PHI 212: Contemporary Moral Issues

SYLLABUS:

• PHI 212: CONTEMPORARY MORAL ISSUES (FALL 2025) -- Available in the Fall

PRESENTATION SCHEDULE:

• PHI 212, FALL 2024 - TR 10:30-11:45 a.m. [Sections XXXXX (H) and XXXXX] -- Available in the Fall

COURSE MATERIALS:

• Lecture 1: Introduction to Philosophy, Ethics, and Morality

• Lecture 1 Supplement: Fallacies

• Lecture 2: Ethical Relativism: What it is, and Objections Thereagainst

• Lecture 3: Kant's Ethical Theory

• Lecture 4: Mill's Ethical Theory

• Three Arguments Against Eating Meat compiled by Dr. Y, using Jonathan Safran Foer's points in Eating Animals and the movie, "Cowspiracy" (this is one of your readings -- see Presentation Schedule)

• Eight Arguments in Favor of Eating Meat and Objections Thereto (by Dr. Y; this is one of your readings -- see Presentation Schedule above)

ARTICLE SUMMARY GUIDELINES AND GRADING SCALE(S):

• PHI 212 Article Summary Guidelines

• This is a template of how to write the first Article Summary for Warren on abortion

PRESENTATION GUIDELINES:

• General Guidelines on the Elements of a Presentation for PHI 212

• PHI 212, 1st Example of Presentation - Warren on abortion

PAPER ASSIGNMENTS (and Abbreviation Guide for Grading):

• First Paper Assignment -- Available when Dr. Y announces in class.

• Second Paper Assignment -- Available when Dr. Y announces in class.

• Third Paper Assignment -- Available when Dr. Y announces in class.

• Grading Legend -- Explanations for the abbreviations on your graded papers

ADVICE ON WRITING PAPERS:

• Writing Philosophy 212 Papers

• Dr. Y's Good Paper Sample

• Dr. Y's Bad Paper Sample

• Dr. Y's Grammar Corner

• Dr. Y's Example of a Poor Introduction to your Paper (and why it is poor)

• How to cite pages and columns in your papers

OPTIONAL COURSE MATERIAL (only look at and/or print this stuff if you're interested in it):

• Why Philosophy is Valuable, Getting a Career in Philosophy, Philosophy Major Salaries, and otherwise Intelligent People Who Bash (or Have Bashed) Philosophy and/or Philosophers

• Dr. Y's "The Importance of Philosophy: Why does philosophy matter? Why bother with it?"

• Dr. Y's List of Fallacies -- A whole bunch of fallacies: Don't commit these and point them out when others do!

• Normative Ethics Diagram (Thumbnail sketch of different major ways of approaching ethics)

• Some Objections Against Nihilism

• Immanuel Kant: "On a Supposed Right to Lie from Altruistic Motives" -- Kant says do not lie to a murderer at the door

• Immanuel Kant in The Principles of Public Right is in favor of the Death Penalty

• Act Utilitarianism versus Rule Utilitarianism -- Definitions of and examples of each ethical theory

• Kant's Ethical Theory versus Mill's Ethical Theory -- Considerations for and against each view

• Abortion: Introduction to the Issue

• A chart relevant to abortion that shows different phases of pregnancy and where to draw the line on the abortion issue.

• Abortion Debate Stances

• A map of abortion laws before the Roe v. Wade decision

• A chart explaining the Roe v. Wade decision

• Roe v. Wade decision: Dr. Y's notes on Justice White's Dissent

• The End of Roe v. Wade: A Briefing from Lewis Vaughn, Doing Ethics, 6/e

• The text of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision on abortion

• Interactive State Map of Abortion Laws

• Interactive State Map of Abortion Laws (with Waiting Periods and Exceptions)

• A Guide to Thomson's Abortion Analogies

• Dr. Y's Notes on Mary Anne Warren's Postscript on Infanticide

• Dr. Y's short paper: "Consistency and the Conservative Abortion Position"

• Oregon's Death With Dignity Act and Related Info (from PHI 213 Bioethics)

• Euthanasia Debate Stances

• Where Assisted Death is Legal in the US and the World (as of May 2025)

• Steven Brill's "Bitter Pill" (Time Magazine's Special Report on Health Care)

• "Medicare for All" saves money (according to 22 studies)

• Genetic Engineering and Cloning Debate Stances

• Why is Vegetarianism a Moral Issue at All?

• Philosopher Mylan Engel Jr.'s Argument in Favor of Vegetarianism -- Dr. Y's notes on Engel's article, with some quotations

• Optional Extra Credit Assignments – Available when Dr. Y announces in class.