Office of Student Conduct/Department of Philosophy Seminar in Academic Integrity

Contents

1. Attendance
2. Description and Objective:  This seminar is an overview of ethical issues involved with academic integrity and student conduct relevant to violations of the UCF Golden Rule and the UCF Creed, or any violation of university policy consistent with attendance in this course. It includes discussion of one or more major ethical theories or orientations as they relate to particular cases of moral action and decision-making. Discussion includes academic dishonesty and other violations of the UCF Golden Rule. Specific moral issues may include moral responsibility, obligations to oneself and others, and the relationship of the individual to the community.
3. Background Information on Ethical Theories Relevant to Concepts and Assignments

Ethical Theories, Principles, and Related Concepts:

• Utilitarianism. A moral theory requiring that each person perform actions that create the greatest happiness for the greatest number, and if that is not possible, at least perform actions that reduce or eliminate pain or suffering as much as possible. The utilitarian generally holds that intellectual pleasures (the kind requiring the use of unique human faculties) are preferable to lower pleasures (physical, primarily). The ultimate goal for the utilitarian is happiness, but not simply the happiness of one person, but the happiness of the greatest number. The ultimate rule of Utilitarianism is The Principle of Utility. Information on this ethical theory (general description and some other information) is available at: http://ethics.sandiego.edu/theories/Utilitarianism/

• Deontology. A moral theory requiring that an action is right when it is done out of duty - that is, out of respect for duty, not simply in accordance with duty, or out of fear that if you don't do what is required, you will suffer some unpleasant punishment. Duty is determined based on considerations of rationality and human autonomy, and the morally right action is the one whose maxim, or rule, can be universalized AND the one that never treats other rational beings (generally, humans) as means to ends, but only as ends in themselves. The ultimate moral rule of deontology (from Immanuel Kant) is the categorical imperative. Information about this ethical theory (description and additional information) is available at: http://ethics.sandiego.edu/theories/Kant/

• Virtue Ethics. A moral theory centrally concerning the relationship between the character of a human being and the community in which he or she lives. There are no particular moral rules that the virtue theorist derives. Instead, the virtue theorist relies heavily on the determination of morally good action from the point of view of the virtuous person (a moral exemplar). Information on this theory (description and additional information) is available at: http://ethics.sandiego.edu/theories/Aristotle/

• Egoism. Egoism isn't really an ethical theory, but it informs some aspects of all other ethical theories either by being accepted, rejected, or at least recognized as a problematic position for the moral life. Egoism is more a theory of human nature than it is a theory of ethics. There are, however, some who would argue against this claim. One person in particular who would do so is Ayn Rand (who was an ethical egoist). Rand claimed that the world would work best when all individuals act all and only for their own best interest, and that it is in the interest of everyone to do so. A psychological egoist is a person who claims that all of our actions are always done with a view to obtaining our own best interest. There are some serious problems with egoism, but there are also some good points to it. One very serious problem with egoism concerns the problem of conflicts of interest between people competing for the same position, good, or benefit. It is the example of two politicians, both of whom are egoists and both of whom are competing for the same political office. What do you suppose would be in the best interest of each of the politicians regarding their chances of winning the election? Information on egoism is available at: http://ethics.sandiego.edu/theories/Egoism/

4. Moral Responsibility

At about 7:15 p.m., Joe and Jane are walking through the mall on their way to the theatre, which is situated near the food court in the middle of the mall. They are running late and know that the line to get tickets is always long. This is the last night that Joe and Jane will be able to go out together for quite some time. She is being deployed to Iraq with her unit of the National Guard tomorrow and will not be back for at least a year.

As they pass the coffee shop at the corner of the food court, they hear and see a child of about 3 years old crying uncontrollably, yelling for his mother. He is obviously lost. People pass by the little boy, paying very little attention to him. Joe and Jane look at him, then look around to see whether his mother is nearby. No one is standing near him. Yes, he is definitely lost.

Outside in the parking lot, the little boy's mother is waving frantically to a mall security guard. She explains to him that her son wandered away while she was putting a younger child, a little girl, in the car seat. She turned her back only for a minute to secure the seat belts on the car seat. The security guard and the child's mother proceed to look through the parking lot for him while waiting for the local police to arrive.

Joe and Jane continue walking to the theatre and forget about the crying child. They watch the movie and leave the theatre later that evening. At home, they turn on the news and hear that a 3-year old boy was kidnapped from the mall earlier that evening. He had wandered away from his mother while she was putting his younger sister in the car seat in the parking lot as they were preparing to leave the mall. The boy's mother explained that he wanted ice cream and must have gone back into the mall while she was tending to the other child.

The mall security camera shows an image of an unidentified woman taking the little boy by the hand and leading him out the opposite entrance to the food court of the mall. The time on the tape shows 7:17 p.m.

According to the news story, a search is underway for the child.

Joe and Jane recognize the boy in the security video as the same one they passed by while on their way to the theatre.

Who is responsible for the kidnapping?

5. Additional Info/Links on Avoiding Plagiarism and Legitimate Academic Assistance:

Off-Campus

See http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html .

See http://www.turnitin.com/research_site/e_home.html .

On-Campus

See http://www.uwc.ucf.edu

See http://www.sarc.sdes.ucf.edu/aboutsarc.html

See http://libary.ucf.edu

6. Finally, go to the assignments page at http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~stanlick/Sum06oscethicsassignments.htm. The assignments are due at 4:00 p.m. one week from the day of the meeting of the seminar. You can click here for a Word document version of the assignments. Please make sure that you name the document something like "SmithAssignments" (put your last name in, of course) to ensure that it is received and catalogued properly.