PHIL 3711 - General Ethics
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 02, CRN 42621,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Mark Vopat
Email: mvopat@ysu.edu
Course Description
3711. General Ethics. Examination and evaluation of the major ethical theories in classical, dialectic, pragmatic and naturalistic, analytic and positivist, and existentialist thought. Prereq.: PHIL 1560. 3 s.h.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | Ethical Theory: A Concise Anthology 3rd edition by Geirsson and Holmgren | Geirson and Hologram |
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Readings and Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Introduction to Course/Ethics | Course Overview | No assignment |
| 8/31 | Shaw/Harman | Relativism | Shaw Thesis |
| 9/7 | Fins/Wolf | Free Will | Wolf Thesis |
| 9/14 | Plato/Bible | Religion and Ethics | Story of Abraham Thesis Exam 1 |
| 9/21 | Mill/Rawls | Utilitarianism | Mill Thesis |
| 9/28 | Singer/Le Guin | Utilitarianism | Singer Thesis |
| 10/5 | Kant/O'Neill | Deontology | O'Neill Thesis |
| 10/12 | Thompson/Nagel | Trolley Problem | Thompson Thesis Exam 2 |
| 10/19 | Ross/Kekes | Intuitionism | Kekes Thesis |
| 10/26 | Hood/Sinnott-Armstrong | Pluralism | No assignment |
| 11/2 | Aristotle | Virtue Ethics | No assignment |
| 11/9 | Dorge/Wolf | Moral Saints | Wolf Thesis |
| 11/16 | Lindemann/Noddings | Feminist Ethics | Noddings Thesis |
| 11/23 | Shrage | Feminist/Care Ethics | No Assignment |
| 11/30 | TBA | Review | Due 12/4 at 11:59pm: Extra Credit: Shipka Speaker Paper Due |
| 12/7 | Finals Week |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.