SYLLABUS - 2020 - Intro Ethics - Good

Introduction to Ethics
Phil 232. Winter Term 2020. Units: 3.
Lecturer Dr. Katharina Nieswandt, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Con-

cordia University, School of Arts & Sciences.
Contact katharina.nieswandt@concordia.ca (preferred) or: 848.2424, ex 2508.
Office SGW, building S-M, room S-210 (i.e., 2145 Rue Mackay).
Hours Regular office hours are Mondays, 10:15-11:15, and Wednesdays,
16:45-17:45; no appointment necessary. If you have another class
during both times, contact me for an appointment.
Assistants Kendra Griggs, kendra.griggs@mail.concordia.ca.
Emma Sigsworth, emma.sigsworth@mail.concordia.ca.
Lecture Mondays, 11:45-14:30, at SGW, Henry F. Hall Building, room H-
920 (i.e., 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W.).
Conferences Mondays, at SGW, building S-M.
A: 14:45-15:30, room: S-201.
B: 15:30-16:15 room: S-201.
C: 16:15-17:00, room: S-201.
D: 17:00-17:45, room: S-201.
Questions ? Please consult this syllabus before emailing me. Queries answered
here will not receive a reply.
1 Disclaimer
In the event of circumstances beyond my control, such as an illness or a strike,
the course contents, evaluation scheme and other parts of this syllabus are sub-
ject to change.
2 Description in the Academic Calendar

Philosophical discussions of ethics have both practical significance (What should
one do?) and theoretical interest (What does it mean to say “That’s the right
thing to do”?). In this course, students are introduced to some representative
approaches to ethical thought and action. General questions about the nature
of ethical reasoning are also considered. For example: Are there objective ethi-
cal truths or are ethical judgments merely relative to social norms? An effort
is made to incorporate those ethical issues which are of specific importance to
contemporary society. NOTE: Students who have received credit for PHIZ 232
may not take this course for credit.
© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

Introduction to Ethics: Syllabus 2
3 Course Objectives
Philosophy courses usually teach four things: (1) knowledge about the specific
course topic, (2) knowledge about the history of ideas, (3) general reasoning skills
and (4) analytic writing skills. In this course you will learn about:
– Central debates in metaethics, such as: the relation between factual and
normative judgments, the relation between happiness and moral goodness,
the relation between the personal and the general good, and questions
about the semantics of “good.”
– The three dominant contemporary frameworks in normative ethics—virtue

ethics, Kantianism and consequentialism: Their key ideas, main propo-
nents, and their strengths and problems.
– Key concepts in ethics, such as ‘virtue’, ‘character’, ‘duty’, ‘right’, ‘jus-
tice’, ‘utility’, ‘practical rationality’ or ‘free will’, and the different roles
these play in the different philosophical frameworks.
– How to read historical classics, such as Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics
or Kant’s Groundwork.
– How to read contemporary philosophical publications, and how to write
in this style yourself.
In addition, you will learn:
– What constitutes an argument and how to distinguish good from bad
arguments.
– To cull the important information from a text.

– To switch perspective and to charitably explain the views of others.
– To express yourself concisely and persuasively in writing.
– To discuss complicated and controversial topics in a structured and pro-
ductive manner with fellow students.
4 General Information and Policies

This syllabus uses a 24-hour clock.
4.1 Class Time

This course consists of one lecture plus one conference per week.
– “Lectures” are usually presentations, given by the professor to all students
enrolled in the course.

– “Conferences” are smaller group meetings, led by a teachings assistant

(TA), where students discuss the course materials in more depth. Your
TA also grades your papers.
– You cannot simply pick one of the conferences, but you need to attend
that conference for which you are enrolled. Please note that conferences
only start in week 2 (see Sect. 10 for details).
– Attendence is taken at the conferences.
Each week will be spent on 1-2 new texts. You must read each new text before
the lecture and you need to bring the text to class with you. (Either electronic
or paper version are fine.) The lectures are not intended to present completely
new material to you; they are supposed to guide you through pre-read material.
If you do not prepare, you will not be able to follow.
4.2 Course Readings

