Undergraduate Minor in Applied Ethics
Contact: Professor Ronald M. Green
Ethics Institute
6031 Haldeman Center,
2nd Floor
(603) 646-1263
The following is a draft of the Ethics Minor as approved by the Committee
on Chairs in Spring term 2006. The minor is available to all students
able to complete the stipulated six courses, including members of the
class of 2007 on. Additional courses may be added to the minor in the
future, and some of the courses listed here may not be available.
The minor consists of a total of 6 courses: 2 required introductory courses,
three other courses forming a coherent “cluster” or focus
of interest, and a senior culminating project (usually an approved independent
study project with a substantial paper).
Required Introductory Courses:
I. Two courses from the following list
of courses:
Philosophy 8 – Introduction to Moral Philosophy
“A study of the main types of ethical theories from Plato to the
pragmatists and existentialists. Attention will be paid to the relevance
of major historical positions to contemporary issues.”
Philosophy 37 – Ethical Theory
“This course will be primarily concerned with such questions as:
What is morality? Are there universal values? And: Why should one be moral?
(with the responses to them by several contemporary philosophers). The
application of ethical theory to some contemporary issues also will be
considered.”
Philosophy 38 – Political and Social Philosophy
“Through the study of classical and contemporary texts in social
theory, we will consider such issues as how and to what extent (if at
all) political authority can be justified, what the criteria are for distributive
justice, and how social and political inequalities (such as those based
on race and gender) should be conceptualized.”
Religion 11 – Religion and Morality
“An examination of the process of moral reasoning and its relationship
to religious belief. Emphasis will be given to the analysis of issues
that have drawn the special attention of religious moralists; among these
are abortion, the treatment of premature or congenitally impaired newborns,
the creation of ‘test-tube babies,’ and physician assisted
suicide.”
II. Senior Culminating Course (Independent
Studies
Project):
All students enrolled in the minor will also be required to undertake
a senior culminating course project. This would normally be an independent
studies course in the senior year under the direction of a member of the
faculty who teaches an approved course in the ethics minor, or another
qualified faculty member. All senior projects must be approved by the
Director of the Ethics Institute in his capacity as Chair of the Minor
Steering Committee.
III. Other Courses Currently
Available for the Minor (at
least 3 are required):
(The following courses have already been approved by members of the Steering
Committee and have determined by the committee and the course instructor
to have the requisite 35 per cent ethics content.)
Anthro 16 – Secrecy and Lying in Politics
This seminar explores how claims to secret knowledge and lying relate
to the institutional and cultural frameworks in which knowledge is produced,
the use of “leaks” to challenge hierarchical controls and
sometimes sustain them, and the ways in which secrecy, deception, and
lying form a necessary and often desirable part of social, political,
and economic life.
Anthro 20 – Intro to Ethnographic Fieldwork
This course will study techniques for planning and carrying out such research,
and for recording, checking validity and reliability, storing, coding,
analyzing and writing up of ethnographic data. Students will become familiar
with basic ethical issues, informed consent, writing of research proposals,
formulating research contracts, and sharing results with cooperating individuals
and groups.
Biology 4 – Genes and Society
This course focuses on how our current understanding of genetic mechanisms
has led to new biological insights and to the development of powerful
technologies with far reaching implications for our society. Although
this course will focus on the science, we will also consider the ethical,
political, human, and economic impacts of these technologies. The ultimate
goal of the course is to provide an understanding of the biology and technology
so that students can make informed decisions on issues that continually
and increasingly arise in our society.
Biology 110 – Science Integrity and Research Ethics
This course is designed to introduce scientific researchers to issues
in research ethics. We will emphasize foundational principles underlying
scientific integrity and their application to a range of issues including
data management, animal and human subjects, collaboration, mentoring,
peer review and the ethical implications of different forms of scientific
research. Analysis and presentation of case studies will constitute important
focal points for discussion in class meetings.
CoCo 1 – Assisted Reproduction in the 21st Century
This course will employ a multidisciplinary approach to examine the scientific,
social, psychological, religious and ethical issues associated with assisted
reproductive technologies (ARTs). Among the questions we will examine
are: How is infertility defined and what are its causes? What are the
consequences of ARTs for all the parties involved? What are the status
of the embryos and rights of children produced by these technologies?
