Introduction to Ethics

PHI 107 GRA

PROFESSOR DAVID EMMANUEL GRAY
PHI 107 GRA Fall 2021 University at Buffalo

INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS
Instructor Professor David Emmanuel Gray Credits 3.0
Contact  Park Hall 118, * [email protected], @ProfessorDEG Instruction Mode OR (Online: Recorded not real time)
Office Hours Tuesday, Thursday: 2:00pm–5:00pm, Buffalo Time (EST) Zoom Office Meeting ID: 716 645 3983 Password: 14260
(and also by appointment) https://tinyurl.com/y3kq97js

Course Overview
Description Requirements & Grading
Ethics is the branch of philosophy examining the nature of morality, good Ethics is a full-contact sport, but conducted as a cooperative process.
and evil, and right and wrong action. At bottom, ethics addresses the Together we wrestle with arguments while not attacking the person
most practical question: “What ought I do?” As such, this is not some expressing them. On the other hand, to get the most out of this
hypothetical concern, but something with which we all continually course, please do not confuse this cooperative style of learning with mere
wrestle, as we go about our day-to-day lives. This suggests that ethics is an conversation or informal, organized chatting.
inherent and inescapable part of human existence.
I strongly encourage you to discuss the course’s material with your fellow
In this course, we will look at several influential attempts to answer that classmates, friends, and family, as well as with me. Even so, all your work
practical question of ethics. Throughout, we will discover how these must be done independently, unless otherwise noted. You are expected to
divergent, and often conflicting, approaches frame present-day debates be familiar with the university policies on cheating and plagiarism. If you
surrounding the opioid crisis, drone attacks, quotas in admissions and have any questions, please ask; do not assume.
hiring, political corruption, world poverty, animal rights, torture, national
Assignments are spread out across course modules, which include
security, and human rights.
required readings, video lectures, weekly quizzes, and online discussions.
As you will soon see, the most important issues in ethics do not have Furthermore, each course unit will have a take-home exam. See page 3 for
obvious right and wrong answers. Nor is there a simple “ethics checklist” more about the course requirements.
to consult when you are confronted with a hard choice or difficult moral
The total possible score may vary from assignment to assignment.
dilemma. There are instead many different reasonable approaches,
However, each assignment’s raw score is normalized a scale from 0 to 100.
though they often directly conflict with each other. You rarely can have it
Unless you are notified of otherwise, the grading scale is as follows:
all. Therefore, it is ultimately up to you, and you alone, to reach your own
conclusions on these matters. After all, I would never presume to tell you 93.0–100.0 A 87.0–89.9 B+ 77.0–79.9 C+ 67.0–69.9 D+
what is right and what is wrong for your life. 90.0–92.9 A− 83.0–86.9 B 73.0–76.9 C 60.0–66.9 D
80.0–82.9 B− 70.0–72.9 C− 0.0–59.9 F
As a result, my primary goal is to cultivate your cognitive and affective
capacities for practical deliberation on your own, and with others, about Your final course grade will be on the same 100-point scale, with each
moral issues. This will better equip you to understand these issues for assignment weighted as indicated on page 3.
yourself and, in turn, meaningfully engage with others. 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
Announcements & Other Communication
is a basic principle of ethics, and I will do my best to immerse you in the Please routinely check UB Learns for updates and other important
deliberative process it entails. information during the semester. Otherwise, I am glad to answer your
questions, discuss your work, or respond to your concerns. Please feel free
to visit me at my office on campus (in Park Hall 118), reach me on Zoom, or
Purpose & Student Learning Outcomes get in touch via email ([email protected]).
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.
Readings
There are no textbooks to buy for this course. I will post all readings in PDF
By this December, you will be able to…
on UB Learns.
• Identify and employ common terminology for philosophical
approaches to ethics,
• Explain and summarize arguments within philosophical texts,
Late Assignments
• Apply important ethical concepts and theories to various Online classes can get quite overwhelming when you have late
hypothetical and real-world situations, assignments. In such situations, it is easy for work—and anxiety!—to pile
• Assess competing claims concerning the demands that morality up. This is why I expect that you get your assignments done on time.
places on your actions and decisions, and
That said, you have lives outside of this course and there may be times
• Reflect on your own assumptions and form more considered
when you cannot get things done as expected. If that happens, do not
judgments on moral issues.
panic! The automatic 12-hour grace period (page 3) gives you some extra
I have designed each course requirement (on page 3) with these outcomes time and free passes (page 10) can earn you more; lowest grades are
in mind. automatically dropped and free passes can drop even more. If the situation
is truly extraordinary, then contact me about a reasonable accommodation
(page 10) for getting caught up.
PHI 107 GRA Introduction to Ethics, Fall 2021 2/13
Requirements
Course Modules & Units Weekly Quizzes (30% of Final Grade)
This course consists of 30 modules across 6 units. Each module will cover a The course modules will have two types of quizzes:
specific topic within ethics and consists of a mixture of the following:
1. Quizzes embedded into my Panopto lectures, and