– Most readings can be downloaded from the electronic course reserve (via
the library website or via Moodle).
– There is only one book which you need to buy, available at Concordia’s
book store:
Immanuel Kant, Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals.
Transl. by Mary Gregor (2nd, rev. ed.). Cambridge UP 2012.
– You may also want to buy:
Philippa Foot, Natural Goodness. Oxford UP 2001.
This book is available as an e-book, free of charge, through Concordia’s
library. If you prefer paper copies, however, the Concordia book store has
a limited number in stock.
– If you need to look up the meaning of a technical term, I recommend two
free online dictionaries: the Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
– For further questions please email the philosophy librarian, Éthel Ga-
mache, ethel.gamache@concordia.ca, and consult her handout on Moodle.
4.3 How to Profit from this Course

Before the Lecture:
– Read the text.
– Take notes.
– Write down any questions you have, and bring them to class.

– Do the electronic quiz (see Section 6.2).

During the Lecture:
– Bring a printout or electronic copy of the text, in which you can highlight
passages that I discuss on the slides.
– Take notes: The lecture slides will not be available online. If you have to
miss a class, you should ask a fellow student to take notes for you.
– Check whether the question you had at home were answered. Raise any
remaining questions that you have.
After the Lecture:

– Reread the text.
– Make sure you are able to answer these two questions:
1. What is the author’s main claim?
2. What are their arguments for this claim?
– These are the two main criteria that will be tested in the pa-
pers and exams. If you find that you can’t answer these two questions,
write down what seems unclear and raise it in your conference or at the
beginning of the following lecture.
During Conferences:
– Participate actively. These sessions are supposed to prepare you for your
papers and exam.
– They can only be effective, however, if you bring your readings and notes,
join the group discussion, volunteer to present results, ask questions etc.
4.4 How to Read Philosophy

Approach each text with the following list of questions:
Introduction
– What task did the author set for themselves? Do they, e.g., (1) want
to answer a question, (2) prove a claim, or (3) refute another author’s
argument?
– What answer would you give to this question? How would you try to
refute the respective argument? Etc.
Main Part
– How does the author try to achieve their aim?

– What is the function of each section of the article? Examples: The author
might be (1) specifying a claim and giving a definition of the main terms
in the first section, (2) explain the historical background of this claim in
the next section (who held it? why? what does it entail?), (3) list possible
objections that they want to put aside for the purpose of the article in the
third section, etc.
Conclusion
– What is their answer or main argument?
– Is it the same as yours?
– Are you convinced by it? skeptical? opposed to it?
– If you are not convinced: Why is it unconvincing? What are your ob-
jections? What might the author say to defend themselves against these
objections?
4.5 Communication Policy

– In your emails, please adhere to these Rules of Academic Etiquette. I
ignore emails that do not fulfill these minimum standards. The
same goes for queries answered in this syllabus.
– Please reserve emails for short questions (e.g.: “When will Paper 2 be
returned?”). I do not comment on papers via email or answer extensive
questions on papers or philosophical topics via email.
4.6 Assistants
200-level courses usually have graduate students who assist the professor. There
are two kinds of assistants, teaching assistants (TAs) and marking assistants
(MAs). A class either has TAs or MAs, not both; most courses have MAs.
TAs grade all papers. They also teach weekly tutorials (called “conferen-
ces”) in addition to the professor’s lecture. If a course has conferences,
you will be prompted to enroll for one when enrolling for the lecture.
TAs also have regular office hours, which they announce in their first
conference. Your TA should be your first point of contact for any
questions, whether these concern the comments on you papers, phi-
losophical contents etc. See me, in case questions remain unanswered
or you have a grievance.
MAs grade all papers. They do not teach, and they do not have regular
office hours. In my classes, however, MAs hold office hours after
returning each paper, except for the last paper. These office hours
are reserved for questions about your paper comments; they are not
meant for questions about philosophical contents, the lecture etc. I
will announce these hours during the lecture.

