ethics
&
values
SYLLABUS
Jeffrey W. Bulger
ethics
&
values
Philosophy 2050
SYLLABUS
OBJECTIVES
& TASKS
Jeffrey W. Bulger
P
P
Plato’s Press
P
Plato’s
P
519 West 800 South, Orem UT 84058
Copyright© 2013 by Jeffrey W. Bulger
All Rights Reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission in writing of
Plato’s Press.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ethics
&
values
Syllabus
Reference #
Instructor Information................................................... 1
Instructor....................................................................... 1
Books Required............................................................ 2
Quizzes.........................................................................3
Papers.......................................................................... 4
Essays: (optional: not part of this course) .............................. 5
Exams...........................................................................6
Plato’s Corner............................................................... 7
Netiquette..................................................................... 8
Grading......................................................................... 9
Getting Started........................................................... 10
• Purchase Access Code
• Learn Canvas
• Update Profile
• Watch Orientation Video
Questions and/or Assistance...................................... 11
Syllabus Review Quiz.................................. 12
WOLVERINE
Green/Gold CRITERIA
Reference #
Communication...........................................................13
Prerequisites & Core Requirements........................... 14
Course description......................................................15
Course Goals..............................................................16
Learning Objectives.................................................... 17
Lesson Structure........................................................ 18
UVU Themes.............................................................. 19
Methodology Statement..............................................20
Modus Operandi Statement........................................21
Reading Philosophy.................................................... 22
Student Success.........................................................23
Student Responsibilities............................................. 24
Students With Disabilities........................................... 25
Student Support..........................................................26
Student Success Links............................................... 27
Instructor Responsibilities...........................................28
Formative & Summative Evaluations..........................29
Disclaimer................................................................... 30
Copyright.................................................................... 31
Trouble Shooting & FAQ.................................. 32
OBJECTIVES & TASKS
16 Weeks
ORIENTATION.........................................................
WEEK 1....................................................................
WEEK 2....................................................................
WEEK 3....................................................................
WEEK 4....................................................................
WEEK 5....................................................................
WEEK 6....................................................................
WEEK 7....................................................................
WEEK 8....................................................................
WEEK 9....................................................................
WEEK 10..................................................................
WEEK 11..................................................................
WEEK 12..................................................................
WEEK 13..................................................................
WEEK 14..................................................................
WEEK 15..................................................................
WEEK 16..................................................................
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MORAL PHILOSOPHY
Volumes: 1-8
Volume 1: Epistemology & Metaphysics
of Morals
Volume 2: Mid-Level Principles
Volume 3: Moral Theory
Volume 4: Principlism
Volume 5: Informed Consent
Volume 6:
Case Analysis Paradigm--CAP
Dr. Ethics: Informed Consent
Glossary
Volume 7:
Honeybee Democracy
Food Production
Medical Marijuana
Moral Development
Applied Ethics
Basic Moral Concepts
Homer to Kant
Volume 8: UTILITARIANISM John Stuart Mill
ethics
&
values
STEWARDSHIP IN A
GLOBAL COMMUNITY
OF ENGAGED LEARNERS
[1]
Instructor Information
Greetings Fellow Ethicists!
My name is Dr.Bulger and I will be
the instructor of this Ethics & Values
Course. I love the subject of ethics
and values as it addresses nearly
every philosophical field of study.
However, even more than philosophy,
I love seeing students grasp abstract
concepts for the very first time.
My educational background makes
me particularly suited for teaching
such a broad and comprehensive
course. As an undergraduate I went to
school full-time for 6 ½ years. I first
entered college majoring in music. Then I changed my major in
order to focused more on mathematics and geology earning my
first academic degree, a Bachelors of Science in Geology /
Petroleum Engineering from the University of North Dakota.
While working in the oil fields of Wyoming, logging oil wells, I
decided to go back to school to further my academic education
at Western Seminary—Portland. After 5 years of full-time
studies, learning Greek, Hebrew and systematic theology, I
earned my second academic degree, a M.A. in Exegetical
Theology. While doing an internship at a V.A. Hospital as a
Chaplain, I again decided to go back to school to further my
academic education, this time in Biomedical Ethics—a subdiscipline of philosophy. Going to school full-time for another 7
½ years, I earned another M.A. degree in Philosophy, and then a
Ph.D. in Philosophy with an extra year concentration in Medical
Ethics at the University of Tennessee—Knoxville.
My teaching background also makes me particularly suited for
teaching this broad and comprehensive course in that I have had
19 years of full-time philosophy teaching experience. I have
taught over 18 different types of diverse courses ranging from
astronomy, to logic, to moral philosophy and I have earned the
academic rank of “Full” Professor at Utah Valley University
which is the largest academic institution in the state of Utah with
a student population that now exceeds 35,000 students.
My scholarly qualifications makes me uniquely suited to teach
this course as I am the author of MORAL PHILOSOPHY: A
Theoretical and Practical Approach to Moral Decision-Making,
(the 8 volume series that is used for this course), and I am also
the author of the structure, content and delivery presentation of
this course in Canvas.
This Ethics & Values course is an amazing course that will have
you seeing the world with a very different set of eyes.
Philosophy is fascinating.
Philosophy is abstract.
Philosophy is not anything you could ever expect.
So ENJOY the ride!
Dr. Bulger
SYLLABUS
ethics
&
values
[1] Instructor
Dr. Bulger
Professor of Philosophy
Office: Liberal Arts Building, Room 121q
Phone: 801-863-8717
e-mail: Course Inbox (preferred)
Office Hours: By appointment
[2] Books Required
The first step in starting this course is to get the Access Code to
the text called: Jeffrey W. Bulger, MORAL PHILOSOPHY:
A Theoretical and Practical Approach to Moral
Decision-Making, Vol 1-8, Plato’s Press, 2013.
Purchase an Access Code for the Moral Philosophy textbook and
the Canvas course at the UVU Bookstore either on-line or at
the store. Then submit your:
1. Name,
2. e-mail address
3. Indicate that you are taking the FREE CANVAS COURSE
4. Provide an easy to remember id code, and
5. Submit your purchased Access Code to:
[email protected]
Please allow 24 hours for reading rights to become effective
after submitting your Access Code.
Note: Purchasing the text Access Code is one of the
prerequisites, along with getting a 100% on the syllabus quiz
and submitting the Orientation Course Assessment before
WEEK ONE will unlock.
[3] Quizzes
Quizzes will be an integral part of the learning experience for
this course. Each module of the course is divided up into
multiple reading divisions in which there will be a quiz after
each reading. Once finished with a reading, the student will have
to pass a quiz with a 90% or higher grade. Most of the quizzes
are composed of around ten - fifteen questions. The highest
score on the quizzes will be electronically recorded so that the
student can go back and take the quizzes as many times as they
wish in order to improve their quiz grade and/or better master
the course materials without worrying about losing their highest
score. Taking quizzes several times will help the student better
master the course materials. In order to start this course there
will be a quiz on this syllabus and it will be necessary to score
100%. Once the quiz requirements and assignments are met for
the completion of a weekly module, the next week’s module will
then automatically unlock itself, making the next week’s
materials available to the student. If a weekly module stays
"locked," usually the problem is that one of the previous week's
reading quizzes has a grade of less than 90%, and/or a previous
week’s reaction paper(s) has not been submitted, and/or the
student did not get a 100% on the weekly Plato’s Corner Quiz.
One of the best ways to see which of the quizzes has a grade less
than necessary, and/or to see if a reaction paper has or has not
been submitted, is to select the grade tab, and check the grades.
[4] Papers
7 one page—approximately 350 words, reaction papers will
need to be completed for this course.
The subject of the reaction papers will be anything that has been
covered during the week the assignment is due. The student may
reflect on what they have learned, restate what they have
learned, and/or apply what they have learned.
Writing Rubric
• State clearly the purpose of your paper.
• Present your philosophical insight, hypothesis, or problem.
• Explain why this is a topic that is important.
• Outline your methodological approach.
• Develop your argument using your methodology.
• Address systematically opposing points of view.
• Conclude by synthesizing how your writing and/or discussion
met the purpose of your paper, and to what extent your
presentation upholds or goes against your philosophical
insight, hypothesis, or problem.
• Propose what additional work needs to be done.
The student should not provide any personal information, or
situations that would not be appropriate for everyone to know, as
two random papers, with students names, will be displayed each
week for everyone in the class to read/or comment on.
When writing these reaction papers, the student should be
thinking about including them in their portfolio that potential
employers will be looking at and reading. Therefore the student
should write the reaction papers as best as they can, and give
them interesting titles. These reaction papers can make the
difference between getting a job or not. Reaction papers are that
important.
Format should be as follows: 1-inch margins, 1 ½ spacing, 12
point, Times New Roman Font, one page long. This format will
be for the student’s personal use as Canvas will strip all
formatting when they are submitted.
Directions for how to submit the reaction papers will be
provided in Canvas when the student selects the reaction paper
assignment.
Note: It is possible to inadvertently submit a reaction paper
without any content, i.e. no words at all. However, since all
submissions will eventually be checked, those “empty
submission” will be deleted with no credit given.
Reaction papers will be graded as pass-fail and will be worth
10% of the course grade and although there is no penalty for late
reaction papers, they will need to be submitted in order for the
next weekly module to “unlock.”
16 WEEK SESSION
Reaction paper #1:
Reaction paper #2:
Reaction paper #3:
Reaction paper #4:
Reaction paper #5:
Reaction paper #6:
Reaction paper #7:
WEEK
WEEK
WEEK
WEEK
WEEK
WEEK
WEEK
1
2
5
8
9
11
14
[5] Essays: (Optional: Not part of this course)
Essay questions will not receive a letter grade when submitted
but will be recognized as being completed with credit given
accordingly. It is strongly advised that the students answer the
essay questions, using an independent word processor, then cut
and paste the essay question responses into the appropriate essay
answer box. This method will allow the student to not only get
credit for their essay, but will also allow the student to retain an
electronic copy of the essay that can then be used or printed out
for future review. Once submitted, one or more example essays
will be provided as a benchmark for each essay question.
[6] Exams
After all the quizzes, essay questions, journal articles, audio and
video clips have been completed for a particular section of the
course, it is strongly advised that the student go back and review
all the materials thoroughly and master the practice exam
questions. Then the student will take the exam on Canvas. The
student should make sure that they are ready to take the exam
before opening the exam because the exam can only be taken/
opened once, and once opened the student will only have 60
minutes to complete the exam.
16 WEEK SESSION
EXAM 1(E&M)
EXAM 2(MD)
EXAM 3(MP)
EXAM 4(JSM)
EXAM 5(MT)
EXAM 6(P)
EXAM 7(FINAL)
WEEK
WEEK
WEEK
WEEK
WEEK
WEEK
WEEK
3
4
6
10
12
15
16
Most exams will consist of 100 questions randomly selected
from the quizzes taken for that section and any additional
questions that the instructor thinks would be appropriate.
[7] Plato’s Corner
Plato’s Corner is the student’s Learning Community. A learning
community describes a collegial group who are united in their
commitment to learning. They share a vision, and work and
learn collaboratively. Learning Communities are based on
student’s forming collegial relationships with other students.
Each week student’s will: 1. Discuss the weekly assignments
and compose a weekly insight to be shared with their Learning
Community. 2. Comment on two other fellow classmate’s
weekly insights. The Discussion section of Plato’s Corner is
NOT the place where student’s talk about the difficulty or ease
of the readings, dissatisfactions or satisfactions, technological
issues, etc. those are topics and issues that can be presented in
the weekly course assessment if so desired. The Discussion
section of Plato’s Corner is ONLY for academic philosophical
discussions and this will need to be strictly enforced in order for
the Learning Community to work as intended. Student’s must
take a weekly Plato’s Corner Quiz and get a 100% on it in order
to progress to the next module. Plato’s Corner is so important in
the learning process that active participation will be worth 10%
or the equivalent of one exam.
NOTE: Online communications using any aspect of Canvas are
not private, and may be subject to GRAMA—Government
Records Access and Management Act.
[8] Netiquette
Netiquette is a set of rules for behaving properly online. In order
to maintain a positive online environment all students need to
follow the netiquette guidelines summarized below.
Students are expected to:
• Respect the privacy of other students.
• Express differences of opinion in a polite and rational way.
• Maintain an environment of constructive criticism when
commenting on the work of other students.
• Avoid bringing up irrelevant topics when involved in group
discussions or other collaborative activities.
The following list summarizes the kind of behavior that is not
acceptable. Each item listed below is grounds for removal from
class.
Students should not:
• Show disrespect for the instructor or for other students in the
class.
• Send messages or comments that are threatening, harassing, or
offensive.
• Use inappropriate or offensive language.
• Convey a hostile or confrontational tone when communicating
or working collaboratively with other students.
• USE ALL UPPERCASE IN THEIR MESSAGES -- this is the
equivalent of shouting.
[9] Grading
Assignment Group
Weight
PLATO’S CORNER
EXAM 1(E&M)
EXAM 2(MP)
EXAM 3(MT)
EXAM 4(JSM)
EXAM 5(MD)
EXAM 6(P)
EXAM 7(FINAL)
REACTION PAPERS
Total Percent
10%
10%
10%
10%
10%
10%
10%
20%
10%
100%
GRADING STANDARDS
Excellent Good
Average
A 94 < 100 B+ 87 < 90 C+ 77 < 80
A- 90 < 94 B 83 < 87 C 73 < 77
B- 80 < 83 C- 70 < 73
Poor
D+ 67 < 70
D 63 < 67
D- 60 < 63
Failing
F < 60
[10] Getting
Started
• Purchase Access Code
The first step in starting this course is to get the Access Code to
the text called: Jeffrey W. Bulger, MORAL PHILOSOPHY:
A Theoretical and Practical Approach to Moral
Decision-Making, Vol 1-8, Plato’s Press, 2013.
