Fall 2021

KIMEP University
Principles of Ethics: GEN/IRL2510.3 Sections 1 & 2 (3 Credits)
12:00 – 12:50 & 14:30 – 15:20 MWF
Instructor: Nadeem Naqvi Office: Valikhanov 501
Email: [email protected] Phone: +7 (708) 351-0123
Office Hours: 12:00 – 13:00 T, Th, 16:00 – 17:00 W, or by appointment.
Moodle: https://el2019.kimep.kz/course/view.php?id=1624
Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/7729171613
Virtual Office Hours: WhatsApp 10:00 – 22:00 M thru Th

COURSE DESCRIPTION
The purpose of Ethics is to answer the question: “How should I act?” Out of a set of feasible
actions for a person, S = {x, y, z}, which action should she choose: x, y, or z? Reasoned
justification must accompany the recommendation of the choice of action. Since there is a
presumption that an action that a person chooses to take should be a morally good action,
ethics is the study of alternative ethical theories that provide reasoned justification of good
moral conduct. And insofar as reasoned scrutiny of argumentation is the basis of an ethical
justification of a morally good action, ethics is distinct from religion, which justifies an
action as being good with reference to a preexisting text that is deemed holy, and thus its
tenets are not open to debate. Ethical problems exist because we have freedom of choice.
Ethics presupposes the existence of morality, as well as the existence of moral people who
judge right from wrong and generally act in accordance with norms they accept and to
which the rest of society holds others. Practical applications of ethics relate to issues we
face as a society within our local environment, our work place, our personal, social and
political lives.

Learning Objectives
The main goals of the course are:
- To develop critical thinking skills as relevant to ethical issues
- To foster sensitivity for and understanding of the variety of norms and values across
cultures
- To raise awareness of ethical theories and their relations to life

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course students should be able to:
- Use an appropriate vocabulary and apply the relevant concepts
- Identify moral issues and distinguish them from legal and political aspects
- Discuss the likely implications of one’s choices for other moral actors
- Compare and contrast theories such as virtue ethics, deontology, and consequentialism
- Adopt one or more theoretical approaches in order to justify one’s choices
- Recognize and address the tensions between moral universalism and localism

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PRE-REQUISITES: All required GE English courses

TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODOLOGY

The course will guide through the field of ethics. The course that is designed to move from
a wide introduction of some of the most important theories and authors toward an analysis
of case studies towards the end. Knowledge of the essential metaethical and normative
theories of ethics is a fundamental prerequisite for a clear understanding of everyday
morality in different spheres of life.

The course intends to present you the concepts and traditions of ethics in a coherent and
clear way. Its task will be to deliver the complexities of this field of study in a simple way
without reducing the level of sophisticated analysis that it requires. The course should help
you develop a critical approach to ethical issues and to improve your ability to make an
independent judgment and to deliver it both orally and in written form.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COURSE AND PROGRAM

This course is designed to attain the goals of KIMEP’s General Education program as
defined in the catalog. In particular:
- Demonstrate effective problem solving and critical thinking skills
- Demonstrate awareness of humanities, art and cultural diversity topics
- Demonstrate awareness of ethical and philosophical topics

COURSE LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Lectures: Students are advised to attend the class, as the most of the material would be covered
during the lectures. (3 hours a week)
Apart from attending the classes, you should engage in the following activities:
Preparing lectures: For each lecture by reading the relevant text book chapter in advance. (see
the course outline). (1 hour per week)
Reviewing lectures: After class, think about what you have learned! Try answering the
questions at the end of the text book chapter! From time to time, I will post sets of review
questions which will help you structuring what you have learned. (1 hour per week) Preparing
for exams:
Before the midterm and the final, I will post assignments which familiarize you with the style
and lay out of the exam. Exams will consist of multiple choice questions, so you should practice
your skills at memorizing and problem solving. (Preparation time for reviewing and doing
assignments: 20 hours for each midterm, 25 hours for the final)

COURSE ASSESMENT DURING THE TERM:

First Assessment 30%: 1st Midterm Exam 20% and Pop Quizzes (or projects) 10%
Second Assessment 30%: 2nd Midterm Exam 20% and Pop Quizzes (or projects) 10%
Final Assessment: 40 %
Total: 100%
There will be a few pop-quizzes during the semester.

All assessments will be held in the Moodle platform with Zoom.

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The First Assessment: Monday, October 11, 2021.
The Second Assessment: Monday, November 22, 2021.
The Final Assessment: Monday, December 13, 2021.