Should your course have TAs, then it is very important that you regularly attend
your TA’s conference. The conference is at least as important for your
success as the lecture! It is your chance to discuss the lecture materials
in more depth in a small group, to ask questions etc. Please note that your
TA’s office hours are reserved for issues that could not be discussed during the
conference. You cannot miss your conference and then go to office hours for a
private recap.
The above Communication Policy (Section 4.5) also applies to communica-
tion with assistants. You cannot, e.g., ask questions about paper comments via
email; you have to see the assistant during office hours.
5 Grading
5.1 Course Grade Composition
Moodle Quizzes (11x) 20%
Mid-term exam 30%
Papers (4x; 500 words each) 45%
Conference attendance 5%
100
5.2 How to Interpret Your Grade

All philosophy assignments at Concordia are graded according to the following
department policy:
1. The Undergraduate Calendar 16.3 specifies that As, Bs, and Cs are for
“outstanding,” “very good” and “satisfactory” work, respectively. The Phi-
losophy Department interprets this to mean that: Cs are awarded for work
that is adequate, yet in some way fails to completely meet all expectations
and requirements; Bs are awarded for work that fully meets all expectati-
ons and requirements; As are reserved for outstanding work that exceeds
expectations and requirements by, e.g., demonstrating outstanding rigour,
clarity, or insight.
2. In 200 & 300 level courses with over 30 students, it is normally expected
that: the grade average will be in the C+ to B- range; there will be
no more than 25% As.
5.3 Grading Scales

Here’s how the different grading schemes map onto each other:

Letter Grade 12-point Calendar Department Interpretation

Grade Points Scale Description
A+ 4.3 12
Exceeds expectations and
A 4.0 11 Outstanding
requirements.
A- 3.7 10
B+ 3.3 9
Fully meets all expectations
B 3.0 8 Very good
and requirements.
B- 2.7 7
C+ 2.3 6 Adequate, yet in some way
C 2.0 5 Satisfactory fails to completely meet all
C- 1.7 4 expectations and requirements.
D+ 1.3 3
D 1.0 2 Marginal pass
D- 0.7 1
F 0.0 0 Fail
6 Exams and Quizzes

6.1 Mid-Term Exam
– All materials discussed up to the exam may be covered in the exam.
– The exam consists of multiple choice questions.
– Before the exam, please familiarize yourself with the handout “How to Fill
Out a Scantron Sheet” on Moodle.
– You’ll need to bring a pencil to fill out the machine-readable sheet (other-
wise you receive 0 points) and your student ID.
6.2 Quizzes
Starting from week 2, there will be a short quiz on most new texts.
– These quizzes are electronic. They need to be answered on Moodle.
– They usually open 3 days before the deadline (see Sect. 10 below).
– The quizzes are timed: Once you start a quiz, you only have a certain
number of minutes to answer it. You hence need to have read the text
before starting the quiz.
– There are 12 quizzes overall, but only your best 11 quizzes will count; i.e.,
you can miss 1 quiz without penalty.
If you experience technical difficulties with Moodle quizzes, you need
to contact IT services. Please make sure that you do your quizz on a fully
functional computer; I cannot discount quizzes that were aborted because of

computer crashes. The same applies to accidental early submissions. If you do

not possess a fully functional computer, please use a library computer.
7 Papers
7.1 Expectations and Evaluation Criteria
– On Moodle, you find an extensive handout: How to Write a Phi-
losophy Paper . This handout provides general information, such as
an overview of what the different sections of a philosophy paper should
contain, stylistic expectations, etc. Read this and raise any remaining
questions in class.
– Please note that not all sections of this handout apply to all papers equally.
Follow the prompt closely and make sure that you only give an evalu-
ation, counterargument etc. where one is demanded:
– For a short, exegetical paper, you will often only be asked to explain
the author’s main claim and how they argue for it.
– For a medium or long paper, you will usually be asked to do more.
E.g., I might ask you to express your own view, to compare arguments
by two authors or to apply a theory to a new case.
– In general, philosophy papers are about arguments. Central questions in