Purchase an Access Code for the Moral Philosophy textbook and
the Canvas course at the UVU Bookstore either on-line or at
the store. Then submit your:
1. Name,
2. e-mail address
3. Indicate that you are taking the FREE CANVAS COURSE
4. Provide an easy to remember id code, and
5. Submit your purchased Access Code to:
[email protected]
Please allow 24 hours for reading rights to become effective
after submitting your Access Code.
Note: Purchasing the text Access Code is one of the
prerequisites, along with getting a 100% on the syllabus quiz
and submitting the Orientation Course Assessment before
WEEK ONE will unlock.
• Learn Canvas
The student should put the following URL into their browser
for the Canvas Login:
https://canvas.instructure.com/login
Student should learn How to Succeed Online by going to the
following link:
https://uvu.instructure.com/courses/157818/
external_tools/1648
• Update Profile
Login to Canvas and select "Settings" on the top right hand
corner of the screen. Then select "Profile" which is found at
the left hand corner. The student should then type in their
"Full Name." Then provide the "e-mail address" that is to be
used for correspondence. Then select "Notifications" on the
left hand side of the screen and customize the Notifications
Preferences. Lastly, select the “photo box” and upload a
“headshot photo” or avatar. The photo will be displayed when
corresponding with the instructor and/or other students.
• Watch Orientation Video: Ethics &
Values
[11] Questions and/or assistance
If the student has any questions and/or needs assistance then
they should use the following resources:
FAQ: http://www.uvu.edu/canvas/
[12] Please go to Canvas and take the
Syllabus Review Quiz.
SYLLABUS QUIZ
[12]
SYLLABUS REVIEW QUIZ
Question 1 of 21
What is the name of this course?
A. ETHICS & VALUES: Stewardship In A
Local Community Of Engaged Learners
B. ETHICS & VALUES: Stewardship In A
Global Community Of Engaged
Learners
C. ETHICS & VALUES: Stewardship In A
Conservative Community Of Engaged
Learners
D. ETHICS & VALUES: Stewardship In A
Liberal Community Of Engaged
Learners
Check Answer
WOLVERINE GREEN/GOLD CRITERIA
[13] Communication
The preferred method of communicating with the instructor is
through the course inbox found in Canvas. Be assured that they
will be responded to in a timely manner.
There will be a forum in the Discussions where students will be
able to communicate with fellow classmates.
[14] Prerequisites & Core Requirements
PHIL 2050 – Ethics and Values 3.0 credit hours
Prerequisite: ENGL 1010
PHIL 2050 when taken for credit fulfills the core requirements
for:
General Education (IH)
Prerequisite for all Integrated Studies Core classes and all upper
division philosophy courses.
All students should regularly discuss these and all degree
requirements with their assigned academic advisor to assess
their best options.
[15] Course description
This course will challenge the student to (1) develop knowledge
and recognition of complexities inherent in global and
intercultural issues, focusing on their ethical and normative
dimensions with an emphasis on issues of ethics and values, (2)
develop the ability to interrelate knowledgeably, reflectively,
responsibly, and respectfully with a society of increasing
intercultural connections. This course will also focus on global
and intercultural issues with an emphasis on their ethical and
normative dimensions.
[16] Course Goals
Upon Successful completion of the course, students should have
the ability to engage themselves in serious reflection on issues of
ethics and values as they relate to their own lives as
knowledgeable, thoughtful, reflective, responsible, and
respectful citizens within a society of increasing intercultural
connections.
[17] Learning Objectives
Upon Successful completion of the course, students should be
able to:
• Critically read works of philosophy, literature, religion, and
history toward understanding the basis of their ethical views.
• Read, study, research, discuss, and write about difficult ethical
issues.
[18] Lesson Structure
This is a high involvement asynchronous class. This means that
students don't have to be online at the same time as others in the
class. Start each week's assignment by watching the video
introduction, and reading the objectives and tasks of the week.
Then complete the assigned readings, videos, audios, quizzes,
reaction papers, and/or exam. Students need to be diligent in
being continually active in this course for completion.
[19] UVU Core Themes
• Serious: Foster a culture of academic rigor and professional
excellence. This course is designed to introduce students to
basic philosophical concepts as they relate to ethics and
values.
• Inclusive: Provide opportunity for individuals from a wide
variety of backgrounds and perspectives and meets regional
educational needs. An online course enables students with a
variety of life circumstances to participate in a virtual
education environment. Respectful discussions of diverse
perspectives will be encouraged and facilitated throughout all
virtual dialogue.
• Engaged: Engage its communities in mutually beneficial
collaboration and emphasizes engaged learning. Great care has
been taken to choose a wide variety of engagement activities
for each learning unit. The intent of these activities is to
reinforce the learning that is gained during the exploration
exercises and to prepare students for application/assessment
activities.
[20] Methodology Statement
A blend of instructional strategies will be utilized throughout
this course. A conscious effort to use the Models of Instruction,
adapted to online instruction, has been made. Students will be
reading, watching, listening, writing, taking quizzes and exams,
as well as having the opportunity to discuss materials with
fellow students, teaching assistants, and the instructor.
[21] Modus Operandi Statement
In each weekly module the student will be presented with:
• Video Introduction
• Weekly Objectives and Tasks
• Explore section(s) – These are readings or activities that the
student engages in independently to develop an understanding
of the objectives of the module.
• Engage section(s) – These are activities where the student
will interact electronically with fellow students, the entire
class, or the instructor to deepen their understanding or apply
the concepts learned through the student’s exploration. These
may serve as formative assessments but accuracy and
understanding during this learning phase will not affect the
course grade.
• Applications and/or Assignment section(s) – These are
assignments that the students are personally required to submit
for grading purposes and constitute summative assessments
for the course.
• Feedback section - Students are encouraged to take
advantage of a variety of communication channels that will be
available for the students to provide constructive feedback to
the instructor, i.e., weekly/course assessment.
• This course will require the use of Canvas and its various
communication and assessment tools. Students can expect to
spend 3-6 hours per week in order to complete and submit all
course deliverables within a semester’s time, i.e., 16 weeks.
Preparations for exams will require additional time.
[22] Reading Philosophy
Much of the reading in this class is highly theoretical. Such
assignments require much attention, concentration, and analysis,
and therefore very slow reading and reflection is expected and
required for mastery. As student’s read they should be trying to
assess the following:
• What is the author’s position (i.e., what does the author want
the reader to believe)?
• What argument does the author give to support the position
(i.e., what reasons does the author give to convince the reader
that the belief is true)?
• Does the evidence support the argument (i.e., are the reasons
for or against the author’s position strong)?
• If the author were standing in front of the reader, what
questions could they ask to better understand her/his
position?
Once the student gets into the habit of approaching the readings
critically, they will get much more out of them.
[23] Student Success
UVU supports students in achieving their educational,
professional, and personal goals. Online learning is a flexible,
robust and interactive educational option that enables students to
complete their degrees in a timely manner.
[24] Student Responsibilities
• Learn to use the communication tools used in the class, and
participate in the online group meetings.
• Assume increased accountability for course content and
acquisition, including adequate preparation through related
readings, videos, audios, reaction papers, quizzes, exams, and
participation in discussions.
• The underlying objective is that students will ultimately
internalize standards of academic integrity.
[25] Students With Disabilities
If a student needs accommodations for this course, then they
should notify the instructor in writing. Every effort will be made
to accommodate student disabilities.
[26] Student Support
The goal of making this course available on-line using the
learning management system--LMS of Canvas, is to give more
students the opportunity to take this course and to help students
have a superior educational experience.
FAQ: http://www.uvu.edu/canvas/
How to Succeed Online:
https://uvu.instructure.com/courses/157818/external_tools/1648
[27] Student Success Links
Student success links for academic support and student Support
Services:
• How to Succeed Online:
https://uvu.instructure.com/courses/157818/external_tools/1648
• Academic Tutoring: http://disted.uvu.edu/webLinks/tutoring.html
• Student DE Resources: http://www.uvu.edu/de/students/
• Student Resources: http://www.uvu.edu/students/
[28] Instructor Responsibilities
• Maintain an active presence with the class.
• Respond to emails within one business day. (e-mails received
on Friday after 12:00 pm MST will be responded to by noon
on the following Monday.) If there are multiple e-mails
regarding the same question or concern, the instructor may
post a general reply to the entire class as an announcement.
• Provide timely, meaningful and constructive feedback on
assignments.
• Help guide and facilitate students through course material to
provide an effective learning experience.
[29]Formative & Summative Evaluations
At the end of each weekly module there will be an evaluation
that will be required to complete. Students will also get an
opportunity to evaluate the course after the final exam.
[30] Disclaimer
It is strongly recommended that students keep a copy of all
written work in the event that an assignment is lost.
[31] Copyright
Materials contained in this course are protected by copyright
law, and are therefore not to be distributed, retained, or used
beyond the context of Canvas and/or the enrollment in this
course.
TROUBLE SHOOTING & FAQ
[32] Question: Who can the student talk to about Canvas
technical/computer problems that they may encounter?
Answer:
• FAQ: http://www.uvu.edu/canvas/
• How to Succeed Online:
https://uvu.instructure.com/courses/157818/external_tools/1648
[33] Question: What if the student is not able to enter the next
weekly assignments.
Answer:
Each successive weekly module opens when the previous
week’s quiz requirements have been met. Therefore, if a week
is not opening, it means that one or more of the prerequisites
have not been met. To find out which prerequisites are missing
select “Grades” and make sure that there is the minimum score
for all quizzes and that all other required weekly submissions
have also been submitted.
[34] Question: A student went to take an exam and the exam
would not open.
Answer:
Like the previous question, the student must complete all
quizzes at the minimum percentage and all other required
weekly submissions before taking the exam. To find out which
prerequisites are missing select “Grades” and make sure that
all quizzes prior to the week of concern have the minimum
percentage, and that all other assignments prior to the week in
question have also been submitted.
[35] Question: When the student was retaking a quiz to get a
higher grade they answered the questions correctly but their
grade did not record any higher.
Answer:
Sometimes the browser stops refreshing or working correctly.
Simply logout of Canvas and then login again.
[36] NOTE: Many technical problems can be solved by logging
out of Canvas and then logging back in again. Sometimes
restarting the student’s computer can also help. Logging out of
Canvas is different than just restarting the computer, as it is
possible to restart a student’s computer and to have never logged
out of Canvas, as Canvas is not being run on the student’s
computer, rather, Canvas is being run on the Canvas Server.
16 WEEK SESSION
ethics
& values
objectives
& tasks
ORIENTATION
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
The first step in starting this course is to get the Access Code to
the text called: Jeffrey W. Bulger, MORAL PHILOSOPHY:
A Theoretical and Practical Approach to Moral
Decision-Making, Vol 1-8, Plato’s Press, 2013.
Purchase an Access Code for the Moral Philosophy textbook and
the Canvas course at the UVU Bookstore either on-line or at
the store. Then submit your:
1. Name,
2. e-mail address
3. Indicate that you are taking the FREE CANVAS COURSE
4. Provide an easy to remember id code, and
5. Submit your purchased Access Code to:
[email protected]
Please allow 24 hours for reading rights to become effective
after submitting your Access Code.
Note: Purchasing the text Access Code is one of the
prerequisites, along with getting a 100% on the syllabus quiz
and submitting the Orientation Course Assessment before
WEEK ONE will unlock.
Read slowly and carefully the syllabus, because the syllabus
contains everything that is necessary to know in order to
successfully complete this course. Therefore it is imperative that
you know it well and refer back to it whenever questions arise.
After a thorough read of the syllabus, quickly skim through the
WEEKLY Introductions, Objectives, and Tasks. Then take the
SYLLABUS QUIZ.
Don’t worry about your grade when taking the Quizzes as you
can retake the quizzes as many times as you want, and the
computer will only save your highest score.
However, because of the importance of the syllabus materials, it
will be necessary for you to get a 100% on the SYLLABUS
QUIZ before WEEK 1 will open allowing you to progress in the
course.
Thereafter, you will need to get a 90% or higher score on all the
reading material quizzes and for the weekly discussion group,
called Plato’s Corner, you will like the syllabus quiz need to get
a 100% in order to progress.
It has been empirically shown that this approach towards
teaching, keeps the student regularly on task, uses a variety of
engaging presentations, all resulting in significantly better
mastery of the course content.
This course is an academic approach to morality, and focuses
primarily on a descriptive approach rather than a prescriptive
approach.
This analysis is much like grammar, in that grammar first
describes how people do in fact use language, then that grammar
framework can be used for prescribing how people ought to
speak or use language.
You are going to be fascinated at what you are going to learn
about yourself and how you make decisions. Yet this is not
going to be done in a reductive way. Rather, studying
philosophy is one of the most interesting and satisfying activities
you can be involved in as it actually incorporates every
academic field of study.
Think about it, the highest degree in all academic fields is a
Ph.D. Have you ever asked yourself what that acronym means?
It means a Doctorate of Philosophy, and philosophy means Love
of Wisdom.
Whether the enjoyment of doing philosophy is a result of
qualitatively exercising the higher faculties of the mind, or
whether the enjoyment is because of the quantitative exercise of
the mind, makes the argument superfluous, as either way,
philosophy ends up being enjoyable. This Ethics & Values
course will end up being one of the most interesting and
valuable academic experiences you will ever have.
