PHIL236-14S1 (C) Semester One 2014

Ethics

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 24 February 2014
End Date: Sunday, 29 June 2014
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 9 March 2014
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 25 May 2014

Description

In this course, we look at concepts and theories in normative ethics and metaethics. Normative ethics deals with the foundations of moral theory. What determines whether an action is right or wrong, good or bad? What principles should we live by? Utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics provide three influential answers. Part I of the course studies these theories in detail, considering the ideas of Mill, Kant and Aristotle along the way. Metaethics deals with second-order questions about ethical thought and talk. Are there moral facts and moral truths? Could moral judgements be objectively true? What is the relation between moral facts and scientific or natural facts? How, if at all, can we acquire moral knowledge? What role do the emotions play in moral judgement? Part II of the course focuses on these and similar questions.

Learning Outcomes

  • Understanding of influential ideas and theories about ethics.
  • The acquisition of critical thinking and analytical skills through engagement with moral questions.
  • The ability to use these skills to produce strong, persuasive written work.
  • The ability to communicate reasoned arguments in the academic context and beyond.

Prerequisites

15 points in PHIL or B average in 60 points of appropriate courses with approval of the Programme Coordinator.

Restrictions

Course Coordinator

Michael-John Turp

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Essay 1 11 Apr 2014 30% 1500 words
Essay 2 06 Jun 2014 30% 1500 words
Final exam 40%

Course links

Library portal

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $670.00

International fee $2,850.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Humanities .

All PHIL236 Occurrences

  • PHIL236-14S1 (C) Semester One 2014