• Panopto lectures by me, with embedded quiz questions; 2. Module quizzes posted on UB Learns.
• A reading assignment, with reading questions;
The Panopto quizzes will ensure that you are paying attention and
• Videos and other media to help with your learning; and
understanding the material as I am presenting it, while the module quizzes
• A module quiz.
will primarily assess your basic understanding of material in each module.
You are required to complete between 2 or 3 modules a week, according
Generally speaking, Panopto quizzes will be worth significantly fewer
to the class schedule on page 7. Completion of a week’s modules is due on
points than the more comprehensive module quizzes.
Saturday (i.e., the last day of that week) at 12:00pm (noon), Buffalo (Eastern
Standard) Time. Each week, I will (1) take your number of points on all these quizzes for that
week, (2) divide that number by the total number of possible points, and
Each unit will end with a take-home unit exam, which is due on the Sunday
(3) normalize this ratio to the 100-point grading scale from page 2. That will
after that unit is done, at 12:00pm (noon), Buffalo (Eastern Standard) Time.
determine your quiz grade for that week. There are 14 weeks of modules,
Each exam will be made available 72-hours before it is due, so at 12:00pm
so you will have a total of 14 quiz grades in this course.
(noon), Buffalo (Eastern Standard) Time on the Thursday before it is due.
You will have the full 72-hours to work on the exam. At the end of the semester, your overall quiz grade will be determined by
taking the average of your top 13 weekly quiz grades. This means that I will
drop your lowest weekly quiz grade in this calculation.
Reading
In addition, 2 free passes may be used to drop 1 more weekly quiz grade; or
Most course modules have an assigned reading that you are expected to
4 free passes for dropping 2 more weekly quiz grades; or 6 free passes for
read and think about. Keep in mind that this material is not like a novel
dropping 3 more weekly quiz grades. See page 10 for more about how to
or a textbook. We are primarily interested in the arguments that the text
earn free passes and how they work in this course.
is trying to make. Because of that, there will be times when you must
read slowly and carefully. Sometimes you may have to stop and think
about things; and you should be prepared to go back and reread sections Unit Exams (60% of Final Grade)
if necessary. In some cases, multiple readings of the entire text may be
At the end of each unit, there will be a take-home unit exam consisting
necessary. I expect that you take notes while you read, so that you can
of 4 short-essay problems. These short essays will have you demonstrate
remember the text’s main points. Finally, feel free to contact me with any
your knowledge of key terminology, summarize arguments from the
questions you may have about the reading.
reading, apply course material to new cases, compare competing claims
Reading questions: To help guide you in this process, I will provide about ethics, and justify positions of your own on issues raised during the
reading questions that will highlight important concepts, arguments, course. The exams will progressively assess the higher and more important
and applications. These questions primarily have you demonstrate your student learning outcomes (from page 2) over the semester.
comprehension of the readings’ main claims and arguments.
Unit exams are non-comprehensive, focusing primarily on new material
While you are not required to submit responses to these questions, I highly covered since the previous unit exam. However, keep in mind that some
recommend writing out your responses so that you may consult them important concepts will remain relevant throughout the whole course.
when doing the quizzes and unit exams.
Each short essay on the unit exam will be worth 20 points, for a total of 80
points. The number of points you earn will be normalized to the 100-point
Participation (10% of Final Grade) grading scale from page 2. There are 6 units in this course, so you will have
a total of 6 unit exam grades for this course.
This course challenges each of us to share in the difficult process
of understanding and evaluating complex and important works of At the end of the semester, your overall unit exam grade will determined
philosophy. While this course is entirely online, ongoing discussion and by taking the average of your top 5 unit exam grades. This means that I
deliberation with your classmates is very important in understanding and will drop your lowest unit exam grade in this calculation.
retaining course material.
In addition, 5 free passes may be used to drop one more unit exam grade.
To facilitate this, class participation will be done through the social media See page 10 for more about how to earn free passes and how they work in
site Twitter. This platform provides a simple way to engage with your this course.
classmates about the course material. For more information on this Twitter
assignment, see page 4.
Beyond that, I encourage you to form a study group with some of
your classmates using your UB Zoom account. A study group may
12-Hour Grace Period for All Assignments
prove extremely helpful for having study sessions, holding each other All assignments have an automatic 12-hour grace period. This means that
accountable for keeping up with the course material (and not putting off you are free to finish and submit any assignment up to 12 hours after its
completing modules until the last minute), coordinating your discussions posted due date/time without penalty. In short, all assignments have an
on Twitter, supporting each other when struggling with difficult course automatic 12-hour extension. Further extensions will require the use of a
material, and checking in on the health and wellbeing of each other. free pass and/or reasonable accommodation.