Philosophy is Interesting.
Philosophy is Satisfying.
Philosophy is Inclusive.
ENJOY!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Know how to log-on to Canvas
2. Ability to customize the profile settings in Canvas
3. Recognize that all quizzes must be completed with
a score of 90% or better before the next week
section becomes available and/or Exam becomes
available.
TASKS:
Read:
1. Syllabus
Complete:
1. Login to Canvas
2. Create “Bookmark”
3. Modify personal profile
4. 100% on SYLLABUS QUIZ
WEEK 1
REACTION PAPER #1
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
This week we will be addressing numerous fundamental
questions such as where does ethics and values come from?
Some philosophers have argued that morality’s source is based
purely on sense data experiences, while other philosophers have
argued that morality’s source is based purely on rational thought
independent of any type of sense data experiences.
This week we will investigate the types of knowledge that are
considered to be philosophically academic, what the limits of
such knowledge are, and how those limits relate to the study of
morality.
In addition to the readings in volume 1: Epistemology &
Metaphysics of Morals, you will also be reading a very famous
article by Karl Popper on “Science as Falsification,” and a
counter argument article by John McGowan. Then you will
listen to Ken Taylor and John Perry of Stanford University talk
on the philosophy of science.
After completing all your reading and listening assignments, and
two quizzes, you will then need to write your first reaction paper
on any of the topics covered this week.
Academic knowledge is a sub-category of knowledge as a
whole, one that requires rigorous coherent standards of
investigation.
You are about to embark on a fascinating philosophical journey.
Philosophy is knowledge.
Philosophy is coherent.
Philosophy is adventurous.
ENJOY!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. D i s t i n g u i s h b e t w e e n e p i s t e m o l o g y a n d
metaphysics.
2. Explain how synthetic and analytic statements
relate to morality.
3. Understand the constraints and limitations of
academic knowledge.
4. Explain the difference between “survival of the
fittest” and “natural selection” as they relate to
purpose (teleology).
5. Restate why heuristic decision-making is necessary
for moral decision-making and what the strengths
and weakness are of such an approach.
6. For the five historical figures covered in this
section:
a. List the particular problem focused on by that
individual.
b. D e s c r i b e t h e e p i s t e m o l o g i c a l a n d / o r
metaphysical problems they pose for moral
decision-making determinations and analysis.
TASKS:
Note: “(Optional)” means that the task is not a course
requirement but may be of interest for some students.
Read:
1. (Vol. 1) Epistemology &
Metaphysics of Morals pp. 1-20; (iBook 5-18)
2. Science as Falsification: Popper
3. Myth of falsifiability: John McGowan
Listen:
1. Philosophy Talk: Science (49 min)
Complete:
1. E&M Quiz 1
2. E&M Quiz 2
3. (Optional) E&M Quiz 1 Essay - Introduction
Write:
1. Reaction Paper #1
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in
your Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in
your Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
WEEK 2
REACTION PAPER #2
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
Last week we started investigating the nature and limits of
academic knowledge.
This week we will continue this epistemology discussion and in
this philosophical process, in less than an hour, you will be
transformed from being a naïve realist, into a sophisticated
realist.
Isn’t it amazing what philosophy can do!
The two sections we are going to cover this week are:
I. Primary and Secondary Qualities, and
II. Freedom & Determinism.
The first section: Primary and Secondary Qualities, investigates
whether or not there is a distinction between what our mind
experiences and that which causes our experiences.
In like fashion, does morality exist independently of the mind, or
is it a purely subjective experience.
If morality turns out to be a mind dependent subjective activity,
does that necessitate that morality is relative?
Recognizing the metaphysical issues involved in attempting to
determine the nature of reality, just might be the very beginning
of academic knowledge.
The second section: Freedom & Determinism, investigates the
question as to whether or not every effect has a cause and is
therefore determined, or whether there are some causes that can
be defined as free?
In like fashion, does moral responsibility necessitate freedom,
and if so just what kind of freedom are we talking about, and can
freedom ever be proven?
As with most paradoxes, the more you recognize how intractable
the free-will and determinism issues are, the more it is likely that
you are coming to a better understanding of the philosophical
issues involved.
Recognizing the epistemological limits of knowledge, just might
be the very beginning of philosophical wisdom.
ENJOY!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to define primary and secondary qualities;
2. Know the distinction between a naïve realist and a
sophisticated realist and how do these distinctions
relate to the problem of solipsistic states;
3. Be able to present some rational and empirical
arguments against solipsism;
4. Be able to provide some problems that occur when
trying to prove and/or define freedom;
5. Explain why it is logically consistent and/or coherent
to think of freedom as an axiom or postulate;
6. Be able to name the five historical figures covered in
this section, (same as week 1) list what their moral
issues are, and describe how freedom when thought
of as an axiom or postulate solves the
epistemological problems that they posed.
TASKS:
Read:
1. (Vol. 1) Epistemology &
Metaphysics of Morals pp. 20-39; (iBook 19-36)
Watch:
1. Putnam: Philosophy of Science 1 (10 min)
2. Philosophy and the Matrix: Descartes (2 min.)
3. (Optional) Putnam: Philosophy of Science 2-5
Listen:
1. Philosophy Talk: Dualism (45 min)
2. (Optional) Philosophy Talk: Mind/World (45 min)
Complete:
1. E&M Quiz 3
2. E&M Quiz 4a
3. E&M Quiz 4b
4. E&M Quiz 5
5. (Optional) E&M Quiz 2 Essay – Science & Evolution
6. (Optional) E&M Quiz 3 Essay – History
7. (Optional) E&M Quiz 4 Essay – P&S Qualities
Write:
1. Reaction Paper #2
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in
your Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
WEEK 3
EXAM 1(E&M)
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
So far we have investigated the nature and limits of academic
knowledge, transformed ourselves from being naïve realists, into
sophisticated realists, and we have grappled with one of the
most intractable paradoxes of all time, freedom and
determinism.
This week we will be addressing the topics of what is language
and how does it function?
Can morality exist outside of language or is morality’s form and
function inextricably bound to language?
Are all thoughts communicable through the use of language or
are there independent incommunicable thoughts?
This week we will also finish reading volume 1: Epistemology
& The Metaphysics of Morals, watch a ten minute clip with
John Searle of Berkeley, talk on the Philosophy of Language,
watch one of my all time favorite films, Pythagoras, Listen to
Ken Taylor and John Perry of Stanford talk on Free-Will, and
finish up the last two quizzes for this section.
Then you will need to take your first exam, called the EXAM
1(E&M).
Relax.
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exam, then
you can be assured that you are well prepared for the exam.
Philosophy is Logical.
Philosophy is Fun.
ENJOY!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to explain the difference between language
as sense data, language as thought, language as
pluralistic, and the incommunicable;
2. Ability to provide examples of language as sense
data, thought, pluralistic, and incommunicable;
3. Contemplate the epistemological limitations that
occur because of the use of language;
4. Be able to express various relationships between
language and morality as well as the strengths and
weaknesses of such relationships.
TASKS:
Read:
1. Free Will: Now You Have It, Now You Don’t
2. (Vol. 1) Epistemology &
Metaphysics of Morals pp. 39-62; (iBook 37-56)
Watch:
1. Searle: Philosophy of Language 1 (10 min)
2. Pythagoras (25 min)
3. (Optional) Searle: Philosophy of Language 2-5
Listen:
1. Philosophy Talk: Free-Will (45 min)
Complete:
1. (Optional) E&M Quiz 5 Essay – Freedom/
Determinism
2. E&M Quiz 6a
3. E&M Quiz 6b
4. (Optional) E&M Quiz 6 Essay – Language
5. Practice Exam
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in
your Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
EXAM 1(E&M)
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exam,
then you can be assured that you are well prepared for the
exam.
Do well and enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
WEEK 4
EXAM 2(MD)
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
This week we will be studying an article listed in Volume 7:
READINGS: entitled Moral Development.
What is fascinating about this study is that Kohlberg emphasizes
the form or structure of moral reasoning rather than the moral
conclusions that may be reached.
Kohlberg then classifies these reasoning forms or structures into
six distinct stages.
These six moral stages are not meant to indicate increased moral
worth or standing of the individual, rather they are only meant to
indicate developmental stages of how people justify their moral
evaluations.
In this paper, I will address why Institutional Review Boards—
IRBs, seem to be more focused on bureaucratic rules as found in
the federal regulations, (45CFR46), rather than on moral
principles as found in the Belmont Report.
If Kohlberg is correct in the rarity of the higher levels of moral
development, then it would seem that Institutional Review
Boards—IRBs focusing on the lower levels of justifications,
based on federal bureaucratic rules, (45CFR46), instead of the
higher justifications of broad and general moral principles as
found in the Belmont Report, would be just what should be
expected.
Lastly, after studying this section on Kohlberg’s Moral
Development you will then need to take the EXAM 5(MD).
Relax.
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exam,
then you can be assured that you are well prepared for the exam.
Moral Philosophy is developmental.
Moral Philosophy is structural.
Moral Philosophy fascinating.
Enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to list Kohlberg’s six stages of moral
development;
2. Determine what moral stage you find yourself to be
in.
3. Understand how the Belmont Report is at stage six
of Kohlberg’s stages of moral development and
what the implications of that might be.
TASKS:
Read:
1. (Vol.7) Moral Development pp.63-75: (iBook 53-62)
2. (Optional) Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development
Watch:
1. Beauty and Future Philosophers (8 min.)
Complete:
1. MD Quiz 1
2. MD Quiz 2
3. MD Quiz 3
4. MD Quiz 4
5. MD Quiz 5
6. MD Practice Exam
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
EXAM 2(MD)
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exam,
then you can be assured that you are well prepared for the
exam.
Do well and enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
WEEK 5
REACTION PAPER #3
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
This week we will start reading volume 2: Mid-Level Principles.
In it, we will be discussing how moral philosophy is often
referred to as being composed of rational and reasonable
comprehensive worldviews.
These rich moral philosophical positions are often times reduced
to their simplest forms emphasizing either a top-down, theory to
particular perspective, or a bottom-up, particular to theory
perspective.
However, crudely reducing philosophical moral approaches to
these top-down or bottom-up perspectives makes it impossible
for the philosophical moral approaches to be comprehensive.
The synergistic model of moral decision-making avoids this
comprehensive problem by blending both the top-down theory
model and the bottom-up intuition model which results in the
formation of mid-level principles.
The classical utilitarian approach of John Stuart Mill and the
classical deontological approaches of Immanuel Kant, both use
this synergistic reflective equilibrium approach.
The convergence of these two moral philosophies on mid-level
principles, shouldn’t be surprising as they both claim to be
descriptive accounts of moral decision-making.
Mill refers to mid-level principles as secondary principles, Kant
refers to mid-level principles as Maxims of actions.
Moral philosophy has secondary principles. Moral philosophy
has maxims of actions. Moral philosophy has mid-level
principles.
These mid-level principles are the broad and general universal
values that both homogenous and pluralistic communities all
agree on. Differences of particular beliefs does not necessitate
differences of universal values.
Empirical evidence seems to indicate that mid-level principles
are cultural memes that have come about through the process of
natural selection. Rational thought indicates that mid-level
principles are the result of logic. Empirical evidence and rational
thought are parts of science.
If morality is philosophy, and if philosophy is science, then it
logically follows that morality is science.
Enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to explain the difference between the topdown theory model approach and the bottom-up
intuition model;
2. List five problems with the top-down theory model;
3. List four problems with the bottom-up intuition
model;
4. Be able to explain the synergistic model along with
its strengths and weaknesses;
5. Be able to express the relationship between midlevel principles, and both the top-down theory model
and the bottom-up intuition model
TASKS:
Read:
1. (Vol. 2) Mid-Level Principles pp. 1-27; (iBook 4-24)
Complete:
1. MP Quiz 1
2. MP Quiz 2
3. MP Quiz 3
4. MP Quiz 4
5. MP Quiz 5
6. MP Quiz 6
Write:
1. Reaction Paper #3
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
WEEK 6
EXAM 3(MP)
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
Last week we started to investigate the strengths and weaknesses
between the Theory Model, the Intuition Model, and the
Synergistic Model of moral decision-making.
This week we will investigate how academic knowledge
effectively uses fragmentation for pluralistic justifications of
knowledge claims.
Most people recognize that if several different and distinct
academic fields independently come to the same conclusion on a
particular knowledge claim, then that knowledge claim is
usually more academically justified, all things being equal, then
if there were to be no agreement or coherency between the
various academic fields.
But even among particular academic fields there is
fragmentation in that “reality” cannot be known using only one
theory or approach. For example, science needs to use a
pluralistic approach that appeals to rationality, sense data, and
logic in differing degrees for differing determinations.
In like fashion, morality is pluralistic in that what theories,
intuitions, and mid-level principles are appealed to is greatly
determined by what is being deliberated.
Once the appropriate considerations are determined, by any
number of methods, the task becomes that of weighing and
balancing the considerations as determined by that which is
being deliberated. At the same time the weighing and balancing
is occurring, there is also the process of specifying the
considerations, that is the taking of abstract concepts and
making them applicable for practical life.
This section discusses how such specification and balancing of
moral considerations does in fact occur, as well as how it ought
to occur.
Lastly, this week we will also be taking the EXAM 2(MP).
Relax.
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exam, then
you can be assured that you are well prepared for the exam.
Moral Philosophy is a practical approach to moral decisionmaking.
Enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to explain the difference between
specification and balancing;
2. Recognize the importance of coherency between
independent academic fields of study;
3. Be able to practically implement the synergistic
model in new and varied circumstances
TASKS:
Read:
1. (Vol.2) Mid-Level Principles pp.27-40; (iBook 24-33)
Complete:
1. MP Quiz 7
2. MP Quiz 8
3. MP Practice Exam
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
EXAM 3(MP):
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exam,
then you can be assured that you are well prepared for the
exam.
Do well and enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
WEEK 7
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
This week we will read Volume 8: Utilitarianism by John Stuart
Mill.
John Stuart Mill was arguably one of the most productive and
intelligent men of all time, with an IQ estimate of 200+.
Mill’s focus, as a moral theorist, was to influence social reform
so as to decrease social and political despotism increase
individual autonomy and help individuals recognize that each
person’s happiness is inextricably bound to the happiness of the
community around them.
In this week’s section of the book, Mill first explains what the
nature of proof can be for anything that is an end, then he
explains what utilitarianism is, as compared to what it is not.
Two other excellent, and easily accessible books by John Stuart
Mill on morality are: On Liberty, and The Subjection of Women.
Moral Philosophy is descriptive.
Moral Philosophy has ends.
Moral Philosophy is interesting.
Enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to distinguish between quantitative
happiness and qualitative happiness and explain the
relationship between the two of them.
2. Be able to express the analogy of the dissatisfied
wise person and the satisfied fool.
3. Be able to address the importance of virtue as
compared to the expedient.
4. Understand the relationship between individual
happiness and that of the community in which
every person finds themselves in.
TASKS:
Read:
1. (Vol.8) JSM Utilitarianism (I:1 - II:86)
Complete:
1. JSM Quiz 1
2. JSM Quiz 2
3. JSM Quiz 3
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
WEEK 8
REACTION PAPER #4
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
Last week John Stuart Mill addressed the topic of what the
nature of proof can be for anything that is an end, then he
explained what utilitarianism is, as compared to what it is not,
and as usual, the common criticisms were weak minded
reductionist criticisms that ended up being nothing more than
straw man arguments.
This week John Stuart Mill will discuss what motivates people
to act morally.
For morally immature persons moral motivation is usually based
on external sanctions—the fear of punishment, or the hope of
reward—or in other words, the satisfaction of desire.
For morally mature persons, John Stuart Mill addresses the
importance of conscience, the “internal sanctions” of a virtuous
feeling between the individual and the community as a whole.
At first, that which is desired is that which is chosen, but after
many choices of actions, those actions start to be
psychologically desired because they have been chosen, or in
other words, the establishment of virtue or habit.
Virtue is a very important positive psychological occurrence as
it results in the predictability of character.
Lastly, Mill moves on to the most important part of
utilitarianism, … justice.
Justice for the purpose of personal and social security, is the
cornerstone of utilitarianism.
Justice are the social relationships that are as close to being
absolute as you can get.
This means that individual rights and liberties ought never to be
violated for short-term personal, political or social expediency,
as political justice must keeps its eyes on long-term expediency.
Justice is motivated by a psychological feeling, that could just as
well be called an instinct, or a universal hard-wired necessity for
social security.
Moral philosophy is expedient.
Moral philosophy is security.
Moral philosophy is happiness.
Enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to explain what the nature of empirical proof
can be for that which is a means to an end, as
compared to the nature of proof for that which is an
end in itself;
2. Be able to define and distinguish between “internal
sanctions” and “external sanctions.”
4. Be able to express the importance of the justice for
both the individual and society, as well as
understand the sanction and absoluteness of such
consequential rules.
TASKS:
Read:
1. (Vol.8) JSM Utilitarianism (II:86 - III:82)
Complete:
1. JSM Quiz 4
2. JSM Quiz 5
3. JSM Quiz 6
4. JSM Quiz 7
Write:
1. Reaction Paper #4
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
WEEK 9
REACTION PAPER #5
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
So far John Stuart Mill has addressed the topic of what the
nature of proof can be for anything that is an end, explained
what utilitarianism is, as compared to what it is not and the
importance of conscience for the motive of morality, the
“internal sanctions” of a virtuous feeling between the individual
and the community as a whole.
Then Mill expounded on the most important part of
utilitarianism, justice. Justice for the purpose of personal and
social security, is the cornerstone of utilitarianism that is as close
to being absolute as you can get, meaning that individual rights
and liberties ought never to be violated for short-term personal,
political or social expediency, as political justice must keeps its
eyes on long-term expediency.
In this week’s readings, John Stuart Mill explains that when
pluralistic societies that have various conceptions of the “good,”
need to make political decisions, social utility is the only way to
come to an acceptable consensus for all parties involved.
In other words, utilitarianism, within a framework of justice, has
the ability to unite, conflicting rational and reasonable
comprehensive worldviews, as social utility is a mid-level
principle that John Stuart Mill believes society can politically
agree on for the purpose of conflict resolution.
Lastly, this week you will also be taking the EXAM 4(JSM).
Relax.
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exam, then
you can be assured that you are well prepared for the exam.
Moral Philosophy uses social utility.
Moral Philosophy promotes conflict resolution,
Moral Philosophy unites.
Enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to express the role of sentiment as it relates
to justice;
2. Able to explain how inequalities that were once
considered to be expedient end up being tyrannical
injustices.
3. Understand the history of social improvement as it
relates to actions that were once thought as
necessary for justice, becoming universally
stigmatized as injustice.
4. Able to describe how the sentiment of justice can
become a difference of “kind” and what that might
mean.
TASKS:
Read:
1. (Vol.8) JSM Utilitarianism (IV:1 - V:150)
Complete:
1. JSM Quiz 8
2. JSM Quiz 9
3. JSM Quiz 10
4. JSM Quiz 11
5. JSM Quiz 12
Write:
1. Reaction Paper #5
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
WEEK 10
EXAM 4(JSM)
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
So far John Stuart Mill has addressed the topic of what the
nature of proof can be for anything that is an end, explained
what utilitarianism is, as compared to what it is not and the
importance of conscience for the motive of morality, the
“internal sanctions” of a virtuous feeling between the individual
and the community as a whole.
Then Mill addresses the most important part of utilitarianism,
justice. Justice for the purpose of personal and social security, is
the cornerstone of utilitarianism that is as close to being absolute
as you can get, meaning that individual rights and liberties ought
never to be violated for short-term personal, political or social
expediency, as political justice must keeps its eyes on long-term
expediency.
John Stuart Mill explains that when pluralistic societies that
have various conceptions of the “good,” need to make political
decisions, social utility is the only way to come to an acceptable
consensus for all parties involved.
In other words, utilitarianism, within a framework of justice, has
the ability to unite, conflicting rational and reasonable
comprehensive worldviews, as social utility is a mid-level
principle that John Stuart Mill believes society can politically
agree on for the purpose of conflict resolution.
This week John Stuart Mill will express how social progress or
improvement often times results when past inequalities that were
once considered to be expedient, end up being evaluated and
viewed as tyrannical injustices.
Because of the strong sentiments that are associated with issues
of justice, justice is considered to no longer be a means to an
end, rather justice becomes an end with the quality of
absoluteness.
This week we will also be taking the EXAM 4(JSM). Please
refer to WEEK 8, 9, and 10 Objectives and Tasks, found in your
syllabus, for more details of expectations.
Relax.
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exam, then
you can be assured that you are well prepared for the exam.
Moral Philosophy is social progress.
Moral Philosophy is justice.
Enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Able to explain how inequalities that were once
considered to be expedient end up being tyrannical
injustices.
2. Understand the history of social improvement as it
relates to actions that were once thought as
necessary for justice, becoming universally
stigmatized as injustice.
3. Able to describe how the sentiment of justice can
become a difference of “kind” and what that might
mean.
TASKS:
Read:
1. (Vol.8) JSM Utilitarianism (V:151 - V:246)
Complete:
1. JSM Quiz 13
2. JSM Quiz 14
3. EXAM 4(JSM) Practice
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
EXAM 4(JSM)
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exam,
then you can be assured that you are well prepared for the
exam.
Do well and enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
WEEK 11
REACTION PAPER #6
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
This week we will start on Volume 3: Moral Theory.
(NOTE: The endnotes will be of particular interest for advanced
students, or those who are just interested in going more in depth
with primary source materials.)
Regardless of whether a person appeals to a particular code of
ethics, Mill’s utilitarianism, Kant’s deontological ethic, or
Rawls’ democratic political framework, they all have at least one
thing in common—mid-level principles.
This Volume on Moral Theory, goes into greater depth as to the
nature of each of these philosophical presentations, and
addresses some of the most common criticisms put forth against
each of them.
As with most reductive criticisms, most of them end up being
nothing more than straw-man arguments.
This week, the goal is to recognize that there can be a plurality
of rational and reasonable comprehensive worldviews, that are
logically consistent within themselves, even though they may be
incommensurable with other worldviews.
Philosophy is diverse.
Philosophy is pluralistic.
Enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to explain the significance of:
a. Defining the end before the right, and
b. Defining the right before, or independently of, the
end;
2. Understand the distinction between quantitative
ends and qualitative ends;
3. Be able to list four criticisms against utilitarianism,
and provide a concise rebuttal to each of them;
4. Be able to list three criticisms against deontology,
and provide a concise rebuttal to each of them.
5. Be able to draw out and label Rawls’ original
position.
TASKS:
Read:
1. (Vol. 3) Moral Theory pp.1-20; (iBook 4-17)
Complete:
1. MT Quiz 1
2. MT Quiz 2
3. MT Quiz 3
4. MT Quiz 4
5. MT Quiz 5
6. MT Quiz 6
Write:
1. Reaction Paper #6
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
WEEK 12
EXAM 5(MT)
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
Pluralistic societies are composed of people who hold to rational
and reasonable comprehensive worldviews.
Last week we looked more in depth into some of the most
prominent philosophical descriptions of moral decision-making
along with several common “straw-man” arguments that
typically are presented in an attempt to show how they are not
rational and reasonable.
The fact of the matter is that diverse groups of people can and
do have rational and reasonable comprehensive worldviews that
can at times be incommensurable with other worldviews.
However, even though these comprehensive worldviews may be
incommensurable in beliefs, they still can share intersubjective
cognitive agreements on broad and general mid-level principles.
For example, wouldn’t it be fair to say that all societies do in
fact have an intersubjective agreement for the value of
reproduction, even though there may be incommensurable
beliefs as to how that ought to occur in society? (e.g.
monogamy, polygamy, adoptions, in-vitro fertilization, etc.)
Otherwise the pressures of natural selection would select those
out who do not have that value within one generation.
Wouldn’t it be also fair to say that all societies do in fact have an
intersubjective agreement for the protection of their children, for
the very same reason?
This also be the case for the value of the education of the
children so that they can repeat the entire process over again,
even though there may be great differences in belief as to what a
good education might entail.
Mid-level principles, are such universally shared values, that has
come about through this process of a non-purposive natural
selection.
Lastly, this week you will also be taking the EXAM 3(MT).
Relax.
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exam, then
you can be assured that you are well prepared for the exam.
Moral Philosophy is diverse.
Moral Philosophy is pluralistic.
Moral Philosophy is you.
Enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to list three criticisms against deontology,
and provide a concise rebuttal to each of them;
2. Define “straw man” argument and understand the
problem of reductionism
TASKS:
Read:
1. (Vol. 3) Moral Theory pp. 20-32; (iBook 17-26)
Complete:
1. MT Quiz 7
2. MT Quiz 8
3. MT Quiz 9
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in
your Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
EXAM 5(MT):
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exam,
then you can be assured that you are well prepared for the
exam.
Do well and enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
WEEK 13
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
This week we will start reading Volume 4: Principlism.
Although Principlism has no specific date of beginning, it was
first formalized in its current version with the Belmont Report in
1979, primarily as a reaction against the U.S. Government
Tuskegee Syphilis Study.
The Belmont Report’s impact and influence on any and all
research that involves human subjects has been nearly
universally recognized both academically and politically, and in
the United States Principlism, or the Belmont report, is enforced
by law for both public and private institutions that receive direct
or indirect federal moneys.
No moral approach has had anything near the universal
acceptance and influence towards advancing pluralistic decisionmaking than has Principlism.
Principlism approach for resolving moral dilemmas is through
the process of specification, which takes broad moral principles
and determines how they ought to be applied to specific
instances, and balancing, which takes several competing
assessments and ranks them according to applicability.
We will also be studying in detail the four component parts of
Principlism; autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and
justice.
Then we will focus in on various standards of information
disclosure deemed necessary for an autonomous decisionmaking:
A. The Professional Practice Standard,
B. The Reasonable Person Standard, and the
C. The Subjective Standard.
Moral Philosophy is Autonomy.
Moral Philosophy is Beneficence,
Moral Philosophy is Nonmaleficence.
Moral Philosophy is Justice.
Enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to present the origins of Principlism;
2. Be able to describe the events that occurred with the
Thalidomide case and the Tuskegee syphilis studies;
3. Be able to outline the three principles found in the
Belmont Report and explain why Principlism uses
four principles and not three;
4. Define what a normative ethic is in comparison to a
nonnormative ethic;
5. Be able to describe two types of moral dilemmas
and explain how specifying and balancing helps to
resolve such issues;
6. Be able to define autonomy and its constituent parts;
7. Be able to present three standards of information
disclosure and express what the strengths and
weakness are with each of them.
