Ethics – Phil 2 – Spring 2026 – Las Positas College  – Room 2460 – Tu/Thur 11-12:15

Instructor: Eric Gerlach – egerlach@laspositascollege.edu

Office Hours: Tue 12:15 pm, LPC Rm 2460.  If you would like to Zoom, email me for an appointment.

Course Description: An introduction to central ethical ideas and their place in the history of thought and the issues of our world, including virtue, morality, utility, balance, perspective, simplicity, authenticity, freedom, equality, individuality, and altruism.  We will be focusing on the ethical theories of Aristotle, Kant and Mill, with additional insights from Heraclitus, Epicurus, the Stoics, Buddha, Laozi, Confucius, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein and others from Africa, India, Greece, China, the Middle-East and Europe.

Course Material & General Requirements: A) Attend lectures as you B) read the online readings (no paper textbook or reader required), C) participate in weekly group discussions, and D) compete the assignments by the due dates.  Email all assignments and essays to me at egerlach@laspositascollege.edu. Lecture notes can be found on the ethics page of my website, and videos on my YouTube channel.

Class Schedule & Lecture Note Links

Jan 20 – Introduction to Class, Syllabus & Schedule

Jan 22 – Wittgenstein & Thought

Jan 27 – Egypt, Babylon & Balance – Text: Instruction of Ptah-Hotep, pg 41-61

Jan 29 – Hindus, Jains & Nonviolence (Initial Reflection Due Jan 30)

Feb 3 – Buddha & Interconnection – Text: Buddha’s Dhammapada, pg 1-25

Feb 5-24 – Aristotle & Virtue – Text: Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, pg 1-202 (1st Quiz Feb 5)

Feb 26 – Heraclitus & Perspective – The Fragments of Heraclitus, pg 84-114

Mar 3-5 – Epicurus, The Stoics & Desire (2nd Quiz Mar 3, 1st Essay Due March 6)

Mar 10-26 – Kant & Morality – Kant’s Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, pg 1-79

Mar 19 – NO CLASS – Flex Day

Mar 30 & Apr 2 – NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK

Apr 7-23 – Mill & Utility – Text: Mill’s Utilitarianism, pg 1-62 (3rd Quiz Apr 7)

Apr 28 – Confucius & Compassion – The Analects of Confucius, pg 13-45

Apr 30 – Mozi & Equality (2nd Essay Due May 1)

May 5-7 – Daoism & Simplicity – Laozi’s Dao De Jing, pg 50-135

May 12-14 – Nietzsche & Individuality – Nietzsche’s On Truth & Lies in a Non-Moral Sense, pg 1-10

May 19 – Fanon & Ethnicity (4th Quiz May 19)

May 21 – bell hooks & Gender

May 26 – FINAL EXAM – 9:30-11:20 am

Assignments: Initial Reflection (10%), Group Discussion & Presentation (10%), 4 Quizzes (4 x 5% = 20%), 2 Essays (2 x 20%), Final Exam (20%).

Initial Reflection, (10% of Final Grade) – Due Friday, Jan 30th – For the first, 2-page reflection, I want you to try to focus your own philosophical beliefs about how ethics works and express these thoughts as simply as possible.  What perspective and ideas on ethics do you bring to the class, and why?  If you have trouble determining your perspective, try reacting to the first lectures. I want you to express the ideas you bring to the class so you can see what does and doesn’t change as we go.

Group Discussion & Presentation (10% of Final Grade) – Due by May 21 – Each week, we will break into small groups of four or five to discuss the ideas and texts we have covered in lecture.  Each group member will take a two minute turn presenting a strength or fault they find with an idea, and group members can reply.  Then one or two volunteers, each from a different group and who have not yet presented to the class, will briefly present the ideas discussed by each group, and a class discussion will follow.  Each student will have a chance to be the presenter, and once everyone has presented, we will continue to engage in small group discussions.  Your grade depends on group participation, and taking your turn as the presenter.

1st Essay, 4 pages, 20% of Final Grade – Due Friday, March 6th – For the first essay, write a 4 page paper which 1) explains a particular idea we have covered in class, 2) explains the strength or fault you find in the idea, 3) includes at least one example that illustrates the strength or fault, 4) considers possible objections or other points of view, possibly those expressed in your group discussion, and 5) explains how this strength or fault is useful or a problem for dealing with an ethical issue we face in the world today.  Focus on an idea we cover, clearly state and argue for your position with evidence, empathy, and examples from life, history or fiction.  Cite works to support your argument in the body of the text, not in footnotes, as (Author, year), such as (Smith, 2021).  Essays are to be typed, double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman, emailed to egerlach@laspositascollege.edu.  Here is a video with my thoughts on how to write a philosophy essay.

2nd Essay, 4 pages, 20% of Final Grade – Due Friday, May 1st -For the second essay, I want you to write a 4 page paper in which you take a side in the ethical debate between Kant and Mill, and between starting with morals and ending with consequences.  While you may find truth on both sides, which one do you wish to argue has the better position, and why?  You are welcome to employ any of the material we have covered.  Make sure to use several examples from real life, and/or hypothetical thought experiments, and anticipate objections and counterexamples of opponents, possibly employing class discussions.

FINAL EXAM – 3rd Essay, 4 pages, 20% of Final Grade – The final exam will consist of multiple choice questions and an in-class short essay. For the essay, I want you to pick an idea we have studied, explain the idea using examples and apply it to an ethical problem we face in the world today to show that the idea is or is not useful for helping with the problem.  Ethical problems include poverty, war, theft, hunger, racism, ecological destruction and many other things we are all too familiar with.

Grading Rubric: 100 – This is outstanding work, 90 – This is good work that shows you put thought and time in, but more is needed, 80 – This is on the right path, but clearly needs more, 70 – This is somewhat wrong and off, and 0 – 60 – This is significantly lacking.

Important dates: Jan 30, last day to drop – Mar 2, financial aid deadline – Apr 10, last day to withdraw

Student Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of this class, students will be able to: 

  1. Apply diverse abstract ethical theories to evaluate contemporary moral challenges.
  2. Effectively participate and express opinions in a group and whole-class setting in a way that is respectful and well thought-through.

Classroom Conduct: The discussion of philosophy requires a respectful exchange of diverse ideas. Students not showing respect to others in the course will be advised by the instructor. After repeated offenses, students will be dismissed from class for the day. Cell phones should be silenced, and electronic devices of any kind should be used only for taking notes. Side conversations while another student or the instructor is talking are disrespectful and not permitted. If you need to arrive late or leave early, please let your instructor know ahead of time if possible. In general both situations should be avoided as they will disrupt your fellow classmates. Unless they are a DSPS accommodation your earpieces should be removed unless they are a DSPS accommodation so that you can be fully present to everyone.

Academic Honesty Statement: Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Plagiarists, intentional or inadvertent, will receive a zero on the assignment in question; repeat offenders will get an F for the course and will be subject to college disciplinary action. Students are encouraged to review plagiarism policies in the current BCC catalog.  AI use in place of one’s own written work is considered plagiarism, as it creates writing from sources and dishonestly presents itself as the student’s own authentic work.  Students suspected of AI use will be contacted by the instructor, and asked to explain their work and thinking via in-person or online meetings with the instructor.  Information on attendance and plagiarism policies can be found here.

Information about student rights and responsibilities, student grievance procedures, and standards of student conduct, and non-discrimination policies can be found here.

Disabled Student Program and Services (DSPS) are provided for any enrolled student who has a verified disability that creates an educational limitation that prevents the student from fully benefiting from classes without additional support services or instruction. Please let the instructor know if you require any support services or would like more information about DSPS.

This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.