JUSTICE, MORALITY, AND THE LAW
Prof.
Deirdre Golash
Spring 2001
Class hours: TuF 11:20-12:35
Office hours:
Office: Ward 252
Phone: 885-2955 (if I am not in, you may
leave a message)
e-mail: dgolash@american.edu
Course Description:
This course focuses on the
philosophical grounding of various positions on moral issues in the public
forum. The limits of law in enforcing moral standards and the tensions
between liberty and control are examined. You will be encouraged to develop
and argue for your own position on these issues.
Materials:
-
Kant, Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, L.W.
Beck, trans. (An older translation is available here.)
-
Mill, On
Liberty; and Utilitarianism
(Bantam, 1993). (Both works are also available on the web.)
-
Mappes and Zembaty, Social Ethics, 5th ed. (SE)
-
Additional materials on electronic
reserve
Requirements:
-
All students are expected to attend class regularly
and to be prepared to discuss the reading. Attendance and participation
constitute 10% of your grade.
-
There will be one test (15% of your grade) and a
final examination (25%). Both tests will consist entirely of essay questions.
A study sheet will be provided for each test.
-
There will be two papers (each 25% of your
grade). Papers must be turned in on time.
Optional
work:
-
You may request permission to submit a revised version
of the first paper. Permission will usually be granted provided other course
requirements, including attendance, have been met. Revised papers will
be regraded; the new grade will replace the original grade. Revised
papers will be accepted up to the last day of class.
-
Extra credit will be given for participation in class
debates.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Topics and reading assignments
may be changed. Changes in assignments will be announced in class and posted
on the course website.
January 16 Introduction
MORAL THEORY
Utilitarianism
Kantian Ethics
Jan. 30–Feb. 6
Kant, Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, sections 1 and 2
Lecture notes
Feb. 9 TEST
Study
questions for test
MORALITY AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
Punishment
Lecture
notes
Feb. 13 Brandt, The Utilitarian
Theory of Criminal Punishment (ER)
Feb. 16 Morris, Persons and Punishment (ER)
Feb. 20 Handout
Feb. 23 Social Ethics, Ch. 3 - Capital Punishment
Feb. 27 Crime and Punishment in the United
States (ER)
MORALITY AND LAW
Pornography
March 9
-
Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography (SE)
-
Pornography cases [handout]
SPRING BREAK
-
March 13-16
-
Longino, Pornography, Oppression and Freedom (SE)
-
Wicclair, Feminism, Pornography, and Censorship (SE)
Hate Speech
Lecture
notes
March 23-30
-
Hate speech cases [handout]
-
Lawrence, Racist Speech as the Functional Equivalent
of Fighting Words (SE)
-
Altman, Liberalism and Campus Hate Speech (SE)
Paper
#1 Due March 27
April 2 Debate team meetings
Euthanasia and assisted suicide
Lecture
notes
April 6-13 Social ethics,
ch. 2
Debates
April 17 Capital punishment
April 20 Pornography
April 24 Hate speech
April27-30
Review and catch-up
Paper
#2 due April 27 at Ward 252
No class 4/27
May 1 Review class
May 8 11:20 FINAL EXAM
Study
guide