SYLLABUS

DAYTONA STATE COLLEGE

FALL B TERM– 2021

PHI 2600: INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS

PROFESSOR: Dr. Jared K. Rothstein

OFFICE: Bldg. 330, Room 206, Daytona Campus

OFFICE HOURS: Office hours are times when you can meet with your professors to discuss
class material or other related interests--and will be conducted virtually in this class. One-on-
one, Microsoft Teams videoconference sessions with instructor available on the following days
and times, via this link: Monday-Thursday: 1pm-2pm & 3:30pm-5:00pm,

Although ‘drop-in’ meetings are an option, students are encouraged to schedule an

appointment with the instructor by email—to reserve a specific time slot and avoid potential
wait times. ‘Drop-ins’ will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to
students with scheduled appointments.

OFFICE TELEPHONE: 386-506-3173

E-MAIL: Jared.Rothstein@daytonastate.edu

DEPARTMENT: School of Behavioral & Social Sciences

COMMUNICATION: Students may expect responses to email communications and voicemail

messages within 2 business days, if not sooner. For expectations regarding student to student
communications, please see “Community Decorum” section of Discussion Board Grading
Criteria below.

REQUIRED TEXT: Waller, B.N., Consider Ethics: Theory, Readings, & Contemporary Issues,
3rd Edition. Prentice Hall. 2011. Required text may be procured via the DSC Bookstore.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: An introduction to the key concepts and principles of ethics as a

basis for the study of values, ethical decisions, right actions and justice. It covers the
philosophical roots, as well as modern applications of ethics based upon the ideas and influence
of many diverse philosophers, both classical and modern, Eastern and Western, female and male.
This course contributes to satisfying the College-Level Communication and Computation Skills
(State Rule 6A-10.030) writing requirement.

CREDIT HOURS: 3 Semester Hours DEGREE: A.A. (core) and A.S.

CONTACT HOURS: 45 Lecture Hours

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CLASS FORMAT: Class will be conducted fully online via Falcon Online. Weekly modules,
including study guides, assigned videos, discussion board assignments, and exams, are provided
on the course site; and weekly assignments are typically due by 5pm on Friday of the assigned
week. Please Course Schedule below for more details.

MINIMAL TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: Students enrolled in this course must be able

to: create files using word processing software, like Microsoft Word; and use all required
features of Falcon Online, such as Discussion Boards, Quizzes, and Assignments.

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES: Students will require access to a computer with word
processing software and a reliable internet connection.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

The student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a general knowledge of the basic theories of ethics.
2. Demonstrate a general knowledge of the ideas of key philosophers in ethics.
3. Demonstrate a general knowledge of the role of ethics within the larger field of.
philosophy
4. Demonstrate a general knowledge of applied ethics and value theory.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS, POLICIES, & GRADING

DISCLAIMER: This syllabus has been constructed to be as complete as possible, but I reserve
the right to alter policies, procedures, and the syllabus as needed with notification to students.
Please utilize the course shell in Falcon Online regularly as any changes to the syllabus will be
posted there.

HOW TO PROCEED THROUGH COURSE: For a three credit hour course such as this one,
students should expect to spend nine hours per week on coursework and studying. For each
weekly module, students should start with the assigned textbook readings, study guide, and
video; and then proceed to complete the weekly assignment (e.g., discussion board, exam). For
additional advice, please see the Tips for Success document on our website, which is available
under “Content.”

HANDLING OF ASSIGNMENTS: All course assignments—including discussion boards,

exams, and a reflection paper--will be submitted via links within our course site; links which are
available within each weekly module.

CHILDREN/NON-ENROLLED INDIVIDUALS IN CLASS: Individuals who are not

enrolled in the course are not permitted to participate within our course site.

ATTENDANCE: Students are expected to regularly participate in the course by completing

weekly assignments. Those who stop actively participating in this manner will be withdrawn
from the course and receive a final grade of W1 (Withdrawn).
FINAL GRADE CALCULATION:

Exams 90% (3 exams @ 45% each, drop lowest score from either Exam 1 or 2)
Discussion Board 10% (7 assignments)

Total: 100%

90-100 = A 86-89.9 = B+ 80-85.9 = B 76-79.9 = C+ 70-75.9 = C 60-69.9 = D 0-59.9 = F

Sample Grade Calculation: Exam 1 (13/20). Exam 2 (15/20), Exam 3 (17/20), Reflection Paper
(15/15), Discussion total (8/10)

Step 1: Calculate your exam total. Add Exam 3 score to the highest score from either Exam 1 or
Exam 2 (15+17=32); Divide this total by 40 (32/40=.8); Multiply this fraction by 90 (.8 x 90=72).
This is your final exam total (72)!