evaluating your paper will usually be:
– For short, exegetical papers: Did you correctly identify the author’s
claim? Did you correctly explain how they support this claim; i.e.,
can you identify their official premises and hidden presuppositions?
Do you understand why they make this claim, i.e., what function it
serves within their theory?
– For longer, more creative papers: Does your conclusion follow from
your premises? Are these premises themselves plausible and well-
supported? Is your argument original? Is the opponent’s argument
depicted correctly? Does the failure you detect in it concern a central
point?
– Word limits include everything: text, quotations, footnotes and biblio-
graphy. The teaching/marking assistant will not read beyond these limits.
– It is very important to adhere to academic citation standards (also see
Section 11.1 below). On Moodle, you find a handout How to Cite Pro-
perly , which explains the principles of correct citation and gives examples
for the most common types of sources (article, book, website, lecture slides
etc.) You can either use this style or any other common academic citation
standard, such as APA, Chicago etc. Concordia’s library offers extensive
online resources on citation.

– You can consult literature beyond the class readings, but this is entirely
optional. If you choose to include additional texts, make sure you ackno-
wledge these properly. (To search for additional texts, I recommend the
online database PhilPapers.) For introductory papers, it is usually best
to focus on the class readings.
7.2 Submission Rules

– Submission is through Moodle. My handout How to Upload Your
Term Paper on Moodle explains how to do this.
– If your submission was successful, Moodle sends you a confirmation
email, so check whether you received that.
– Always check that you submitted the correct document. After the
deadline has passed, you will not be able to exchange it again.
– All assignments need to be typed. Please submit an editable docu-
ment, either .doc(x) or .odt. If that is impossible or if your submission
contains non-text elements (charts, pictures, etc.), .pdf is acceptable. Ot-
her file formats cannot be uploaded.
– The grading is anonymized. Neither the file name nor the document
must hence contain your name. Submission that violate this rule will
be marked down by 1 grade step (e.g. from B+ to B).
– The document should contain your student ID as the first line of
the text. (Do not put it in the header only.)
– The file name should contain your student ID. (Name your file so-
mething like: “ID 12345, Paper 1.”)
– Your file name must not contain special characters, such as “#”.
Moodle cannot handle these.
– You must keep a copy of all your work—your original submissions as well as
graded copies returned to you. It hence is a good idea to regularly back up
your data. To prevent loss of your work in progress, use an online storage
system (such as DropBox or SugarSync), activate your word processor’s
timed auto-recover function, and save your document under a new name
each time you make major changes.
– Submissions can be in English or French. Concordia’s Writing Assistance
Program can help you improve your English writing skills.
7.3 Late Submissions and Extensions

– Late submissions still need to be uploaded on Moodle. (Please do not
email them, since this compromises anonymity.)
– Late submissions are marked down two steps for each day. Examples:

– If submission time is 14:00, everything from 14:01 that day and until
13:59 the following day will count as 1 day late, and will be marked
down 2 grade steps (e.g. from B+ to B−).
– This means that if your original submission had been an A+, it will
be an F six days after the deadline.
– Deadlines are strict, so please plan ahead. The following are not legitimate
reasons for late submission:
– An undocumented illness or emergency shortly before the paper is
due. I allow ample time between the publication of the prompt and
the deadline for the paper, so please plan ahead.
– Having several exams and papers due around the same time. You
need to start preparing early; I cannot give you an extension because
you have work for other classes, too.
– Computer problems, power outages in your apartment etc. Do not
leave the upload of your paper to the last minute. Use a library
computer if you don’t have a functional computer at home. Store
your work in a cloud system or on an external hard drive, so that
you can access it from different devices.
– Please notify me as soon as possible if you need an extension because of a
documented illness.
– Your doctor’s note should not specify your condition, but it must
specify the time window for which you are unable to work.
– You cannot request an extension after the deadline has passed.
– Papers that receive an extension for more than one week will be
graded without comments.
7.4 Feedback and Improving Your Grade

– Papers will be returned via Moodle, often within two weeks. They are gra-
ded by the assistant, who will provide written comments on your paper
(except for the last paper). These comments should enable you to under-
stand your paper’s individual strenghts and weaknesses. (If you see no
comments in the returned document, then you haven’t chosen the correct
settings in your display program.)
– If the comments say that your paper had serious stylistic weaknesses,
show your next paper to Concordia’s Writing Assistance Program
before submitting. They can help you improve individual assignments. In
the long run, however, the only way to become a good writer is through
practice: You simply need to read and write a lot.