PHI 107 GRA Introduction to Ethics, Fall 2021 3/13

Twitter Assignment
We will be using social media, on Twitter, to engage with each other In any case, try not to overthink things, or feel like you have to tweet
throughout the course. brilliant and original ideas. Just find something that interests you in the
readings or the videos, and tweet about it. Or, better yet, scroll through the
course hashtag #I2E21. It really shouldn’t take long to find something that
Here’s What I Want You to Do sparks a response from you. If all else fails, feel free to also ask questions
You are required to tweet a minimum of 5 times each week. when confused about any aspect of the course.
For these purposes, each week begins on Monday at 12:01am and ends on Furthermore, you do not need to only tweet about the current modules.
Saturday at 12:00pm (noon), all times in Buffalo (Eastern Standard) Time. (I If you have something to say about material covered the previous week—
do this so I can use Sunday to get caught up with all your tweets.) Keep go for it! If something on #I2E21 from a few weeks ago catches your eye,
in mind that you also have a 12-hour grace period for getting your weekly and you want to respond—not a problem! Of course, I would prefer that
tweets in. you try to stick with more recent material. But hey, at the end of the day,
I just want you all to be talking about this stuff. Ethics is lonely, and
However, you do not have to tweet during the week of Fall Recess. As a
definitely not fun, when done all by yourself.
result, there are 14 weeks you must tweet, meaning that at least 70 tweets
are expected from you. So my bottom line here is simple: I want this Twitter assignment to be
flexible and not too stressful. There are a lot of different ways in which
When tweeting for this course, please always use the course hashtag
you can meaningfully, and hopefully without much difficultly, complete
#I2E21 (which stands for Introduction to Ethics 2021). This hashtag is
your 5 tweets each week.
essential since I will not be snooping on your non-course-related tweets.
Instead, I will be using an automated program to collect all #I2E21 tweets Finally, I will be regularly checking on and responding to your tweets.
for me to read. So using that hashtag ensures that I will have and count all Feel free to follow me on Twitter (@ProfessorDEG). I also suggest that you
your course-related tweets. follow leaders within your future fields. You may be surprised to see them
discuss issues related to ethics and morality!
Just to repeat: if your tweet does not contain #I2E21, then it is extremely
unlikely that I will see that tweet!
Here’s How It Will Be Graded
Here’s Why I Want You to Do It Unless you are told otherwise, each tweet is graded pass/fail.
Part of my primary mission in this course is to equip you to meaningfully At the end of the semester, I will…
engage with others about moral issues. Human life involves the
1. Take your total number of tweets that pass (capped at 5 tweets each
inescapable need to secure the legitimate cooperation of others, including
week),
those with whom we may disagree. Mastering this skill of reasoned
2. Divide that number by the total number of tweets expected (that is,
deliberation is essential to attaining positions of leadership within your
70 tweets), and
communities and chosen fields of study.
3. Normalize this ratio to the 100-point grading scale (from page 2).
Yes, Twitter is an imperfect instrument for achieving those goals. Even
That will determine your overall/final participation grade in this course.
so, I continue to find it remarkably effective in immersing you in the
deliberative process entailed by the study of ethics. It does so by giving us In order to pass, a tweet must do three things: it must be…
all the opportunity to have informal conversations with each other about
1. Relevant,
course material.
2. Substantive, and
In particular, Twitter is particularly useful for having discussions that help 3. Respectful.
you with the last three learning outcomes (from page 2) for this course:
By relevant, I mean that your tweet is clearly connected to ethics or some
• Apply important ethical concepts and theories to various other aspect of this course. Of course, I highly encourage you to chat with
hypothetical and real-world situations, each other over Twitter, but non-relevant tweets will be ignored.
• Assess competing claims concerning the demands that morality
By substantive, I mean more than generic commentary, a retweet, or simply
places on your actions and decisions, and
quoting from course material.
• Reflect on your own assumptions and form more considered
judgments on moral issues. For instance, do not simply say that you agree with something; provide
your reasoning behind that judgment. Similarly, a relevant retweet is great,
To these ends, use Twitter to connect course topics to current events,
but be sure to include some of your own thoughts about the original
assess the claims made in the course readings or by your classmates, and
tweet. The same holds with quoting course readings. Such a quote should
reflect on what it is you believe about moral issues. Above all, use Twitter
be followed up with your own commentary. While I will only count your
to find your own voice to discuss these vital topics.
substantive comment, the retweet or quote will provide valuable context.
By respectful, I mean that you critically assess the claims others are making
Here’s How to Do It but not attack the people making those claims. It is fine to disagree
Generally speaking, I expect that you will regularly check and join in the with others—even with me!—but it is disrespectful to besmirch another
conversation on the course hashtag #I2E21. Given that Twitter is meant to person’s integrity or character. Indeed, personal attacks suggest it is your
be a social experience for us, I would strongly prefer that the majority position that is weak and unsound. So please no flame wars, no bullying,
of your tweets are in response to a classmate or to me. However, I and no being a jerk!
understand this may be difficult at times, so I will not penalize you for
tweeting your thoughts in monologue form.

PHI 107 GRA Introduction to Ethics, Fall 2021 4/13

Twitter Assignment (Continued)
Using Free Passes Alternatively, it is also fine if you use multiple Twitter accounts for this
course. That is, you might use your regular account to tweet about things
If you forget to tweet, you may use two free passes to make up any missed
that your Twitter followers and friends may find interesting, while also
tweets (up to 5) for one week.
using a disposable account to tweet about things you would rather not
have connected to your name. While juggling two different accounts can
Considerations for Your Account be tricky, this offers you the potential of having the best of both options.
This means that you need a Twitter account. If you do not have one—or I do require that you send me the name(s) of the account(s) you want me
if you prefer not to use your personal account—feel free to create a to track for this class and that you make sure the contents of your account
disposable one. You are also not required to use an account connected to is publicly viewable. So even if your account is not connected to your real
your real name or any other personal information. I strongly encourage you name, I will still know which account belongs to you and can determine
to create a disposable account if you prefer not to use a personal account for your participation grade.
this course.
Once more: I will never share your account information with anyone.
In making these decisions, keep in mind that people outside of class—and
Finally, if you have any trouble using Twitter do not hesitate to seek help
even outside of the UB community—can see what you are saying.
from me or one of your classmates.
For my part, I will never reveal which student is connected to which
Twitter account. I want you to be comfortable having open and honest
engagement with each other and with the material.

