I ideally hope that each
student will:
!! Be able to identify key figures, traditions, themes, and
problems in philosophy
generally and ethics in specific
!! Understand the importance of philosophy in one’s daily life,
whatever one’s
career profession
!! Be more capable in debate and argumentation, and in
reflecting on ethical issues
as they relate to one’s own life and to the contemporary world
!! Develop a great joy for reading, learning, and thinking
!! Comprehend and use philosophical methods and techniques of
thinking
!! Apply critical thinking skills to various texts (articles, books,
videos, etc) and
diverse areas of personal and social life
!! Become a more autonomous and reflective person and better
decision-maker
!! Become a citizen instead of a consumer – a concerned,
informed, and active
person, involved in the community and in civic life
Course Requirements and Grading

The class is 7 weeks long, and each week is a different and
coherent unit unto itself, yet each
module also builds on and advances preceding lessons. Each
module is divided into
sections, which include:
!! An italicized overview of the topics
!! My background lecture (not to be skipped, these are
hyperlinked in each week’s
Blacboard’s unit)
!! A set of reading assignments
!! Questions and issues for discussion, review, and self-
evaluation
!! Suggested further research for maximal learning
The discussion section provides questions and materials for
students to critically reflect on
in online conversations with one another. Students are
encouraged to introduce their own
perspectives, questions, and topics. The review section
summarizes the key ideas you should
have mastered for each section and serves as a self-examination
to assess your
comprehension of the material.
There are no textbooks to buy for this course; all course
material is online, and linked in
the syllabus reading assignments for each week. It is crucial
that you do all reading
assignments on time and keep up with the syllabus and

discussion. In addition to doing
all the reading assignments, and demonstrating a good
understand and ideally critical
grasp of the main ideas, students are required to participate
regularly and meaningfully
in online discussion, engaging other students, and to write a
final exam.
Note: this class is fairly difficult: there is a fair amount of work
to do in a short period of
time, do not take it lightly or underestimate the challenge you
will face, as well as the
rewards you will gain. Immediately below and in the next
section, I clarify what I expect
in the 2 different areas I will evaluate your work and which will
comprise your final
grade:
I. Discussion Posts
I expect each student to make a minimum of 3 original
INDEPENDENT discussion posts
per week. These are to be responses to a chosen discussion topic
or two which I have
written up in the “Discussion” section following the
assignments list for each week. Do
NOT attempt to respond to all questions and topics, it is
impossible to do justice to more
than three.
I deem a “quality” discussion post to fulfill key criteria such as
the following:
!! It is at least 3-4 DETAILED (5-6 sentences) paragraphs in
length

!! It is clear and coherent in meaning, syntax, and style
!! It reflects an accurate understanding of the course material
being discussed (note
that some of the readings, such as introductions to a topic or
figure as found on
philosophy dictionary websites, are long and your task is to take
as much useful
information out of them as you can, not read and absorb
everything)
!! It displays an ability to relate the issues, themes, and
problems addressed in the
material to other course topics, current events, or other figures,
themes, and texts
generally; and
!! It demonstrates a grasp of “philosophical” thinking in its
ability, for instance, to
define terms, separate various issues and draw relevant
distinctions, and critically
analyze (rather than take at face value as true) and questions or
challenge claims
made by authors, commentators, and philosophers -- whether
Plato, Kant, or Marx
-- no philosopher, argument, or theory is flawless, perfect, or
immune to
questioning).
IN ADDITION, I am looking for evidence of INTERACTIVE
posts whereby you
comment on others’ thoughts and they comment on yours. These

need not be as carefully
constructed and thought out as you primary posts, and should be
improvisational and free
flowing as a good discussion would be. You should have a
minimum of three comments a
week on posts from other students in the class, and allow an
open discussion dynamic.
Thus, that is a minimum of six posts a week, and 42 for the
entire course, 21 posts in each
(independent and interactive category). Roughly, 42 good total
posts would constitute an
“A,” 32 would make a “B,” and 25 would be a “C,” etc., for
your discussion grade.
Since students have the most questions over the discussion posts
let me summarize and
clarify:
•! You are to chose 3 questions to address only, if you try to do
more you will say
too little about too much
•! Each independent post is to be substantive, thought through,
and well-composed,
and at least 3-4 good paragraphs in length
•! The interactive posts in no way need to be as long, but nor
should they be thin,
one sentence replies to someone (“Really liked your point,
Jose!”) without
elaborating on why one agrees or disagrees with someone else
•! The idea of the interactive posts is to critically dialogue with
other students about

philosophical issues and thus to allow free play
•! Do all the required reading first, making notes; then respond
to the discussion
questions that most interest you
•! At the same time, read what other students have posted and
do the minimum
responses to any post that interests you most
•! Begin the reading for each module on each Monday and
complete your posts by
the following Sunday, try to keep up with the pace
As philosophy is no doubt new to almost everyone in this
course, I expect modest
evidence of critical reading and thinking skills at first, but also
to see gradually
improvement and real learning demonstrated as the course
proceeds. See the next section
below on posting etiquette.
II. Final Exam
The final exam is a “take-home” and is to be 6-8 pages in
length, double-spaced, and
using a 12 point font. The final exam is comprehensive in
nature, and thus will cover the
entire semester’s course material. The questions will be handed
out at least a week before
the due date. You may discuss the exam with other class
members should that prove helpful,
but must not use the same examples or always answer the same
questions (when given an
option), and you must write wholly independent of one another