CoCo 9 – Biology and the Politics of Starvation
We will examine the science and the politics of malnutrition, hunger and
starvation intertwining the biology of human nutrition and starvation
with social, economic, environmental and political consequences of food
deprivation. Student presentations will focus on the description of and
lessons learned from important historical famines, the issues of world
food supply and the societal responses to starvation and famine.
Econ 71 – History of Economic Thought
The course explores the ethical foundation of contemporary economic theory
and application.
Ed 20 – Educational Issues in Contemporary Society
This course dissects the schools — urban and rural, suburban and
private — analyzing the political, economic, and cultural forces
that make schools what they are, and will shape their future development.
The course examines the educational models of current critics and reformers,
examining their alternatives to formal education in our society.
Ed 54 – Moral Development and Moral Education
This course will explore changing concepts of morality in childhood, adolescence,
and adulthood. Morality as justice will be contrasted with the concept
of morality as care. Research that investigates real life problem-solving
as well as hypothetical problem-solving will be examined as will different
educational programs in the U.S. and elsewhere that have attempted to
foster moral development.
Ed 55 – Adolescent Development
In this course we will explore how the onset of physical maturity and
the capacity for reflective thought that herald adolescence reshape the
adolescent’s self-conception and understanding of relationships.
Drawing primarily on the work of Piaget, Kohlberg, Gilligan, and Perry
(cognitive-developmental) and of Freud, Anna Freud, Blos, Sullivan, and
Erikson (psycho-dynamic), we will address critical areas and markers —
biological, psychological, cultural, and gender — of adolescence;
and we will assess what educational implications we can derive from theory.
Engs 5 – Healthcare and Biotechnology in the 21st Century
Technologies that will impact healthcare in the 21st century are explored,
including biology, robotics, and information. This section will also cover
ethical issues related to the above topics and issues regarding the FDA
and the approval of new medical treatments.
Envs 35 – Ethical Issues in the Policy Process
This course examines the ethical issues involved in the process of policymaking.
Emphasis will be on distinguishing conflicts of facts, assumptions, and
values, and on understanding and resolving value differences. The course
will cover historical ethical theory and will allow students to apply
ethical theory to current case studies.
Geography 25 – Social Justice and the City
This course explores issues of social justice and cities in terms of the
spatial unevenness of money and power within and among cities, between
cities and their hinterlands, and between cities of the world. We will
examine how multiple dynamic geographic processes produce spatial and
social inequalities that make cities the locus of numerous social justice
issues. We will also look at how urban communities and social groups are
engaged in working for social change.
Gov 36 – Making of American Public Policy
This course examines the process through which public policy is made in
the United States. Topics covered include the nature and goals of public
policy, the various stages of the policy process, and the different models
of and factors involved in policy making. The course seeks to explain
why policy making in the U.S. is mostly ‘incremental’ in character,
i.e., involves only marginal departures from the status quo. The course
also explores the conditions under which non-incremental change is feasible
or even likely.
Gov 86 – Pursuit of Happiness in Market Economies
The course explores two concepts of happiness: the consumer model and
the producer model. Happiness as having vs. happiness as doing. We then
read some classic works about the ethics of economic life from Plato to
the present that deal with the question of how market societies promote
and undermine the pursuit of happiness.
Phil 9 – Topics in Applied Ethics
An examination of the ethical dimensions of some contemporary controversies.
Topics will vary from year to year but may include: business, death, discrimination,
the environment, gender, law, media, race, sex, technology, and war.
Phil 25 – Philosophy of Medicine
An examination of some philosophical issues in the field of medicine.
Primary focus will be on the moral issues that arise in dealing with individual
patients, e.g., paternalism, informed consent, euthanasia, and abortion.
There will also be an attempt to clarify such important concepts as death,
illness, and disease.
Phil 37 – Ethical Theory
This course will be primarily concerned with such questions including:
What is morality? Are there universal values? and Why should one be moral?
and with the responses to them by several contemporary philosophers. The
application of ethical theory to some contemporary issues also will be
considered.
