Course Details

Camden County College, Blackwood Campus
Philosophy 232
Spring 2011 

Section 51: Wednesdays, 5:20 – 7:50 p.m. in Madison 110
Section 53: Wednesdays, 8:00 – 10:30 p.m. in Madison 111

Instructor: Sean Landis
Email: slandis@camdencc.edu
Phone: 609-980-8367
Course Website: http://cccbioethics11.blogspot.com
Office Hourse: by appointment

Required Text
Intervention and Reflection: Basic Issues in Medial Ethics, 8th Edition, by Ronald Munson

About the Course
This course is designed to introduce students to philosophical thinking and some specific ethical concerns unique to the medical community. During the course, we will be studying particular moral problems that face people in the biomedical professions. Topics include abortion, stem-cell research, genetic control, euthanasia, our treatment of animals, the economics of health care, race and gender, and truth telling.

We will also be developing various philosophical skills, including:

• Understanding: the ability to identify and explain an author’s main point in your own words, along with the ability to identify and explain an author’s argument in support of this main point.
• Evaluating: the ability to critically and charitably determine whether these arguments provide accurate, logical reasons in support of their main points, along with the ability to engage in critical and charitable dialogue with people who hold different views from your own.
• Defending: the ability to develop your own arguments in support of your opinions on the ethical issues we study, along with the ability to honestly assess your opinions and critically evaluate the quality of your arguments in support of them.

A broader goal of this course is to gain an appreciation for philosophical reflection. Hopefully, we will learn that careful, deliberate examination of the ethical assumptions we often take for granted can improve our own approach to morality, and make us better in our anticipated roles in the medical community.



Grades
90%-100%= A
80%-89.9% = B
70%-79.9% = C
60%-69.9% = D
below 60% = F

Test: 15%
Final Exam: 25%
Term Paper: 30%
Group Presentation (Consensus Session): 20%
Attendance/Participation: 10% total

Already Existing Grades from Assignments in the First 7 Weeks of Class: On March 9th, we will be discussing how to handle these grades.

Test: The test is scheduled for the first hour of class on April 13th. It will be on the topics that we cover in the 4 weeks leading up to April 13th (currently, this means the ethical theories of utilitarianism, Kant’s ethics, and Aristotle’s virtue ethics; abortion; stem cells & genetic control; and euthanasia).

Final Exam: The final exam is scheduled for May 11th. This exam is cumulative; that is, it will cover everything we study during our 8 weeks together.

Group Presentation (Consensus Session): This will be an in-class, group oral presentation. During the semester, we will be going over specific ethical debates. Each group of around 3 to 5 students will be assigned to present a short lesson on one of the articles we’re reading for class, and lead a class-wide discussion on the issue being debated.

Term Paper: This will be an essay in which you explain and defend your opinion on some of the applied ethical issues we’re studying.

Attendance/Participation: A lot of this will be based on your attendance. If you’re there every class, you’ll get full credit for the attendance portion of this grade. Also, there will be a lot of informal group work throughout the semester. Group work can impact this grade.

Extra Credit: I like giving extra credit! I’ll be giving some official extra credit assignments throughout the semester. I’ll also be offering some extra credit points more informally during class time. Try to remind me about this if I slack off on dishing out extra credit assignments.

Classroom Policies
Academic Integrity: Cheating and plagiarism (using someone else’s words or ideas in a paper or assignment without giving credit to the source) will not be tolerated in the class. Students found guilty of either will definitely fail the exam or assignment on which they plagiarize—and possibly the entire class.

Excused Absences: Make-up exams, presentations, and other assignments will only be rescheduled for any excused absences. Excused absences include religious observance, official college business, and illness or injury (with a doctor’s note). An unexcused absence on the day of any assignment or test will result in a zero on that assignment or test.

Disability Accommodations: If you have special requirements let me know as soon as possible so we can make all necessary arrangements.

Important Dates
January 18th: Last day to drop a course & receive a 100% refund.
February 1st: Last day to drop a course & receive a 50% refund.
February 8th: Last day to sign up to audit a course.
April 26th: Last day to withdraw from Spring Classes.