Descriptions for ETHS 390 - Spring 2020

ETHS 390-01A:  Democracy, Freedom & Equality
Charles Wright
In the United States today, most citizens tend to take for granted that liberty and equal treatment are fundamental parts of a just society.  But if asked what, exactly, these core values amount to, many citizens would have difficulty providing clear and informed answers.  The purpose of this class is to provide young citizens with an introduction to important conceptions of freedom and equality embedded in the Western tradition of political philosophy as well as to some challenges that modern societies face trying to meet the requirements of both.

ETHS 390-02A:  Happiness Is.....
Rodger Narloch
When people are asked what they want in life, a common response is that they just want to be happy.  But what is happiness and how do we attain it?  In this course, we will discuss a variety of different perspectives on these questions.  We will address what self-focused happiness might look like, but then transition to questions of how an individual's happiness relates to the happiness of others (and which others?).  Furthermore, we will discuss what it means to be morally good and the extent to which being good is a necessary component in being happy.  Finally, we will think about the nature of choices and decision making, especially as they relate to the formation of one's identity and vocation or path in life.  Ultimately, students will have to propose their own educated model or theory of happiness and articulate its implications for how they plan to live their lives.  These topics will be covered through extensive class discussion based on significant amounts of writing in response to readings from philosophical, psychological, as well as Catholic and Benedictine perspectives.

ETHS 390-03A:  Happiness Is.....
Rodger Narloch
When people are asked what they want in life, a common response is that they just want to be happy.  But what is happiness and how do we attain it?  In this course, we will discuss a variety of different perspectives on these questions.  We will address what self-focused happiness might look like, but then transition to questions of how an individual's happiness relates to the happiness of others (and which others?).  Furthermore, we will discuss what it means to be morally good and the extent to which being good is a necessary component in being happy.  Finally, we will think about the nature of choices and decision making, especially as they relate to the formation of one's identity and vocation or path in life.  Ultimately, students will have to propose their own educated model or theory of happiness and articulate its implications for how they plan to live their lives.  These topics will be covered through extensive class discussion based on significant amounts of writing in response to readings from philosophical, psychological, as well as Catholic and Benedictine perspectives.

ETHS 390-04A:  War and Memory
Nicholas Hayes
Our course examines the ethical issues of the conduct and representation of war from the Great War (WWI) to today's "war on terrorism." Our theme follows that shift of strategy from targeting military casualties to the predominant emphasis on civilian casualties as evident in the case studies of the Vietnam War, WWI, the Holocaust, the Troubles in Ireland, and the wars of genocide in our time - Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the post-Cold War conflicts of Russia, and the "war on terrorism." 

ETHS 390-05A:  The Medical Professional in the Modern World
Jeffrey Anderson
The word “professional” today connotes an individual with well-developed skills, specialized knowledge, and expertise, who conforms to the standards of a profession. The original meaning of “professional” as one who “makes a profession of faith” in the face of demanding circumstances has been all but lost in the medical profession. This class will use the burgeoning literature of medicine, written by, for, and about medical professionals, in order to explore the full range of “professional” challenges facing today’s medical professionals. The practice of medicine is rife with ethical dilemmas. By exploring the efforts of medical professionals to counter the institutional forces that constrain them and to find their own solid ground to stand upon, this course aims to cultivate the habit of moral reflection in future medical professionals. Although this course will primarily focus on the experiences of medical doctors, it should also be of interest to those aspiring to other medical and non-medical careers.

ETHS 390-06A:  Reading for Life
Anthony Cunningham
Everyone loves a good story.  Great stories can provide us with far more than mere recreation.  Stories can provide us with rich character portraits that can reveal the subtleties and nuances of what it means to live well and responsibly.  In this course we’ll use novels and films to address Socrates’ most basic ethical questions, “How should one live?” and “What sort of person should I be?”  We’ll do so by attending to all the concrete, particular details of real life and fictional characters thoroughly embroiled in the “business of living.”  Reading well offers the possibility of vicarious experience and ultimately, ethical insight.  Our readings will include: The Crucible (Arthur Miller), The Remains of the Day (Kazuo Ishiguro), Beloved (Toni Morrison), How To Be Good (Nick Hornby), The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood), Cold Mountain (Charles Frazier), and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena (Anthony Marra).

ETHS 390-07A:  Sex, Death & Ethics
Scott Johnson
Most students enjoy talking about sex (outside of class), haven't thought much yet about death, and are rather upset that a course on ethics is even required.  Since the first seems amusing and the second far away, this class might seem like a pleasant way to satisfy an onerous requirement.  So admit it, you just read this description because of the title.  And you think since it meets once a week on a Wednesday night, it shouldn't interfere too much with the rest of your week.  Be warned, however, this is a real class with difficult readings as well as a final paper graded on both style and content.  It requires regular attendance, active participation, and weekly reflection on the reading.