Russian 35 – Dostoevsky and the Problem of Evil
Dostoevsky laid bare the tragedy of human existence and probed the innermost
recesses of the human psyche to show the terrifying isolation of a human
being separated from God. Revolted by a world in which innocent children
suffer, Dostoevsky tested the meaning to be found in Christianity, personal
responsibility and human solidarity. This course examines his major novels,
with particular emphasis on the artistic expression of his philosophical
views.
Social Science 1 – War and Peace Since 1900
This course explores the changing character of war and the unprecedented
growth of a world peace movement since 1900. Readings and discussion form
a sustained inquiry into issues including war and human nature, military
cultures, peace traditions, types of warfare, the organization of anti-war
movements, the laws of war, and efforts to eliminate the causes of war.
Appendix A
Sample Minor Programs
(For use in advising only; not for ORC inclusion)
Cluster One –
“Ethics in Biomedicine”
Prerequisite: Two courses from among Philosophy 8, 37, 38 or Religion
11
Other Courses (select no less than 3):
Biology 4 – Genes and Society
This course focuses on how our current understanding of genetic mechanisms
has led to new biological insights and to the development of powerful
technologies with far reaching implications for our society. Although
this course will focus on the science, we will also consider the ethical,
political, human, and economic impacts of these technologies. The ultimate
goal of the course is to provide an understanding of the biology and technology
so that students can make informed decisions on issues that continually
and increasingly arise in our society.
Biology 110 – Science Integrity and Research Ethics
This course is designed to introduce scientific researchers to issues
in research ethics. We will emphasize foundational principles underlying
scientific integrity and their application to a range of issues including
data management, animal and human subjects, collaboration, mentoring,
peer review and the ethical implications of different forms of scientific
research. Analysis and presentation of case studies will constitute important
focal points for discussion in class meetings.
Engs 5 – Healthcare and Biotechnology in the 21st Century
Technologies that will impact healthcare in the 21st century are explored,
including biology, robotics, and information. This section will also cover
ethical issues related to the above topics and issues regarding the FDA
and the approval of new medical treatments.
CoCo 1 – Assisted Reproduction in the 21st Century
This course will employ a multidisciplinary approach to examine the scientific,
social, psychological, religious and ethical issues associated with assisted
reproductive technologies (ARTs). Among the questions we will examine
are: How is infertility defined and what are its causes? What are the
consequences of ARTs for all the parties involved? What are the status
of the embryos and rights of children produced by these technologies?
Phil 25 – Philosophy of Medicine
An examination of some philosophical issues in the field of medicine.
Primary focus will be on the moral issues that arise in dealing with individual
patients, e.g., paternalism, informed consent, euthanasia, and abortion.
There will also be an attempt to clarify such important concepts as death,
illness, and disease.
CoCo 9 – Biology and the Politics of Starvation
We will examine the science and the politics of malnutrition, hunger and
starvation intertwining the biology of human nutrition and starvation
with social, economic, environmental and political consequences of food
deprivation. Student presentations will focus on the description of and
lessons learned from important historical famines, the issues of world
food supply and the societal responses to starvation and famine.
Cluster
Two – “Ethics and Society”
Prerequisite: Two courses from among Philosophy 8, 37, 38 or Religion
11
Other Courses (select no less than 3):
Anthro 16 – Secrecy and Lying in Politics
This seminar explores how claims to secret knowledge and lying relate
to the institutional and cultural frameworks in which knowledge is produced,
the use of “leaks” to challenge hierarchical controls and
sometimes sustain them, and the ways in which secrecy, deception, and
lying form a necessary and often desirable part of social, political,
and economic life.
Anthro 20 – Intro to Ethnographic Fieldwork
This course will study techniques for planning and carrying out such research,
and for recording, checking validity and reliability, storing, coding,
analyzing and writing up of ethnographic data. Students will become familiar
with basic ethical issues, informed consent, writing of research proposals,
formulating research contracts, and sharing results with cooperating individuals
and groups.
Biology 110 – Science Integrity and Research Ethics
This course is designed to introduce scientific researchers to issues
in research ethics. We will emphasize foundational principles underlying
scientific integrity and their application to a range of issues including
data management, animal and human subjects, collaboration, mentoring,
peer review and the ethical implications of different forms of scientific
research. Analysis and presentation of case studies will constitute important
focal points for discussion in class meetings.