PHI 107 GRA Introduction to Ethics, Fall 2021 5/13

Course Schedule
Week Due Date* Units/Modules/Exams/Readings
Unit 1: What is Ethics?
1 September 4 (Sat) Module 0: Course Introduction
at 12:00pm (noon) Module 1: The Domain of Ethics
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). What is morality? In The elements of
moral philosophy (9th ed., pp. 1–13). McGraw-Hill.
Module 2: Law & Ethics
Weinstein, B. (2007, October 15). If it’s legal, it’s ethical… right? Bloomberg Businessweek.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2007-10-15/if-its-legal-its-ethical-
right-businessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice
Cannon, C. (1996). Tylenol’s rebound. In T. Donaldson & A. Gini (Eds.), Case studies in business
ethics (4th ed., pp. 29–32). Prentice Hall. (Original work from September 25, 1983)
2 September 11 (Sat) Module 3: Understanding Arguments
at 12:00pm (noon) Vaughn, L. (2009). The power of critical thinking: Effective reasoning about ordinary
and extraordinary claims (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Module 4: The Opioid Crisis
Lopez, G. (2019, October 10). The case for prosecuting the Sacklers and other opioid executives.
Vox. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/10/10/20881636/sacklers-
purdue-opioid-epidemic-prison-prosecution-criminal-investigation
3 September 12 (Sun) Unit 1 Exam
at 12:00pm (noon)
Unit 2: On What is Morality Grounded?
September 18 (Sat) Module 5: Cultural Relativism
at 12:00pm (noon) Benedict, R. (1934). Anthropology and the abnormal. Journal of General Psychology, 10(1), 59–82.
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). The challenge of cultural relativism. In The elements
of moral philosophy (9th ed., pp. 14–32). McGraw-Hill
Module 6: Ethical Subjectivism
Hume, D. (1978). A treatise of human nature (L. A. Shelby-Bigge & P. H. Nidditch, Eds.;
2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. (Original work from 1739–1740)
Hume, D. (1975). An enquiry concerning the principles of morals. In L. A. Shelby-Bigge &
P. H. Nidditch (Eds.), Enquiries concerning human understanding and concerning the
principles of morals (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. (Original work from 1777)
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2012). Subjectivism in ethics. In The elements of
moral philosophy (7th ed., pp. 32–48). McGraw-Hill.
Module 7: Justification in Ethics
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). Moral reasoning. In The elements of moral
philosophy (9th ed., pp. 10–12). McGraw-Hill.
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2012). Are there proofs in ethics. In The elements of
moral philosophy (7th ed., pp. 41–44). McGraw-Hill.
Worricker, J. (Host). (2015, September 13). [Justifying a drone attack in Syria] [Radio broadcast
transcript]. In Weekend. BBC World Service. (D. E. Gray, Transcription)
4 September 25 (Sat) Module 8: Prejudice & Quotas
at 12:00pm (noon) Rachels, J. (1997). Coping with prejudice. In Can ethics provide answers? And other
essays in moral philosophy (pp. 199–212). Rowman & Littlefield.
Module 9: Divine Command Theory
Plato. (1989). Euthyphro. In R. E. Allen (Trans.), Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Gorgias, Menexenus
(pp. 41–58). Yale University Press. (Original work from ca. 380 B.C.E.)
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). Does morality depend on religion? In The elements
of moral philosophy (9th ed., pp. 50–65). McGraw-Hill.

