Environmental Ethics
Assignments
PHIL 280/ENVR 269
Spring 2009
Dr. McWhorter
Each student will complete five written assignments in this course, as listed below. Full descriptions of each assignment are given immediately below this list.
In addition, 5% of the final grade will be based on class participation.
In-class Exams:
The purpose of this exam is to make sure students have
read carefully. Students must know the details of the theoretical frameworks
we have studied and be able both to critique and apply them. Each exam is
worth 20% of the final grade.
Ethics Essays:
Students can choose any two of the six designated dates
on which to turn in an Ethics Essay. The essay should be three
to five pages, typed and double-spaced. It should focus on the
issue the class is studying for that due date (example: on March 25 the essay should focus on agriculture and genetically modified organisms). Each essay should answer this question: If I take this
ethical issue seriously, how should I change my personal life
or conduct? In addition to stating an answer to the question,
the essay should explain how this change would make the
student's conduct more ethical--both in what sense would the new
conduct be more ethical and, philosophically, what makes that
new conduct better than previous conduct. Each of these essays
will be worth 10% of the final grade. Students who cannot get
their essays in on time should read the Late
Policy.
Class Participation:
Every student will begin the term with 60 points. Students
who come to class regularly but make little contribution to class
discussion will receive an additional 10 points (for a total of
70). (For the class attendance policy, students should look at
the Policies page.) If, at the end
of the term, I can remember at least some not too stupid comments
that a student made, he/she can receive up to an additional 10
points (for a total of 80). If I can remember numerous comments,
most of which were not too stupid, he/she can receive up to an
additional 10 points (for a total of 90). If I can remember a
lot of very intelligent comments and no disruptive or ridiculous
ones, he/she can receive up to an additional 10 points (for a
total of 100). However, if students miss a lot of classes or say
disruptive and ridiculous things with never a redeeming insight,
points can be deducted from the original 60. In the end, this
set of points will be worth 5% of the final grade.
Final Exam:
The final exam, which will be administered will be comprehensive. It is worth 25% of the final course grade.
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