TASKS:
Read:
1. (Vol. 4) Principlism [i:1 - 3:41] pp. 1-27
2. Belmont Report: Federal Commission (8pp)
Watch:
1. Belmont Report (28 min)
Complete:
1. P Quiz 1
2. P Quiz 2
3. P Quiz 3
4. P Quiz 4
5. P Quiz 5
6. P Quiz 6
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
WEEK 14
REACTION PAPER #7
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
Last week we have seen how Principlism was first formalized in
its current version with the Belmont Report in 1979.
We also saw how in the United States Principlism is enforced by
law for both public and private institutions that receive any
direct or indirect federal moneys, and how Principlism approach
for resolving moral dilemmas is through the process of
specification, which takes broad moral principles and determines
how they ought to be applied to specific instances, and
balancing, which takes several competing assessments and ranks
them according to applicability.
We also studied in detail the four component parts of
Principlism; autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and
justice, and focused in on various types of information
disclosure necessary for an agent to be considered autonomous:
A. The Professional Practice Standard,
B. The Reasonable Person Standard, and
C. The Subjective Standard.
This week we will look at a practical definition of freedom
along with autonomy as being a universal human right
encompassing both negative and positive rights which means
that other individuals in society must either refrain from certain
actions and conduct towards that individual or group—negative
right, or they are obliged to provide certain social goods to such
individuals or groups—positive right.
We will also focus on nonmaleficence and beneficence and
determining which one is a perfect obligation and which one is
an imperfect obligation and why.
Then we will look at various political perspectives that specify,
and weigh and balance the principles differently, and we will use
a Cartesian coordinate system to describe traditional social
political perspectives.
17) Moral Philosophy is perfect obligations.
Moral Philosophy is imperfect obligations.
Moral Philosophy is social obligations.
Enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to present the component parts of
Principlism and relate them to positive and negative
rights;
2. Be able to describe how perfect obligations are
different from imperfect obligations;
3. Be able to graph the political compass on a
Cartesian coordinate graph (x,y axis) and label the
major political groups;
4. Be able to express why “most people” seem to be in
one particular quadrant while most political parties
are not in that quadrant.
5. Come to an understanding that what may be
politically “ideal” may not be politically “practical.” Be
able to explain why this is the case.
TASKS:
Read:
1. (Vol. 4) Principlism [3:42 - 3:123] pp. 27-42
Complete:
1. P Quiz 7
2. P Quiz 8
3. P Quiz 9
4. P Quiz 10
5. P Quiz 11
6. P Quiz 12
7. P Quiz 13
Write:
1. Reaction Paper #7
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
WEEK 15
EXAM 6(P)
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
So far we have seen how Principlism was first formalized in its
current version with the Belmont Report in 1979.
We also saw how in the United States Principlism is enforced by
law for both public and private institutions that receive any
direct or indirect federal moneys, and how Principlism approach
for resolving moral dilemmas is through the process of
specification, which takes broad moral principles and determines
how they ought to be applied to specific instances, and
balancing, which takes several competing assessments and ranks
them according to applicability.
We also studied in detail the four component parts of
Principlism; autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and
justice, and focused in on various types of information
disclosure necessary for an agent to be considered autonomous:
A. The Professional Practice Standard,
B. The Reasonable Person Standard, and
C. The Subjective Standard.
Then we looked at a practical definition of freedom along with
autonomy as being a universal human right encompassing both
negative and positive rights which means that other individuals
in society must either refrain from certain actions and conduct
towards that individual or group—negative right, or they are
obliged to provide certain social goods to such individuals or
groups—positive right.
Then we focused on nonmaleficence and beneficence and
determined which one was a perfect obligation and which one
was an imperfect obligation and why.
After looking at various political perspectives that specified, and
weighed and balanced the principles differently,
We used a Cartesian coordinate system to describe traditional
social political perspectives.
In this last section of Principlism, we will determine what our
overall political perspective is by answering some political
compass questions and graphing out our results.
Most of us will find ourselves to be in a political location quite
different than what we might of thought ourselves to be located.
As a result, questions that will need to be personally thought
through are, HOW? and WHY? has this happened, and WHAT
CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
Lastly, after completing this section on Principlism you will
need to take the Principlism EXAM.
Please refer to the Objectives and Tasks, found in your syllabus,
for more details of expectations.
Relax.
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exam, then
you can be assured that you are well prepared for the exam.
Moral Philosophy is Political.
Moral Philosophy is Practical.
Moral Philosophy is Surprising.
Enjoy
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to explain the extreme political positions on
the x-axis and y-axis;
2. Understand the distinction between fascists vs.
libertarians, and how their policies might differ
depending where they are on the x-axis;
3. Understand the distinction between Capitalism vs.
communitarian economic positions, and how they
might differ depending on where you are on the yaxis;
4. Be able to express why how there is no right or
wrong position on the political compass, rather what
is the case is that certain political conditions may
dictate one position as being more effective and
practical than another position.
TASKS:
Read:
1. (Vol. 4) Principlism [3:124 - 3:134] pp. 42-47
Complete:
1. P Quiz 14
2. P Practice Quiz
Participate:
1. Insight: Provide at least one academic insight in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
2. Comment: Respond two or more times on one or
more fellow colleague’s academic insight(s) in your
Learning Community—PLATO’S CORNER.
EXAM 6(P):
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exam,
then you can be assured that you are well prepared for the
exam.
Do well and enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
WEEK 16
EXAM 7(FINAL)
Welcome Fellow Ethicist.
Congratulations!
You have completed this course.
This last section of this week will be a refresher of all the
materials you have learned so far, helping you to get the big
picture of how it all fits together.
We started off this course by comparing the study of ethics &
values to that what a grammarian does, and showing how having
a Ph.D. is a multidisciplinary pluralistic adventure.
Then we read Volume 1: Epistemology & Metaphysics of
Morals. In that text we addressed numerous fundamental
questions such as where does ethics & values come from?
And what types of knowledge is considered to be academic and
what are the limits of such knowledge.
We also transformed ourselves from being naïve realists, into
sophisticated realists, by looking at the distinctions between
primary and secondary qualities.
Then we grappled with one of the most intractable paradoxes of
all time, freedom and determinism.
Lastly, we then studied what language is and how it functions,
along with the relationships that morality can or might have with
language.
We then read Volume 2: Mid-Level Principles. There we
investigated the strengths and weaknesses between the Theory
Model, the Intuition Model, and the Synergistic Model of moral
decision-making, and we investigated how academic knowledge
effectively uses fragmentation for pluralistic justifications of
knowledge claims.
In Volume 3: Moral Theory, we looked more in depth into some
of the most prominent philosophical descriptions of moral
decision-making along with several common “straw-man”
arguments that typically are presented in an attempt to show
how they are not rational and reasonable.
However, the fact of the matter is that although comprehensive
worldviews can at times be incommensurable with other
worldviews that does not necessarily mean that they are not
rational and reasonable comprehensive worldviews within
themselves.
Then we read Volume 8: Utilitarianism. So far John Stuart Mill
has addressed the topic of what the nature of proof can be for
anything that is an end, explained what utilitarianism is, as
compared to what it is not and the importance of conscience for
the motive of morality, the “internal sanctions” of a virtuous
feeling between the individual and the community as a whole.
Then Mill addresses the most important part of utilitarianism,
justice. Justice for the purpose of personal and social security, is
the cornerstone of utilitarianism that is as close to being absolute
as you can get, meaning that individual rights and liberties ought
never to be violated for short-term personal, political or social
expediency, as political justice must keeps its eyes on long-term
expediency.
John Stuart Mill explains that when pluralistic societies that
have various conceptions of the “good,” need to make political
decisions, social utility is the only way to come to an acceptable
consensus for all parties involved.
In other words, utilitarianism, within a framework of justice, has
the ability to unite, conflicting rational and reasonable
comprehensive worldviews, as social utility is a mid-level
principle that John Stuart Mill believes society can politically
agree on for the purpose of conflict resolution.
After Utilitarianism, we read an article on Kohlberg’s six stages
of moral development in Volume 7: Readings under Moral
Development.
Within the context of Institutional Review Boards—IRBs, we
saw that if Kohlberg is correct in the rarity of the higher levels
of moral development, then it would seem that IRBs focusing on
the lower levels of justifications, based on 45CFR46
bureaucratic rules, instead of the higher justifications of broad
and general moral principles as found in the Belmont Report,
would be just what should be expected.
Then the last text we read was Volume 4: Principlism. There we
learned how Principlism was first formalized in its current
version with the Belmont Report in 1979, how in the United
States Principlism is enforced by law for both public and private
institutions that receive any direct or indirect federal moneys,
what the component parts of autonomy, beneficence,
nonmaleficence, and justice are, looked at various political
perspectives that weigh and balance the principles differently,
and used a Cartesian coordinate system to describe traditional
social political perspectives.
Then we determined our personal political position on the
political compass.
Lastly, this week you will need to take the EXAM 7(FINAL).
Relax.
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed the
materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice exams, then
you can be assured that you are well prepared for the exam.
Thank you for taking this course.
As mentioned in the Orientation, I hope that this Ethics &
Values course has in fact been one of the most interesting and
valuable academic experiences you have ever had, and that you
never disembark from this fascinating lifetime adventure.
Moral Philosophy is Wisdom.
Enjoy!
Dr. Bulger
OBJECTIVES:
1. Be able to grasp the big picture of how morality,
formed, developed and is implemented in our daily
lives.
EXAM 7(FINAL):
If you have completed all the assignments, reviewed
the materials, and satisfactorily completed the practice
exam, then you can be assured that you are well
prepared for the exam.
Thank you for all your time you have put into this
course, and I hope you have found this to be an
interesting and valuable experience.
Respectfully,
Dr. Bulger
Volume 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Epistemology & Metaphysics of Morals
A. Overview and Conclusion of Volume..................... i:1
B. Goals..................................................................... i:5
INTRODUCTION
A. Epistemology....................................................... i:16
1. Definition......................................................... i:16
2. Synthetic Statements...................................... i:18
3. Analytic Statements......................................... i:21
4. Synthetic A Priori Statements.......................... i:24
a. Analytic a posteriori..................................... i:25
b. Synthetic a posteriori................................... i:26
c. Analytic a priori........................................... i:27
d. Synthetic a priori......................................... i:28
1) duty to oneself of “self-perfection,” and... i:30
2) duty towards others of “happiness
of others.”................................................ i:30
B. Metaphysics........................................................ i:34
1. Definition......................................................... i:34
2. Academics...................................................... i:35
a. Limits........................................................... i:35
b. Academic universal principles..................... i:39
SUMMARY: Introduction..........................................i:43
Epistemology............................................................ i:44
Metaphysics ............................................................ i:46
E&M Quiz 1 ........................................................... i:48
I. IN THE BEGINNING
A. Big Bang Misnomer.............................................. 1:1
B. Non-Teleological................................................... 1:4
C. Natural Selection.................................................. 1:8
1. Survival of the fittest vs natural selection......... 1:8
2. Evolution vs. creationism................................ 1:13
3. Representative heuristic errors....................... 1:17
4. Philosophers Historical Influence................... 1:19
SUMMARY: In The Beginning.................................1:26
E&M Quiz 2 ......................................................... 1:31
II. HISTORICAL MORAL ISSUES
A. David Hume (1711 – 1776) “is-ought problem”..... 2:4
B. Immanuel Kant (1724 – 1804)
“noumenal and phenomenal realms”.................... 2:6
C. John Stuart Mill (1806 – 1873)
“means to ends vs ends”....................................... 2:8
D. G. E. Moore (1873 – 1958)
“naturalistic fallacy”............................................... 2:9
E. Richard Dawkins (1941 – Present) “memes”...... 2:10
SUMMARY: Historical Moral Issues........................ 2:14
III. PRIMARY & SECONDARY QUALITIES
A. Color..................................................................... 3:1
1. Naïve realist..................................................... 3:6
2. Sophisticated realists.................................... 3:11
E&M Quiz 3 ...........................................................3:18
B. Sound: Tree In The Forest.................................. 3:19
C. All Sense Data.................................................... 3:26
1. Solipsistic states............................................. 3:28
a. Rational arguments against solipsism........ 3:32
1) A person cannot experience
another’s experiences............................ 3:33
2) Languages are communal...................... 3:34
3) Most perceptions are determined........... 3:35
b. Empirical arguments against solipsism.......3:36
1) Empiricism proves existence
not nonexistence.....................................3:37
2) Technology interacts with the
environment............................................ 3:38
3) Natural selection necessitates existence3:39
2. Dualistic worldviews are a misperception........3:40
SUMMARY: Primary Qualities &
Secondary Qualities.......................................... 3:46
1. Idealism...........................................................3:49
2. Solipsism.........................................................3:50
a. Three rational arguments against solipsism
1) Persons cannot experience
another’s experiences............................ 3:51
2) Languages are communal...................... 3:52
3) Most Perceptions are determined...........3:53
b. Three empirical arguments against solipsism
1) Empiricism proves existence
not nonexistence..................................... 3:54
2) Technology interacts with
the environment...................................... 3:55
3) Natural selection necessitates existence3:56
3. Dualism........................................................... 3:57
E&M Quiz 4a ....................................................... 3:58
E&M Quiz 4b ....................................................... 3:59
IV. DETERMINISM & FREEDOM
A. Determinism.......................................................... 4:1
B. Freedom............................................................... 4:6
1. Compatibilism or soft determinism................... 4:9
2. Uncaused effects............................................ 4:11
3. Indeterminable effects.................................... 4:13
4. Indeterminable causation............................... 4:14
C. Freedom As An Axiom or Postulate.................... 4:16
1. Cognitive freedom is intuitively
agreeable and practical................................... 4:19
2. Cognitive freedom as a first principle
is unprovable................................................... 4:21
3. Rejection of hard determinism for
cognitive experiences is reasonable............... 4:23
D. Consistency With Hume, Kant, Mill,
Moore, and Dawkins......................................... 4:27
SUMMARY: Determinism & Freedom..................... 4:32
1. Compatibilism or soft determinism................. 4:34
2. Incompatibilism.............................................. 4:35
3. Holistic dualism............................................... 4:40
E&M Quiz 5 .......................................................... 4:46
V. LANGUAGE
A. Language as Sense Data.................................... 5:1
B. Language as Thought........................................... 5:9
C. Language as Pluralistic.......................................5:23
D. Language As A Cross Over To
The Incommunicable......................................... 5:34
E&M Quiz 6a......................................................... 5:40
SUMMARY: Language............................................ 5:41
E&M Quiz 6b.........................................................5:56
E&M Overview and Conclusion............................. 6:1
SUMMARIES OF ALL SECTIONS
Introduction............................................................. 6:5
I. In The Beginning.................................................. 6:10
II. Historical Moral Issues........................................ 6:15
III. Primary Qualities And Secondary Qualities....... 6:16
IV. Determinism & Freedom.................................... 6:28
V. Language............................................................ 6:43
ACCOMPLISHED GOALS..................................... 6:57
ENDNOTES
EXAM (E&M)
Volume 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MID-LEVEL PRINCIPLES
Overview.................................................................... i:1
I. THE THEORY MODEL
A. Definition
1. Top to bottom................................................. 1:1
2. General to particulars.................................... 1:5
B. Problems With The Pure Theory Model
1. Gray areas..................................................... 1:6
2. Intuitions are used......................................... 1:8
3. Metaphysical disagreements....................... 1:20
4. Infinite regress............................................. 1:22
5. Criteria........................................................ 1:24
MP Quiz 1 .......................................................