– If you have received a paper grade that is below your expectations, and
you would like to improve: Read the comments carefully, reread Section 7.1
above and reread my handout How to Write a Philosophy Paper .
– If you find that you still don’t understand what went wrong, write
down concrete questions and bring these to the TA’s or MA’s
office hours (see Section 4.6).
– Your TA or MA should be your first point of contact. Contact me if
your questions could not be sufficiently answered.
– Students often come to office hours (mine or the assistant’s) with the fol-
lowing question: “My grade in the last paper was ... How can I improve?”
My reply to this will be: “Read the comments carefully, reread Section 7.1
above and reread my handout How to Write a Philosophy Paper .” The
assistant’s comments should give you a clear idea of where your personal
writing can be improved, and my handout should give you a clear idea
of what the general expectations are. Unless you find that something in
either is unclear, there is nothing more I could tell you. If you would like
to discuss your paper during office hours, you are hence required to bring
a list of concrete questions.
– I encourage you to form study groups with classmates. Your professors
and TAs/MAs are not your only ressource for academic progress; peer-
feedback is equally effective. Revise texts together before papers and
exams, and discuss your ideas with others! While it is extremely important
to avoid plagiarism (see Sect. 11.1 below), it is part of a healthy academic
environment to exchange ideas with fellow students.
8 Missed Assignments
It is not possible to write exams or quizzes that you missed, nor is it possible
to submit additional work instead or to make up for a bad paper grade by
submitting additional work.
If you miss or you fail to submit without an excuse, you will receive an F
for the respective assignment.
8.1 Sick Leave

If you miss for an exceptionally good reason (such as an urgent medical condition
documented by a doctor’s note), and you have informed me in advance where
that was possible, then the value of the missed assignment will be rolled into
the value of the other assignments as follows:
– Missed exam: The total of your papers will count for 60% instead of 45%;
the total of your quizzes will count for 35% instead of 20%.

– Missed quiz: Each of your quizzes will count more proportionally; no quiz
will be dropped from the final calculation.
– Missed papers: Each of your other papers will count more proportionally.
Only reasons that I judge to be exceptionally good reasons will be accepted as
excuses.
8.2 Late Enrollment

– Any quiz before you enrolled or closing less than 72 hours after you enrolled
does not count. Each of your other quizzes will count more proportionally;
no quiz will be dropped from the final calculation.
– If you enroll after the second lecture, you do not write the first paper.
Each of your others papers will count more proportionally.
– There is no need to notify me of late enrollment; the department will
provide me with a list of late enrolled students.
– Please note that, in Moodle, you will see an F in your grade category for
the missed assignments. There is no reason to worry about this; the final
grade calculation is not based on Moodle.
9 Accomodations for Special Needs

I am happy to accept special accommodations for you if medically necessary.
1. You need to inform me before the assignment deadline what you are
requesting.
2. You need to acquire a Letter of Accommodation from the Access Centre
for Students with Disabilities (ACSD).
If you believe that you require special accommodations, please register with
ACSD. They will assess your condition and formulate a letter that lists the
reasonable accomodations without giving any personal or medical information.
– Instructors can only access this letter if you chose this option during your
evaluation. If you do not want me to access the letter, you will have to
ask your ACSD advisor to confirm (via email) the accommodations that
you request.
– Most accommodations are made by ACSD, not by the instructor, and you
need to actively book these yourself. This includes: writing exams in a
special room, having more time to write the exam or having a note-taker.
The only accommodations I can arrange for you are (1) more time to fill
out Moodle quizzes or (2) more time for your papers.
– Lecture slides will not be published online. Please request a note-taker if
you are unable to take notes during class.

