Bioethics (PHIL 235)

Manchester University, January 2016 Instructor: Steve Naragon
Welcome! Course Objectives Course Requirements Writing Schedule Glossary Resources Philosophy FAQ Latin Phrases Make More Money! [MU D2L site] [Instructor Homepage] [Registrar] [Dept. of Philosophy & Religious Studies]	Course Requirements How to Succeed in this Class First, be sure to show up for class. Second, show up prepared to talk and ask questions. The best way to be prepared is to set aside about two hours of your time in order to do the following: (a) Read through the list of “WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO DO” listed with each day (on this page). (b) Work through the assigned readings, making notes in the margins as you go — and be sure to check the relevant entries in the Bioethics Glossary, since some of what you need to know is in the Glossary, but not the Veatch text. (c) Re-read that list of “WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO DO” and consider whether you know how to do those things yet; if you don't, then return to the assigned “Readings” and the Bioethics Glossary, and study them some more until you do. Repeat steps (a) through (c) as needed. (d) When you have a little extra time, take a look at some of the “Other Resources” (I’m still developing these resources for this class...). They are usually pretty interesting, and they will often give you a different angle on the topic being considered. If you want, write up an Extra Credit Journal on one of these items. If you follow this procedure consistently during the term — and if you put your best effort into the writing assignments — then you should do well on the daily quizzes, you should be ready for the exams, you will do well in the course, and you will learn quite a lot of bioethics. Attendance. If you do not plan to attend class and participate constructively, then you should withdraw from this class. A course on philosophy is by its nature aimed at self-examination and discussion; consequently, doing well in this class requires being there. Missing class does not directly affect your grade, although students with poor attendance typically do quite poorly in the class. On the average, students missing more than two classes during a semester receive grades below the class average. Cell Phones. I used to place a polite little notice about this at the bottom of the page, but it’s time for a big impolite notice, right up at the top of the page so you can’t miss it. Do not bring your cell phone to class! Wait, that’s impossible, since you have to have your cell phone on your person at all times! OK, I get that, so go ahead, bring your phone; but while in class, it needs to be turned off and stowed away. Why a “No Damn Cell Phone” policy? Primarily out of respect for others, but also because you — and I suspect this really does include nearly everyone reading these words — need help! This class involves listening closely to, and thinking carefully about, what others say; a focused discussion is supposed to take place in this classroom — and none of that is possible if you are staring at your cell phone screen. Most people are now quite literally addicted to their phones. If the phone is within reach it will be reached, and checked, and used, every five minutes or so on average (and that’s just averaging over a 17 hour waking day; peak usage can involve checking the phone every few seconds). And don’t think you’re able to pay attention to the classroom discussion AND your emails and Facebook and Reddit and Instagram and Snapchat and Twitter posts when you’ve got those phones out. You’re actually just wasting your time, as ample research shows. This so-called “multi-tasking” doesn’t work. I understand that sometimes you are looking up important information with your phone; that’s admirable, but probably not necessary. Just write down the question or topic, and look it up later. That’s what we all used to do “in the old days,” and it worked pretty well. If you are going to attend class, then attend class. And that means: Turn off the damn phone. Laptops. For all the same reasons given for cell phones, you may NOT use a laptop in class except for taking notes. If you use your laptop, you MUST email me a copy of your notes immediately at the end of each class hour (email: ssnaragon@manchester.edu). And you should know this: Research indicates that taking notes on a laptop — i.e., typing your notes — generally results in notes inferior to those written by hand, and you are also less likely to retain the information. If you don’t believe me, read this item from the Scientific American (June 3, 2014) or this from the Association for Psychological Science (April 24, 2014). Small Groups. The students in the class will be divided into groups of six or seven students each, named after important figures from the history of medical science: Hippocrates (c.460-c.370 BCE), Avicenna (c.980-1037), Vesalius (1514-1564), Semmelweis (1818-1865), and Kelsey (1914-2015). These groups will function primarily for the purposes of in-class discussions and online discussion forums. Exams. There will be three non-cumulative exams over the readings and lectures. [Makeup: Exams missed due to an excused absence are to be taken as soon as possible or else will be forfeited. It is your responsibility to see me about this.] Discussion Forums. There will be four discussion forums, each of which will require one post and two comments from you. The posts have a 500 word minimum, and comments a 100 word minimum. These will be completed on D2L, and evaluated using these rubrics. Late entries will be penalized. Please consult these rubrics closely before writing your posts and comments. See the Writing page for more information. Pre-Class Case Studies. There are eight case study postings — due before the class for which they are posted. You need to complete only six of these (if you write on more, then only the top six grades will be included in your course grade). These are due no later than 30 minutes before the start of class (thus, either 8:30 AM or 12:30 PM). Late entries will be penalized. Please put them into the D2L dropbox with the corresponding number; they will be evaluated using this rubric. Quizzes. There will be a quiz at the beginning of about one-half of the class sessions; these will concern the readings for that class session and material discussed the previous class session. Most or all of the quizzes will involve a single short answer question. These quizzes help keep each of us informed of your grasp of the material, and should provide additional motivation to stay current with the readings, and to work through the day’s material before class. [Makeup: Missed quizzes can be made up in my office, but this has to occur before the next class meeting. It is wholly your responsibility to make this arrangement.] Extra Credit. You may write, for extra credit, journal entries on various additional materials — essays, films, videos, audio recordings — that are listed on the Schedule and marked with an [EC]. See the Writing page for more information. Grading. The set of three exams is worth 51% (17% per exam); the set of discussion forum posts and comments is worth 20%; the set of case study entries is 20%; and the set of quizzes is worth 9%. I use the following letter grade conversion scale: A (94-100), A- (90-93), B+ (87-89), B (83-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79), C (73-76), C- (70-72), D+ (67-69), D (63-66), D-(60-62), F (0-59). Cheating and Plagiarism. Plagiarism consists of submitting the statements, ideas, opinions, or findings of another as if they were your own. It is not plagiarism to copy from or paraphrase a source as long as this is acknowledged and the source is cited. Cheating and deliberate plagiarism will result in automatically failing the class. For more information, see the college policy, as reprinted on the Writing page. Students with Disabilities. Manchester University, in compliance with federal guidelines, is committed to providing students with disabilities an access to programs and activities that is equal to the access provided to students without disabilities. If you believe that you need an accommodation due to a disability, please contact Bonnie O’Connell, the director of services for students with disabilities, to establish your eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. It is your responsibility to seek this accommodation. Students whose accommodation requests are approved will be given confidential letters to deliver to their professors that verifies the nature of the student’s disability and documents the need for auxiliary aids and services and/or academic adjustments/accommodations. Students are encouraged to meet with each professor early in the semester to discuss the academic implications of the disability as they relate to the specific course and to request appropriate accommodation. The Disabilities Office is located in the Success Center (second floor of the Union); please telephone 982-5076 to schedule an appointment.
Manchester University // Registrar // Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies // Last updated: 9 Dec 2015

