.JOUR 390-99 Examining Media Ethics:

The Pursuit of Truth in a Culture of Confusion

Roosevelt University

Fall 2009

Peter K. Fallon, Ph.D.

Contact me:

pfallon@roosevelt.edu

http://faculty.roosevelt.edu/Fallon/

http://rujournalism.blogspot.com

Statement of Philosophy

Roosevelt University is a national leader in educating socially conscious citizens for active and dedicated lives as leaders in their professions and their communities.

The University's student-centered faculty and staff inspire academically qualified students from diverse backgrounds and all ages to benefit from rigorous higher education and professional development opportunities in the dynamic Chicago metropolitan environment.

Deeply rooted in practical scholarship and principles of social justice expressed as ethical awareness, leadership development, economic progress and civic engagement, Roosevelt University encourages community partnerships and prepares its diverse graduates for responsible citizenship in a global society.

This is an investigation of the effects of mass mediated communication and information as a mass commodity on values, particularly the value of truth. In an age of information glut, where for all intents and purposes every possible point of view is represented, all points of view appear to have the same value. The idea of having and clinging to "values" implies evaluating ideas—seeing which ones are "better" than others. All ideas are not equal; otherwise "values" as such are irrelevant. At the same time, all our mass mediated messages are biased toward the technological culture that brings them to us. We spend more and more time communicating with (or through) our technologies, and less and less time communicating with each other through real, human, interpersonal means—discourse. The medieval academic concept of the "disputatio"—the pursuit of truth through mutually respectful disagreement, debate, and criticism—has been replaced with "accommodatio"—an unfortunate willingness to reject truth, except as an entirely subjective experience.

Education—particularly a conception of education rooted in the principle of social justice—is concerned with the pursuit of truth. The pursuit of truth demands critical thought. Critical thought facilitates intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and social development. In addition, it helps us to recognize quality-of-life issues in both the social and natural environments. Critical thought manifests itself academically not only in the assimilation and practical use of knowledge, but also in an ability to examine the world around us, speculate, and investigate relationships among human beings, their institutions and the world at large. The capacity for critical thinking is a uniquely human phenomenon, and ought to be a life-long process; that process we call "education."

It is necessary, then, to look critically at 1] the technologies of communications; 2] the economic, political, and social structures which support them and which they, in turn, support; 3] the structures of thought they facilitate and the structures of thought they inhibit; 4] and the institutions which grow around them and for which they become foundations. This should give us a firm ground upon which we can examine our own values, prioritize them, reject those values not founded in truth, and defend those that are.

In doing so, we come closer to "truth" than in blind acquiescence to social/cultural assumptions. And more important then attaining mere proficiency in the skills of a discipline, critical thinking skills can help us become better citizens and better human beings.

Course Description and Format

This course seeks to present students with several broad tools: 1] a structure for critical thought about mediated communication; 2] a structure for critical self-evaluation of beliefs, values, and attitudes; and 3] models of media/social criticism in real-world case studies. In the beginning of the semester, classes will be broken into two parts; a "lecture" section, where the instructor presents certain objective "content" and a discussion/debate session, where students and instructor talk about what that content "means," and try to relate it real-world events. As the semester progresses, there will be less emphasis on "lecture" and more on facilitated discussion of events in our global society. In both the early and later parts of the semester, reading and writing assignments will be integral to the learning process.

Texts

Aristotle.  Nicomachean Ethics, Joe Sachs ed.  (Newburyport, MA:  Focus Publishing, 2002). Book 1; Book 2;  Book 3;  Book 4, sections 1-5; Book 6, sections 5 through 8 and 13;  Book 10, section 6 to the end.  Also recommended: Book 5, sections 5-8; Book 8; and Book 9.

Neil Postman, Building a Bridge to the 18th Century : How the Past Can Improve Our Future (New York: Vintage Press, 2000).

Harry G. Frankfurt, On Bullshit (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005).

Fallon, Peter K., The Metaphysics of Media (Scranton: University of Scranton Press, 2009).

Additional Materials

TBA, available either on Blackboard or as handouts.

Course Goals and Objectives

The over-arching goal of this course is to get students to think critically about their world, their values, and about the meaning and functions of mediated communication in their lives as individuals, and in our life as a society. Thinking critically, that is to say "criticizing," does not mean merely making fun of, or satirizing, or complaining mindlessly about something. It is not a negative activity.

The phrase "critical thinking" implies systematic, broad, and deep thinking. It implies questioning things we might assume beforehand to be true. It implies taking NOTHING for granted without some sort of "truth-testing." It's not easy, and not many people are used to doing it.

And so our objectives for the course center around those three characteristics of critical thought: the systematic nature, the breadth, and the depth. The successful student will achieve the following objectives:

1] learn and remember the main arguments of the authors of our four texts;

2] exhibit comprehension or understanding of each of the arguments;

3] cite supporting evidence for those arguments;

4] cite shortcomings in each of the arguments (e.g., the cause and effect relationship between two phenomena is far from empirically established; a conclusion is based on insufficient evidence; demonstrate the valid of opposing arguments, citing evidence, etc.);

5] exhibit the ability to critique and analyze his/her own values and his/her own assumptions about "the good," "the virtuous," "the right" and "the wrong" ways of living in a global society, and of being " a responsible citizen in a global society."

Grading Criteria

Based on the above objectives, I have determined the following criteria for grading:

Reactions to four readings, other written assignments:  30%

Final paper (actual assignment and due date TBA):     20%

Attendance and participation:                                 40%

TOTAL:                                                           100%

Tentative Class/Topic Schedule

Weeks 1-3 (September 3, 8/10, 15/17)

Nicomachean Ethics.

As you read Ethics, use the questions for discussion/contemplation found in the Blackboard Course Documents. A brief essay (4-5 pages) addressing these questions will be due at the end of this section of the course.

Weeks 4-7 (September 22/24, 29, October 1, 6/8, 13/15)

Building a Bridge to the 18^th Century.

As you read Building a Bridge…, use the questions for discussion/contemplation found in the Blackboard Course Documents. A brief essay (4-5 pages) addressing these questions will be due at the end of this section of the course.

Weeks 8-10 (October 20/22, 27/29, November 3/5)

On Bullshit.

As you read On Bullshit, use the questions for discussion/contemplation found in the Blackboard Course Documents. A brief essay (4-5 pages) addressing these questions will be due at the end of this section of the course.

Weeks 11-14 (November 10/12, 17/19, December 1/3, 8/10)

The Metaphysics of Media.

As you read Metaphysics of Media, use the questions for discussion/contemplation found in the Blackboard Course Documents. A brief essay (4-5 pages) addressing these questions will be due at the end of this section of the course.