10 Schedule: Readings and Deadlines

Conferences
– There are no conferences in weeks 1 and 14.
– TAs have no office hours in weeks 1 and 14.
10.1 Preliminaries
W01, 06/01/2020: (1) Course overview; (2) The meaning of “good”
Read : (1) This syllabus

(2) Peter Geach, “Good and Evil.” Analysis 1956, Vol. 17 (2), pp. 33-
42.
Deadlines: —
10.2 Metaethics
W02, 13/01/2020: (1) The meaning of “good” (continued); (2) The
transition from fact to value
Read : (1) Geach (continued)

(2) A. J. Ayer, Language, Truth and Logic. Dover Publications 1952
(1 1936). Read: Excerpt from Ch. 6 (“Critique of Ethics and Theo-
logy.”)
(3) Handout: How to Write a Philosophy Paper.
(4) Handout: How to Cite Properly.
Deadlines: (1) Quizzes 1 & 2: Answer by 11:00, via Moodle.

(2) Paper 1: Prompt announced in class.
W03, 20/01/2020: The transition from fact to value (continued)

Read : (1) Elizabeth Anscombe, “On Brute Facts.” In: Ethics Religion and
Politics (= Collected Papers 3). Blackwell 1981 (1 1958), pp. 22-25.
(2) Handout: Sections from David Hume’s Treatise.
Deadlines: (1) Quiz 3: Answer by 11:00.

(2) Paper 1: Due at 11:00, via Moodle.
(3) DNE date.

10.3 Virtue Ethics / Neo-Aristotelianism

W04, 27/01/2020: Natural norms
Read : Philippa Foot, Natural Goodness. Oxford UP 2001. Read: Intro-

duction, Ch. 1 (“A Fresh Start?”), Ch. 2 (“Natural Norms”) & Ch. 3
(“Transition to Human Beings”).
Deadlines: Quiz 4: Answer by 11:00.
W05, 03/02/2020: A human function?

Read : (1) Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics. Transl. and ed. by Roger
Crisp. Cambridge UP 2000. Read: Book 1.
(2) Rachel Barney, “Aristotle’s Argument for a Human Function.”
In: David Sedley (ed.): Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 34.
Oxford UP 2008, pp. 293-322.
W06, 10/02/2020: (1) Mid-term exam; (2) Practical rationality

Read : (1) Rehearse all previous readings.
(2) Foot, Natural Goodness: Ch. 4 (“Practical Rationality”).
Deadlines: Paper 2: Prompt announced in class.
W07, 17/02/2020: Practical rationality (continued)

Read : Warren Quinn, “Putting Rationality in Its Place.” In: Warren
Quinn, Morality and Action. Cambridge UP 1993, pp. 228-255.

W08, 24/02/2020: No class! (Mid-term break.)
10.4 Deontological Ethics / Kantianism

W09, 02/03/2020: Good will
Read : Immanuel Kant, Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals (1 1785).

Transl. by Mary Gregor (2nd ed.). Cambridge UP 2012 (1 1998).
Read: Section 1.

W10, 09/03/2020: Universal moral laws

Read : (1) Immanuel Kant, Groundwork, Section 2.
(2) Christine Korsgaard, “Kant’s Formula of Universal Law” (1 1985).
In: Russ Shafer-Landau (ed.): Ethical Theory: An Anthology (2nd
ed.). Wiley 2013, pp. 499-509.

W11, 16/03/2020: (1) Autonomy; (2) Do we have free will?
Read : Immanuel Kant, Groundwork, Section 3.

10.5 Consequentialist Ethics / Utilitarianism

W12, 23/03/2020: (1) Doing versus allowing harm; (2) The Grea-
test Happiness Principle
Read : (1) John Harris, “The Survival Lottery.” Philosophy 1975, Vol. 50 (191),
pp. 81-87.
(2) John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism (1 1863). Read: Excerpt from
Ch. 2 (“What Utilitarianism Is”), in: Shafer-Landau, Ethical The-
ory, pp. 417-422.
(2) DISC date.
W13, 30/03/2020: Justice versus utility

Read : Mill, Utilitarianism. Read: Ch. 5 (“On the Connection between
Justice and Utility”).
W14, 06/04/2020: Justice versus benevolence

Read : John Taurek, “Should the Numbers Count?” Philosophy & Public
Affairs 1977, Vol. 6 (4), pp. 293-316.
(3) Week of last office hours KN.

