University of Texas UGS 303 (64255) Fall 2011 Professor Abramson jabramson@austin.utexas.edu Mezes 3.109 Office Hours: Tues 3 4; Th 2 3 Hard Choices This case draws on actual cases that raise basic moral, legal, and philosophical dilemmas. Topics include: religious liberty, abortion, assisted suicide, affirmative action, same sex marriage, medical and legal ethics, equality, private property, justice during wartime, torture, famine relief, foreign aid; stem cell research, and cloning. Readings are drawn from legal material and from sources in political and moral philosophy. This course is part of the Signature Course program and is designed to enhance the first year experience by stressing (a) interdisciplinary study, (b) writing, (c) use of campus facilities that can add to the classroom experience, and (d) opportunity to attend university lectures on allied topics. The dates for Fall 2011 University Lectures are Monday, September 12 and Tuesday, September 13. Lecture topics will be announced soon. Books for Purchase Course Pack for UGS 303 Abramson, Minerva s Owl: The Tradition of Western Political Thought Mill, John Stuart, On Liberty Rawls, John, A Theory of Justice (All other course material is posted on Blackboard) Topics and Readings Topic 1: Introductory Cases: discrimination in golf, ballet and dwarf tossing PGA v. Casey Martin San Francisco Ballet School Dwarf tossing and freedom of choice Minerva s Owl, pp. 1 16. Topic 2: Religious Liberty Reynolds v. United States Commonwealth v. Twitchell French Debate over Religious Garb in Classrooms Catholic Adoption Agencies and Gay Rights Law Female Genital Circumcision: Religion and Multiculturalism Topic 3: Liberalism and Conservatism John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, chapters 1, 4, and 5.
Ronald Dworkin, Liberalism (course pack) Gerald Dworkin, Paternalism Minerva s Owl, pp. 7 9, 279 300 Michael Oakeshott, On Being Conservative Old Growth Forest versus New Ski Resort Topic 4: Sexuality, Morality, and Choice Judith Jarvis Thomson, A Defense of Abortion (course pack) Reply to Judith Jarvis Thomson on Abortion Lawrence v. Texas Goodridge Marriage Case (MA) In re Marriage Cases (CA) David Cole, Same Sex Marriage Antioch College Sexual Offense Policy Topic 5: Free Speech Schenck v. United States: clear and present danger R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul: hate speech United States v. Virginia: cross burning Collin v. Smith: Nazi march case UT Policy on Signs in Dorm Windows UT Policy on Racial Harassment Topic 6: Legal and Medical Ethics Spaulding v. Zimmerman Organ Allocation Issues Life by Luck of the Draw in Third World Drug Tests Cases in Medical Ethics Topic 7: War and Justice Machiavelli, The Prince, chapter 15. World War II: England, Norway and Hitler Minerva s Owl, pp. 21 25; 145 168. Henry Stimson, The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb (course pack) Truman Memorandum on Atomic Bomb Iraq, Just War Theory and Preventive Attacks Torture Memorandum to Attorney General Rumsfeld Memorandum on Interrogation Techniques Torture to Reveal Kidnap Victim s Whereabouts? (1) Torture to Reveal Kidnap Victim s Whereabouts? (2) Topic 8: Utilitarianism and Personal Responsibility Jim and the Twenty Captives 2
The Trolley Problem Queen v. Dudley Rawls, A Theory of Justice, pp. 11 27 Minerva s Owl, pp. 275 277 Topic 9: Foreign Aid Peter Singer and Famine Relief Peter Singer and the Drowning Child Peter Singer and World Poverty Minerva s Owl, pp. 120 121, 337 338 Topic 10: Equality Locke on Private Property Nozick, Anarchy, State and Utopia, pp. 42 45, 160 64, 169 74, 290 92 (course pack) Rawls, A Theory of Justice, chapters 1 3 generally. Minerva s Owl, pp. 323 337 Affirmative Action: the Bakke case Affirmative Action: the New Haven firefighters case AIDS and Discrimination (1) AIDS and Discrimination (2) Topic 11: Stem Cell Research, Cloning, and Genetic Engineering Bush Policy on Stem Cell Research Obama Lifts Bush Ban on Stem Cell Research Sandel, The Moral Logic of Stem Cell Research Kass, Defending Life and Dignity Kinsley, Stem Cell Debate Douthat, Stem Cell Ethics Sandel, The Case Against Perfection, Atlantic Magazine (course pack) Kass, Human Cloning Hawthorne, The Birthmark Swimsuits and Performance Enhancement Course Requirements First Paper Assignment: preliminary draft due September 27; final draft due October 11 (20% of course grade). Midterm Examination: in class November 15 (30% of course grade). Final Examination: December 13 at 9 a.m. (40% of course grade). Attendance is required at all lectures and discussions (10% of course grade). Students with Disabilities 3
Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 471 6259, http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/ Religious Holidays Absences for religious observances will be accommodated. By university policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence. Honor Code and Academic Honesty The core values of the University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the University is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. Plagiarism is a serious violation of academic integrity. In simplest terms, this occurs if you represent as your own work any material that was obtained from another source, regardless how or where you acquired it. For examples of plagiarism, please see http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis_plagiarism.php Use of Computers or Cell Phones in Class Cell phones must be off at all times in class. Laptop computers or other communication devices may NOT be used during class except by prior permission from the professor upon request. Emergency Evacuation In the event of a fire or other emergency, it may be necessary to evacuate a building rapidly. Upon the activation of a fire alarm or the announcement of an emergency in a university building, all occupants of the building are required to evacuate and assemble outside. Once evacuated, no one may re enter the building without instruction to do so from the Austin Fire Department, University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office. Students should familiarize themselves with all the exit doors of each room and building they occupy at the university, and should remember that the nearest exit routes may not be the same as the way they typically enter buildings. Students requiring assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructors in writing during the first week of class. Faculty members must then provide this information to the Fire Prevention Services office by fax (512 232 2759), with "Attn. Mr. Roosevelt Easley" written in the subject line. 4
Information regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be found at http://www.utexas.edu/emergency. Teaching Fellows Ryan Curtis (UT Law) rcurtis14@gmail.com Aiden Johnson (UT Law) Aiden_Johnson@bus.emory.edu 5