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POLITICS 303
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Prof. Sammy Basu
Office: Smullin 322 Hours: TTh930-1130 or by appointment. 5033706264 |
COURSE SUMMARY
In this ethics and public policy course we will
reflect upon death in modern America.
More specifically, we will examine four cases in which mortality looms
large: Health Care, Physician-Assisted Suicide, Death Penalty, and Oil. We will focus upon the use and
criticism of particular modes of 'Arguments, Reasons, and Values' in the effort
to reflect meaningfully upon each case.
In addition, students will complete an independent project:
'service-learning experience, or shadow and reflection paper, or research
paper relating to mortality.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
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Think: |
"Man is only a reed, the weakest thing in
nature; but he is a thinking reed." m Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), Penses (1670, vi.347). |
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Read: |
"Read
not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and
consider." m Francis Bacon (1561-1626), 'Of Studies,' Essays, (1597). |
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Write: |
"Then,
rising with Aurora's light, The Muse invoked, sit
down to write; Blot out, correct,
insert, refine, Enlarge, diminish,
interline." m Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), On Poetry (1733, I.85). |
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Speak: |
"'The
time has come,' the Walrus said, 'To talk of many things: Of shoes -- and ships --
and sealing wax -- Of cabbages -- and Kings -- And why the sea is
boiling hot -- And whether pigs have wings.'" m Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), Through the Looking
Glass (1872) |
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Research: |
"Know then thyself,
presume not God to scan, The proper study of
mankind is man, Plac'd on this isthmus
of a middle state, A being darkly wise, and
rudely great: With too much knowledge
for the sceptic side, With too much weakness
for the stoic's pride, He hangs between: in
doubt to act or rest, In doubt his mind or
body to prefer; Born but to die, and
reas'ning but to err; Alike in ignorance, his
reason such, Whether he thinks too
little or too much." m Alexander Pope (1688-1744), An Essay on Man (1733, Epistle, ii.1.1). |
COURSE EVALUATION CRITERIA
This course is organized around the readings, class
discussion, and student experience/research.
The grade has five components listed below, all of
which must be passed to pass the course.
Late penalties will be assigned.
If you believe that you may
have a disability requiring accommodation, please contact
Disability Services, Baxter Hall, Phone: (503) 370-6471, (TT)
(503) 375-5383.
(1) Regular participation in class discussions and
assignments (20%)
- engage with the films, readings, internet, and view-points of others. Attendance does not constitute
participation.
(2) Mid-Term Examination (20%)
- on introductory materials, health care, and physician-assisted suicide.
Format will include short-answer
questions, identify and explain questions and so on with emphasis on crucial
facts, concepts, and arguments.
(3) Service-Learning Reflective essay (30%)
- a brief (8-10 pp. i.e., 2400-3000 word) reflective
essay drawing upon 20-25 hours
of on-site service involvement, personal journal of experiences, and relevant
secondary scholarship.
Or
Shadow and Analysis paper (30%)
- a sustained (15-20pp. i.e.,
4500-6000 word) analysis paper upon a particular role or institution based upon
participant observation with or shadowing of person(s) occupying the role or
institution, and relevant secondary scholarship.
Or
Argumentative Research paper (30%)
- an extended (20-25pp. i.e., 6000-7500 word) piece of
original research bringing philosophical and
conceptual issues to bear upon a specific empirical controversy involving
mortality in contemporary America.
(4) Oral presentation (10%)
- brief (15-20 min.) in-class presentation of
reflections upon the service-learning experience, analysis of shadow
observation, or the arguments of the research. 10 min Q & A.
Presentation must make use of
information technology.
Email presentation at least two days before scheduled date.
Turn in draft of accompanying paper at time of
presentation.
Paper and presentation materials are not one and the same although they will
certainly share elements.
(5) Final examination (20%)
- on introductory materials, death penalty, oil, and student presentations of
their own projects.