GRADING SCALE (see course catalogue)

A+: 90-100 C+: 67-69
A: 85-89 C: 63-66
A-: 80-84 C-: 60-62
B+: 77-79 D+: 57-59
B: 73-76 D: 53-56
B-: 70-72 D-: 50-52
F: 0-49
COURSE OUTLINE:
Week 1: Introduction to the course. Introducing the syllabus. What is Ethics? Place of ethics
in rational knowledge.
Week 2: Overview of ethical theory. What is ethics? Why study ethics? Ethical reasoning.
Week 3: Kantian Deontology. Kant’s moral theory. Right motive. Duty. Instrumentalism.
Week 4: Utilitarianism: (i) Consequentialism, (ii) space of individual happiness, & (iii)
ranking of the sum of interpersonal utilities.
Week 5: Religion and morality. Divine Command Theory. The Euthyphro Problem.
Week 6: Metaethics. Ethical relativism. Diversity of moral views. Moral realism. Moral
pluralism. Psychological egoism. Ethical egoism.
Week 7: First Midterm
Week 8: Natural Law Theory
Week 9: Study Break
Week10: Libertarianism
Week 11: Rawlsian Theory of Justice
Week 12: What do we owe to each other?
Week 13: Sen’s Theory of Justice
Week 14: Second Midterm
Week 15: Theories of Justice: Rawls and Sen
Week 16: Global Justice and Democracy
Week 17: Last day of class: Final Assessment

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES:
Required Text: Russ Shafer-Landau, Fundamentals of Ethics, 4th Edition (Oxford University
Press), 2017.
Additional Text: MacKinnon, Barbara. Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues, 6th
Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2009. (Hereafter: MacKinnon)

Additional reading material will be assigned and placed on the Moodle page.

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COURSE POLICIES AND INSTRUCTOR’S EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:
These following are some generic netiquette rules for all of us. Let us honor them and be
respectful. I will continue revising them when appropriate.

1) Be respectful of each other. Respect the privacy of your classmates and what they share
in class.
2) We will set up a WhatsApp group. But, we will not share the group members' phone
numbers or any other private information with any third party without prior consent.
3) No WhatsApp messaging beyond 10:00 p.m. during weekdays. Email and Moodle
messages are OK.
4) No commercial/religious/political messages are allowed unless they are directly relevant
to subject matter.
5) Please do not make personal or insulting remarks.
6) Ask classmates for clarification if you find a discussion posting offensive or difficult to
understand.
7) Be aware that typing in ALL capital letters indicates shouting or at least may be perceived
as such.
8) All communication must occur in the English language only.
9) Everyone must appear as visible and moving on Zoom during class, with video turned on
at all times during the class period. Your name must appear in the English language on the
screen in Zoom (Go to Settings, and edit your Profile to ensure this).
10) During a Zoom class, everyone’s microphone must be muted. If you have a question or
comment, indicate that by communicating via Reactions or through the Chat function, and
when I address you, you may turn your microphone on. Switch your microphone off after
the discussion.

ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMS:

No assignment shall be accepted after its due date. Don’t miss the Midterm/Final/Quiz. There
will be no make-ups, unless you have a University-excused absence that has been verified
by the Medical Center.

DISCIPLINE:
You have to follow my instructions in class at all times. If you choose not to follow my
instructions, you should withdraw the course, or I reserve the right to eject you from
class.
Make sure that you are on time for any written assessment!
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is desirable. However, no points will be added or subtracted for attendance.
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT:
Any type of academic misconduct or classroom misbehavior (cheating, plagiarism, etc.) will
be the subject to action by the College Disciplinary Committee. Please consult catalog or me
for any information of academic dishonesty and classroom behavior and its consequences.
INCOMPLETE “I” GRADE:
If you missed the final exam you have a right to get “Incomplete grade”. “Incomplete” means
that during next semester you will write the final exam and your grade will be changed from
“I” to whatever grade you earn.

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From the Catalog 2018-19 (Administrative Part):
“A grade of “I” may be awarded only for a serious event [related to an excused absence with
documentation] that occurs in the last few days of a course. The student must have completed
all course requirements prior to the uncontrollable event. It would be a misuse to award an
Incomplete:
- for failure to attend class at earlier periods in the semester.
- to give a student more time to complete a task. This gives him/her an unjustifiable advantage
over other students.
- as an excuse for failing to meet the course attendance requirements, which are stated in every
syllabus.
- as a substitute for a failing or poor grade.”

If you feel that you cannot pass the course, the best choice is to withdraw from the course
before the official last day of academic withdrawal. (Please consult the catalogue for precise
date).
APPEALING THE GRADE:
You have a right to appeal any grade of continuous assessment before the last day of the class,
Monday, December 13, 2021. Appeals will only be entertained for specific mistakes that you
find in my assignment of raw score or grade, not just because you want more points. Once
classes end there is no way to appeal you grades.
COURSE WITHDRAWAL:
Any student who wishes to withdraw from the course must do so not later than December
13, 2021.