Bioethics (PHIL 235)

Course Requirements

How to Succeed in this Class

First, be sure to show up for class. Second, show up prepared to talk and ask questions. The best way to be prepared is to set aside about two hours of your time in order to do the following:

(a) Read through the list of “WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO DO” listed with each day (on this page).

(b) Work through the assigned readings, making notes in the margins as you go — and be sure to check the relevant entries in the Bioethics Glossary, since some of what you need to know is in the Glossary, but not the Veatch text.

(c) Re-read that list of “WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO DO” and consider whether you know how to do those things yet; if you don't, then return to the assigned “Readings” and the Bioethics Glossary, and study them some more until you do. Repeat steps (a) through (c) as needed.

(d) When you have a little extra time, take a look at some of the “Other Resources” (I’m still developing these resources for this class...). They are usually pretty interesting, and they will often give you a different angle on the topic being considered. If you want, write up an Extra Credit Journal on one of these items.

If you follow this procedure consistently during the term — and if you put your best effort into the writing assignments — then you should do well on the daily quizzes, you should be ready for the exams, you will do well in the course, and you will learn quite a lot of bioethics.

Attendance. If you do not plan to attend class and participate constructively, then you should withdraw from this class. A course on philosophy is by its nature aimed at self-examination and discussion; consequently, doing well in this class requires being there. Missing class does not directly affect your grade, although students with poor attendance typically do quite poorly in the class. On the average, students missing more than two classes during a semester receive grades below the class average.

Cell Phones. No Cell Phones! I used to place a polite little notice about this at the bottom of the page, but it’s time for a big impolite notice, right up at the top of the page so you can’t miss it. Do not bring your cell phone to class!

Wait, that’s impossible, since you have to have your cell phone on your person at all times! OK, I get that, so go ahead, bring your phone; but while in class, it needs to be turned off and stowed away.

Why a “No Damn Cell Phone” policy? Primarily out of respect for others, but also because you — and I suspect this really does include nearly everyone reading these words — need help! This class involves listening closely to, and thinking carefully about, what others say; a focused discussion is supposed to take place in this classroom — and none of that is possible if you are staring at your cell phone screen.