1:27
II. THE INTUITION MODEL
A. Definition
1. Bottom to top............................................... 2:1
2. Particulars to general.................................. 2:5
3. Kant’s deontological theory......................... 2:7
4. Mill’s utilitarian theory.................................. 2:17
MP Quiz 2 ......................................................
2:23
B. Problems With The Pure Intuition Model
1. Theories are necessary............................... 2:24
2. Theories would not be needed.................... 2:28
3. Disagreements would be unresolvable....... 2:33
4. Intuitions can lead to heuristic errors........... 2:36
MP Quiz 3 .......................................................
2:41
III. THE SYNERGISTIC MODEL
A. Definition
1. Back and forth............................................ 3:1
2. Synergistic.................................................... 3:2
B. Strengths......................................................... 3:3
C. Weaknesses
1. Jack-of-all-trades and master of none.......... 3:5
2. A new true philosophy................................... 3:8
D. Responses To Criticisms
1. Jack-of-all-trades and a master of none
response...................................................... 3:21
2. A new true philosophy response................. 3:22
MP Quiz 4 .......................................................
3:24
E. Unified Collective Whole
1. Hermeneutical circle................................... 3:25
2. Hologram.................................................... 3:37
MP Quiz 5 .......................................................
3:40
IV. MID-LEVEL PRINCIPLES AND THE SYNERGISTIC
MODEL
A. SYNERGISTIC MODEL
1. Development Of Mid-Level Principles.......... 4:1
MP Quiz 6 .......................................................
4:23
2. Fragmentation Of Decision-Making............ 4:24
3. Weighing And Balancing............................. 4:28
MP Quiz 7 .......................................................
4:45
4. Specification.................................................4:46
5. Weighing And Balancing Is Not A Separate
Process From Specification........................ 4:61
MP Quiz 8 .......................................................
4:62
B. TESTING OUT THE SYNERGISTIC MODEL
1. Should A Person Help Others Who Are In Need—
Beneficence?............................................... 4:63
a. Assume the opposite...............................4:65
b. Evaluate intuitions................................... 4:66
c. Evaluate mid-level principles................... 4:68
d. Evaluate theory(ies).................................4:71
1) Religion................................................4:72
2) Utilitarianism........................................ 4:73
3) Deontology...........................................4:75
2. A Person Should Help Others
Who Are In Need—Beneficence..................... 4:79
CONCLUSION........................................................ 4:80
EXAM (MP)
ENDNOTES
Volume 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MORAL THEORY
Overview................................................................... i:1
MID-LEVEL PRINCIPLES JUSTIFIED
I. Pragmatic Justifications Of Mid-Level Principles
1. Codes of ethics............................................ 1:1
2. Utilitarianism
a. Teleology.................................................. 1:5
b. Defining the end before the right..............1:7
1) Quantitative ends................................. 1:9
2) Qualitative ends.................................. 1:10
c. Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)................ 1:11
MT Quiz 1 ............................................................ 1:14
d. John Stuart Mill, (1806-1873)..................1:15
MT Quiz 2 ............................................................. 1:28
1) Criticisms Against Utilitarianism
a) Aggregate Utility Criticism............... 1:29
b) Average Utility Criticism.................. 1:33
c) Justice Criticism.............................. 1:35
d) Motive Criticism...............................1:39
2) Responses to the Utilitarian Criticisms
a) Jeremy Bentham............................. 1:41
b) John Stuart Mil.................................1:43
MT Quiz 3 ..............................................................1:54
3.Universalizability................................................ 1:55
MT Quiz 4 ..............................................................1:62
II. Rational Justification Of Mid-Level Principles
1. John Rawls.................................................. 2:1
a. Rawls Diagram........................................ 2:2
1) Presuppositions................................... 2:3
2) Rational and Reasonable Citizens...... 2:4
3) Veil of Ignorance.................................. 2:5
4) Two Principles of Justice..................... 2:6
5) Political Framework............................. 2:9
b. Mid-level Principles................................. 2:11
MT Quiz 5 ............................................................. 2:12
2. Deontological Ethics................................... 2:13
1. Intuitionism......................................... 2:17
2. Divine Command................................ 2:19
3. Universal Law..................................... 2:20
4. Contractarianism................................ 2:21
MT Quiz 6 ............................................................. 2:22
Kantian Morality.................................................... 2:23
a) The Doctrine of Right.............................. 2:26
MT Quiz 7 ............................................................. 2:35
b) The Doctrine of Virtue ............................ 2:36
c) Diagram of the Metaphysics of Morals... 2:53
MT Quiz 8 ............................................................. 2:54
1) Criticisms Against Immanuel Kant
(a) Anthropocentric Criticism.......... 2:56
(b) Absolutist Criticism.................... 2:57
(c) Motive Criticism......................... 2:58
2) Responses to the Criticisms About
Immanuel Kant.
(a) Anthropocentric Criticism
Response.................................. 2:59
(b) Absolutist Criticism Response... 2:64
(c) Motive Criticism Response........ 2:66
CONCLUSION.........................................................2:67
MT Quiz 9 ............................................................. 2:69
EXAM MT
ENDNOTES
Volume 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PRINCIPLISM
Overview.................................................................... i:1
I. PRINCIPLISM’S ORIGIN:
THE BELMONT REPORT.................................... 1:1
A. Thalidomide Case............................................. 1:4
B. Tuskegee Syphilis Study................................... 1:6
C. Belmont Report: Three Core Principles......... 1:14
P Quiz 1 ............................................................... 1:16
P Quiz 2 ............................................................... 1:17
II. PRINCIPLISM GENERAL
A. Principlism As A Practical Approach
1. Intersubjective agreements.......................... 2.1
2. Nonnormative and normative morality......... 2.3
3. Principlism as grammar................................ 2.7
B. Specifying and Balancing............................... 2.10
1. Two types of moral dilemmas..................... 2.11
a. Single principle dilemma (Specification). 2:12
b. Multiple principles dilemma (Balancing). 2:14
2. Pluralistic social decision-making
a. Bill of Rights........................................... 2:17
b. Formal criterion...................................... 2:18
C. Incommensurable Beliefs............................. 2:20
P Quiz 3 ............................................................... 2:21
P Quiz 4 ............................................................... 2:22
III. PRINCIPLISM PARTICULAR............................. 3:1
A. Autonomy
1. Autonomy means: self-rule.......................... 3:2
2. Autonomy’s three necessary conditions...... 3:3
a. Intentionality / Consent / Choice.............. 3:8
1) Express Consent.................................. 3:9
2) Implied Consent................................. 3:10
3) Tacit Consent...................................... 3:11
b. Understanding / Acquisition of
Knowledge.............................................. 3:13
Understanding as a negative right.......... 3:14
Understanding as a positive right........... 3:15
Increased complexity & competence...... 3:17
P Quiz 5 ............................................................... 3:20
1) Professional Practice Standard
a) Strengths........................................ 3:21
b) Weaknesses
(1) Professional standards
may not exist............................. 3:23
(2) Professional standard
may be inappropriate................ 3:24
(3) Professionals may not be able
to determine ends for others..... 3:25
(4) Professional standards
undermines autonomy............... 3:26
(5) Professional standards may not
maximize the best interest of the
agent......................................... 3:27
(6) Professional standards may
violate constitutional rights
and liberties............................... 3:28
(7) Professionals often times will
not testify against each other..... 3:29
2) Reasonable Person Standard.
a) Strengths........................................ 3:30
b) Weaknesses
(1) Reasonable person is
difficult to defined...................... 3:32
(2) Material information is
difficult to define........................ 3:34
(3) Reasonable person’s
informational needs may differ...3:37
(4) Reasonable person standard
may not promote the agent’s
best interest............................... 3:38
(5) Decisions are often made
independent of information....... 3:39
(6) Reasonable person standard
may violate constitutional
rights and liberties..................... 3:40
P Quiz 6 ............................................................... 3:41
3) Subjective Standard
a) Strengths........................................ 3:42
b) Weaknesses
(1) Subjective standard is
too demanding......................... 3:48
(2) Subjective standard may
be indeterminable.................... 3:50
(3) Subjective standard may
not promote the agent’s
best interests........................... 3:51
(4) Subjective standard is legally
problematic............................. 3:52
(5) Decisions are often made
independent of information..... 3:53
4) Information nondisclosure.................. 3:54
a) Therapeutic privilege of
nondisclosure................................ 3:55
(1) emergency
(2) incompetency
(3) waiver
b) Therapeutic placebos
nondisclosure............................... 3:57
c) Research subjects: necessary
conditions for nondisclosure.......... 3:58
(1) Essential for Research
(2) No Substantial Risk To Agent
(3) Agent Informed of Incomplete
Disclosure
(4) Agent Consents to Incomplete
Disclosure.
