California State University
Northridge, fall 09
|
Instructor |
Christopher Pallotti |
e-mail |
pallotc@lavc.edu |
|
Phone Web-site |
818-947-2600 ext 8190 filosofia.pageout.net |
Office Hours |
Tues/Thurs 12:45 – 1:45 ST 535 |
|
Day/Time |
T-Th
2:00-3:15 |
Room |
JR 246 |
|
Section |
13814 |
Prereq |
completion of the lower-division writing requirement. |
My
Teaching Philosophy: I see myself as a facilitator
of learning. My goal as a facilitator is to assist you—my student—in any way
possible to help you succeed and to reach your goals. All of us have strengths and weaknesses;
let’s work together to harness our strengths and to nurture our weaknesses. Please let me know if I can be of help to
you. I am most interested in seeing you
engage with the class and the class material.
Please visit me during my drop in hours if you have any concerns.
1.) The
course will introduce you to ethical theory with the aim of providing you
with a reasoned basis of support for your beliefs.
2.) The
course will help you to develop critical thinking skills in regards to the moral beliefs you hold.
3.) The course will provide a general frame of reference from which you will
effectively be able to identify, analyze and evaluate the various positions
people hold regarding the most popular of today’s moral debates.
4.) The main goal of this
course is to give you a solid grounding in moral theory and the issues so that
you can come to better informed and intelligent decisions about what to believe.
Attendance and
participation: both are highly encouraged. Your presence in the classroom
is crucial to your learning experience as is participation
in lectures. This is your class; by
participating and expressing your ideas and opinions you will make it a more
personal and valuable learning experience.
Do not be afraid to sound ignorant.
A big part of the process of education involves learning how to
articulate your thoughts and feelings and that takes practice. Students who come to every class on time will
receive bonus points: 20-on time, every time, 15 for absent/late. Barring emergencies or prior engagements, leaving class early is counted as
an absence. Coming to class late will
also take you out of the running for attendance extra-credit; both behaviors
are rude and disrupt the atmosphere of learning. If you come late, please exit/enter quietly
from the back of the class.
Exam days: do not miss them, as make-up tests are given only for extenuating circumstances i.e. severe illness. If you are too sick to come to class, you must call before the exam and be prepared
to show evidence of illness.
Extra credit: Since academic excellence includes ambition, students having difficulty
with the material can raise their grade with extra credit. We can discuss the form and content of extra
credit (10 points) later on in the course. Also, if you are having trouble grasping the material, do not hesitate to
contact me.
Academic Integrity: CSUN students are expected to maintain high standards of
honesty and ethical behavior. All
assignments submitted in fulfillment of course requirements must be the
student's own work and any acts of academic dishonesty will be taken very
seriously. Penalties may include an ‘F’
for the course.
Academic
Freedom: Students and faculty have the right to freely express their
opinions and views. Please see the CSUN
handbook for further information.
Learning
Disabilities: Anyone with a learning disability should
speak to the Center on Disabilities (ext. 2684) to discuss accommodations. They
are there to serve your needs, and they will notify me in writing about any
necessary accommodations. I will work with any reasonable demand to make sure
that you can maximize your learning experience.
Academic
Difficulties: Philosophy involves the
study of difficult concepts and ideas, so you must study for this course. I recommend that you all form study groups or consult me if you are having any
difficulties. I am here to help you
succeed, so please let me know how I can help you to do that. Also, please note that there is an academic
skills tutor and a writing skills tutor available. If you have trouble crafting essays, I
suggest that you contact the writing skills center (ext. 2033).
Evaluation: 450 is the maximum score
for the course
1.) 2—100 point exams—a mid-term and a final. The exam questions will be drawn from class
lectures and I will also take questions directly from the text. Exam format:
scantron--multiple choice, true/false, and short answer/essay.
2.) 1—100 point essay—5 pages. (prompt
with details to follow shortly) Handing in late work is highly inadvisable! 1 day late will constitute a 15% penalty, 2
days late 25%, etc. After 3 days you will be assessed with the maximum penalty of
50%, but in no case will I accept submissions after 1 week.
3.) 8—12.5 point short in-class group assignments. These will be comprised of a series of
questions that reflect a given reading assignment, so do the reading before
class so as to get the most points you can.
Be sure to divide the work among the whole group. Not showing up for these assignments can have
a significant negative impact on your grade; it is highly advisable that you
come for and do all of them.
4.) 1—50 point mini-presentation. (prompt with details
to follow shortly)
Date
|
Topic/Readings
|
|
Aug 25 & 27, 2009 |
Syllabus and Introductions Intro to Philosophy & critical
thinking |
|
Sept 1 & 3, 2009 |
Introductory Lectures |
|
Sept 10, 2009 |
Issue —Moral Relativism vs.
Moral Absolutism |
|
Sept 15 & 17, 2009 |
Issue—The Morality of
Abortion Group Assignment 1 |
|
Sept 22 & 24, 2009 |
Issue —Must Sex Involve
Commitment? Group Assignment 2 |
|
Sept 29 & Oct 1, 2009 |
Issue—Same Sex Marriage Group Assignment 3 |
|
Oct 6 & 8, 2009 |
Issue—Buying and Selling of
Organs |
|
Oct 13 2009 |
Issue —Legalizing Drugs Group Assignment 4 |
|
Oct 20 & 22, 2009 |
Mid-Term Exam |
|
Oct 27 & 29, 2009 |
Issue—Gun Control Group Assignment 5 |
|
Nov 3 & 5, 2009 |
Issue—Death Penalty Group Assignment 6 |
|
Nov 10, 2009 |
Issue—Physician-Assisted
Suicide Group Assignment 7 |
|
Nov 17 & 19, 2009 |
Issue—Animal Rights/Veganism Group Assignment 8 |
|
Nov 24, 2009 Dec 3 & 5, 2009 |
Presentations Issue—Torture |
|
Dec 10, 2009 3-5 PM |
Final Exam |