Unit 1: What is Ethics?

Photo: Colleen Hayes / NBC.
In this module, I welcome you to the course while letting you know what to expect.
To that end, I have 3 learning outcomes for you. When you finish this module, you will be able to…
- Annotate a text with your classmates on Perusall,
- Recall a few things about your instructor and this course, and
- Locate important information on this website and in the syllabus,
Read & Annotate This:
The Syllabus ![]() |
Context
This is the syllabus for the course. All the material it contains has been reproduced on this course website. However, clicking on it above will open it up within Perusall. That way, you can start practicing how to annotate texts in Perusall. If you are having trouble, please let me know and I’ll do my best to help.
In addition, you can find the syllabus in PDF format, if you want to download a copy for yourself. There is also a copy of the syllabus for printing, which you may want instead.
Optional Material
Some modules will conclude with an optional “Curious for More?” section, where I have posted some additional material. So, for example, this module ends with a short video clip from the tv show The Good Place, which aired a few years ago. Pretty much all the images on this website are taken from that show, so I figured I’d include that clip as a way to introduce you to it. (The Good Place seems to be regularly available on Netflix, if you wish to watch the whole series and better appreciate some of my more obscure jokes.)
In any case, I will often discuss this optional material in my lecture videos. However, you are not required to either watch the optional videos or read the optional readings. When it comes to anything marked “optional”, you are only responsible for what I actually cover in my lecture videos. However, I do encourage you to explore each module’s “Curious for More?” section and dig even deeper into these topics!
Watch This:
Video 1 ![]() |
Video 2 ![]() |
Video 3 ![]() |
Video 4 ![]() |
Video 5 ![]() |
Video 6 ![]() |
Do This:
Explore this Website ![]()
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Introductory Survey ![]() Due: September 2 |
Honor Agreement ![]() Due: September 2 |
Module 0 Quiz ![]() Due: September 2 |
Curious for More? (Optional)
Here’s what you need to do to get into the good place!