This course will consider Sex, Death, and Ethics, consistent with the guidelines for Ethics Common Seminar.  Abortion is only one area where the three interrelate.  But isn't there really only one answer to the question of abortion?  Why should a pro-choice president be allowed to speak at a pro-life university?  Can abortion be discussed at the dinner table or in a classroom without parents becoming worried and suspicious?  If we don't talk about abortion somewhere, how will we know that our moral judgments are consciously elected and defensibly maintained?  And if we can't talk about this subject, how can we claim to account for a variety of other moral views which easily compare with ours on abortion?

There is more to Sex, Death, and Ethics than simply abortion.  We will investigate euthanasia, AIDS, stripping, prostitution, and promiscuity.  We will read plays as well as textbooks, memoirs, and some short fiction.  You will need to watch several films outside of class.  We will ask more questions that we will answer, but we will also develop our critical thinking skills with essentially contested concepts.  There are no preconceived answers to the questions we will ask.   Our task, properly stated, is to learn how to ask and assess those questions which may turn out to have uncertain answers.  Ethics is the study of how we should live, and questions about these topics are vitally important.  This is a difficult class that will repay your investment.

ETHS 390-08A:  Nature, Democracy and Ethics
Paul Cherlin
Ethical and political models for human conduct and social organization have, traditionally, made appeals to what is “natural” and believed to be fundamental to “human nature.” This course critically examines various claims about nature and how such claims influence the ways in which we organize ourselves into groups and build communities. We focus primarily on the concept of democracy, and how democracy may be understood as a natural way of life that is conducive to diversity, debate, and critical thinking. We also consider the utility of alternative models of social organization, as well as harmful forces that directly threaten democracy such as genocide, colonialism, and institutionalized forms of prejudice.

HONR 390E-01A:  Democracy, Freedom & Equality
Charles Wright
In the United States today, most citizens tend to take for granted that liberty and equal treatment are fundamental parts of a just society.  But if asked what, exactly, these core values amount to, many citizens would have difficulty providing clear and informed answers.  The purpose of this class is to provide young citizens with an introduction to important conceptions of freedom and equality embedded in the Western tradition of political philosophy as well as to some challenges that modern societies face trying to meet the requirements of both.

PHIL 321-01A:  Moral Philosophy
Erica Stonestreet
The meaning of rights and responsibilities, virtues and vices, values and obligations. Questions of good and evil, right and wrong, freedom and determinism. Natural law, utilitarianism and other systematic theories of morally right behavior.

PHIL 325-01A:  Feminist Ethics
Jean Keller
This course will examine how women's experiences and philosophical reflection on those experiences offer important and necessary perspectives in the field of moral and ethical thinking. Topics may include the nature of feminism, freedom and oppression; the role of care, trust, autonomy, reason and emotion in the moral life, and a consideration of how feminism has come to challenge basic premises and conceptual tools of traditional, western approaches to ethics and moral reasoning. The course will also explore social/ethical issues stemming from the intersection of gender with race, ethnicity, culture, class, and/or sexuality.

PHIL 325-02A:  Feminist Ethics
Jean Keller
This course will examine how women's experiences and philosophical reflection on those experiences offer important and necessary perspectives in the field of moral and ethical thinking. Topics may include the nature of feminism, freedom and oppression; the role of care, trust, autonomy, reason and emotion in the moral life, and a consideration of how feminism has come to challenge basic premises and conceptual tools of traditional, western approaches to ethics and moral reasoning. The course will also explore social/ethical issues stemming from the intersection of gender with race, ethnicity, culture, class, and/or sexuality.

PHIL 327-01A:  Existential Ethics
Dennis Beach
Existentialism, a 20th century philosophy with roots in the 19th century and various developments in post-modern thought, rejects all foundational givens except the raw fact of existence. This means that it rejects ethical traditions grounded in religion, in reason, in “virtues,” in particular theories of human nature, and in cultural tradition. Nevertheless, existentialist thinkers have often emerged as powerful ethical thinkers, precisely because they refuse to embrace any traditional foundations for ethics and thus keep ethical questions open for debate. We will examine existentialism’s radical critique of traditional philosophical foundations using readings from such thinkers as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre and Beauvoir. As we proceed, we will explore the ethical implications of these existential currents of thought by reflecting on short pieces of literature and narratives illustrative of ethical dilemmas of modern and contemporary life.