* All times are for Buffalo (Eastern Standard) Time. Also, do not forget that there is an automatic
12-hour grace period after these due dates/times for finishing a week’s modules or a unit exam.
PHI 107 GRA Introduction to Ethics, Fall 2021 6/13
Course Schedule (Continued)
Week Due Date* Units/Modules/Exams/Readings
5 October 2 (Sat) Module 10: God & The Basis of Morality
at 12:00pm (noon) English Revised Version of the King James Bible. (2014). Genesis 22 [The Binding of Isaac]. Bible
Hub. https://biblehub.com/erv/genesis/22.htm (Original work from 1885)
Kretzmann, N. (1983). Abraham, Isaac, and Euthyphro: God and the basis of morality. In
D. V. Stump, J. A. Arieti, L. Gerson, & E. Stump (Eds.), Hamartia: The concept
of error in the western tradition (pp. 27–50). Edwin Mellon Press.
Module 11: The Natural Law Tradition
Aristotle. (1984). Physics (R. P. Hardie & R. K. Gaye, Trans.). In J. Barnes (Ed.), The
complete works of Aristotle: The revised Oxford translation (pp. 315–446).
Princeton University Press. (Original work from ca. 350 B.C.E.)
Aquinas, T. (1945). Law [Selections from the Summa theologica]. In A. C.
Pegis (Ed. & Trans.) Introduction to Saint Thomas Aquinas (pp.
609–650). Random House. (Original work from 1265–1274.)
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). The theory of natural law. In The elements of
moral philosophy (9th ed., pp. 56–59). McGraw-Hill.
6 October 3 (Sun) Unit 2 Exam
at 12:00pm (noon)
Unit 3: Do the Interests of Others Matter?
October 9 (Sat) Module 12: Psychological Egoism
at 12:00pm (noon) Plato. (2004). [The ring of Gyges]. In C. D. Reeve (Trans.), Republic (pp. 37–
39). Hackett. (Original work from ca. 380 B.C.E.)
Rachels, J. (2003). Psychological egoism. In The elements of moral
philosophy (4th ed., pp. 63–75). McGraw-Hill.
Module 13: Ethical Egoism
Rand, A. (1957). Atlas shrugged. Random House.
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). Ethical egoism. In The elements of moral
philosophy (9th ed., pp. 66–83). McGraw-Hill.
Module 14: World Poverty
Singer, P. (1972, Spring). Famine, affluence, and morality. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 1(3), 229–243.
7 October 16 (Sat) Module 15: Classical Utilitarianism
at 12:00pm (noon) Bentham, J. (2003). An introduction concerning the principles of morals and legislation.
In M. Warnock (Ed.), Utilitarianism and on liberty: Including Mill’s ‘essay on
Bentham’ and selections from the writings of Jeremy Bentham and John
Austin (2nd ed., pp. 17–51). Blackwell. (Original work from 1789)
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). The revolution in ethics. In The elements of
moral philosophy (9th ed., pp. 101–102). McGraw-Hill.
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). The classical version of the theory. In The elements
of moral philosophy (9th ed., pp. 118–119). McGraw-Hill.
Module 16: Morality & Animals
Wayman, S. (1966, February 4). Concentration Camps for Dogs. Life, 60(5), 22–29.
Singer, P. (2002). Animal liberation (2002 ed.). HarperCollins.
8 October 17 (Sun) Unit 3 Exam
at 12:00pm (noon)

* All times are for Buffalo (Eastern Standard) Time. Also, do not forget that there is an automatic
12-hour grace period after these due dates/times for finishing a week’s modules or a unit exam.
PHI 107 GRA Introduction to Ethics, Fall 2021 7/13
Course Schedule (Continued)
Week Due Date* Units/Modules/Exams/Readings
Unit 4: Utilitarianism & Its Limits
8 October 23 (Sat) Module 17: Are Pleasure & Happiness the Greatest Goods?
at 12:00pm (noon) Nozick, R. (1974). The experience machine. In Anarchy, state, and utopia (pp. 42–45). Blackwell.
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). Is pleasure all that matters? In The elements of
moral philosophy (9th ed., pp. 119–120). McGraw-Hill.
Module 18: Deliberative Utilitarianism
Mill, J. S. (2003). What utilitarianism is [Chapter 2 from Utilitarianism]. In
M. Warnock (Ed.), Utilitarianism and on liberty: Including Mill’s ‘essay on
Bentham’ and selections from the writings of Jeremy Bentham and John
Austin (2nd ed., pp. 185–202). Blackwell. (Original work from 1861)
9 October 30 (Sat) Module 19: Criticisms of Utilitarianism
at 12:00pm (noon) Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). The debate over utilitarianism. In The elements
of moral philosophy (9th ed., pp. 118–132). McGraw-Hill.
Le Guin, U. K. (1973, October). The ones who walk away from Omelas. In R. Silverberg
(Ed.), New dimensions 3 (pp. 1–8). Nelson Doubleday.
Williams, B. (1973). A critique of utilitarianism. In J. J. C. Smart and B. Williams, Utilitarianism:
For and against (pp. 77–150). Cambridge University Press.
Module 20: Justice & The Greater Good
Mill, J. S. (2003). On the connexion between justice and utility [Chapter 5 from
Utilitarianism]. In M. Warnock (Ed.), Utilitarianism and on liberty: Including
Mill’s ‘essay on Bentham’ and selections from the writings of Jeremy Bentham
and John Austin (2nd ed., pp. 216–235). Blackwell. (Original work from 1861)
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). The defense of utilitarianism. In The elements
of moral philosophy (9th ed., pp. 125–131). McGraw-Hill.
10 November 6 (Sat) Module 21: Constraints on Action
at 12:00pm (noon) Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). Harry Truman and Elizabeth Anscombe. In The
elements of moral philosophy (9th ed., pp. 133–135). McGraw-Hill.
Nozick, R. (1974). Moral constraints and the state. In Anarchy,
state, and utopia (pp. 26–53). Blackwell.
Module 22: Moral Dilemmas & Dirty Hands
Walzer, M. (1973, Winter). Political action: The problem of dirty
hands. Philosophy and Public Affairs, 2(2), 160–180.
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). Conflicts between rules. In The elements of
moral philosophy (9th ed., pp. 140–141). McGraw-Hill.
11 November 7 (Sun) Unit 4 Exam
at 12:00pm (noon)
Unit 5: Deontological Approaches
November 13 (Sat) Module 23: Conceptions of the Common Good
at 12:00pm (noon) London, A. J. (2003, September-October). Threats to the common good: Biochemical
weapons and human subjects research. Hastings Center Report, 33(5), 17–25.
Henley, P. (Host). (2015, November 14). [Paris attacks: Security and individual rights] [Radio
broadcast transcript]. In Weekend. BBC World Service. (D. E. Gray, Transcription)
Module 24: The Nature & Ambiguity of Rights
United Nations General Assembly. (1948, December 10). The universal
declaration of human rights (Resolution 217 A).
Kagan, S. (1998). Rights. In Normative ethics (pp. 170–177). Westview Press.

