PHIL 102

Ethics, Politics, & Law

Winter Quarter 2011

Dr. Jeff Johnson

NEW WITHDRAW POLICY

A student may drop from a course for any reason with no record on the student's transcript before the end of the 4th week of the term. Thereafter, a student must withdraw from the course (see withdrawal policy).

Drop fees will be assessed in accordance with the fee policies stated in the Schedule of Classes.

Withdrawal Policy (effective Winter, 2010):

There are two types of withdrawal - withdrawal from a course and withdrawal from the University.

From a course:

A student may withdraw from the 5th week of the term through the 7th week with a grade of "W" indicated on the transcript.

No withdrawals will be issued after the 7th week of the term. Instructors will issue a letter grade (A-F, or I) for all students enrolled after the 7th week. A student making adequate academic progress during the term and needing to withdraw after the 7th week may request an incomplete from the instructor.

Withdrawal forms [for on campus courses] are available in the Registrar's Office.

This quarter in Ethics, Politics, & Law we will examine a number of important moral, political, and legal controversies in contemporary American society that have been the focus of relatively recent Supreme Court decisions.  Constitutional law can be productively studied through the empirical methods of political science, and the interpretive methods of the moral philosophy and jurisprudence.  Our course will utilize insights from all of these academic perspectives. 

Since the issues we will be examining have proved controversial for scholars and judges, we can hardly expect consensus on any of them within our course.  That, I sincerely believe, is a good thing.  This course is not about discovering the truth, but providing the background and analytical tools to allow you to better understand the controversies, and to more reflectively formulate your own stands on them.  My ambitious goal for this quarter is address the following constitutional topics:

There will be a number of "texts" for this course.   We will read Ronald Dworkin's important book, Life's Dominion, as well as a number of on-line readings -- articles and chapters, as well as Supreme Court decisions.  We will also read some of my own professional articles and conference papers.  Finally we will be utilizing contemporary cinema as a different sort of text for raising moral and legal questions.  For the first eight weeks every Wednesday evening at 6:00 we will be showing a movie that raises an important moral or legal issue.  Students are required to see all of the eight films we will be showing.

UWR Writing Intensive Outcomes:

  1. Students will produce at least 3,000 words (including drafts, in-class writing, informal papers, and polished papers); 1,000 words of this total should be in polished papers which students have revised after receiving feedback and criticism.
  2. Students will be introduced to the discourse forms appropriate to the discipline the course represents.
  3. Students will write at least one paper integrating information from at least one source, employing the appropriate documentation style for the discipline represented by the course.
  4. Students will draft, revise, and edit their formal written work.
    Students will seek assistance from a Writing Tutor in the Writing Lab when needed and when referred by the instructor.

General Education Outcomes:

  1. Learn and use the vocabulary, content, and conceptual knowledge in a variety of disciplines. (CONTENT KNOWLEDGE)
  2. Think clearly, critically, and effectively, taking into consideration purpose, audience, and occasion. (CRITICAL THINKING)
  3. An appreciation for aesthetic expressions of humanity and the ability to analyze texts. (AEH)

Additional Outcomes:

  1. Understand the philosophical and legal controversies concerning personal, legal, and constitutional privacy, race and the constitution, gender and feminist ethics, and the death penalty.
  2. Read philosophical and legal texts critically and with understanding.
  3. Write effectively about philosophical and legal controversies.
  4. Critically view cinema dealing with social issues.
  5. Write effectively about social issues in contemporary cinema

Means of Assessment and Grading:

Link to movie prompts

ACADEMIC HONESTY

I am including below Eastern's Academic Honesty Code.  It is vitally important that you carefully read it, and that you understand that it is my intention to follow this code to the letter.  I really can't think of a better way to ruin your experience with this course, than to disregard this code.  Obviously, if you have any questions, I can't urge you too strongly to ask me.