and in your own words, or
risk plagiarism (see below).
Final Grade
The final grade for the course will be broken down as follows:
Discussion forum participation: 50%
Final Essay exam: 50%
As philosophy is no doubt new to almost everyone in this
course, I expect modest
evidence of critical reading and thinking skills at first, but also
to see gradually
improvement and real learning demonstrated as the course
proceeds. See the next section
below on posting etiquette; I also expect polite, civil, and
respectful tones to be
maintained in class discussion at all times.
I will provide general class feedback on performance after the
first and second week, and
I will provide each of you individual feedback on your posts
after the third week.
Online Etiquette
When you log on for discussion, be prepared by having done the
reading and
assignments, and also be active and strive to put philosophical
skills and methods into
practice. Because of the controversial nature of the topics we
will explore, there will

naturally be differences in viewpoint, and thus arguments. But
disagreements need not be
disagreeable, and the clash of ideas is vital to learning, the
enterprise of philosophy, and
personal growth.
It is imperative that you always express yourself and interact
with others with sincerity,
honesty, kindness, and respect. Humility, openness, and self-
questioning are cardinal
virtues in philosophy, whereas dogma, arrogance, and closed-
mindedness are debilitating
vices. Whatever your views, don’t assume they are the best or
correct ones, that they
cannot or should not be modified or even abandoned, or that you
cannot learn from
dialogue with others. Please avoid self-righteousness, hostility,
ridicule, sarcasm, or other
disrespectful behaviors.
While of course I encourage your active participation in class
discussions, please seek the
Golden Mean: speak not too little, nor too much; be neither
passive, nor aggressive. Your
grade for the discussion part of the course will be based on the
quantity of your
contribution (regular, steady, but not excessive) and the quality
of your input, based on
accuracy of understanding texts and ideas, creative application
of ideas, critical thinking
skills, and ability to dialogue and argue in productive,
persuasive, and interesting ways.
Students are not expected or required to believe any particular
viewpoint or to agree with
me or any issue, in fact you may freely disagree with and

challenge anything find
productive to do so. But you are asked to be open to exploring
different viewpoints and
challenging ideas, and to think critically about your own
assumptions, received values,
and worldview. This class asks you to study new information, to
understand and critically
assess ideas, and to apply new ideas and skills toward your
everyday life and
involvement in this world in crisis.
Contacting Me and Tech Support
Students of course may freely contact me at any time they have
a concern, question, or
need. Rather than writing me through Moodle, please contact
me at my university
address or you will get a much quicker response if you write me
at my home address:
[email protected]
If you are as new to online courses, you will want to take the
Blackboard tutorials which
you can find here:
http://admin.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=74094. You may also
contact the Technology Support Help Desk, which lists hours of
operation, phone
numbers, and other relevant information here:
http://admin.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=63402.
Plagiarism Policy
Regarding your presentations and final exam, plagiarism will

not be tolerated. Any use of
material from reference works not cited, footnoted, quoted, or
paraphrased in your own
words, or any two student exams too closely resembling one
another, is considered
plagiarism. Instances of suspected plagiarism will be reported
to the Dean of Students, no --
questions asked or taken, and it is completely out of my hands
once I report a suspected
plagiarism case. I catch this a lot, and students pay a heavy
price, please don’t even think
about it. For resources on plagiarism and the UTEP plagiarism
policy, see:
https://academics.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=65927
http://sa.utep.edu/osccr/faculty-staff-resources/resources-links/.
*************************************************
Weekly Assignments and Modules
Week I, October 17: Introduction to Philosophy
What is Philosophy? What are the different branches and some
main traditions? Why
pursue philosophy in a materialist, profit-driven, consumerist
society? Is philosophy
relevant to my life, concerns, problems, goals, and happiness?
Does it have any
“practical value” in a crude utilitarian society? How can the
study of philosophy
enhance our lives in numerous ways?
Lecture: Introduction to Philosophy (this and all lectures for

each week are linked on the
Blackboard version of the syllabus)
Reading
Bertrand Russell, “10 Commandments of Philosophy”
http://www.uctaa.net/articles/reflections/ref01/ref019.html
The Main Branches of Philosophy
http://www.importanceofphilosophy.com/FiveBranchesMain.ht
ml
“The Field of Philosophy”
http://academics.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=24640
“Why Study Philosophy?”
http://philosophy.louisiana.edu/why.html
Discussion
"! Considering the various main branches of philosophy and
their different
emphases, what do they have in common? Can we usefully
distinguish between
the content of philosophy (the philosophy of … virtually
anything) and the form
of (the way or process of philosophy)? What is involved in
doing philosophy of
any kind?
"! Why is philosophy such a foreign, misunderstood, largely
ignored, and
stereotyped discipline, when it has obvious benefits for training
the mind,
deepening culture and education, producing better citizens, and

even benefiting
career pursuits?
"! What forces in society militate against philosophical thinking
and a more
prominent role for philosophy in our lives, schools, and culture?
Consider, for
instance, the imperatives, logic, and goals of the scientific-
technological world, on
the one hand, and those of the capitalist, consumerist, and mass
media cultures as
well.
"! What would you propose for boosting the role and influence
of philosophy in the
education system and cultural life? Can philosophy help to
promote better
citizenship skills, and thus a more vigorous democracy?
"! Upon viewing the film, “Philosophy: Guide to Happiness”
(http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/philosophy-guide-to-
happiness/ [note: this film
is long and divided into many sections, but well worth an entire
watch; if nothing
else, watching at least the first two segments on Socrates and
Epicurus), what can
you say about the role and relevance of philosophy to history,
cultural
development, and the pursuit of happiness and the good life?
Review
!! Define philosophy and the main traits of each branch of the
discipline.