Ed 20 – Educational Issues in Contemporary Society
This course dissects the schools - urban and rural, suburban and private
— analyzing the political, economic, and cultural forces that make
schools what they are, and will shape their future development. The course
examines the educational models of current critics and reformers, examining
their alternatives to formal education in our society.
Ed 54 – Moral Development and Moral Education
This course will explore changing concepts of morality in childhood, adolescence,
and adulthood. Morality as justice will be contrasted with the concept
of morality as care. Research that investigates real life problem-solving
as well as hypothetical problem-solving will be examined as will different
educational programs in the U.S. and elsewhere that have attempted to
foster moral development.
Ed 55 – Adolescent Development
In this course we will explore how the onset of physical maturity and
the capacity for reflective thought that herald adolescence reshape the
adolescent’s self-conception and understanding of relationships.
Drawing primarily on the work of Piaget, Kohlberg, Gilligan, and Perry
(cognitive-developmental) and of Freud, Anna Freud, Blos, Sullivan, and
Erikson (psycho-dynamic), we will address critical areas and markers -
biological, psychological, cultural, and gender — of adolescence;
and we will assess what educational implications we can derive from theory.
Envs 35 – Ethical Issues in the Policy Process
This course examines the ethical issues involved in the process of policymaking.
Emphasis will be on distinguishing conflicts of facts, assumptions, and
values, and on understanding and resolving value differences. The course
will cover historical ethical theory and will allow students to apply
ethical theory to current case studies
Geography 25 – Social Justice and the City
This course explores issues of social justice and cities in terms of the
spatial unevenness of money and power within and among cities, between
cities and their hinterlands, and between cities of the world. We will
examine how multiple dynamic geographic processes produce spatial and
social inequalities that make cities the locus of numerous social justice
issues. We will also look at how urban communities and social groups are
engaged in working for social change.
Cluster
Three – “Ethics and Public Policy”
Prerequisite: Two courses from among Philosophy 8, 37, 38 or Religion
11
Other Courses (select no less than 3):
Biology 4 – Genes and Society
This course focuses on how our current understanding of genetic mechanisms
has led to new biological insights and to the development of powerful
technologies with far reaching implications for our society. Although
this course will focus on the science, we will also consider the ethical,
political, human, and economic impacts of these technologies. The ultimate
goal of the course is to provide an understanding of the biology and technology
so that students can make informed decisions on issues that continually
and increasingly arise in our society.
Econ 71 – History of Economic Thought
The course explores the ethical foundation of contemporary economic theory
and application.
Ed 20 – Educational Issues in Contemporary Society
This course dissects the schools - urban and rural, suburban and private
- analyzing the political, economic, and cultural forces that make schools
what they are, and will shape their future development. The course examines
the educational models of current critics and reformers, examining their
alternatives to formal education in our society.
Engs 5 – Healthcare and Biotechnology in the 21st Century
Technologies that will impact healthcare in the 21st century are explored,
including biology, robotics, and information. This section will also cover
ethical issues related to the above topics and issues regarding the FDA
and the approval of new medical treatments.
Envs 35 – Ethical Issues in the Policy Process
This course examines the ethical issues involved in the process of policymaking.
Emphasis will be on distinguishing conflicts of facts, assumptions, and
values, and on understanding and resolving value differences. The course
will cover historical ethical theory and will allow students to apply
ethical theory to current case studies.
Gov 86 – Pursuit of Happiness in Market Economies
The course explores two concepts of happiness: the consumer model and
the producer model. Happiness as having vs. happiness as doing. We then
read some classic works about the ethics of economic life from Plato to
the present that deal with the question of how market societies promote
and undermine the pursuit of happiness.
Gov 36 – Making of American Public Policy
This course examines the process through which public policy is made in
the United States. Topics covered include the nature and goals of public
policy, the various stages of the policy process, and the different models
of and factors involved in policy making. The course seeks to explain
why policy making in the U.S. is mostly ‘incremental’ in character,
i.e., involves only marginal departures from the status quo. The course
also explores the conditions under which non-incremental change is feasible
or even likely.
Institute Programs
