Photo: Colleen Hayes / NBC.

Image: Dean Holland / NBC.

Course Description

Ethics is the branch of philosophy examining the nature of morality, good and evil, and right and wrong action. At bottom, ethics addresses the most practical question: “What ought I do?” As such, this is not some hypothetical concern, but something with which we all continually wrestle, as we go about our day-to-day lives. This suggests that ethics is an inherent and inescapable part of human existence.

In this course, we will look at several influential attempts to answer that practical question of ethics. Throughout, we will discover how these divergent, and often conflicting, approaches frame present-day debates surrounding the opioid crisis, drone attacks, quotas in admissions and hiring, political corruption, world poverty, animal rights, torture, national security, and human rights.

As you will soon see, the most important issues in ethics do not have obvious right and wrong answers. Nor is there a simple “ethics checklist” to consult when you are confronted with a hard choice or difficult moral dilemma. There are instead many different reasonable approaches, though they often directly conflict with each other. You rarely can have it all. Therefore, it is ultimately up to you, and to you alone, to reach your own conclusions on these matters. After all, I would never presume to tell you what is right and what is wrong for your life.

As a result, my primary mission is to cultivate your cognitive and affective capacities for critical reflection and practical deliberation about moral issues. This will better equip you to understand these issues for yourself and, in turn, meaningfully engage with others about them. After all, only the hermit lives in isolation. For the rest of us, we must be prepared to secure the legitimate cooperation of those with whom we may disagree. This is a basic principle of ethics, and I will do my best to immerse you in the deliberative process it entails. I cannot think of a better way in which this course may help you become a future leader in your communities and chosen fields of study.

Photo: Vivian Zink / NBC.

Learning Outcomes

Introduction to Ethics introduces you to the philosophical study of ethics and some of its practical applications. In addition, you will learn (I hope!) more about yourself and your place in the world.

To help guide us, this course has five learning outcomes. By this December, you will be able to…

1. Identify and employ common terminology for philosophical approaches to ethics,
2. Explain and summarize important arguments within philosophical texts,
3. Apply important ethical concepts and theories to various hypothetical and real-world situations,
4. Assess competing claims concerning the demands that morality places on your actions and decisions, and
5. Reflect on your own assumptions and form more considered judgments on moral issues.

I have designed each of the course requirements with these outcomes in mind.

Learning Resources

There are no textbooks to buy for this course. For each course module, I will post its readings in PDF along with some reading questions for you to consult. I expect you to read that material according to the class schedule.

This website and UB Learns will also have assignments and other course materials, along with any updates to our schedule.

Class Structure

This is a fully online course. It does not meet regularly on Zoom. Instead, your learning will be conducted asynchronously on this website and UB Learns. Even so, I have structured this course as much as possible so that you will learn in a community with your peers.

One thing to note is that this is not a self-paced course. Each week you will complete two or three assigned modules and discuss the material with your classmates on Twitter. Every few weeks there will be a unit exam of four short essay questions. Don’t panic! This may seem like a lot of work, but throughout the course you will earn free passes that can be used to turn in work late, make up for missed assignments, and even drop low grades.

Throughout all this, I want you to not only learn from me but also from your interactions with your classmates. Indeed, like any activity, you get better at reasoning about ethics the more you actually do it with others. As a result, the quality of the course depends critically on your individual attention and participation. The purpose of us studying together as a class is to learn and engage with each together.

To encourage you in all this, I will do my best to make your time devoted to this course worthwhile and well spent. I will also take special care to create an environment where you feel comfortable asking questions and expressing your own views with me and your classmates.

However, a few words of warning about this format:

• Philosophy is a full-contact sport, but conducted as cooperative processes. You and your classmates must wrestle together with difficult moral issues, while not attacking each other. Disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated.
• To get the most out of this class, please do not confuse this cooperative style of learning with mere conversation or informal, organized chatting.

Announcements & Other Communication

I will email important information to you throughout the semester, so routinely check your UB email for updates. Otherwise, I will gladly answer your questions, discuss your work, or respond to your concerns. Please send me an email, see me on Zoom, or drop by my office (Park Hall 118).

Keep in mind that I primarily read university-related email during my regular “business” hours (weekdays from 9:00AM to 5:00PM). Emails received outside of that time may not receive a response until I am back on campus. That said, simple requests or catastrophic concerns are answered more promptly!