11 Non Course-Specific Information

11.1 Academic Integrity
You are required to follow Concordia’s Academic Code of Conduct. The most
common violation of this code is plagiarism, which the code defines as “the
presentation of the work of another person as one’s own or without proper
acknowledgment.” In simple words: Do not copy, paraphrase or translate
anything from anywhere without saying from where you obtained it!
Plagiarized material could be material copied word by word from books,
journals, internet sites, professor’s course notes, etc. It could be material that is
paraphrased but closely resembles the original source. It could be the work of a
fellow student, for example, an answer on a quiz, data for a lab report, a paper
or assignment completed by another student. It might be a paper purchased
through one of the many available sources. Notice that plagiarism does not refer
to words alone—it can also refer to copying images, graphs, tables and ideas.
“Presentation” is not limited to written work. It also includes oral presentations,
computer assignments and artistic works. Finally, if you translate the work of
another person into French or English and do not cite the source, this is also
plagiarism.
Violations of the Acadmic Code of Conduct can be unitentional, so please fa-
miliarize yourself with it! At: http://library.concordia.ca/help/howto/citations.
html, you find practical guidance, such citation styles, online citation tools etc.
If still in doubt how to cite something correctly after consulting these sources,
please ask me.
Should any form of academic dishonesty be detected, including plagiarizing
from the internet, from books, journals, other students etc., this needs to be
reported directly to the Vice-Dean of Academic Affairs. The penalties for pla-
giarism tend to be rather severe. Please cite your sources and inspirations; this
enriches your ideas by showing their roots in the thoughts of other people, and
it also shows that you did some additional reading.
11.2 Special Circumstances

If a special circumstance in your life may affect your performance in this parti-
cular course, please let me know about it as soon as possible. It will be treated
with the strictest confidence. Do not wait until the circumstance is impending
or has already happened.
11.3 A List of Important Services at Concordia

The majority of students who fail to complete their degree are hindered by
preventable circumstances: financial, psychological, academic and others. The
services below are intended to help you in such circumstances. Please keep this
list for future reference and contact these services at any point in your student
career where you feel you could use help.

Philosophy Academic Advisors: Prof. Off Campus Housing and Job Bank
Emilia Angelova (UGS) and Prof. Da- (HOJO):http://classifieds.csu.qc.ca/
vid Morris (GS). categories/housing
Concordia’s Students of Philosophy

Association (SoPhiA): https:// CSU Advocacy Centre: https://www.
sophiaconcordia.wordpress.com/ csu.qc.ca/services/advocacy-centre/
The Concordia Library Citation and Dean of Students Office:

Style Guides: https://www.concordia.ca/offices/
http://library.concordia.ca/help/ dean-students/
howto/citations.html
Student Hub:
The Academic Integrity Centre: https://www.concordia.ca/students/
https://www.concordia.ca/students/
academic-integrity.html
Aboriginal Student Resource Centre:
Access Centre for Students with https://www.concordia.ca/students/
Disabilities (ACSD): http://www. aboriginal.html
concordia.ca/offices/acsd.html/
Health Services: https://www.
International Students Office:
concordia.ca/students/health.html
http://www.concordia.ca/students/
international.html Concordia Counseling & Psychologi-
cal Services: http://www.concordia.
Student Success Centre: http://www. ca/students/counselling.html
concordia.ca/students/success.html
Sexual Assault Resource Centre:
Financial Aid & Awards: http: https://www.concordia.ca/students/
//www.concordia.ca/offices/faao.html sexual-assault.html
11.4 Sexual Violence

Concordia’s Policy Regarding Sexual Violence defines sexual violence as “any
violence, physical or psychological, carried out through sexual means or by
targeting sexuality. This includes, but is not limited to sexual assault, sexual
harassment, stalking, indecent exposure, voyeurism, degrading sexual imagery,
distribution of sexual images or video of a community member without their
consent, and cyber harassment or cyber stalking of a sexual nature or related to
a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity and/or presentation.” The Policy
further defines sexual assault and harassment.
– The Philosophy Department condemns sexual violence. The Department
encourages all students to report sexual violence to the Department Chair,

the Dean, or to the Office of Rights and Responsibilities.