Step 2: Calculate your discussion total by adding all your discussion points together (8).

Step 3: Add total from Step 1 with total from Step 2 (72 + 8 = 80). This is your final course total!

Step 4: Match your final course total to a letter grade utilizing the scale above (80 = B). This is your
final letter grade!
Grade of “Incomplete:” An Incomplete (“I”) grade is assigned at the instructor’s
discretion, and requires the student to sign an agreement that outlines the work needed to receive
the final grade. To be eligible for an Incomplete, a student should have completed at least 75% of
the coursework and should have a reasonable chance of passing the course. It is the
responsibility of the student to complete the remaining assignments before the Incomplete
automatically converts to the grade of F, which is 45 days following the end of the term in which
the I grade was assigned.
EXAMS: There will be three—open book, open note--unit exams in this course (45% each),
each comprised of 20 questions (true/false and multiple choice). At the end of the semester, your
lowest score on one of the first 2 exams (i.e., either Exam 1 or 2) will be dropped and not
included in the final grade assessment for the course (see Final Grade Calculation section above).
Note that your Exam 3 score will be included in the final grade assessment, and will not be
dropped under any circumstances.

Each unit exam will cover only the material (textbook readings, lecture guide notes, and selected
YouTube videos) from that unit, although some material from later units may build on that from
earlier ones. Exams will be administered online and must be completed by the assignment
deadline (see schedule below). Failure to complete an exam by its closing date will result in
a score of “0” for that exam.
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Makeup Exam Policy: Makeup exams will not be given unless extenuating
circumstances prevent the student from taking the exam as scheduled. Determination of
extenuating circumstances will be at the sole discretion of the instructor, and will be limited to
incidents, such as illness, family emergencies, court appearances, etc., which are
documented in writing. A student simply stating, without written documentation, that he/she
missed an exam due to illness (or other reasons), will not be granted a makeup exam; and he/she
will receive a score of “0” for the missed exam. It will be the responsibility of the student to
make arrangements with the instructor for rescheduling exams prior to the scheduled exam date,
or immediately upon resuming class, at a time and place that is convenient for the instructor.
Note that the opportunity for makeup exams is an exception-- there is NO GUARANTEE--that
students will be allowed the opportunity for a makeup exam. Students should note that if given
an opportunity to take a makeup, they may be given a modified version of the exam.
DISCUSSION BOARD: Class discussion is a vital component of this course. You are
responsible for contributing to class discussion each week by submitting 1 original post and 2
responses to the posts of your classmates regarding the discussion topic for that week.
Discussion Board posts are due by 5pm on Friday of the assigned week. No extensions nor
makeups are available for late/missed discussion assignments, which will result in a score of
“0” for that assignment.
Posts will be graded based on the following criteria:
1) Quality: How strong is your reasoning? Among other virtues, high quality posts will reflect
originality, thoughtfulness, and strong grammatical construction.
2) Quantity: How much did you contribute? Again, for full credit, you must contribute at
minimum 1 original post and 2 responses per discussion topic by the deadline.
3) Community Decorum: Were you open to others’ opinions and respectful at all times? Try to
learn from you classmates and their unique perspectives and experiences. It’s ok to respectfully
disagree with your classmates on occasion by making good arguments; but rude, disruptive, or
intolerant behavior of any sort will not be tolerated in the class.

CLASS SCHEDULE

UNIT 1: Fundamentals of Ethics

Week 1, Oct. 18-22
Read: Course Syllabus & Tips for Success document.

Post: 1 original comment + 2 responses to Discussion Board Topic 1 (“About Me”) by 5pm on
Friday.

Week 2, Oct. 25-29

Read: Chapter 1 (textbook pgs. 1-11; and Chapter 1 Study Guide)
Watch Course Site Video: “Born Good?”

Post: 1 original comment + 2 responses to Discussion Board Topic 2 (“Baby Morality”) by

5pm on Friday.

Week 3, Nov. 1-5

Read: Chapter 2 (textbook pgs. 20-28; and Chapter 2 Guide)

Watch Course Site Videos: “Ayn Rand: Objectivism vs. Altruism”

“Part 1, Strange Beliefs”

Post: 1 original comment + 2 responses to Discussion Board Topic 3 (“The Virtue of

Selfishness?”) by 5pm on Friday.

