Monday, 10/12

Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell with Afghan villager Mohammad Gulab

Today's Learning Goals:
Understand Michael Sandel's framework for justice (virtue, welfare, liberty)

This Week's BIG Question:
How should the government balance security (welfare), liberty, equality and virtue in order to create just laws?

Starter #24: Trolley Car Dilemma Case #1
Suppose you are the driver of a trolley car and your trolley car is hurtling down the track at 60 mph.  At the end of the track, you notice 5 workers working on the track. You try to stop but you can’t because your brakes don’t work.  You panic because you know, for sure, that if you crash into these workers, all 5 will die.  You feel helpless until you notice that off to the right is a side track and at the end of that track is just one worker working.  Your steering works so you know that if you turn right, you could avoid killing the five workers but certainly kill the one at the end of the track. What would you do?  Go straight ahead or turn right? These are the ONLY two choices.  Defend your reason.

*The trolley problem is a thought experiment in ethics, first introduced by Philippa Foot in 1967
*Additional Resources for the stater:

• (Video reenactment of this dilemma)
• (Link to this dilemma with an explanation of how your response might align with a specific moral philosophy)

Class Biz/Announcements

• Honors: Historical Thinking Skills charts on 2 resources (one primary, one secondary) due 10/26
• Real History of the Americas Day (see below)
• Double space, double side your literary analysis essay! Due B.O.C today
• Turn in your copy of TNTSJ (remove your annotations)

The Real History of the Americas at FLC takes a different look at the Western world
Until 10 p.m.,TONIGHT  at Fort Lewis College
LINK TO THE SCHEDULE

The Real History of the Americas takes a positive, but different look at the history of North and South America from the viewpoints of Hispanic, African-American, Asian, Native and LGBT peoples, among others. This year’s theme is “Telling our stories through dance.” Featured artists include Las Cafeteras, fusing traditional, hip-hop, folk, Afro-Mexican, and Latino music with their energetic multi-lingual performance and many more.
 
The all-day long event offers workshops, inspirational identity activities, a live National Anthem performance in English and in Navajo by FLC student Olivia Duncan, live dance performances by Ballet Folklorico de Durango, the Water Justice Project as well as presentations by Miss Hozhoni Nicole Lovato, First Attendant Charine Gonzales, and much more.

Agenda
1. Discuss Trolley Car Dilemma Case #1 and consider case #2

Trolley Car Case #2
This time you are not the driver, you are an onlooker standing on a bridge overlooking the track.  Down the track comes the trolley car, same situation is at hand.  Except, now, you’re not the driver and you REALLY feel helpless until you notice, standing next to you, leaning over the bridge, is a very large man.  And you could give him a slight shove and he would fall over the bridge, onto the track, right in the way of the trolley car, he would die, but he would spare the five.  Now.  How would you push the large man? Explain.

2.  Introduction to Moral Philosophy and our next book Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? by Michael Sandel

• Michael Sandel's website and Harvard course
• Introduction to Moral Philosophy power point
• Read aloud the first page (real-world relevance here folks!!)

3. Begin reading and annotating "Doing the Right Thing"- Chapter 1 of Michael Sandel's book, Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?  Due Tuesday!
Required to only read these pages:

• 1-10 (to "What Wounds Deserve the Purple Heart?")
• 12-16 (starting at "Bailout Outrage")
• 19-21 (ending at "Runaway Trolley")
• 24-30 (starting at "The Afghan Goatherds")​