PHI 1600 - Introduction to Ethics

College of Policy, Ethics and Legal Studies

Credit(s): 3
Contact Hours: 47
Effective Term Fall 2025 (655)

Requisites

(Prerequisite REA 0017 and
Prerequisite ENC 0025) or
Prerequisite EAP 1695 or
Appropriate score on the college placement test.

Course Description

This course is an overview of foundational concepts, questions, and issues in ethics. Special emphases are placed on developing the critical thinking skills necessary to understand cornerstone ethical ideas from both historical and contemporary ethical theories, including selections from the Western philosophical canon. Additional foci include developing moral sensitivity and the ability to diagnose, morally evaluate, and form conclusions about contemporary ethical issues. This course partially satisfies the writing requirements outlined in the General Education Requirements and meets the College’s general education requirements for ethics. (Note: Credit is not given for both PHI 1600 and any of the following courses: PHI 1603, PHI 1602H, PHI 1631, PHI 2621, PHI 2622, PHI 2635, or PHI 2649. Study Abroad opportunities may apply to this course).

Course Topics

General Ethics
  This course is a practical overview of foundational concepts, skills, questions, and issues in applied ethics. In particular, special emphases are placed on practicing critical thinking and understanding central ethical ideas in both historical and contemporary ethical theories. Students will examine a number of personal, social, and professional ethical issues; such issues may include academic integrity, ethical issues about the environment, developing or emerging technologies, end-of-life decision-making (e.g., euthanasia), economic inequality, and conflicts of interest, among others.
Healthcare Ethics
  This course is a practical overview of key issues, questions, and moral concepts existing in the various health professions, such as nursing, medicine, and the allied health professions. Special emphases are placed on modern healthcare issues, which may include death and dying, abortion, drug research, healthcare access, distributive justice or multiculturalism in medical practice.
Public Safety Ethics
  This course explores ethical issues arising in public safety professions. Such issues may include the balance of law enforcement protection and the use of force, cyber-crime, domestic and international terrorism, profiling, state executions, work-related suicide, failure to provide proper medical treatment, the impact of technology on public safety, diversity in public safety professions, medical risks to first responders, and more.
Bus. & Prof. Ethics
  This course focuses on examining ethical issues arising in the context of the global business environment. Such issues may include the issues of child labor and human trafficking, inequities in wealth distribution, deceptive advertising, privacy in the workplace, sexual harassment, whistleblowers, the impact of artificial intelligence on global business, sustainability, fiduciary obligations and professional responsibility.
Sports Ethics
  This course focuses on examining ethical issues arising in the context of sport. Such issues may include the concept of sportsmanship, the appropriateness of violence in sports, the use of human enhancements such as steroids or other performance-boosters, whether athletes should be considered moral role models, or the ethical limits of fan influence on sporting competition.
Environmental Ethics
  This course explores elements related to ethical issues regarding the environment. Students will address questions about responsibility to the earth, future generations, and non-human animals. Areas of focus include: social responsibility in business and government decisions, resource allocation, conservation, waste, pollution, animal well-being, and population growth.
Topic
  Study Abroad - France
Topic
 

Study Abroad- England

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

  1. The student will compare historical developments in ethical thinking, from ancient to contemporary philosophers by:
    1. defining central ethical terms and concepts.
    2. describing major historical and contemporary theories of ethics.
  2. The student will identify and analyze a variety of ethical issues when presented with examples by:
    1. distinguishing between moral and non-moral issues.
    2. classifying personal, social, and professional ethical issues.
    3. evaluating various perspectives regarding personal, social and professional ethical issues.
    4. Evaluating the effect of ethical conduct on the individual and society.
  3. The student will apply critical thinking skills and ethical principles to resolve ethical issues by:
    1. describing and applying methods of ethical decision-making.
    2. drawing conclusions about ethical dilemmas found in personal, social, and professional ethical issues using philosophical principles.
    3. defending moral stances by using facts, reasons, and ethical theories.

Criteria Performance Standard

The student will demonstrate successful achievement of the above stated objectives at a minimum 70 percent level of accuracy through classroom measures developed by the individual course instructors.

History of Changes

DBT 1/19/84 Revised 8/84 C&I 10/15/85 DBT 2/19/91 Effective Session 19911 3 YR C &I Review 1992-93 C&I 3/26/96; DBT 4/17/96 Effective Session 19961 C&I 9/24/96 Eff Session 19961 3 yr C&I 11/14/00;DBT 12/12/00 Eff Sess 20011;. Eff 20013. Effective 20022. 3 Year Review 2004. 3 Year Review 2008. Amended prerequisites effective 20112(0450). C&I Approval: 11/14/2000, BOT Approval: 12/12/2000, Effective Term: Spring 2014 (480). C&I Approval: 11/21/2014, BOT Approval: 02/17/2015, Effective Term: Fall 2015 (505). C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Spring 2018 (540). C&I Approval: 07/26/2018, BOT Approval: 09/18/2018, Effective Term: Spring 2019 (555).
C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Fall 2025 (655)

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