Complete: Unit Exam 1 (Chapters 1 & 2 + corresponding videos) by 5pm on

Friday.

UNIT 2: Reason vs Emotion

Week 4, Nov. 8-12
Read: Chapter 3 (textbook pgs. 39-54; and Chapter 3 Guide)

Watch Course Site Videos: “Frans de Waal: Moral Behavior in Animals”

“We’re All Predictably Irrational: Dan Ariely”

Post: 1 original comment + 2 responses to Discussion Board Topic 4 (“Moral Behavior in

Animals”) by 5pm on Friday.

Week 5, Nov. 15-19

Read: Chapter 4 (textbook pgs. 71-78; and Chapter 4 Guide)

Watch: A Short Introduction to Kant’s Categorical Imperative

Post: 1 original comment + 2 responses to Discussion Board Topic 5 (“Ethics of Lying”) by

5pm on Friday.

Complete: Unit Exam 2 (Chapters 3 & 4 + corresponding videos) by 5pm on Friday.

UNIT 3: Utilitarianism and Virtue Ethics

Week 6, Nov. 22-26, Happy Thanksgiving!
No assignments this week. Enjoy!
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Week 7, Nov. 29-Dec. 3

Read: Chapter 5 (textbook pgs. 85-94; and Chapter 5 Guide)

Watch Course Site Video: “Trolley Problem”

Post: 1 original comment + 2 responses to Discussion Board Topic 6 (“Trolley Problem”)

by 5pm on Friday.

Weeks 8 & 9, Dec. 6-13

Read: Chapter 8 (textbook pgs. 149-157 + Chapter 8 Guide)

Watch Course Site Videos: “60 Minutes: Happiness”

“The Stanford Prison Experiment”

Post: 1 original comment + 2 responses to Discussion Board Topic 7 (“The Golden Mean”) by
5pm on Friday, Dec. 10.

Complete: Unit 3 Exam (Chapters 5 & 8 + corresponding videos) by 5pm on Monday, Dec. 13.

ADDITIONAL POLICES & RESOURCES

Student Rights & Responsibilities
Students are responsible for reading and following all college policies outlined in the current
Student Handbook. Some of the most important are summarized below. The Handbook can be
accessed on the DSC Academics page under “Student Resources.”
Recording
Students may record video or audio of a class lecture for a class in which the student is enrolled
for their own personal educational use. A class lecture is defined as a formal or methodical oral
presentation as part of a college course intended to present information or teach enrolled students
about a particular subject. Recording class activities other than class lectures, including but not
limited to lab sessions, student presentations (whether individually or part of a group), class
discussion (except when incidental to and incorporated within a class lecture), clinical
presentations such as patient history, academic exercises involving student participation, test or
examination administrations, field trips, private conversations between students in the class or
between a student and the faculty member, is prohibited. Invited guest speakers may be recorded
with their consent. Recordings may not be used as a substitute for class participation and class
attendance and may not be published, posted or shared without the written consent of the faculty
member. Failure to adhere to these requirements may constitute a violation of the Student Code
of Conduct.

Academic Integrity
In order to preserve academic excellence and integrity, the College expects you to know,
understand, and comply with the Academic Integrity Policy, which prohibits academic
dishonesty in any form, including, but not limited to cheating and plagiarism. The grades you
earn must be based upon your own work and must accurately reflect your own knowledge and
skills.

An instructor who finds that a student has violated Academic Integrity may apply an academic
consequence ranging from a zero percent for the assignment, up to and including failure for the
entire course. Violations may be reported to the academic department chair for review and/or
referred to the Judicial Affairs for appropriate disciplinary resolution. Visit the DSC Academic
Integrity page (https://www.daytonastate.edu/academicintegrity/) for more information about
Academic Integrity and the appeal process.
Honor Pledge
“I, as a member of the DSC community, pledge that I will neither give nor receive unauthorized
aid in my work nor will I present another’s work as my own, nor will I tolerate anyone who
does.” View the Student Handbook for more information.

Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office 365, with 1TB of OneDrive storage, is available to enrolled Daytona State
College students. Students are provided a college email address that serves as the student’s
official source for college communication. In addition to email, Office 365 provides students
with shared calendars, the ability to create and edit documents online, team sites, and other
collaboration tools. Whether you work on a PC, Mac, tablet, or phone, you will have a consistent
experience across all of your devices. The service includes online versions of Word, PowerPoint,
Excel, Teams, OneNote, and OneNote Class Notebook. For more information about Office 365,
visit the Student Self-Service Help (https://www.daytonastate.edu/help/) and click on Office 365.
Student Evaluation of Instruction
Every semester for every course, you have the opportunity to give your instructors feedback on
your experiences in class. Instructors use your feedback to make informed decisions about how
they teach their courses. Understanding student perceptions and experiences is a part of how we
improve teaching across the college. Student evaluations of instruction are also an important
element of the faculty evaluation process, which is why collecting a broad, representative, and
valid data set is important. What this means is the more students who participate, the better the
feedback.
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You’ll receive email with instructions near the end of the semester. You have about two weeks
before the evaluation window closes. You can find the Course Evaluation window for each
semester in the Academic Calendar on Daytona State College’s homepage. Your course
evaluation link is unique, and evaluations are anonymous. Additionally, instructors only see
evaluation summaries after grades are posted.
Counseling and Accessibility Services
Counseling and Accessibility Services (CAS) provides tools and resources to students with
documented disabilities. Students who self-disclose a disability and provide the required
documentation to the CAS Office can receive confidential and reasonable accommodations to
assist in their academic success. If you need accommodations, please contact the CAS Office at
(386) 506-3038. To call Florida Relay dial 7-1-1 or the appropriate toll-free number:
1-800-955-8771 (TTY), 1-800-955-8770 (Voice). Counseling Services are available on campus
to help students by providing confidential short-term counseling and linking them to local
community mental health professionals for long-term assistance when needed. Please call (386)
506-3038 for more information. Visit the Counseling and Accessibility Services website (https://
www.daytonastate.edu/cas/) for more information.
Veterans
If you are currently serving or have ever served in the U.S. Military, please feel free to visit the
Veterans Center in the Building 100, Room 205 for any assistance or phone 386.506.3653. Please
visit the Veterans Information page (https://www.daytonastate.edu/admsvet/) for more
information.
Academic Support Center
The Academic Support Centers (ASC) assist students on every campus to achieve their potential
by providing the resources they need to become successful, independent learners. Visit the ASC
website (https://www.daytonastate.edu/asc/) for more information or email
ASC@DaytonaState.edu.
Writing Center
For assistance with all stages of the writing process, please visit the Writing Center (https://
www.daytonastate.edu/cwc/). Appointments are recommended.
Library and Research Services
The Daytona State Library offers a variety of services and resources to support your academic
success. Visit the library website (https://library.daytonastate.edu/) to learn more.
Technical Support
Tech support is available for FalconMail, printing, web usage, Falcon Online, and more. Students
may call 386-506-3950 or email Helpdesk@daytonastate.edu. Information can be found on the
Student Self-Service Help page (https://www.daytonastate.edu/help/) under Tech Support.

For Falcon Online 24/7 support of course tools, view Help/Resources on the Falcon Online
navbar or call the Helpdesk at 386-506-3950, option 2. General Help information for Falcon
Online can be found on the Student Self-Service Help page (https://www.daytonastate.edu/help/)
under Falcon Online.
DSC Alert
Daytona State College has a mass notification system, DSC Alert. It’s a multi-modal mass
notification system that enables DSC to quickly send critical information to the College
community via text, phone, and email during an emergency. Students also may receive non-
emergency (outreach) communication including information on Registration, Financial Aid,
College events, and other messages intended to make the enrollment process easier and improve
your DSC experience. All DSC students are automatically opted into DSC Alert when they begin
classes and will receive this service at no charge.

It's important to keep your phone number current in the DSC system. To update your phone
number, log in to your MyDaytonaState portal and select My Profile > Contact Info.

For more information, please contact DSCAlert@DaytonaState.edu.

The Center for Women and Men
CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents In School): Assists eligible students with child
care; New Directions: Access to financial assistance for tuition, books, uniforms, and/or
equipment for single parents, displaced homemakers, single pregnant women, or those
considering a non-traditional career; Lending Library: A limited library of textbooks available
for loan; Clothes Closet: Students can achieve a professional image for job interviews and
employment; Falcon Fuel: Free light snacks for students to fuel up and go! Homeless Student
Services: College and community resources and referrals to help students stay in school. Health
Services: Connections to local Health Care providers for DSC students and their children.

Visit the Center for Women and Men website (https://www.daytonastate.edu/

centerforwomenandmen/) or call (386) 506-3068.