MCCCD Program Description

Humanities: The Intellectual Community/Ethics

Course: HUM203

First Term: 2003 Fall

Lecture 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s) 3 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S

Description: Presents ethical issues through readings from philosophy, literature, and performing or visual arts. Practice in the expository form as a means of mastering ethical ideas and their application in resolving conflict

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Describe the basic Western and Eastern philosophical schools of thought as they relate to ethical questions. (I) 2. Explain how literature and the performing or visual arts help define and illustrate human values in the context of ethical questions. (II) 3. Apply knowledge of philosophy, literature, and performing or visual arts through a series of expository essays that develop and build advanced writing skills. (I, II) 4. Explain how classical and contemporary literature clarify values and assist one in resolving conflicts between the communities in which one lives or works and the individual. (II, III) 5. Explain how the needs, values, and goals of the communities in which one lives or works are sometimes in conflict with the needs, values, and goals of the individual. (III) 6. Define, explain, and defend the basis of a personal value system. (III) 7. Describe how that personal value system is supported by concepts presented through philosophy, literature, and performing or visual arts. (I-III) 8. Explain how that personal value system can be integrated into or reconciled with the value system of one of the communities in which one lives or works. (III)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. Overview of Western and Eastern Philosophy A. Western philosophy 1. Classical Christian tradition 2. Dialectical tradition 3. Naturalistic tradition 4. Utilitarianism 5. Analytic tradition 6. Existentialism B. Eastern philosophy 1. Hinduism 2. Buddhism 3. Taoism 4. Confucianism II. Application of Literature and Performing or Visual Arts to Ethical Questions A. Potential reading selections 1. Plato`s Apology 2. Kafka`s Metamorphosis or The Trial 3. Sophocles`s Antigone 4. Mythology of Crime and Criminal Justice 5. Machiavelli`s The Prince 6. Shakespeare`s Hamlet or Macbeth 7. Bach`s Illusions 8. Camus`s The Stranger 9. Other B. Application of the Performing or Visual Arts to Humanistic Inquiries 1. Role of drama 2. Role of music 3. Role of visual arts C. Expository Essays III. Development of a Personal Value System A. Describing a personal value system and identifying the source of the personal value system 1. Description 2. Identification of sources 3. Needs 4. Values 5. Goals B. Community value systems 1. Description 2. Identification of sources 3. Needs 4. Values 5. Goals C. Identifying or reconciling conflicts between personal and community value systems D. Other V. Development of a Personal Value System A. Ethical position in reference to the legal system B. Ethical position illustration 1. Using philosophical references 2. Using literary references 3. Using performing/visual arts references C. Conflict explanation 1. Personal ethical position 2. Legal system D. Conflict resolution 1. Personal ethical position 2. Legal system E. Written and/or oral presentation of personal value system/conflict resolution

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: 5/28/2002

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.