!! What are key virtues for the practice of philosophy?
!! How is philosophy a unique discipline and pursuit knowledge
as opposed to
science on one side and religion on the other?
!! What benefits does studying philosophy have for the
spiritual, moral, and
practical life, as well as for various career pursuits?
Further Research
! Lou Marinoff, Plato Not Prozac: Appling Eternal Wisdom to
Everyday Problems
(http://www.amazon.com/Plato-Not-Prozac-Applying-
Everyday/dp/0060931361/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=131293435
6&sr=8-1). A
vivid, clear, and compelling example of the new (and
controversial and contested)
field of “philosophical therapy.” Regardless, the book makes it
clear that there is
deep wisdom in the philosophical traditions that are directly
relevant to between
life management and coping skills, and to increasing meaning,
happiness, and
satisfaction in one’s life.
! “In the Cave: Philosophy and Addiction.” Can Plato's allegory
of the cave shed
light on the condition of addiction? (http://nyti.ms/ycs1iT).
! “Western Philosophy’ (3 part documentary:
http://www.infocobuild.com/books-

and-films/social-science/western-philosophy-2002.html).
! Numerous satirical films and videos attack widespread
ignorance and apathy in a
soulless society dominated by corporations, government, media
monopoly, and
apathy. For a few of these, see: (1) Being There (starring Peter
Sellers as an
illiterate gardener who is mistaken for a genius and then elected
President of the
United States) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_There); (2)
Processed People
(which critiques a gullible, naïve, ignorant, and easily
manipulated American
public) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGaImGRGYgE);
(3) Idiocracy (in
which a man wakes up 500 years in the future to discover a
society so stupid he is
easily the most intelligent person on earth; and (4) The Age of
Stupid (a future
archivist tries to understand why humans in the 20th and 21st
centuries so stupidly,
callously, and complacently ignored the signs of impending
climate change and
ecological disaster) (on Netflix at:
(http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Age_of_Stupid/70117
903?trkid=23616
37).
! For classic literary and philosophical critiques of conformist
societies devoid of
critical thinking, see Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, and
Herbert Marcuse,
One-Dimensional Man.
! For a compelling call for a new way of thinking that is
distinctly philosophical

and ethical in nature, see “Why We Need New Ways of
Thinking”
(http://mindful.org/at-work/leadership/why-we-need-new-ways-
of-thinking).
Week II, October 24: Introduction to Ethics and the Ethical Life
The standard definitions of ethics are too narrow, and allow us
to ignore the substantive
duties we have to other humans, as well as forgoing
responsibilities we have to the
millions of other species with whom we share this planet, and to
the earth itself. In this
week’s section, we discuss what it is to be ethical, how far our
duties extend, and why we
should be ethical. On this last point, contemporary philosopher
Peter Singer’s essays
about poverty and famine provide provocative arguments that
out duties to others are far
more extensive than we ordinarily believe. We also discuss the
central role ethics plays in
the “good life.”A skeptical question inevitably arises here: If
ethics entails concern for
the other, and often acting against one’s own (at least
immediate or short-range)
interests, how can it be beneficial to act for the good of others
rather than focusing
exclusive on advancing one’s own interests? Doesn’t rational
self-interest demand that
we maximize our own good? How can we possibly benefit from
altruism and advancing

the good of others? Why – beyond the obvious problem of being
caught and punished –
should we not just lie, cheat, and steal as it benefits us? If you
had the fabled Ring of
Gyges (discussed in Plato’s Republic) that endows you with
powers such as invisibility,
would you use it for your gain despite violations of the law and
codes of ethical decency?
Or, as Socrates argues, are happiness and the good life
inseparable from the ethical life?
Lecture: Introduction to Ethics and the Ethical Life
Reading
“Ethics”
http://www.rep.routledge.com/article/L132
Plato, “The Ring of Gyges”
http://philosophy.lander.edu/intro/introbook2.1/c5641.html
Peter Singer, “Famine, Affluence, and Morality”
http://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/1972----.htm
Peter Singer, “The Singer
Solution
to World Poverty”
http://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/19990905.htm
Peter Singer, “A Meaningful Life”
Discussion