Format will include short-answer questions, identify
and explain questions and so on with emphasis on crucial facts, concepts, and
arguments.
In addition, students will be expected to become adept
in navigating the internet and evaluating web-site sources to obtain data and
distinct perspectives.
See: http://www.willamette.edu/~sbasu/poli303/useofweb.htm
http://www.willamette.edu/~sbasu/poli303/EvaluatingWebResources.htm
REQUIRED COURSE
READINGS
It is important that you complete the assigned reading
and take the time to reflect on it before coming to class. The
required texts listed below are available for purchase at the WU
Bookstore. Additional required
readings on the WWWeb or on reserve at Hatfield Library will be available
through the online syllabus.
Cover
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Author |
Title |
Publication |
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Peter A. Ubel
M.D. |
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The MIT Press P, 2001 ISBN-10:
0262710099 ISBN-13: 978-0262710091 |
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Robert P.
Jones |
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University of Notre Dame Press P, 2007 ISBN-10:
026803267X ISBN-13: 978-0268032678 |
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Benjamin Dov
Fleury-Steiner |
Jurors' Stories of Death:
How America's Death Penalty Invests in Inequality |
University of Michigan Press P, 2004 ISBN-10:
0472068601 ISBN-13: 978-0472068609 |
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Terry
Tamminen |
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Island Press, 2006 ISBN-10: 1597261017 ISBN-13: 978-1597261012 |
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COURSE
SCHEDULE
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DATE |
CLASS
SUBJECT |
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Aug 28 |
Introduction: Death in America Why death? |
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What is Political Theory? Political Philosophy? What
is political theory? Assignment: "What does death mean?" (1-2 paras) Assignment:
How would you live if you knew you only had ten years to live? |
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Th
Aug 30 |
Data on Death in America UNDP
HDR: Infant
mortality rate UNDP
HDR: Life
expectancy at birth Read: Amartya Sen, Live Long and Prosper and Amartya Sen,
"Mortality as an Indicator of
Economic Success and Failure." Economic Journal, Vol. 108, January 1998,
1-25 (On Reserve) or online at jstor |
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Assignment: complete the questions on statistics given below http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/other/atlas/atlas.htm Results: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/misc/atlasres.pdf Maps for All
Causes: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/gis/atmapall.pdf Eg.
Smoking and
COPD Also
worth a look: |
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T
Sep 4 |
The Historical Meanings
of Mortality Read: Aris, Philippe. 1980.
"Five Variations on Four Themes," in The Hour of
Our Death.
(Trans.) H. Weaver. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 602-14. (ON RESERVE) 1. http://www.museum.upenn.edu/Greek_World/pottery_big-28.html 2. http://vrcoll.fa.pitt.edu/medart/image/England/abergavenny/mainabergavenny.html 3. http://www.dboc.net/rouen/oc_rouen_aitre.php 4. home.vicnet.net.au/~foskc/
19th_century_cemeteries.htm 5. http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9804/23/dying.cancer/ Assignment: complete the Aries
worksheet |
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Th
Sep 6 |
Analyzing Arguments,
Reasons, and Values: Theorists of Liberalism and What is Liberalism? Read: Gaus, Gerald F. 1996. Liberalism, Stanford Encyclopedia
of Philosophy,
NOV 30 1996 |
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Library Research and Navigating the internet Ford C Schmidt Hatfield
Library Tel:
503-375-5407 E-mail:
fschmidt@willamette.edu http://library.willamette.edu/ |
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Digital Fieldwork http://www.willamette.edu/~sbasu/poli303/EvaluatingWebResources.htm |
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Service Learning Experience, or Shadow
& Reflection, or Research
Paper Khela Singer-Adams Director,
Community Service Learning Tel:
503.370.6807
E-mail:
ksingera@willamette.edu http://www.willamette.edu/~sbasu/poli303/service-learning.htm |
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Pricing Life: Why It's Time
for Health Care Rationing Peter A. Ubel
M.D. |