* All times are for Buffalo (Eastern Standard) Time. Also, do not forget that there is an automatic
12-hour grace period after these due dates/times for finishing a week’s modules or a unit exam.
PHI 107 GRA Introduction to Ethics, Fall 2021 8/13
Course Schedule (Continued)
Week Due Date* Units/Modules/Exams/Readings
12 November 20 (Sat) Module 25: Duty & The Good Will
at 12:00pm (noon) Kant, I. (2012). First Section: Transition from common to philosophical
moral rational cognition. In M. Gregor & J. Timmermann (Trans. &
Eds.), Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals (Revised ed., pp.
9–20). Cambridge University Press. (Original work from 1785)
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). Are there absolute moral rules? In The elements
of moral philosophy (9th ed., pp. 133–144). McGraw-Hill.
Module 26: Respect for Persons
Kant, I. (2012). Second section: Transition from popular moral philosophy to
the metaphysics of morals. In M. Gregor & J. Timmermann (Trans. &
Eds.), Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals (Revised ed., pp.
21–55). Cambridge University Press. (Original work from 1785)
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). Kant’s core idea. In The elements of moral
philosophy (9th ed., pp. 145–148). McGraw-Hill.
13 November 21 (Sun) Unit 5 Exam
at 12:00pm (noon)
 Fall Recess
Unit 6: Morality Beyond Universal Rules & Principles
14 December 4 (Sat) Module 27: The Ethics of Care
at 12:00pm (noon) Grimshaw, J. (1991). The idea of a female ethic. In P. Singer (Ed.), A
companion to ethics (pp. 491–499). Blackwell.
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). Feminism and the ethics of care. In The elements
of moral philosophy (9th ed., pp. 156–168). McGraw-Hill.
Module 28: Excellence of Character
Aristotle. (2002). [Excellence of character: Selections from books I and II]. In
S. Broadie (Ed.) & C. Rowe (Trans.), Nicomachean ethics (pp. 95–122).
Oxford University Press. (D. E. Gray, supplementary footnotes with
alternative typesetting) (Original work from ca. 350 B.C.E.)
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2018). Virtue ethics. In The elements of moral
philosophy (9th ed., pp. 169–185). McGraw-Hill.
15 December 11 (Sat) Module 29: Excellence of Intellect
at 12:00pm (noon) Aristotle. (2002). [Excellence of intellect: Selections from book VI]. In
S. Broadie (Ed.) & C. Rowe (Trans.), Nicomachean ethics (pp. 176–189).
Oxford University Press. (D. E. Gray, supplementary footnotes with
alternative typesetting). (Original work from ca. 350 B.C.E.)
Maher, B. (Host). (2001, September 17). [Courage and the 9/11 hijackers]
[TV series episode transcript]. Politically incorrect. American
Broadcasting Company. (D. E. Gray, Transcription)
Module 30: Philosophy, Ethics & Leadership
Plato. (2004). [The allegory of the cave]. In C. D. Reeve (Trans.), Republic (pp.
208–212). Hackett. (Original work from ca. 380 B.C.E.)
Plato. (1989). Apology. In R. E. Allen (Trans.), Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Gorgias, Menexenus
(pp. 79–104). Yale University Press. (Original work from ca. 380 B.C.E.)
December 12 (Sun) Unit 6 Exam
at 12:00pm (noon)