"! Define the nature of ethics, drawing salient distinctions and
touching on
fundamental issues. Distinguish ethical from non-ethical issues
(where this
distinction can be made) to clarify the meaning of ethics and
nature of bona fide
ethical choices, actions, and contexts.
"! Discuss the meaning of the parable of the ring of Gyges and
its implications for
ethics. If you had such a ring in your possession, what would
you do or not do
with it, and why?
"! In his powerful speech, "The Perils of Indifference"
(http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ewieselperilsofindif
ference.html),
Elie Wiesel argues that “neutrality,” passivity, and indifference
in the face of
injustice and evil is morally corrupt and contemptible as
actively doing harm.
What do you make of this argument and what are the
implications for assessing

human moral character and our duties to others?
"! What central messages does the documentary, The Examined
Life
(https://vimeo.com/103430700) make about society and the role
of philosophy in
modern life? Critically evaluate the claims of the film and state
whether or not
you think it made a persuasive case for the role of philosophy in
education and
everyday life, and state why or why not.
"! What is Singer’s “solution” to world poverty and famine?
What is he asking of us
ethically and is or is it not too much to ask? Why?
"! Reflect on Peter Singer’s essay, “10 Ways to Make a
Difference”
(http://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/1998----02.htm), with an
emphasis on (1) his
argument that ethics is sterile without activism and concrete
involvement in

movements for progressive change, and (2) the ways in which
you are, can, or
ought to be making a difference in the world. How does this
activism relate to his
concept of the “good” or “meaningful” life?
Review
!! Be able to provide your own definition of ethics. How narrow
or wide, exclusive
or inclusive would you make it? Do you believe it is important
to expand the
moral circle to other sentient beings and the natural world, or
should ethics only
concern itself with human-to-human relations?
!! What arguments does Singer use to support his claim we have
substantive duties
to those in poverty and need?
!! What are some of the relations one could identify among the
ethical life, the
meaningful life, and the good life? How does Singer frame the

issue? Provide
some examples of your own. How does society work to impede,
rather than
encourage, the ethical life in its values, ideologies, mass media
and advertising
systems, and its various institutions (legal, political, and
economic)? Can you link
Singer’s concept of the meaningful life with that advanced by
Socrates and
Epicurus in the first two segments of the film, “Philosophy:
Guide to Happiness”?
Further Research
! Peter Singer, “Ethics”
! Ethics Resources and Applied Ethics
http://ethics.sandiego.edu
! For a remarkable documentary about a New York construction
worker who had a
series of epiphanies that awakened a dormant compassion for

animals and
inspired him to lead an ethical life as an animal rights activist,
see “The Witness”
(http://documentaryheaven.com/the-witness-a-tribe-of-heart/;
also see their
website at: http://www.tribeofheart.org/index.htm.
Week III: October 31: The Specters of Relativism and Egoism
But is there such a thing as “the right” or “the good,” as some
kind of real or objective
qualities, acts, or things in the world, or is everything
hopelessly relative and subject to
individual, cultural, and historical conditioning without
objective, substantive, and
enduring weight and meaning? How be ethical? How distinguish
good/bad and
right/wrong at all? Also, is there really an ethical core to human
behavior, one that truly
and irreducibly seeks the good of others, or are all altruistic
acts ultimately done for
selfish reasons, such as to make people feel good about
themselves?

Lecture: The Challenges of Ethical Relativism and Egoism
Reading
“Moral Relativism”
http://www.iep.utm.edu/moral-re/
Jesse Prinz, “Morality is a Culturally Conditioned Response
http://www.philosophynow.org/issue82/Morality_is_a_Culturall
y_Conditioned_Respons
e
“Psychological Egoism”
http://www.iep.utm.edu/psychego/
Peter Singer, “The Biological Basis of Ethics”
Peter Singer, “My Better Nature”
http://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/20020302.htm
Peter Singer, “The Escalator of Reason”
Discussion

"! Clearly define the concepts of egoism and altruism, giving
some nuance to these
complex concepts. How does engaging the biological dimension
of human nature,
as does Singer, help to frame these issues?
"! Is altruism really reducible to (psychological) egoism, as
cynics and skeptics like
to say? Can you think of examples of actions that clearly were
selfless and meant
to benefit others?
"! Does the fact that humans are animals with a long biological
past mean that they
are violent and egoistic? Do animals have a sense of care and
mutual aid that
might have shaped our moral life? Describe Singer’s effort to
ground ethics in
evolution, and provide a critical assessment of it.
"! What are some of the main implications for ethics, the notion
of “rational man,”
and strict rational accounts of ethics (such as given by Kant) if
they have evolved
from other animals and over millions of years of time? What

roles do both feeling
and reason play in ethics and moral judgments? Is it true, as
David Hume argues,
that “reason is the slave to the passions,” or does reason play an
important role in
ethical life (through deliberation, justification, and so on)?
"! Watch some of the vignettes from CNN’s inspiring show,
Heroes, which honors
the extraordinary achievements of “ordinary” people (see the
archives for the
show at: http://www.cnn.com/specials/cnn-heroes). What
pattern do you see
throughout the various examples? How do all these people
represent the “ethical
life”? Does the argument that humans are egoistic and selfish
stand in the face of
these real-life examples of people leading an ethical life?
Review
!! What is absolutism? What is relativism? What are the
problems with each

position? How is emotivism a form of relativism?
!! Is there a way beyond the impasse of relativism, toward
factual and ethical
judgments that are not arbitrary and purely subjective yet not
“absolute truth”
either?
!! Define psychological egoism and describe some of the main
arguments for and
against it.
!! Define altruism, and discuss the meaning and significance of
the concepts of
“kin” and “group” altruism.
Further Research
! Peter Singer, “Ethics and Sociobiology”
http://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/1982----.pdf
! “Emotivism

