Ethics: Questions

Class Description

Ethics: Questions Our Generation Should Have Asked (But Didn’t) This introduction was written in late October, before the Election. On purpose. I am going to try to keep the events of 2024 – including what will happen after my writing this – out of the discussion, because it will only aggravate most of us, and because it will inevitably dominate the next eight weeks, regardless of what does or does not happen. This course is intended to look at, and think more deeply about, ethical issues that have affected our generation (and two that still do). Some of the planned sessions include: Freedom of Speech: Snyder v Phelps (the Westboro Baptist Church case) and limits of free speech; Who owns art stolen by the Nazis? Who owns art stolen by Colonial Powers? and The ethical obligations of caregivers and other service providers to seniors. I hope the sessions will consist of free-wheeling (but respectful) discussions of the topics based on hypotheticals and examples taken from real life. There will undoubtedly be difficult and uncomfortable topics being discussed. I am counting on your active participation for this course to work. Please bring your life histories, your perspectives, and your opinions to the class, share them freely, and give others the opportunity to do so as well. On the day after each class, I will send out a .pdf file with readings, hyperlinks to online matters, and discussion points for the following week’s session. I will prepare brief PowerPoint presentations reviewing the topics being discussed, but the readings, and the discussions, will be the important part. Don’t worry – the readings should only be a few pages long. Wednesdays, 9:30 - 10:30 LLC ZOOM Class Limit: 25