* All times are for Buffalo (Eastern Standard) Time. Also, do not forget that there is an automatic
12-hour grace period after these due dates/times for finishing a week’s modules or a unit exam.
PHI 107 GRA Introduction to Ethics, Fall 2021 9/13
Course Policies
Reasonable Accommodations Earning Free Passes
You are a human being with all the usual challenges associated with You initially have 1 free pass to use during this course. You will earn more
human finitude. Illness, family emergencies, job interviews, other free passes based on your performance on each unit exam:
professors, and so on will inevitably lead to legitimate conflicts over
• 1 free pass for a 90.0 (A−) or higher on a unit exam,
your time. If you expect that you will be unable to turn in an assignment
• 3/4 of a free pass for between 80.0 (B−) and 89.9 (B+),
on time, please notify me as soon as possible and we can agree on a
• 2/3 of a free pass for between 73.0 (C) and 79.9 (C+),
reasonable accommodation.
• 1/2 of a free pass for between 70.0 (low C−) and 72.9 (high C−),
Please recognize that most reasonable accommodations will require that • 1/3 of a free pass for between 67.0 (low D+) and 69.9 (high D+), and
you use a free pass, receive a reduced grade on an assignment, or do • No free passes for anything lower than 66.9 (D).
additional work. This is done to keep things fair between you and your
You will also earn more free passes based on each of your weekly quiz grades:
classmates—after all you are asking for extra consideration that they do
not get. So when you propose a reasonable accommodation, please reflect • 1/4 of a free pass for a 90.0 (A−) or higher on a weekly quiz grade,
on what would preserve that fairness. • 1/5 of a free pass for between 80.0 (B−) and 89.9 (B+),
• 3/20 of a free pass for between 73.0 (C) and 79.9 (C+),
• 1/10 of a free pass for between 70.0 (low C−) and 72.9 (high C−),
Challenging an Assignment Grade • 1/20 of a free pass for between 67.0 (low D+) and 69.9 (high D+), and
I am human also: mistakes may occasionally occur when grading your • No free passes for anything lower than 66.9 (D).
assignments. Therefore, you have one week after an assignment is graded
This means you have the opportunity to earn up to 9 more free passes.
to challenge that grade. To do so, you must provide a clear written
explanation (email is preferred) outlining your reasons for why you believe
the grade you earned is mistaken. I take all such requests extremely Using Free Passes
seriously, with a spirit of humility. I will then meet with you, as necessary,
1 free pass may be exchanged for any of the following:
to work on resolving things satisfactorily.
• A 24-hour extension for completing a unit exam (in addition to the
Of course, I always encourage you to talk with me about how you may
automatic 12-hour grace period); or
improve on future assignments!
• A 48-hour extension for completing a week’s modules (in addition to
the automatic 12-hour grace period).
Sharing Course Materials 2 free passes may be exchanged for any of the following:
All my course materials, available digitally on UB Learns, are protected by
• Dropping your lowest weekly quiz grade (in addition to the 1 dropped
copyright laws. You may use these materials and make copies for your own
automatically at the end of the semester); or
personal use, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of course
• Making up for any missed tweets (up to 5) for one week.
materials without my written permission is strictly prohibited.
4 free passes may be exchanged for the following:
• Dropping your lowest 2 weekly quiz grades (in addition to the 1
dropped automatically at the end of the semester).
5 free passes may be exchanged for the following:
• Dropping your lowest unit exam grade (in addition to the 1 dropped
automatically at the end of the semester).
6 free passes may be exchanged for the following:
• Dropping your lowest 3 weekly quiz grades (in addition to the 1
dropped automatically at the end of the semester).
Finally, for each free pass that you do not use by the end of the course, I
will boost your overall participation grade by +0.5 point.
So use your free passes wisely!

PHI 107 GRA Introduction to Ethics, Fall 2021 10/13

Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is embodied by commitments to honesty, trust, To help you facilitate this, every unit exam requires you to include a
fairness, respect, diligence, and rigor in the pursuit of knowledge. As a completed Commitment to Academic Integrity Form. Exams without a
student in this class, academic integrity means following all directions on completed form will automatically earn a 0.00 (F). Templates for the
assignments, clearly distinguishing your own original work from the work exams are posted on UB Learns that include this form.
done by others in your assignments, and seeking help whenever you are
While I treat violations of academic integrity on a case-by-case basis,
struggling. This is laid out in the academic honor code for this course on
I carefully follow the University at Buffalo’s process of consultative
page 6.
resolution. According to this process, when I suspect an academic integrity
In this class, the typical violation of academic integrity is plagiarism on violation, I first meet with the student for an explanation. If, after that
exams. Examples of this include cutting-and-pasting material without meeting, I remain convinced that there is a violation, I will report it to the
proper citation, paraphrasing ideas from external sources without Chair of the Philosophy Department, the Dean of the College of Arts and
attribution, and borrowing ideas from a classmate without reference and/ Sciences, and the Academic Integrity Office. This protects the student’s
or acknowledgment. right to appeal.
To avoid this, you must strive for clarity in your writing in order to Beyond that, I typically impose a penalty that exceeds the penalty of not
distinguish between when you are presenting your own ideas (typically having done the assignment at all. For instance, the penalty for plagiarism
by using first-person pronouns “I”, “me”, “my”, etc.) and when you are in an exam is usually a negative score. Again, the student retains the right
presenting someone else’s ideas (by properly citing the source). Keep in to appeal any such decision.
mind, this includes the ideas of your classmates and any assistance you
In particularly severe cases, or when the student has committed previous
receive from the Center for Excellence in Writing (CEW) and from me.
academic integrity infractions, there may also be further penalties
Please the see the formatting requirements posted on UB Learns for more
imposed by the Academic Integrity Office.
information on how to properly cite the claims and ideas of others in your
assignments. For more information, visit
In general, proper citation lets me know what it is I am evaluating about https://academicintegrity.buffalo.edu
your writing. Am I evaluating your own original ideas? or am I evaluating
If you ever find yourself tempted to violate these standards of academic
your presentation of someone else’s ideas? or am I evaluating your
integrity, please seek an alternative course of action. Email me for a
expansion on their ideas? All of these tasks are important, so do not be
reasonable accommodation, or turn in partially completed work. I assure
ashamed when you are doing them. I honestly do not expect every single
you that the impact will be far more generous in these ways.
thing you write to be uniquely yours, but I do expect you to be clear and
honest about what it is you are doing in your assignments.

