Davis A. Foulger, Ph. D.

Visiting
Professor
Fall, 2005-Spring, 2006
and Fall 2001-Spring 2003

COM 380: Communication Ethics

Davis Foulger

Class Schedule and Assignments - Fall, 2001

Note that I have modified the syllabus somewhat to account for the class cancellation of Tuesday, September 11. I hope all is well with everyone. Note also that group assignments have been made. If you don't know what group you are in, look here.

Date Class Focus/Activity Assignments Due Course Module

Aug. 28

(1 of 28)

First Day of Class
Introductions.
Course Overview.
Communication Ethics in Context.

None. Introduction to Ethics and Communication

Aug. 30

(2 of 28)

Foundation Issues of Ethics Leslie, Preface, Introduction, and c. 1
Sept. 4

(3 of 28)

Foundation Issues and Analysis: A Meaning Centered Ethic

Leslie, c. 2-3
Index Card Assignment 1: In your own words, define the word good and the word bad

Pre-Modern Ethical Philosophies as Decision Making Tools. Thinking about ethical case studies.
Sept. 6

(4 of 28)

Group Project: Defining Issues in Communication Ethics

Index Card Assignment 2:

  • Buy a newspaper or magazine or watch a nightly newscast or (preferably) go to a newsstand or other place (a supermarket for instance) that sells many newspapers and magazines
  • Find a headline/news story that seems to you to have ethical implications (inherent, journalistic, or both).
  • Record:
    • The publication or news show
    • The headline (not the story)
    • The ethical issues it raises
Sept. 11

(5 of 28)

Class Cancelled by Events
Sept. 13

(6 of 28)

Medieval and Renaissance Ethical Philosophy

Leslie, c. 4-5
Sept. 18 Rosh Hashanah: No Classes
Sept. 20

(7 of 28)

Pre-Modern Ethical Philosophy

Leslie, c. 6-7

Index Card Assignment 3 (to be turned in by groups after group discussion): Document the topic/event that the group will be using in building the ethical case study. Group and assignment information is published here.

Sept. 25

(8 of 28)

Group Research Day R&S, Sec. 1, c. 1,2,20 Modern and Post-Modern Ethical Philosophies as Decision Making Tools. Building Ethical Case Studies.
Sept. 27 Yom Kippor: No Classes
Oct. 2

(9 of 28)

Modern and Post-Modern Ethical Philosophy Leslie, c. 8-9
Oct. 4

(10of28)

Ethics of Group Participation (surprise)

First Group Presentations

 
Oct. 9

(11of28)

Group Presentations R&S, ch. 3,4,5
Oct. 11

(12of28)

Final Group Presentations
Instrumental and Terminal Values

Index Card Assignment 4: Imagine yourself wanting to provide ethical instruction on a particular ethical question. I don't actually care what the question is, although it might easily be one of the questions from your group project. Outline a story you might tell to provide instruction on this ethical question on one side of an index card. If it helps, note that at least two generic story forms, fables and parables, are generally focused on providing such moral or ethical instruction.

Oct. 16

(13of28)

Moral Imagination and Moral Reflection

Metaphysics of Quality

Ethical issues in a mass-mediated culture

Comparative Review of Aristotle, Plato, the Judeo-Christian Ethic, Abelard, Aquinas, Bacon, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Voltaire, Rousseau, Spinoza, Kant, Mill, Schopenhauer, Durkheim, Sartre, Rand, Kohlberg, Foucault, Baudrillard, Rokeach, and Persig

Persig's "Metaphysics of Quality" (Anthony McWatt)
Chapter 3 of The Nature of Natural Law (Rory Fitzgerald)

Leslie, ch. 10

Index Card Assignment 5: Read Case #1 in Leslie (Pg. 189-190). Assess the case in a summary fastion (on one side of an index card) using the methods of the two ethical philosophers you have been assigned (see below).

Student Assigned Ethical Philosopher
Adames, Durfey, Kuziara, and Lipsky Aristotle and Mill
Beauregard, Fox, Lastowski, and Lawless Plato and Schopenhaueur
Burns, Fancis, Longley, and Pierre Abulard and Durkheim
Cassidy, Godfrey, Lucas, and Watson Aquinas and Sartre
Chiarelli, Golino, and Olmos Machiavelli and Rand
Costello, Hidalgo, and Rovin Hobbes and Kohlberg
Cotter, Hovenecz, and Slywka Voltaire and Foucault
Cummings, Hurwit, and Soper Rousseau amd Baudrilliard
Delgado, Johnson, and Zolik Spinoza and Rokeach
Dunsmoor, Kehoskie, and Drayton Kant and Rokeach
Oct. 18

(14of28)

Mid-Term Exam
Oct. 23

(15of28)

What ethical and moral principles should we live by?   Interpersonal and Organizational Communication Ethics: Contexts and Case Studies
Oct. 25

(16of28)

Personal Ethics and Conscience

R&S, Sec. 2, c. 6 & 7

Oct. 30

(17of28)

Ethics and Morality in Interpersonal Communication

Term Paper Assigned

Index Card Assignment 6: Think about your interpersonal interactions (e.g. face-to-face communication with friends, family, business associates, and others). Describe an interaction in which someone acted unethically towards you.
Nov. 1

(18of28)

Finding and telling the "truth"
Ethical Behavior in Dealing with Customers

"Conducting IBM's Business" from the IBM Business Conduct Guidelines

Index Card Assignment 7: Select a medium of communication for your term paper

Nov. 6

(19of28)

Ethics and morality in the workplace

"You and your job in IBM" from the IBM Business Conduct Guidelines

Nov. 8

(20of28)

Conflicts of Interest "On your own time" from the IBM Business Conduct Guidelines
Nov. 13

(21of28)

Ethics and morality in journalism Leslie, c. 11 Mass Media Ethics: Contexts and Case Studies
Nov. 15

(22of28)

Term Paper Working Day

(In Austin, TX at conference)

 
Nov. 20

(23of28)

Codes of ethics in journalism New York Times Ethical Guidelines

Nov. 22

 

Thanksgiving. No Class. Ski Season Arrives!

Nov. 27

(24of28)

Ethics and morality in public relations Leslie, c. 12
Nov. 29

(25of28)

Issues in book, record, and radio industries Leslie, c. 13
Dec. 4

(26of28)

Issues in entertainment and film

Leslie, c. 14
Dec. 6

(27of28)

Issues in New Media Technology

Leslie, c. 15

Term Paper Due

Dec. 10

(28of28)

Living Ethically in the post-modern world.

Last Day of Class. Note the Thursday Class Schedule on Monday.

Leslie, c. 16  
Dec. 12 Final Exam: 2:00PM-4:00PM