– Concordia’s Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) is an important re-
source on campus for students needing support, accompaniment, resour-
ces or information about sexual violence. SARC may convene a Sexual
Assault Response Team (SART) to support a survivor/victim reporting
sexual violence. See the Policy for further details.
– Other resources include the Centre for Gender Advocacy and the CSU
Advocacy Centre.
– The Philosophy Department welcomes Concordia’s Consensual Romantic
Or Sexual Relationships Guidelines, which “strongly discourage[...] all
instructors from commencing or continuing any consensual romantic or
sexual relationship with a student.”
11.5 How To Calculate Your Grade

Step 1: Convert all letter grades into numbers. In principle, you can use any
conversion scheme, provided the numbers are equidistant. I recom-
mend the 12-point scale (see Section 5.3).
Step 2: Form the weighted sum of the grades for all assignments. The result
is your course result.
Step 3: Convert the result back into a letter grade to get the course grade.
Example:
Assignment Weight Letter Grade 12-Point Scale Value

Paper 1 20% B 8
Paper 2 30% B- 7
Exam 50% C 5
Course grade = 0.2 x 8 + 0.3 x 7 + 0.5 x 5 = 6.2 = C+

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Introduction to Ethics

Phil 232. Winter Term 2020. Units: 3.

Lecturer Dr. Katharina Nieswandt, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Con-

2 Description in the Academic Calendar

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

– The three dominant contemporary frameworks in normative ethics—virtue

– To cull the important information from a text.

4 General Information and Policies

4.1 Class Time

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

– “Conferences” are smaller group meetings, led by a teachings assistant

4.2 Course Readings

4.3 How to Profit from this Course

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

– Do the electronic quiz (see Section 6.2).

After the Lecture:

4.4 How to Read Philosophy

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

4.5 Communication Policy

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

5.2 How to Interpret Your Grade

5.3 Grading Scales

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

Letter Grade 12-point Calendar Department Interpretation

6 Exams and Quizzes

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

computer crashes. The same applies to accidental early submissions. If you do

– In general, philosophy papers are about arguments. Central questions in

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

7.2 Submission Rules

7.3 Late Submissions and Extensions

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

7.4 Feedback and Improving Your Grade

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

8.1 Sick Leave

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

8.2 Late Enrollment

9 Accomodations for Special Needs

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

10 Schedule: Readings and Deadlines

– TAs have no office hours in weeks 1 and 14.

Read : (1) This syllabus

Read : (1) Geach (continued)

Deadlines: (1) Quizzes 1 & 2: Answer by 11:00, via Moodle.

W03, 20/01/2020: The transition from fact to value (continued)

Deadlines: (1) Quiz 3: Answer by 11:00.

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

10.3 Virtue Ethics / Neo-Aristotelianism

Read : Philippa Foot, Natural Goodness. Oxford UP 2001. Read: Intro-

W05, 03/02/2020: A human function?

W06, 10/02/2020: (1) Mid-term exam; (2) Practical rationality

W07, 17/02/2020: Practical rationality (continued)

Deadlines: (1) Quiz 6: Answer by 11:00.

W08, 24/02/2020: No class! (Mid-term break.)

10.4 Deontological Ethics / Kantianism

Read : Immanuel Kant, Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals (1 1785).

© Katharina Nieswandt 2020

W10, 09/03/2020: Universal moral laws

Deadlines: (1) Quiz 8: Answer by 11:00.

W11, 16/03/2020: (1) Autonomy; (2) Do we have free will?

Read : Immanuel Kant, Groundwork, Section 3.

10.5 Consequentialist Ethics / Utilitarianism

W13, 30/03/2020: Justice versus utility