Information Disclosure Conclusion. 3:59
P Quiz 7 ............................................................... 3:60
c. Freedom: Controlling Influences
By Others........................................ 3:61
1) Persuasion................................. 3:62
2) Coercion.................................... 3:63
3) Manipulation............................. 3:64
3. Autonomy has prima facie standing... 3:66
4. Autonomy as a basic human right...... 3:68
a. Positive right................................... 3:70
b. Negative right..................................3:71
5. Autonomy requires competence........ 3:73
6. Autonomy expressed as informed
Consent............................................ 3:76
a. Autonomous authorization............. 3:77
b. Institutional authorization............... 3:78
P Quiz 8 ............................................................... 3:81
B. Nonmaleficence............................................ 3:82
1. Perfect obligation
2. Negative requirement of refraining
3. Agent must be impartial
4. Failure to refrain often results in legal
punishment
C. Beneficence................................................. 3:84
1. Imperfect obligation
2. Positive requirement of action.
3. Agent need not be impartial
4. Failure to act positively rarely results
in legal punishment
Quantitative and qualitative benefits and burdens.. 3:87
P Quiz 9 .............................................................. 3:92
D. Justice.............................................................. 3:93
1. Economic x-Axis
a. Trickle-down economics (Right)..............3:97
b. Trickle-up economics (Left).................. 3:101
P Quiz 10 ........................................................... 3:102
2. Social Morality y-Axis
a. Government authority (Up).................. 3:103
b. Personal liberty (Down)....................... 3:104
P Quiz 11 ........................................................... 3:105
3. Four Quadrants
a. Libertarian right (Bottom-Right)............ 3:106
b. Authoritarian left (Top-Left)................... 3:107
c. Authoritarian right (Top-Right).............. 3:108
d. Libertarian left (Bottom-Left)................ 3:109
P Quiz 12 ........................................................... 3:110
4. Diversity in the Compass......................... 3:111
5. Application of Justice............................... 3:112
a. Libertarians (Bottom-Right & Left)....... 3:113
b. Utilitarians (Bottom-Right & Left)......... 3:114
c. Egalitarians (Top & Bottom Left).......... 3:115
d. Communitarians (Top & Bottom-Left)... 3:116
6. Democracy............................................... 3:117
7. Communitarianism................................... 3:119
P Quiz 13 ........................................................... 3:123
8. POLITICAL COMPASS............................ 3:124
Political Compass
a. Economic X-Axis Questions................. 3:126
b. Governmental Authority
Y-Axis Questions.................................. 3:129
c. Political Compass Plot......................... 3:132
CONCLUSION .................................................... 3:133
P Quiz 14 ........................................................... 3:134
EXAM (P)
ENDNOTES
Volume 5
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Informed Consent
UTILITARIAN & DEONTOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
SECTION A
Overview................................................................... 1:1
Introduction............................................................... 1:4
IC Quiz 1a............................................................... 1:9
I. INFORMED CONSENT
A. Importance Of Informed Consent
1. Nuremberg Code........................................ 1:10
2. Nuremberg Code’s four
elements of consent ...................................1:12
B. History Of Beneficence And Nonmaleficence. 1:13
C. Informed Consent As A Contemporary Myth...1:14
D. Immorality Of Being Submissive
or Controlling ................................................. 1:16
IC Quiz 2a............................................................. 1:21
II. UTILITARIAN SUPPORT FOR
INFORMED CONSENT.......................................... 1:22
A. Utilitarianism As Maximizing Best Interest...... 1:23
B. Utilitarianism As Maximizing Autonomy
1. Autonomy usually outweighs other’s
concern for the individual............................ 1:24
2. Protection of others from harm
may override autonomy.............................. 1:26
3. Individual harmful actions may
negatively effect others............................... 1:27
4. Tyranny of the majority must be avoided
a. Majority is usually wrong........................ 1:30
b. Actions that do not violate other’s rights should
not be obstructed................................... 1:31
5. Autonomy promotes individuality which
increases both personal and social happiness........ 1:34
6. Utilitarianism defends informed consent
by defending autonomy........................................... 1:41
IC Quiz 3a............................................................. 1:42
IC Quiz 4a............................................................. 1:43
IC Quiz 5a............................................................. 1:44
III. DEONTOLOGICAL SUPPORT FOR
INFORMED CONSENT
A. Informed Consent: Direct Duty Of Autonomy
1. Intrinsic value as a perfect duty.................. 1:45
2. Deontological and utilitarian differences
with regard to consent................................ 1:48
B. Competing Theoretical Approaches
Result In Intractable dilemmas...................... 1:50
IC Quiz 6a............................................................. 1:53
IV. ADDRESSING INFORMED CONSENT
THROUGH JUSTICE............................................. 1:54
IC Quiz 7a............................................................. 1:58
INFORMED CONSENT: A Rawlsian Perspective
SECTION B
Overview.................................................................. 2:1
I. SOCIAL CONTRACT DOCTRINE AS
A CONCEPTION OF JUSTICE
A. Justice: Independent Of Utility and Duty......... 2:3
1. Informed Consent: Independent of
Utility and Duty............................................. 2:5
2. Political Liberalism: a misnomer................... 2:6
3. Pluralistic societies: develop naturally
when citizens are free and equal
a. Plurality of reasonable and rational
comprehensive worldviews....................... 2:8
b. Incompatible rational & reasonable
comprehensive worldviews..................... 2:11
B. Political Liberalism: Fair Cooperation
1. Liberalism vs. Conservatism:
tolerance vs. intolerance............................ 2:14
2. Interrelated consensus:
even with incompatible worldviews............. 2:15
C. Free & Equal and Rational &
Reasonable Citizens...................................... 2:17
D. Political Democracy Is Not A
Comprehensive Worldview........................... 2:21
IC Quiz 1b............................................................. 2:22
II. POLITICAL PERSONS....................................... 3:1
A. Two Moral Powers: Rational & Reasonable..... 3:3
1. Rational........................................................ 3:4
2. Reasonable.................................................. 3:5
B. Stable Society.................................................. 3:6
C. Just Political Construction / Process............... 3:7
III. ORIGINAL POSITION;
HYPOTHETICAL AND NONHISTORICAL
A. Veil Of Ignorance: Fairness.............................. 4:1
B. Two Moral Powers Essentials:
Principles of Justice
1. Political democracy:
is but one workable system.......................... 4:4
2. Standard of disclosure:
for inform consent......................................... 4:5
3. Representatives:
equal under the veil of ignorance................. 4:7
4. Conception of the person and the principles:
tautological
a. Traditional alternatives of principles......... 4:8
b. Reasonable constraints:
preferences of principles......................... 4:9
IC Quiz 2b............................................................. 4:10
IV. TWO PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE........................ 5:1
A. Freestanding: Independent Of Metaphysical
or Comprehensive Worldviews...................... 5:10
B. Original Position: No Metaphysical
Implications On The Nature Of The Self....... 5:12
C. Nonmetaphysical Foundation For Laws:
Necessary For Pluralistic Societies............... 5:15
D. Political Interrelated Consensus vs
Comprehensive Associational Worldviews.... 5:16
E. Political Democracy: A Symphony..................5:18
IC Quiz 3b............................................................. 5:20
F. Primary Goods: Five Categories................... 5:21
G. Three Grounds: For Adopting The
Two Principles Of Justice.............................. 5:28
H. Three Reasons: For Priority Of Basic
Liberties Over Distribution............................ 5:32
I. Basic Liberties: Not Maximized
Nor Do They Maximize Anything................... 5:36
1. Basic Liberties Only Provides The
Social Conditions For Developing
The Two Moral Powers............................... 5:37
2. Maximizing Basic Liberties Is Incoherent... 5:39
a. No Coherent Notion Of
What To Maximize................................... 5:40
b. Persons Are More Than Just The
Two Moral Powers...................................5:41
V. SECOND PRINCIPLE OF JUSTICE:
Difference Principle
1. Difference Principle Defined: The Reasonable. 6:1
2. The Second Principle of Distributive Justice
Is Not Necessary: An Erroneous Argument.......6:4
a. Second principle of distributive justice is
redundant: distributive justice & veil of
ignorance.......................................................6:5
b. Distributive justice should
be introduced at legislative stage
instead of Original Position........................... 6:6
3. The Second Principle of Distributive Justice Is
Necessary
a. The reasonable is not derivable
from the rational........................................... 6:9
b. The reasonable and rational are
complementary: one cannot exist
without the other......................................... 6:11
c. Foundation of reasonable laws necessitates
the second principle of justice.................... 6:13
IC Quiz 4b............................................................. 6:17
4. Representatives Are Purely Rational.............. 6:18
a. Rational representative know the citizen’s
two moral powers........................................ 6:20
b. Two moral powers require two principles
of justice especially if complementary......... 6:21
5. Difference Principle: Maximin......................... 6:23
a. Maximin is for background justice,
not for specific morality............................... 6:26
b. Maximin & two principles of justice
are to be confined to the basic structure..... 6:28
6. Cust’s Misuse Of Maximin Results
In Erroneous Conclusions............................. 6:29
IC Quiz 5b............................................................. 6:41
VI. THE FOUNDATION OF
THE BASIC INSTITUTIONS
A. Political Person: Foundation Of The
Constitution, Laws, And Justice...................... 7:1
1. Reasonable: always constrains the rational. 7:2
2.As the veil gets thinner the accumulated
restrictions get greater.................................. 7:3
B. Constitutional Democratic Regime:
Modern Reality................................................ 7:8
1. Constitutional Branch...................................7:11
a. General structure and process of
government: variable.............................. 7:12
b. Basic rights and liberties: not variable..... 7:14
c. Political Power: co-dependently held by
the three branches of government...........7:24
2. Legislative Branch
a. Protects distribution principle.................. 7:28
b. Distribution is contextual......................... 7:29
3. Summary of Constitutional and
Legislative Stages.......................................7:31
a. Political discussions
1) Framework of justice: directs the
discussions......................................... 7:33
2) Social cooperation: disciplines
the discussions................................... 7:34
b. Orderly contest of political conceptions.. 7:35
IC Quiz 6b............................................................. 7:37
VII. PUBLIC POLITICAL CULTURE VS
SOCIAL CULTURE............................................. 8:1
A. Public Culture:
Interrelated Political Conception...................... 8:2
B. Social Culture: Comprehensive Doctrines....... 8:4
C. Politically And Socially: Incompatible
Worldviews Can Coexist Peacefully................. 8:6
VIII. DECIDING ON A STANDARD
OF DISCLOSURE
A. Rawls’ Ideal Political Framework..................... 9:1
1. Persons in Original Position:
ideally competent......................................... 9:2
2. Persons in Original Position:
two moral powers......................................... 9:3
B. Legislation Is Constrained: Constitution
And Two Principles Of Justice........................... 9:4
1. Constitutional: rights and liberties................ 9:5
2. Persons: free & equal................................... 9:6
3. Incommensurable beliefs:
reasonable pluralism.................................... 9:7
C. Subjective Standard
1. Respects: reasonable and rational agents.. 9:8
2. Agent: may relinquish rights and liberties.... 9:9
3. Subjective standard: coherent.................... 9:10
4. Joint responsibilities: professionals
& agents..................................................... 9:12
5. Agents: ideally rational and reasonable...... 9:13
6. Nonideal circumstances:
nonideal standard...................................... 9:14
IC Quiz 7b............................................................. 9:15
EXAM IC
A&B
ENDNOTES
Volume 6
MORAL PHILOSOPHY
A Theoretical and Practical Approach
To Moral Decision-Making
CASE ANALYSIS
Paradigm
DR. ETHICS
™
Informed Consent
GLOSSARY
Jeffrey W. Bulger
Volume: 6 of 8
P
P
Plato’s Press
Volume 6 CAP
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Case Analysis Paradigm
PRINCIPLISM: CASE ANALYSIS PARADIGM
A. Principlism: Internationally Recognized............ i:1
B. Principlism: Unified System............................... i:2
C. Science: Unified System................................... i:4
CAP Quiz 1............................................................ i:6
D. Moral Decision-Making Goal:
Specify & Balance Principles............................. i:7
1. Specifying...................................................... i:8
2. Balancing....................................................... i:9
3. Ten considerations when specifying
and balancing.............................................. i:10
CAP Quiz 2........................................................... i:11
I. DETERMINE THE RELEVANT PARTIES............ 1:1
A. Specifying The Relevant Parties
1. Positive rights
a. Subject, guardian, or social institutions
b. Relatives
c. Community
d. State government
e. Federal government
f. International government
g. Other
2. Negative rights
a. Subject, guardian, or social institutions
b. Relatives
c. Community
d. State government
e. Federal government
f. International government
g. Other
Balancing the Relevant Parties
II. AUTONOMY......................................................... 2:1
A. Specifying Autonomy
1. Personal authorization
a. Intention
1) Negative Right
2) Positive Right
b. Substantial knowledge
1) Negative Right
2) Positive Right
c. Substantial freedom
1) Negative Right
2) Positive Right
2. Institutional authorization
a. Intention
b. Substantial knowledge
c. Substantial freedom
B. Balancing Autonomy
III. NONMALEFICENCE....................................... 3:1
A. Specifying Nonmaleficence
1. Burdens
2. Rights
a. Positive Rights
b. Negative Rights
B. Balancing Nonmaleficence
IV. BENEFICENCE............................................... 4:1
A. Specifying Beneficence
1. Benefits
2. Rights
a. Positive rights
b. Negative rights
B. Balancing Beneficence
V. JUSTICE.............................................................. 5:1
A. Specifying Justice
1. Legal and/or social issues
2. Rights
a. Personal rights and liberties
b. Social rights and liberties
c. Political rights and liberties
B. Balancing Justice
VI. BALANCING THE FOUR PRINCIPLES.......... 6:1
A. Relevance
B. Importance
C. Maximize or Override
CONCLUSION.......................................................... 7:1
CAP Quiz 3............................................................ 7:2
Volume 6 Dr. Ethics
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dr.Ethics™
Informed Consent
Jeffrey W. Bulger
Introduction............................................................. 1:1
I. Dr. Ethics™: ETHICAL PERSPECTIVE.............. 1:5
DR.ETHICS™ Quiz 1............................................... 1:12
II. FLOW CHART ONE............................................. 2:1
A. Preliminary Data............................................... 2:2
B. Medical Emergency.......................................... 2:5
C. Time For Consent............................................. 2:8
D. Least Hazardous Treatment............................ 2:11
E. Other Purposes Than Patient Best Interest.... 2:16
F. Special Qualifications 45CFR46..................... 2:18
DR.ETHICS™ Quiz 2............................................... 2:21
III. FLOW CHART TWO........................................ 3:1
A. Competence..................................................... 3:2
B. Competency Categories................................... 3:8
1. Evidencing a choice..................................... 3:9
2. Reasonable outcome of choice................... 3:11
3. Choice based on rational reasons.............. 3:13
4. Ability to understand................................... 3:16
5. Actual understanding................................... 3:17
C. Competency Fluctuates Depending
On Context...................................................... 3:18
D. Explanation Of Competency Table.................. 3:19
1. Cell A............................................................3:20
2. Cell B............................................................3:22
3. Cell C........................................................... 3:25
4. Cell D........................................................... 3:26
DR.ETHICS™ Quiz 3............................................... 3:28
IV. FLOW CHART THREE................................... 4:1
A. Consent: No Exculpatory Language................ 4:2
B. Positive Predictive Value:
Prevalence, Sensitivity & Specificity................. 4:3
C. Types Of Consent............................................. 4:7
1. Informed Consent:......................................... 4:9
2. Implied Consent:......................................... 4:10
3. Proxy Consent:............................................ 4:11
DR.ETHICS™ Quiz 4............................................... 4:13
V. FLOW CHART FOUR.......................................... 5:1
A. CONSENT FORM 1......................................... 5:2
B. CONSENT FORM 2......................................... 5:3
C. Least Hazardous Treatment............................. 5:5
D. Other Purposes Than Patient Best Interest...... 5:9
E. Ethical To Treat............................................... 5:12
F. Thank You For Using Dr. Ethics™................... 5:13
CONCLUSION........................................................ 5:14
DR.ETHICS™ Quiz 5............................................... 5:17
Volume 6 Glossary
Volume 7
Volume 7 Honeybee Democracy
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HONEYBEE DEMOCRACY
Abstract........................................................................ 1
I. Evolutionary Misnomers...................................... 3
II. Passive Cues and Active Signals........................ 5
III. Different Language Perspectives........................ 8
1. Language as sense data................................... 9
2. Language as thought....................................... 10
3. Language as any subjective experience.......... 11
4. Language has pluralistic frameworks...............12
IV. Honeybees Are Cooperative Not Adversarial...13
V. Academic Limits..................................................14
VI. Lessons To Be Learned......................................15
Volume 7 Food Production
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOOD PRODUCTION:
An IRB Analysis
Abstract.................................................................... 1:1
Introduction.............................................................. 1:2
I. Principlism
A. Principlism’s multiple criteria............................ 1:7
B. Intersubjective Agreements............................ 1:13
FP Quiz 1.............................................................. 1:21
C. Principlism Is Federal Law............................. 1:22
D. Food Production Is Research........................ 1:26
* Principlism Evaluation: Research......................... 1:29
FP Quiz 2.............................................................. 1:36
II. Feeding Corn To Cattle
A. Government Regulation................................... 2:1
FP Quiz 3.............................................................