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/emotivism_1.shtml
Week IV, November 7: The Art of Thinking and Reasoning
If ethical judgments are not merely arbitrary, subjective, or
capricious, and there is
something called “the better argument,” then clearly ethical
argument and debate
depends on logic and reasoning, and indeed these are
foundational skills for ethics, for
philosophy in general, and for a rational life. It is therefore
imperative that we learn
some basic concepts and skills in logic and reasoning.
Lecture: Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking
Reading
Paul Gregory, “A Brief Introduction to Logic”
http://philosophy.wlu.edu/gregoryp/class/Brief%20Intro.pdf
“Logical Fallacies and Practical Logic”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_fallacies
“Logical Fallacies”
http://www.logicalfallacies.info/

Roger Darlington, “How to Think Critically”
http://www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/thinking.html
Discussion
!! Explain the difference between deductive and inductive logic,
and give an original
example of each. Explain why it is one argument or the other,
and what the
different criteria are for evaluating it as a good argument.
!! Identify some of the main principles of critical thinking and
apply them to an
analysis of a media text, news story, or editorial of your own
choice. Identify at
least three fallacies, and explain why they are such types of
logical errors.
!! The documentary, “Outfoxed,” is a powerful critique of the
willful manipulation
of fallacies and propaganda methods by the “FOX News”
network (the same

critique, albeit it a bit more nuanced, could be made of any
corporate media
outlet, “conservative” or “liberal”). What fallacies and
propaganda techniques can
you detect being used by the network and its executives and
owner, Rupert
Murdoch? (You can instant download the video on Netflix or
view it free online
at: http://vimeo.com/24935369).
!! What do you think is a good example of the type of scams and
hoaxes that Roger
Darlington warns us against in his article, “How to Think
Critically”?
!! Comment on this short video clip in terms of critical thinking
themes: “The
Majority is Always Wrong”
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGHbfSBV8bc&feature=pla
yer_embedded#a
t=22).
!! If you read and especially liked one of the articles in the
“further research” section

for this unit below, share your thoughts about it.
Review
!! You should be able to:
Define logical, critical thinking, and fallacies
Distinguish an argument from an assertion or explanation
Define "validity" and "soundness" and distinguish between them
Define "deductive" and "inductive" arguments and distinguish
between them
Define "critical thinking" and know some attributes of it and
barriers to it
Reconstruct an argument, locate implied premises and
conclusions, and begin to evaluate it
!! You should also know and be able to recognize the following
fallacies:
Begging the question
Circular reasoning
Vagueness

Ambiguity
Equivocation
Slippery slope
Ad hominem
Appeal to authority
Appeal to ignorance
Appeal to pity
Appeal to popularity
Straw man
Hasty generalization
Confusing cause and effect
Disanalogy
False dichotomy (also known as: black and white, or either/or
fallacy)
Non sequitur
Further Research
! “Questioning the Lecture Format”
!
www.nea.org/assets/img/PubThoughtAndAction/TAA_05_05.pd
f

! “Critical Thinking on the Web” (a rich and long site with lots
of interesting things
to peruse)
! http://austhink.com/critical/
! “A Guide to Non-Mainstream Media”
! http://www.sprword.com/mustread.html
! “14 Propaganda Techniques Fox `News’ Uses to Brainwash
Americans”
! http://www.truth-out.org/14-propaganda-techniques-fox-news-
uses-brainwash-
americans/1309612678
! “Everything Is A Lie: The Deliberate Intent To Deceive
People Is At An All Time
High”
!
http://preventdisease.com/news/10/081010_everything_is_a_lie.
shtml
Week V, November 14: Key Ethical Traditions
Since the ancient Greeks, philosophers have developed a few

major ethical traditions, yet
each is rich and complex enough to shed light on numerous
problems and keep
philosophers endlessly debating the pros and cons of each, of
arguing endlessly over
correct interpretations of figures and ideas, and applying then to
various ethical and
social problems. These traditions include the Aristotelian virtue
ethics, Biblical Divine
Command theory, Kantian deontological (or duty-based) ethics,
and Utilitarian ethics. In
this section we examine these traditions, compare and contrast
some of them, inquire into
their relevance for personal, social and political issues, and
think critically about their
insights and limitations.
Lecture: Four Major Western Ethical Traditions
Reading
“Aristotle: Ethics”
http://www.iep.utm.edu/aris-eth/
“Life of Excellence: Living and Doing Well” (read the first two

links in the “Table of
Contents” on the Nicomachean Ethics)
http://philosophy.lander.edu/intro/introbook2.1/c5839.html
“Divine Command Theory”
http://www.iep.utm.edu/divine-c/
“Utilitarianism”
http://www.utilitarianism.com/utilitarianism.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism
“Jeremy Bentham”
http://www.iep.utm.edu/bentham/
“John Stuart Mill: Ethics”
http://www.iep.utm.edu/mill-eth/
“Kant’s Moral Philosophy”
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/
Discussion
"! Using Aristotle’s definition of a virtue as a character trait
that lies between two
extremes (“excess” on one side and “deficiency” on the other,
choose a couple of

