This schedule tells you what you should be doing each day of the course. It is ok to work ahead, but don't get behind.  The course moves quickly, and it will be very difficult to catch up.

Remarks in square brackets tell you how much of the reading or lecture to read for that day.  If there are no such remarks, read the entire thing.

This schedule also tells you when you should be taking each quiz, and completing other things, such as exams and papers.

The schedule for the later units of the course will be completed shortly.

All readings are from our textbook, Boonin and Oddie, What’s Wrong?, Second Edition, unless noted. All lectures can be found on the course site under "Learning Modules."

Week One

Tuesday, July 6 - Introduction; Arguments (Unit 1)

• Read carefully the Syllabus and the Discussions document, and look over the Papers document and this Course Schedule. 
  
• READING: Boonin and Oddie, sections 1, 2, 3, and 5 of “Introduction” to What’s Wrong, Second Edition, pp. 1-9, 24-30.
• LECTURE: for Unit 1 - Introduction; Arguments
• QUIZ: on Introductory Lecture and Reading (officially due tomorrow, but you should do it today)
• DISCUSSION: Introductions.
  

Wednesday, July 7 - Abortion (Marquis) (Unit 2)

• READING: Marquis, "Why Abortion is Immoral," pp. 61-69.
  
• QUIZ: on Marquis reading.
• LECTURE: Marquis on Abortion. [Read through section 2 today (pp. 1-6).]
• DISCUSSION: Initial Thoughts on Marquis' Paper. Review Discussions document for guidelines on discussions.
  

Thursday, July 8 - Abortion (Marquis) (Unit 2) continued

• READING: Paske, "Abortion and the Neo-Natal Right to Life," pp. 70-76.
  
• QUIZ: on Paske reading.
  
• LECTURE: Marquis on Abortion. [Read section 3 (rest of lecture).]
• DISCUSSION: Theories of What Makes Killing Wrong.

Friday, July 9 - Abortion (Marquis) (Unit 2), last day

• VIDEO: Frontline: Abortion Clinic (from 1983). 53 min. The video can be watched either from the course website (under the Unit 2 Learning Module) or directly on Frontline's website.
• VIDEO (optional): John Weldon's "To Be" (a lighthearted but sophisticated cartoon about personal identity). 10 min.
  
• DISCUSSION: Frontline Video.
  
• DISCUSSION: Personal Identity.

Week Two

Monday, July 12 - Abortion (Thomson) (Unit 3)

• READING: Thomson, "A Defense of Abortion," pp. 89-98.
• QUIZ: on Thomson reading.
  
• LECTURE: Thomson on Abortion [read through section 4 today (pp. 1-7)].
• DISCUSSION: The Standard Anti-Abortion Argument.

Tuesday, July 13 - Abortion (Thomson) (Unit 3) continued

• READING: Boonin and Oddie, section 4.1 (pp. 9-12) on Arguments from Analogy, from their Introduction.
• QUIZ: on Boonin and Oddie reading.
• READING: Beckwith, "Arguments from Bodily Rights," pp. 102-107.
• QUIZ: on Beckwith reading.
• LECTURE: Thomson on Abortion [rest of lecture (section 5 [pp. 7-15])].
• DISCUSSION: Thomson's Positive Argument.
  

Wednesday, July 14 - Abortion (Thomson) (Unit 3), last day

• DISCUSSION: The Responsibility Objection to Thomson's Positive Argument.
• DISCUSSION: Marquis vs. Thomson.
  
• PAPER: Paper #1 is due tomorrow. Carefully read the Papers document for details.

Thursday, July 15 - no new material (paper due)

• PAPER: Paper #1 due tonight at midnight. See Papers document for details.

Friday, July 16 - Animals (Unit 4)

• READING: Norcross, "Puppies, Pigs, and People: Eating Meat and Marginal Cases" (course website) [sections 1-3 (pp. 229-237)].
  
• QUIZ: on Norcross reading (sec. 1-3).
• LECTURE: Animals [read through section 3 (pp. 1-10)].
• VIDEO: Glass Walls.  The video can be watched either from the course website (under the Unit 4 Learning Module) or on youtube.  WARNING: this video contains graphic and disturbing images and descriptions.  You are being asked to watch it because it relates directly to Norcross' argument.  You may turn it off if you find it too difficult to watch.
• READING: Press release from the American Dietetic Association (2009) (course website).
  

Week Three

Monday, July 19 - Animals (Unit 4) continued

• DISCUSSION: Norcross' argument for vegetarianism.
• READING: Cohen, "The Case for the Use of Animals in Biomedical Research" (course website).
• QUIZ: on Cohen reading.
  

