PHIL 395: Professional Ethics
Spring, 2002
Dr. Paul Martin Lester, Visiting Professor
California State University, Fullerton
Practical Ethics Center, 1000 E. Beckwith Ave.
OFFICE: Corbin Hall N334
Office Hour: To Be Announced (Online)
406 243-6688; E-Mail |
Professors's Web Page
Class Meetings: Mondays 4 -6pm, Online using Blackboard.com Software (Click Here for the Blackboard site). NOTE: You will need an ID and password.

Course Objectives:

Professional Ethics is the application of moral reasoning to established professions such as nursing, engineering, journalism, and so on. Moral reasoning entails the search for values and principles that promote a good life and human flourishing. As professionals, you employ your expertise in ways that greatly affect the lives of others. It is critically important that you are thoughtful and reflective about the role of ethics in your work. Through successful completion of course readings and assignments—and through active participation in class discussions—you will hopefully gain the tools to identify and analyze ethical issues.

Required Text:

Course Grading and Requirements:

  • Personal Homepage (No Credit):
     Include a picture of yourself (contact the professor if you have trouble doing that), a brief autobiography, and a personal dilemma you care to share with the class that you think has tested or challenged your own ethical principles or values or sense of right and wrong. Did you resolve it? If so, how?

  • 12 Discussion Board Responses (24 percent):
     Each week you will answer a discussion question posted on the website. Read your fellow student responses and make additional comments for full credit.

  • 12 Virtual Classroom Discussions (12 percent):
    Since a transcript is made for every virtual classroom discussion, make sure you participate to get full credit.

  • Area Paper (18 percent):
    Starting with PART II of the textbook, you will be put in a group and and given an assignment for that group. You will write a 5-page paper detailing your assignment for the week. During the virtual class discussion, you will lead a discussion about the topic within small groups. Then, your group will lead a general discussion with the entire class.

  • Mid-Term Exam (14 percent):
    You will be given an in-class exam to test your knowledge of the concepts learned so far in the class.

  • Final paper (32 percent):
    You will each write a 10-page paper with a bibliography detailing a case related to your own study interests that you will find on your own. The paper will detail the facts, and the conflicting values, principles, and loyalties involved.

    Professional Ethics Course Outline

    January 7
    Online Orientation
    We will use this class time to get you comfortable with participating in an online course. How to navigate around the class's website, create your own homepage, chat within the virtual classroom, break out into small group discussions, answer discussion board questions, and upload papers to the professor will be some of the topics covered.

    PART I: CONCEPTUAL AND FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES

    January 14
    Chapter 1: Basics & Backgrounds
     Pgs. 3–25.

    January 21
    Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

    January 28
    Chapter 2: Professions and Professionalization
    Pgs. 26–48.

    February 4
    Chapter 3: Occupational and Ordinary Morality
    Pgs. 49–86.

    February 11
    Chapter 4: Professionals and Clients: Models and Metaphors
    Pgs. 87–123.

    February 18
    President's Day Holiday

    PART II: SOME RECURRING MORAL PROBLEMS

    February 25
    Chapter 5: Deception
     Pgs. 127–171.

    March 4
    Chapter 6: Informed Consent
    Pgs. 172–206.

    March 11
    Mid–Term Examination
    You will be given an in–class examination.

    March 18
    Spring Break

    March 25
    Chapter 7: Privacy and Confidentiality
    Pgs. 207–259.

    PART III: RESPONSIBILITY, DISSENT, JUSTICE, AND CHARACTER

    April 1
    Chapter 9: Social Responsibility and Professional Dissent
     Pgs. 300–344.

    April 8
    Chapter 10: Social Responsibility and Justice
    Pgs. 345–387.

    April 15
    Chapter 11: Character, Regulation, and Training
    Pgs. 388–438.

    April 22
    Chapter 8: Individual and Collective Responsibility
    Pgs. 263–299.

    April 29
    Final Papers Due