2:5
B. Anthropocentric Argument............................... 2:6
* Principlism Evaluation: Anthropocentric............... 2:19
FP Quiz 4............................................................ 2:24
C. Biocentric Argument...................................... 2:25
* Principlism Evaluation: Biocentric........................ 2:27
D. Human Rights and Animal Rights.................. 2:32
FP Quiz 5............................................................. 2:36
III. Heuristic Biases
A. Availability Heuristic......................................... 3:1
B. Adjustment Anchoring Heuristic....................... 3:2
* Principlism Evaluation: Heuristic Errors................. 3:5
FP Quiz 6................................................................ 3:9
IV. Conflict of Interests........................................... 4:1
A. EPA.................................................................. 4:2
B. FDA.................................................................. 4:6
C. White House Council On
Environmental Quality...................................... 4:9
* Principlism Evaluation: Conflict Of Interests......... 4:11
FP Quiz 7.............................................................. 4:15
V. Legislation
A. Conflict Of Interest Laws.................................. 5:1
B. Subpart F: Animal Husbandry and Agriculture. 5:3
Conclusion.............................................................. 5:6
FP Quiz 8............................................................. .5:10
CFR Title 45: Public Welfare, DHH, Part 46:
Protection of Research Subjects........................ 5:11-20
Volume 7 Medical Marijuana
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Case Study: Gonzalez v Raich............................... 1:1
Introduction.............................................................. 1:2
I. DETERMINE THE RELEVANT PARTIES........... 1:6
1. United States Federal Government
2. State Government
3. Individual Citizens
II. AUTONOMY....................................................... 2:1
1. Intentionality
2. Knowledge
3. Freedom
Rights..................................................................... 2:7
1. Positive Rights
2. Negative Rights
A. Intentionality Defined...................................... 2:8
1) Federal Government................................... 2:9
2) State Government.................................... 2:10
3) Individual Citizens..................................... 2:11
Conclusion on Intentionality
1) Federal Government................................. 2:12
2) State Government..................................... 2:13
3) Individual Citizens..................................... 2:14
B. Knowledge
1) Federal Government................................. 2:15
2) State Government..................................... 2:19
3) Individual Citizens..................................... 2:20
Conclusion on Knowledge
1. Federal Government................................ 2:21
2. State Government.................................... 2:22
3. Individual Citizens..................................... 2:24
C. Freedom
1) Federal Government................................ 2:24
2) State Government..................................... 2:25
3) Individual Citizens..................................... 2:26
Conclusion on Freedom
1) Federal Government................................. 2:27
2) State Government.................................... 2:28
3) Individual Citizens..................................... 2:29
Conclusion on Autonomy
1) Federal Government..................................2:30
2) State Government..................................... 2:31
3) Individual Citizens.................................... 2:32
D. Informed Consent
1. Autonomous Authorization........................ 2:33
2. Institutional or Legal Authorization............ 2:33
Conclusion on Informed Consent
1. Federal Government................................ 2:38
2. State of California.................................... 2:39
3. Individual Citizens......................................2:40
III. NONMALEFICENCE....................................... 3:1
1. Perfect obligation....................................... 3:2
2. Negative requirement of refrainment.......... 3:2
3. Agent must be impartial............................... 3:2
4. Failure to refrain often results
in legal punishment.................................... 3:3
Conclusion on Nonmaleficence
1. Federal Government.................................. 3:4
2. State Government....................................... 3:5
3. Individual Citizens....................................... 3:6
IV. BENEFICENCE................................................. 4:1
1. Imperfect obligation.................................... 4:2
2. Positive requirement of action.................... 4:2
3. Agent need not be impartial........................ 4:2
4. Failure to act positively rarely
results in legal punishment......................... 4:3
Conclusion on Beneficence
1. Federal Government................................... 4:4
2. State Government...................................... 4:6
3. Individual Citizens....................................... 4:7
V. JUSTICE............................................................ 5:1
Distributions of Benefits:........................................ 5:2
1. To each according to their need
2. To each according to their merit
3. To each according to their effort
4. To each according to their contribution
5. To each equally
Acquisitions of Burdens:......................................... 5:3
1. From each according to their ability
2. From each according to their
burden on society
3. From those who are the least desirable
4. From those who contribute the least
5. From each equally
Justice Overview
1. Federal Government................................... 5:7
2. State Government...................................... 5:8
3. Individual Citizens....................................... 5:9
Conclusion on Justice
1. The Federal Government...........................5:12
2. State Government..................................... 5:13
3. Individual Citizens..................................... 5:14
VI. BALANCING THE FOUR PRINCIPLES
1. Federal Government................................... 6:1
2. State Government...................................... 6:2
3. Individual Citizens...................................... 6:3
VII. Conclusion Summary
1. Federal Government................................... 7:1
2. State Government....................................... 7:2
3. Individual Citizens....................................... 7:3
Volume 7 Moral Development
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MORAL DEVELOPMENT:
Why Researchers and IRBs
Address 45CFR46 At the Expense
Of Moral Principlism As Found In
The Belmont Report
Abstract..................................................................... 1:1
I. MORAL DEVELOPMENT
A. Self.................................................................. 1:5
1. Stage One: Egoism Based on
Punishment and Obedience
(Authoritarian)........................................... 1:6
2. Stage Two: Egoism Based On
Instrumental Exchange (Social)............... 2:1
MD Quiz 1...........................................................
2:4
B. Community
1. Stage Three: Social Conformity
By Means Of Peer Pressure (Social).......3:1
2. Stage Four: Social Conformity By
Means of Law and Order (Authoritarian).4:1
3. Stage Four and a Half: Disrespect of
The Social Structure (Cynic)................... 4.4
MD Quiz 2............................................................. 4.7
C. Abstract
1. Stage Five: Social Contract Theory
(Theoretical)............................................ 5.1
MD Quiz 3............................................................ 5:13
2. Stage Six: Principlism; Autonomy,
Beneficence, Nonmaleficence,
and Justice (Practical)............................. 6.1
a. Intuitive Point of View.......................... 6:5
MD Quiz 4.............................................................. 6:8
b. Theory Point of View........................... 6:9
c. Mid-Level Principles Point of View.... 6:12
Conclusion............................................... 6:23
MD Quiz 5........................................................... 6:29
Volume 7 Applied Ethics
Volume 7 Basic Moral Concepts
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BASIC MORAL THEORIES
AND CONCEPTS
BASIC EPISTEMOLOGY TERMS
Epistemology............................................................ 1
Empiricists................................................................ 2
Rationalists............................................................... 3
Primary Qualities...................................................... 4
Secondary qualities.................................................. 5
Naïve Realism.......................................................... 6
Sophisticated Realism.............................................. 7
Representative Realism........................................... 8
Realism.................................................................... 9
Causal Theory of Perception.................................... 10
Substratum............................................................... 11
Subjectivism............................................................. 12
Subjective idealism (ideaism)................................... 13
MAJOR MORAL THEORIES AND CORE CONCEPTS
Universalizability, moral............................................ 14
Deontological Ethics................................................. 15
Systematic Exposition............................................ 16
Intuitionism.......................................................... 17
Jural Justification................................................. 18
Divine Command Theory.................................. 19
Formalism......................................................... 20
Contractarianism............................................... 21
Deontological Teleology........................................... 22
Deontological Egoism............................................ 23
Deontological Utilitarianism................................... 24
Kantian Morality........................................................ 25
Doctrine of Right.................................................... 26
Doctrine of Virtue................................................... 27
Teleology, Consequentialism and Utilitarianism....... 28
John Stuart Mill, 1806-1873................................... 29
Act Utilitarianism.................................................. 30
Rule Utilitarianism............................................... 31
Act & Rule Utilitarianism Combination................ 32
OTHER THEORIES AND CORE CONCEPTS
Free-will.................................................................... 33
Determinism............................................................. 34
Hard Determinism............................................... 35
Soft Determinism................................................. 36
Indeterminism...................................................... 37
Intrinsic Worth.......................................................... 38
Extrinsic Worth......................................................... 39
Altruism.................................................................... 40
Altruistic Egoism.................................................... 41
Psychological Altruism........................................... 42
Egoism..................................................................... 43
Ethical Egoism....................................................... 44
Psychological Egoism............................................ 45
Non-Teleological Morality......................................... 46
Naturalism................................................................ 47
Rationalism.............................................................. 48
Noncognitivism......................................................... 49
Moral Realism.......................................................... 50
Moral Subjectivism................................................... 51
Naturalistic Fallacy................................................... 52
Moral Psychology..................................................... 53
Ethical Relativism..................................................... 54
1. Moral Advancement
2. Moral Revolutionaries
3. Judging of Cultures
4. Tolerance of Intolerance
Volume 7 Homer to Kant
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HOMER TO KANT
Introduction....................................................................... 1
Homer 8th Century BCE.................................................. 2
Thales 620s – 540s BCE....................................................... 3
Anaximander 610 – 546 BCE.............................................. 4
Heraclitus 535 – 475 BCE.................................................... 5
Euclid 300 BCE.................................................................... 6
Parmenides Early 5th Century BCE..................................... 7
Zeno 490 – 430 BCE............................................................ 8
Empedocles 490 – 430 BCE................................................. 9
Pythagoras 570 – 495 BCE................................................ 10
Democritus 460 – 370 BCE................................................ 11
Plato 428 – 347 BCE.......................................................... 12
Aristotle 384 – 322 BCE.................................................... 13
Descartes 1596 -­‐ 1650...................................................... 14
Immanuel Kant 1724 -­‐ 1804............................................. 15
Volume 8
TABLE OF CONTENTS
UTILITARIANISM
Chapter 1: General Remarks…................... 1:1 – 1:48
JSM Quiz 1 ......................................................... 1:48
Chapter 2: What Utilitarianism Is …........... 2:1 – 2:40
JSM Quiz 2 ......................................................... 2:40
Chapter 2: What Utilitarianism Is …......... 2:41 – 2:86
JSM Quiz 3 ......................................................... 2:86
Chapter 2: What Utilitarianism Is .......… 2:87 – 2:114
JSM Quiz 4 .........................................................2:114
Chapter 2: What Utilitarianism Is …..... 2:115 – 2:158
JSM Quiz 5 ........................................................ 2:158
Chapter 2: What Utilitarianism Is ….... 2:159 – 2:195
JSM Quiz 6 ....................................................... 2:195
Chapter 3: Of The Ultimate Sanction
Of The Principle Of Utility .......................... 3:1 – 3:82
JSM Quiz 7 ........................................................3:114
Chapter 4: Of What Sort Of Proof
The Principle Of Utility Is Susceptible ….. 4:1 – 4:55
JSM Quiz 8 ......................................................... 4:55
Chapter 4: Of What Sort Of Proof The Principle Of
Utility Is Susceptible …............................. 4:56 – 4:82
JSM Quiz 9 ......................................................... 4:82
Chapter 5: On The Connection Between Justice And
Utility............................................................. 5:1 – 5:56
JSM Quiz 10 ....................................................... 5:56
Chapter 5: On The Connection Between
Justice And Utility.................................... 5:57 – 5:119
JSM Quiz 11 ...................................................... 5:119
Chapter 5: On The Connection Between
Justice And Utility ................................ 5:120 – 5:150
JSM Quiz 12 ..................................................... 5:150
Chapter 5: On The Connection Between
Justice And Utility................................ 5:151 – 5:222
JSM Quiz 13 .................................................... 5:222
Chapter 5: On The Connection Between
Justice And Utility................................. 5:223 – 5:246
JSM Quiz 14 .................................................... 5:246
EXAM JSM
ENDNOTES
The
MORAL PHILOSOPHY
series consists of the following
eight books:
EPISTEMOLOGY & METAPHYSICS OF MORALS
MID-LEVEL PRINCIPLES
MORAL THEORY
PRINCIPLISM
INFORMED CONSENT: Utilitarian, Deontology, and Rawlsian
Perspectives
CASE ANALYSIS: Paradigm, Dr.Ethics™, & Glossary
READINGS: Honeybee Democracy, Food Systems, Medical
Marijuana, Moral Development, Applied Ethics,
Basic Moral Concepts, Homer to Kant
UTILITARIANISM: John Stuart Mill
Jeffrey W. Bulger Professor of Philosophy, Utah Valley University
Ph.D. Philosophy—concentration inMedical Ethics, University of Tennessee—Knoxville,
1994.
M.A. Exegetical Theology, Western Seminary—Portland, 1986.
B.S. Geology / Petroleum Engineering, University of North Dakota—Grand Forks, 1981