Tuesday, July 20 - Animals (Unit 4), last day

• READING: Norcross, "Puppies, Pigs, and People: Eating Meat and Marginal Cases" (course website) [sections 4-6 (pp. 237-245)].
• QUIZ: on Norcross reading (sec. 4-6).
• DISCUSSION: Theories of Moral Standing.
• EXAM: Midterm exam due tomorrow night.  You will receive a copy of the exam this afternoon.
  

Wednesday, July 21 - no new material (midterm exam)

• EXAM: Midterm exam due tonight at midnight.

Thursday, July 22 - World Poverty (Unit 5)

• READING: Singer, "Famine, Affluence, and Morality," pp. 135-142.
• QUIZ: on Singer reading.
• READING: The World Bank, "Overview: Understanding, measuring and overcoming poverty" (available here).
  
• READING: Shah, "Poverty Facts and Stats" (available here).
• QUIZ: on World Bank and Shah readings.
• VIDEO (optional): Peter Singer on the Colbert Report (available here).
  
• READING: Singer, "The Singer Solution to World Poverty" (The New York Times Magazine, 9/5/99) (available here)
  

Friday, July 23 - World Poverty (Unit 5) continued

• LECTURE: World Poverty
  
• DISCUSSION: Singer's main argument.
• DISCUSSION: Singer's argument by analogy.
• READING: Arthur, "World Hunger and Moral Obligation," pp. 142-145.
• QUIZ: on Arthur reading.
  

Week Four

Monday, July 26 - World Poverty (Unit 5), last day

• READING: Slote, "Famine, Affluence, and Empathy," pp. 146-154.
• QUIZ: on Slote reading.
• DISCUSSION: Arthur on Singer.
• DISCUSSION: Slote on Singer.
  

Tuesday, July 27 - Parent Licensing (Unit 6)

• READING: Boonin and Oddie, "Arguments from Inference to the Best Explanation," pp. 16-21.
• QUIZ: on Boonin and Oddie reading.
  
• READING: LaFollette, "Licensing Parents," pp. 314-322.
  
• QUIZ: on LaFollette reading.
• VIDEO: "Parent's License: The Decision to Become a Parent."  This is a somewhat strange educational video produced by the Discovery Channel.  It has the feel of an "after school special."  Sorry for the ad at the beginning.
  
• READING: Thompson Child & Family Focus, "Foster Parent Licensing."
  
• READING: Colorado Department of Human Services, "Adoption: Process & Qualifications."
  

Wednesday, July 28 - Parent Licensing (Unit 6) continued

• LECTURE: Parent Licensing.
• DISCUSSION: LaFollette's Main Argument.
• DISCUSSION: LaFollette's Argument by Analogy.
  
• READING: Frisch, "On Licentious Licensing," pp. 323-327.
• READING: Lemieux, "Parent Licensing," pp. 327-329.
• QUIZ: on Frisch and Lemieux.
  

Thursday, July 29 - Parent Licensing (Unit 6), last day

• DISCUSSION: Frisch on LaFolllette.
• DISCUSSION: Lemieux on LaFollette.
  
• PAPER: Paper #2 is due tomorrow.

Friday, July 30 - no new material (paper due)

• PAPER: Paper #2 due tonight at midnight. See Papers document for details.

Week Five

Monday, August 2 - Human Cloning (Unit 7)

• VIDEO: "Genetics: Cloning" (from HowStuffWorks).
• READING: Bonsor and Conger, "How Human Cloning Will Work" (from HowStuffWorks).
  
• READING: President's Council on Bioethics, "Human Cloning and Human Dignity: An Ethical Inquiry," pp. 477-491.
• VIDEO/LECTURE: Shelly Kagan on the Ethics of Human Cloning.
• DISCUSSION: The Harm (or Safety) Objection to Reproductive Cloning.

Tuesday, August 3 - Human Cloning (Unit 7) continued

• READING: Elliott, "Uniqueness, Individuality, and Human Cloning," pp. 491-493.
• DISCUSSION: The Uniqueness Objection to Reproductive Cloning.

Wednesday, August 4 - Human Cloning (Unit 7), last day

• READING: Hershenov, "An Argument for Limited Human Cloning," pp. 493-496.
• DISCUSSION: Reasons to Clone.
• DISCUSSION: Therapeutic Cloning.
  

Thursday, August 5 - no new material (study/review day)

• EXAM: Final exam due tomorrow night.

Friday, August 6 - no new material (final exam)

• EXAM: Final exam due tonight at midnight.