Most people are now quite literally addicted to their phones. If the phone is within reach it will be reached, and checked, and used, every five minutes or so on average (and that’s just averaging over a 17 hour waking day; peak usage can involve checking the phone every few seconds).

And don’t think you’re able to pay attention to the classroom discussion AND your emails and Facebook and Reddit and Instagram and Snapchat and Twitter posts when you’ve got those phones out. You’re actually just wasting your time, as ample research shows. This so-called “multi-tasking” doesn’t work.

I understand that sometimes you are looking up important information with your phone; that’s admirable, but probably not necessary. Just write down the question or topic, and look it up later. That’s what we all used to do “in the old days,” and it worked pretty well.

If you are going to attend class, then attend class. And that means: Turn off the damn phone.

Laptops. For all the same reasons given for cell phones, you may NOT use a laptop in class except for taking notes. If you use your laptop, you MUST email me a copy of your notes immediately at the end of each class hour (email: ssnaragon@manchester.edu).

And you should know this: Research indicates that taking notes on a laptop — i.e., typing your notes — generally results in notes inferior to those written by hand, and you are also less likely to retain the information. If you don’t believe me, read this item from the Scientific American (June 3, 2014) or this from the Association for Psychological Science (April 24, 2014).

Small Groups. The students in the class will be divided into groups of six or seven students each, named after important figures from the history of medical science: Hippocrates (c.460-c.370 BCE), Avicenna (c.980-1037), Vesalius (1514-1564), Semmelweis (1818-1865), and Kelsey (1914-2015). These groups will function primarily for the purposes of in-class discussions and online discussion forums.

Exams. There will be three non-cumulative exams over the readings and lectures. [Makeup: Exams missed due to an excused absence are to be taken as soon as possible or else will be forfeited. It is your responsibility to see me about this.]

Discussion Forums. There will be four discussion forums, each of which will require one post and two comments from you. The posts have a 500 word minimum, and comments a 100 word minimum. These will be completed on D2L, and evaluated using these rubrics. Late entries will be penalized. Please consult these rubrics closely before writing your posts and comments. See the Writing page for more information.

Pre-Class Case Studies. There are eight case study postings — due before the class for which they are posted. You need to complete only six of these (if you write on more, then only the top six grades will be included in your course grade). These are due no later than 30 minutes before the start of class (thus, either 8:30 AM or 12:30 PM). Late entries will be penalized. Please put them into the D2L dropbox with the corresponding number; they will be evaluated using this rubric.

Quizzes. There will be a quiz at the beginning of about one-half of the class sessions; these will concern the readings for that class session and material discussed the previous class session. Most or all of the quizzes will involve a single short answer question.

These quizzes help keep each of us informed of your grasp of the material, and should provide additional motivation to stay current with the readings, and to work through the day’s material before class. [Makeup: Missed quizzes can be made up in my office, but this has to occur before the next class meeting. It is wholly your responsibility to make this arrangement.]

Extra Credit. You may write, for extra credit, journal entries on various additional materials — essays, films, videos, audio recordings — that are listed on the Schedule and marked with an [EC]. See the Writing page for more information.

Grading. The set of three exams is worth 51% (17% per exam); the set of discussion forum posts and comments is worth 20%; the set of case study entries is 20%; and the set of quizzes is worth 9%.

I use the following letter grade conversion scale: A (94-100), A- (90-93), B+ (87-89), B (83-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79), C (73-76), C- (70-72), D+ (67-69), D (63-66), D-(60-62), F (0-59).

Cheating and Plagiarism. Plagiarism consists of submitting the statements, ideas, opinions, or findings of another as if they were your own. It is not plagiarism to copy from or paraphrase a source as long as this is acknowledged and the source is cited. Cheating and deliberate plagiarism will result in automatically failing the class. For more information, see the college policy, as reprinted on the Writing page.

Students with Disabilities. Manchester University, in compliance with federal guidelines, is committed to providing students with disabilities an access to programs and activities that is equal to the access provided to students without disabilities.

If you believe that you need an accommodation due to a disability, please contact Bonnie O’Connell, the director of services for students with disabilities, to establish your eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. It is your responsibility to seek this accommodation. Students whose accommodation requests are approved will be given confidential letters to deliver to their professors that verifies the nature of the student’s disability and documents the need for auxiliary aids and services and/or academic adjustments/accommodations. Students are encouraged to meet with each professor early in the semester to discuss the academic implications of the disability as they relate to the specific course and to request appropriate accommodation. The Disabilities Office is located in the Success Center (second floor of the Union); please telephone 982-5076 to schedule an appointment.

Manchester University // Registrar // Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies // Last updated: 9 Dec 2015