character traits (such as courage, sociality, etc.) and identify
what you think is the
golden mean that falls between the vices of excess and
deficiency.
"! Describe some specific ways in which you could incorporate
Aristotle’s virtue
ethics into your life in a way that would promote ethical
character, balance, and
happiness.
"! What is happiness for Aristotle, and what according to him
are some key
necessary ingredients for a happy life? What is the relationship
between ethics
and happiness?
"! Give some examples in which the utilitarian focus on
consequences is a better
approach than the ethics of duty, and vice versa.
"! Fans of the Fox TV series, 24, starring Keifer Southerland,
know that his
character was obsessed with getting results and capturing
“terrorists,” no matter

how violent or illegal the means. Describe some examples of
this in the show, and
assess whether in such cases his violation of laws, protocol, the
Constitution, and
torturing and killing unsavory characters was ethically
justifiable.
"! Suppose you had a virtual reality machine that could simulate
any pleasure or
experience you wanted, whether being a celebrity, star athlete,
or experience the
pure pleasure of powerful drugs or having all your sexual
fantasies fulfilled.
Once you plugged in, you wouldn’t know it was all simulation,
you would believe
it was real and it would be as real as real can get. You would be
lying in a bed or
floating in a tank, thinking everything was actually happening
and experiencing
the pleasure of it as though it really were. Would you plug into
the machine? Why
or why not?
"! What role does reason play in ethics for Aristotle, Bentham
or Mill, and Kant?

"! The 1999 film, The Insider (http://ffilms.org/the-insider-
1999/), dramatized the
true story of Jeffrey Wigand, a former tobacco executive who
turned
whistleblower and revealed that, the tobacco industry was fully
aware of the
addictive and harmful nature of cigarettes and, moreover,
deliberately worked on
increasing their addictiveness. Similarly, the documentary, The
Most Dangerous
Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
(2009;
http://www.pbs.org/pov/mostdangerousman/), describes how
Ellsberg, pained by
conscience, exposed government lies and cover-up in the
Vietnam at the risk of a
sentence of life in prison, publishing the documents in his book,
The Pentagon
Papers. Discuss the struggles and actions of Wigand and
Ellsberg from a
deontological perspective in which he elevated truth and duty
over all else,
including money and career.

"! Increasingly, philosophers and textbooks list recent feminist
“ethics of care” as a
bona fide new major ethical tradition; for information, see:
“Care Ethics”
(http://www.iep.utm.edu/care-eth/). What new and critical
perspectives does this
ethics bring to Western ethical traditions, which often could be
justly criticized as
patriarchal, hierarchical, and obsesses with using and
controlling animals and
nature for human purposes?
Review
!! What is a “virtue” for Aristotle and how does it apply to
moderating one’s life in
an ethical manner and creating oneself as a flourishing life
form?
!! What are the main arguments of Divine Command Theory? Is

it still viable and
plausible in the 21st century? Does ethics require God and
religion or are these
alien and corrupting of the principles of rationality, humanism,
and autonomy
often associated with ethics?
!! How do the utilitarian and deontological traditions differ?
What position would
utilitarians likely take toward issues such as capital punishment,
the war on drugs,
and the economic inequalities inherent in the capitalist system?
How did Mill
expand on Bentham’s ethics? Do you find rule utilitarianism to
be a necessary and
consistent modification in act utilitarian ethics, or is it
ultimately a different
ethical approach inconsistent with the basic principles of
utilitarianism?
!! How attractive and plausible is a law and duty-based
deontological ethic that
seems to remove pleasure and happiness from ethics in favor of
strict rational
obedience to law, duty, and what moral imperatives demand?

Are pleasure and
happiness antithetical to rational, duty-based ethics or are
feelings and satisfaction
for doing the right thing essential for ethic action?
Further Research:
! “Aristotle”
http://www.iep.utm.edu/aristotl/#H7
! “Aristotle’s Ethics”
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-ethics/
! “Virtue Ethics”
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/
! Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (complete primary text)
http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html
! “Consequentialism”
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consequentialism/
! John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism (complete primary text)

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11224
! “The History of Utilitarianism”
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/utilitarianism-history/
! “John Stuart Mill”
http://www.iep.utm.edu/milljs/
! “Kant”
http://www.iep.utm.edu/kantmeta/
! “Deontological Ethics”
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/
! Immanuel Kant, Grounding of the Metaphysics of Morals
(complete primary text)
http://philosophy.eserver.org/kant/metaphys-of-morals.txt
! “Care Ethics”
http://www.iep.utm.edu/care-eth/
! “Feminist Ethics”
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-ethics/

