Overview
Objectives
Materials
Grading
Exams
ELI Policies and Procedures
Contacting the Instructor

 
 

Overview
	In this course you will have an opportunity to study philosophy by concentrating on some of the most critical and difficult questions which humans ask about themselves and their world: What is a good life? How can we justify the claims that we make about what is good, bad, right, wrong? What are we doing when we use such terms in the first place--what is the nature and function of ethical language? Finally, how can we apply our ethical reasoning to the perplexing problems of life in the late twentieth century? Considerable attention will be devoted to all of these questions as you work your way through the readings, video/audio programs, and required assignments of the course.  Top
Objectives
	If you successfully complete this course, you will be able to:   1. identify some of the basic issues in the branch of philosophy known as "ethics," or "theory of value." 2. discuss some of the typical positions taken by philosophers on these issues, and argue for and against each of these positions. 3. define and use such terms as "absolutism," "relativism," "deontologism," "utilitarianism," "metaethics, and "virtue ethics." 4. show how some of these ethical theories can be applied to contemporary problems involving value choices. Top
Materials
	You may purchase the textbook for this course at any of the five NVCC bookstores. See ELI Policies and Procedures for locations and phone numbers. You may also purchase your textbook by mail by calling (888) 744-7839. Purchasing textbooks by mail takes longer, so order your book early.  For this course, purchase the following:    1. Denise and Peterfreund, Great Traditions in Ethics.  Belmont:  Wadsworth Publishing Company. (either Seventh  or Eighth edition) 2. Mappes and Zembaty, Social Ethics:  Morality and Social Policy.  New York:  McGraw-Hill. Top
Grading
	Listed below are all the course assignments and the percentage of the final grade for each:   Quiz 1     5% Exam 1    20% Exam 2    20% Exam 3    25% Quiz 2       5% Final Exam   25%   90-100% correct = A 80-89% correct = B 70-79% correct = C 60-69% correct = D Less than 60% correct = F Final grades for the course will be based on the traditional 4-point scale: A = 3.51 - 4.0 B = 2.51 - 3.50 C = 1.51 - 2.50 D =  .75 - 1.50 F = less than .75   Top
Exams
	Since ELI courses are self-paced, you take exams when you are ready. You must take the exams at one of the five NVCC campus Testing Centers. See ELI Policies and Procedures for locations and phone numbers and information about proctors for students who live outside the Northern Virginia area. Call the Testing Center before you go to make sure they will be open and will stay open long enough for you to complete the exams. Take along a photo ID and the appropriate Exam Pass. There are 4 exams in this course.  Top
ELI Policies and Procedures
	This is an Extended Learning Institute (ELI) course. ELI courses differ from campus courses in several important ways, including enrollment dates, communication with faculty, assignment completion requirements, and exams. You must follow ELI's policies and procedures if you take this course. Read (or review) ELI's Policies and Procedures before you begin the course.  Top
Contacting the Instructor
	You may contact me through regular email at dgregory@nvcc.edu, or visit my web page to see detailed information. Top