ACADEMIC HONESTY CODE

All members of the Eastern Oregon University academic community are responsible for compliance with its Academic Honesty Code. Students are required to report violations to the respective faculty member of a course. Provisions of the Academic Honesty Code are:

  1. Collaboration while taking any quizzes, in-class examinations, or take home examinations without the instructor's written approval is forbidden. The faculty member is responsible for defining limits for other collaborative learning activities for each course.
  2. Plagiarism or representation of the work of others as one's own is forbidden. The faculty member will make clear the format for properly citing sources of information not original by the student.
  3. Explicit approval by all instructors is required if the same work is to be submitted to more than one course, even if is not within the same term.

Violations of the Academic Honesty Code may result in both academic and behavioral penalties including possible suspension or expulsion from the University.

An automatic grade of zero for any work which is a violation of the Academic Honesty Code will be assigned by the instructor. The instructor may also assign a grade of F for the course after discussion with the respective School Dean. Students may appeal the course grade to the respective School Dean, who is the final level of appeal on the matter of course grade penalties for academic dishonesty.

The faculty member is also required to file a disciplinary complaint to the Vice President for Student Affairs about any student believed to have violated the Academic Honesty Code. If deemed appropriate, hearing procedures will be implemented by a University Hearing Officer as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. Possible sanctions considered by the Student Conduct Committee include probation, suspension, and expulsion.

TENTATIVE CALENDAR

Dates are for Winter 2011

WEEK MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
One

Lecture 1

Class Introduction

Supreme Court

Lecture 2 Griswold v. Connecticut

Griswold

Milk

Lecture 3 Constitutional Privacy

Johnson 1
Two

Lecture 4 Privacy and Information

Parent

Lecture 5 Privacy and Judgment

Johnson 3 (required) Sections 1-3

Johnson 2 (recommended)

Amastad

Lecture 6 Privacy and Judgment
Three MLK

Holiday

Lecture 7 Privacy and Focused Attention

Johnson 3 (required) Sections 4-6

Lecture 8 Supreme Court & Constitutional Interpretation

Brown v. Board of Education

4 Little Girls

Lecture 9 Supreme Court & Constitutional Interpretation
Four

Separate But Equal

Separate But Equal

Separate But Equal

Do the Right Thing

Separate But Equal

Last day to withdraw without record 1/28

First Take-home Midterm Due 1/31
Five Lecture 10 Analytical Paper

Lecture 11 "The Edges of Life"

Dworkin Ch 1

Lecture 12 Affirmative Action

Supreme Court Cases

Thelma and Louise

Lecture 13 Affirmative Action
Six

Lecture 14

"The Morality of Abortion"

Dworkin Ch 2

Lecture 15

"The Morality of Abortion"

Lecture 16 Feminine Voice

Gilligan 1

Gilligan 2

Winter's Bone

Lecture 17 Feminine Voice

Seven

Peer Review

Lecture 18 "What Is Sacred?"

Dworkin Ch 3

Lecture 19 Gender and Wage Differntials

North Country

Lecture 20

Roe v. Wade

Dworkin Ch 4
Eight

Lecture 21 "The Constitutional Drama" & Casey v. Planned Parenthood

Dworkin Chs 5&6

Lecture 22 Right to Die

Dworkin Ch 7

Lecture 23 Rawls' Theory of Justice

Theory of Justice

Wendy and Lucy

Lecture 24

"Life Past Reason"

Dworkin Ch 8

Second Take-home Midterm Due 2/28
Nine

Lecture 25

Hart/Devin Debate

Lecture 26

Bowers v. Hardwick & Lawrence v. Texas

Bowers

Lawrence

Lecture 27

Loving v. Virginia

Loving v. Virginia

Dirty Pretty Things

Lecture 28 Moral Case for Homosexual Marriage

Johnson 6
Ten

Lecture 29 Moral Case for Homosexual Marriage

Analytical Paper Due

Lecture 30 Legal Case for Homosexual Marriage

Exam review

The Laramie Project

  

Final Exam 3/16 -- 8:00 - 10:00