Week VI: November 21: Animal Rights, Veganism, and the
Critique of Speciesism
The next great leap in moral evolution is to abolish the last
form of acceptable slavery
that subjugates the vast majority of species on this planet to the
violent whim of one. This
leap involves sending human supremacy to the same moral
discard bin as we sent male
supremacy and white supremacy. Animal rights is not an alien
idea to our culture, rather
it builds on the most progressive ethical and political values
human beings have devised
in the last two hundred years --those of equality, democracy,
and rights – as it carries
them to their logical conclusions. Animal rights is the
culmination of a vast historical
learning process where human beings realize that arguments for
any kind of hierarchy
and discrimination are prejudiced, biased, ignorant, and wrong.
As society continues this
learning process, it will realize that species boundaries are as

arbitrary as those of race
and sex. Consequently, it will move the moral bar from reason
and language to sentience
– the capacity to feel pleasure and pain. When is it right to
inflict pain on another
sentient being? The short answer is – virtually never.
Lecture: Animal Rights, Moral Progress, and the New
Enlightenment
Reading
John Feldman, “Free Me” (video [note: graphic language and
images])
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1ToKPdunDs
“Animals and Ethics”
http://www.iep.utm.edu/anim-eth/
Peter Singer, “Equality for Animals?”
Tom Regan: “The Philosophy of Animal Rights”
http://www.cultureandanimals.org/pop1.html
Tom Regan, “The Animal Rights Position”
http://tomregan.info/the-animal-rights-position/
Tom Regan, “The Case for Animal Rights”
http://www.animal-rights-library.com/texts-m/regan03.htm

Discussion
"! How morally significant are the differences in human and
nonhuman animals? Is
possession of rationality, abstract thinking, and language
sufficient to subordinate
nonhuman animals to human animal purposes, including
practices such as
vivisection and meat, dairy, and egg consumption which kill 60
billion land
animals and 2.7 trillion aquatic animals a year (according to
USDA statistics)?
Are rather are the similarities human and nonhuman animals
share –such as
sentience, but also (different kinds of) rationality and language
– far more
important than the alleged differences between human ad
nonhuman anmals?
"! Describe how, in the case of vivisection, Peter Singer, a

utilitarian, and Tom
Regan, a deontologist wood take very different positions. What
characteristics
does a being need to possess to have rights in this society, and
what function do
rights play. If people typically argue that anmals lack rights
because they do not
have reason and language, then do fetuses, small infants,
severely “brain
damaged,” “senile,” and comatose people also lack rights to
their own bodies and
lives? If a chimpanzee or more intelligent that a 3 or 4 year old
child, and
certainly than an elderly person suffering the last stages of
Alzheimer’s disease,
why don’t we experiment on them instead of animals?
"! Given the arguments people typically use to confine, torture
and kill billions of
animals every year, how could we defend ourselves against a
super-intelligent
alien species that came to earth to vivisect and kill humans for
food? If they saw
us as unevolved as we see most animals, would they not be
justified in exploiting

and killing the entire human species if they so desired for their
"scientific”
experiments and palette preferences?
"! Watch and critically assess this powerful video of vegan
educator, Gary
Yourofsky, as he makes the case for ethical veganism
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6U00LMmC4). What
impact did it have
on you? What do you think were his strongest points and where,
if at all, did you
find his argument weak and problematic? If you found the video
compelling and
forceful, as so many do, have you made the commitment to give
up consuming
meat, dairy, and eggs (given that they kill you, slaughter the
animals, and
devastate the environment)? If not, provide the reasons you still
find it justifiable
to kill animals (or rather, have someone else do the job for
you), and are these
really strong enough for you to help perpetuate the animal
holocaust because you
like how animals taste?
! Is there, as Tom Regan argues (http://www.animal-rights-

library.com/texts-
m/regan01.htm), a strong “moral basis of vegetarianism”? Read
and respond to
his argument. Or, read and respond to Bruce Friedrich’s
argument, “Resolved:
Eating Animals is Indefensible”
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-
friedrich/resolved-eating-animals-i_b_671322.html).
Review
!! What is speciesism? How is it analogous to racism and
sexism, and other forms
discrimination? The evils of racism and sexism have been
accompanied by a
moral blindness by many in society as to the injustice these
terms identified. Is the
same the case for speciesism?
!! What are key arguments against animal rights?
!! What are key arguments for animal rights?
!! Does one have an ethical obligation to be a vegetarian? Why

or why not?
Further Research
! “Animal Rights” (Pro and Con)
! http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Animal_rights
! Roger Scruton, “Animal Rights” (contra animal rights)
! http://www.city-journal.org/html/10_3_urbanities-animal.html
! Iamblichus, “On the Pythagorean Life”
! http://www.animal-rights-library.com/texts-
c/iamblichus01.htm
! Plutarch, “On the Eating of Flesh”
! http://www.animal-rights-library.com/texts-c/plutarch01.htm
! Porphyry, “On Abstinence from Animal Food”
! http://www.animal-rights-library.com/texts-c/porphyry01.htm
! Jim Mason, “The Animal Question”
! http://www.animallaw.info/articles/arus13animallaw197.htm
! Tom Regan, “The Philosophy of Animal Rights”
! http://www.cultureandanimals.org/pop1.html
! Steven Best, “Animal Rights and Moral Progress: The Struggle

for Human
Evolution” (http://drstevebest.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/total-
liberation-and-
moral-progress-the-struggle-for-human-evolution-3/ (for a video
talk based on
this text, see:
http://drstevebest.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/animal-liberation-
and-
moral-progress-in-a-time-of-ecological-crisis/)
! Meet Your Meat (video, graphic images)
! http://www.meat.org/
! “Modern Meat” (video, graphic images)
! http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/modern-meat/
For those wanting to shift toward a vegetarian or, ideally, a
vegan diet, here are just a few
of the rich resources online I recommend:
PETA Vegetarian Resource Guide
http://www.peta.org/issues/Animals-Used-For-
Food/default.aspx
Vegsource
http://www.vegsource.com