PHI 107 GRA Introduction to Ethics, Fall 2021 11/13

Academic Honor Code for Introduction to Ethics
Students at the University at Buffalo, because they part of a community of scholars, must share its commitment to
learning and discovery. The nature of this commitment generates fundamental obligations to the highest standards
of academic integrity, honesty, and ethics. Adhering to these principles ensures that the academic endeavors we
undertake garner us the greatest personal satisfaction and intellectual gain.

The University at Buffalo academic community is composed of learners—individuals dedicated to an open exchange
of ideas and who share their ideas for the purpose of improving knowledge for all people. In order for this academic
enterprise to be successful, we must embrace personal, ethical, and moral principles to guide our interactions.

These principles require personal integrity, a commitment to honesty without compromise, as well as truth without
equivocation and knowing when to place the good of the community above the good of the self. Obligations once
undertaken must be met, commitments kept.

The discovery, advancement, and communication of knowledge are not possible without these commitments.
Creativity cannot exist without acknowledgment of the creativity of others. New knowledge cannot be developed
without credit for prior knowledge. Without the ability to trust that these principles will be observed, our academic
community cannot exist.

The commitment of its faculty, staff, and students to the highest of personal, ethical, and moral standards also
contributes to the respect in which the University at Buffalo degree is held. Students must not destroy or otherwise
diminish that respect by their failure to meet these standards.

Student Responsibilities

For this course, it is important that no one gains an unfair advantage through academic misconduct. Academic
misconduct is any act that does or potentially could improperly distort student grades or other academic records. Such
acts include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Possessing, using, or exchanging improperly acquired written or verbal information in the preparation of any
assignment included in the course;
• Substitution for, or unauthorized collaboration with, another student or person in the commission of course
requirements;
• Submission of material that is wholly or substantially identical to that created or published by another person or
persons, without adequate citations; and
• False claims of performance or work that has been submitted by the student.

In addition, each student enrolled in this class must sign an honor agreement affirming their commitment to uphold
this code. This agreement may reappear on assignments to remind everyone of their responsibilities.

Faculty Responsibilities

As the instructor, I am also expected to help create an environment where honesty flourishes. To that end, I will do
my utmost to make it known as specifically as possible, on multiple occasions, what constitutes appropriate academic
conduct as well as what comprises academic misconduct in this course. I will also remain consistent in how I enforce
this policy with all my students.

Throughout all this, I will also provide clarification to any student questions concerning any of the above.

PHI 107 GRA Introduction to Ethics, Fall 2021 12/13

University Policies
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Support for Students’ Health & Wellness
The University at Buffalo is committed to providing reasonable Take care of yourself. Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating
accommodations for equal access to this course for all students. To access well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep, and
accommodation services, you must initiate the request with Accessibility taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope
Resources at Student Life. with stress.
If Accessibility Resources determines that your request for accommodation If you are struggling with strained relationships, anxiety, high levels of
is reasonable, they will provide you with an Accommodation Memo. Keep in stress, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, health concerns, or unwanted
mind that you will need a new Accommodation Memo each semester. (If you sexual experiences, know that you are not alone. There are many helpful
are a returning student and your needs have not changed, you can simply resources available, and an important part of the university experience
contact Accessibility Resources for an updated Accommodation Memo.) is learning how to ask for help. Asking sooner rather than later is almost
always helpful.
Once you receive your Accommodation Memo, it is your responsibility to
inform faculty and staff of any accommodations that they may need to Counseling, Health Services, and Health Promotion are here to help.
know about. The Accessibility Resources staff will explain in more detail To schedule an appointment with a counselor, visit their office in 120
how (and when) to share this Accommodation Memo with others. Richmond Quad or call 716-645-2720.
For more information, please visit If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or in danger of self-harm,
call the University Police to speak to the counselor on call at 716-645-2222
https://www.buffalo.edu/studentlife/who-we-are/departments/
or the Erie County Crisis Services 24-hour hot-line at 716-834-3131. You may
accessibility.html
also find support via the Crisis Text Line by texting “GOT5” to 741-741.
If the situation is life threatening, call 911.
Sex Discrimination & Sexual Harassment
The University at Buffalo is committed to ensuring that all members of our
community can work and learn in a safe environment, free of all forms of
discrimination and sexual harassment, including sexual assault, domestic
and dating violence and stalking.
For my part, I am committed to preserving a classroom and university
environment in which each student can contribute and learn free from
discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct. I am also committed
to supporting survivors and those impacted by intimate partner violence,
attempted or completed sexual assault, harassment, coercion, stalking,
and so on.
Please note that all University at Buffalo faculty members are required
to report disclosures of sexual misconduct to the Office of Equity,
Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). If you disclose an incident of sexual
misconduct to me in- or outside of the classroom (with the exception
of disclosures in assignments), I am required to share that with EDI. EDI,
will, in turn, reach out to provide support, resources, and the option to
meet. EDI will keep all information private, and will only proceed with an
investigation with the consent of the student, or if there is a risk to the
health or safety to the reporting student or others if the university does
not take action.
For more information, please contact the University at Buffalo’s Title IX
Coordinator at 716-645-2266, or visit
http://www.buffalo.edu/equity/obtaining-assistance/sex-
discrimination-and-sexual-harassment.html
For confidential assistance, you may also contact a Crisis Services Campus
Advocate at 716-796-4399.

PHI 107 GRA Introduction to Ethics, Fall 2021 13/13