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. The Modified Drawbridge Example

One fine, warm morning in a land far away and in a time gone by (or maybe it was yesterday), a reasonably decent looking woman, a Baroness, walked with her husband (the Baron) to the gate of their castle. He was preparing to leave on a business trip. He said, "Remember, honey, not to leave the castle while I'm gone. In fact, I forbid you to leave the castle for any reason."

The Baroness, acting in the role of the dutiful wife, smiled demurely, assured him that she would stay put, and waved goodbye to him.

Not five minutes after he was out of sight of the castle, the Baroness had a servant saddle up her horse, lower the drawbridge across the moat, and she high-tailed it out of there.

You see, the Baroness was going off to visit someone she hadn't seen in a long time, a person with whom her husband had forbidden her to visit or to associate. This was her chance to go to see someone she loves, who loves her in return, and have a pleasant day. She took the opportunity.

On the way back from the visit, the Baroness found herself confronted by a madman standing at the drawbridge. Being as grumpy as a madman is likely to be, he said, "Pay me a ransom of $5000 to cross this bridge. If you don't do so, I will kill you. If you think I'm kidding, get a load of the size of this knife." He then produced from a scabbard an enormous, shiny, stainless steel knife of 15 inches.

The Baroness, however, had no money. Her husband not only forbid her to leave the castle, she has no money of her own. She calmly tried to explain to the madman that she had no money, but that once in the castle, she would be able to bring some valuable jewels to him, which he could then sell at a pawn shop for at least $5000. The madman may have been mad, but he wasn't stupid. He replied, "No way, lady. I have no guarantee that you'll ever bring the jewels out to me. In fact, you might send out some of those guards up there at the castle. And they have better weapons than mine, and, well -- no. Get me the money, or you don't get across the bridge. You have to pay up front."

The Baroness was distressed. But she had an idea. So she wheeled around on her horse and galloped off into the forest to find someone who might give her the $5000 she needed. The Baron would be home in a couple of hours, and if he caught her outside the castle, she'd be in deep trouble. He might even demand a divorce or lock her up in the dungeon. She just had to find the money.

While riding into the forest, she thought of the people who might lend her $5000. Here they are:

Her lover, who lived deep in the forest, and who usually had a few thousand dollars lying around in his cottage.

Her mother, a sickly woman with a modest retirement income, who lived across the street from her lover.

Her best friend from high school, a woman who lived in a shack near the Baroness' mother.

She went first to her lover. He told her that he wouldn't lend her the $5000. He said, "Our relationship is a purely physical one. We have no ties to each other than pure physical pleasure. Your husband, the Baron, would kill me if he knew we were having an affair, and even if he never found out, you'd never be able to raise $5000 to pay me back. I'm sorry, but you'll have to find someone else to lend you the money."

The Baroness galloped off to her mother's cottage. But when she got there, good old mom informed her that she wouldn't be able to pay for her medications (you see, mom has no health insurance) if she gave the Baroness $5000, but if it weren't for that, she would gladly hand it over to her only daughter. The Baroness was getting desperate.

She went to her friend from high school who listened with a sympathetic ear to the story the Baroness told her. But when it was all said, the friend replied: "I'd give you the money if I had it. But I work as a maid for the Prince and Princess in the other castle, and the wages they pay really stink. I have about 50 bucks here in a glass jar. I'll give that to you if you want it. It's the best I can do." The Baroness, completely dejected now, thanked her friend, got back on her horse, and walked slowly back toward the drawbridge. About halfway there, she had an idea. The boatman down the river would take people across the river for a small fee, so she could get him to do that and pay him when she got home. So she rode the extra mile or two to see the boatman.

Unfortunately for the Baroness, the boatman was unwilling to take her across the river without payment in advance. He pointed out to her that so many people had been ripping him off lately, especially given the ridiculously high price of gas that had made it necessary for him to raise the price of a boat ride, that he just couldn't take the chance of taking anyone across the river without being paid in advance for the ride. The Baroness explained that she could get some money when she got to the castle. In the meantime, her friend had given her $50, and she'd use that as a down payment. The boatman laughed, pointing out that the boat ride across the river was $200, so she was $150 short, and there was no way he'd extend that kind of credit. He told her it wasn't his problem that she didn't have enough money, but that if she could find the rest, he'd gladly take her across the river.

By this time, it was nearly dark and the Baron would be back from his trip at any moment. There was no time to go back into the forest to ask more people for money. Completely desperate now, the Baroness walked up to the madman, slapped him across the face, and began to run across the drawbridge. Being a big, powerful madman, he caught up with her before she had gone 10 feet. They fought briefly and the madman killed the Baroness.

Who is responsible for the death of the Baroness? Why?

(Whom did the Baroness visit when she first left the castle? Does it matter?)

Here are the players in the story:

The Baroness, The Baron, The Madman, The Lover, The Friend, The Mother, The Boatman

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/oscethicsassignments.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.