Vegan Health.org
http://veganhealth.org/
The Vegetarian Resource Group
http://www.vrg.org/
Vegweb.com
http://vegweb.com/
Week VII, November 28: Environmental Ethics:
Anthropocentrism, Biocentrism,
and Beyond
Environmental ethics is an attempt to offer a comprehensive
account of the moral relations
between human beings and their natural environment; it assumes
that our relation to nature
can and should be governed by moral norms. Just as social
ethics governs moral our
relation to other human beings, environmental ethics governs
our relation to plants,
animals, ecosystems, and the earth itself. In the process,
environmental ethics raises
fundamental philosophical questions, such as: What is the full

range of our moral
obligations? Wow are we related to the world around us? How
does the social world evolve
out of the natural world and how does our survival depend up
the integrity and
sustainability of the natural environment? Should we value
nature only insofar as it
provides value for us, or for its own sake? Environmental ethics
is a new ethical framework
which holds that we must consider moral evaluations from a
larger perspective that includes
the impact of human actions on the environment, and the impact
of the environment on us.
Lecture: Environmental Ethics, Politics, and Sustainability
Reading
“Environmental Ethics”
http://www.iep.utm.edu/envi-eth/
Aldo Leopold, “The Land Ethic”
http://home.btconnect.com/tipiglen/landethic.html
“Rachel Carson’s Environmental Ethic”
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Rachel_Carson's_environmental_
ethics

“Deep Ecology”
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Deep_ecology?topic=49489
Murray Bookchin, “Social Ecology versus Deep Ecology”
http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/bookchin/socec
ovdeepeco.html
Discussion
"! Define “environmental ethics.” Is it an extension of existing
ethics (such as the
golden rule or rights claims) or is it an altogether new ethic,
such as involves a
biocentric perspective?
"! What is biocentrism, as opposed to anthropocentrism? How
can a biocentric
perspective be found in Aldo Leopold’s argument for a “land
ethic”? What is a
“land ethic” and why might it be important to our future
survival?
"! Answer all the following questions on this survey, designed
to measure your own
personal “ecological footprint”

(http://www.myfootprint.org/en/). Alternative
footprint measuring sites include:
https://www.greencred.me/footprintcalculator/,
http://footprint.wwf.org.uk, http://ecologicalfootprint.com, and
http://www.earthday.org/footprint-calculator). Were you
surprised at the results?
In what areas do you most need to improve to reduce your
impact on the earth?
Now watch the film “The Human Footprint”
(http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/human_footprint), and
describe your
reactions to this film and additional important facts you learned
and found
interesting.
"! Describe your reaction to the film, “No Impact Man” (the
trailer is available at:
http://www.noimpactdoc.com/index_m.php; the full film can be
seen at:
http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/no_impact_man/). Do you
find it inspiring
and that he makes excellent points, or feel he is unreasonable or

too extreme?
"! Discuss: “The Age of Stupid,”
(http://www.spannerfilms.net/films/ageofstupid)
(for background on the movie see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Stupid).
"! What are some of the well-documented negative
consequences a meat-based diet
has on the environment? Given these facts, why do vegans and
animal rights
advocates not get along with environmentalists?
Review
!! How would you define “environmental ethics” and how does
this shift change
various areas of philosophy in profound ways?
!! How does Leopold define the land ethic, and why does he
think it must be
incorporated into ethical theory and practice?

!! What is the ethical basis of Carson’s thought?
!! What are the most significant differences between social
ecology and deep
ecology?
!! What are the main lines of difference between deep ecology
and social ecology?
!! What are the profound differences between the
anthropocentric and biocentric
perspectives?
!! What connection does veganism have to environmentalism?
Further Research
! “Environmental Ethics”
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-environmental/
! “Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic”
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Aldo_Leopold's_Land_Ethic
! “Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time”
(Video)

http://vimeo.com/8669977
! Bob Traer, “Moral Consideration of Nature”
http://doingethics.com/Blog/labels/dee.2.6.html
! “Biocentrism”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biocentrism_%28ethics%29
! “Revolutionary Ecology: A Working Definition”
http://ecotopianetwork.wordpress.com/2011/02/26/revolutionary
-ecology-a-
working-definition-by-storm-waters/
! Judi Bari, “Revolutionary Ecology”
http://www.judibari.org/revolutionary-ecology.html
! Dale Jamieson, “Animal Liberation is an Environmental Ethic”
http://www.acad.carleton.edu/curricular/ENTS/faculty/dale/dale
_animal.html
! Peter Wenz, “An Ecological Argument for Vegetarianism”
http://www.animal-rights-library.com/texts-m/wenz01.htm
! Cowspiracy (documentary on the environmental impact of
meat consumption)

http://www.solarmovie.ws/watch-cowspiracy-the-sustainability-
secret-2014-
online.html (available on Netflix at:
http://www.netflix.com/browse/?jbv=80033772&jbp=4&jbr=2)
Your final exams ARE DUE TO ME BY midnight, Friday
December 9; please send
them to me at: [email protected] Do not post them on Moodle
email. Keep a copy of your
exam should there be a problem.

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