Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 212
Fall 2007 not offered
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| Certificates: Environmental Studies |
Morality is all around us. Every day we make moral judgments about the character and actions of other people, and every day we make decisions about what we ought to do in a variety of situations. Moreover, at various points in our lives, almost all of us have been confronted with some sort of moral dilemma. But how do we make moral judgments, and how do we determine what the right course of action is? Are there any objective moral principles and standards? If so, what are they, and how (if at all) can they be justified? To ask these questions is to take a philosophical approach to morality. Ethics (or moral philosophy) is the systematic attempt to analyze moral concepts and to justify moral principles and theories. This course provides an introduction to moral philosophy. During the semester we will examine several of the most important and influential ethical theories of the Western tradition. The core of the course consists of an examination of virtue ethics, utilitarianism, and deontology - the big-three ethical theories of the Western tradition. In addition, we will consider Nietzsche's critique of traditional morality. Finally, we will briefly examine divine command theory, egoism, and (time permitting) relativism and subjectivism. Our study of these theories will be centered on primary texts from the history of philosophy. |
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Essential Capabilities:
None |
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA PHIL |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (CIVI-MN)(CSCT)(ENVS-MN)(ENVS)(HRAD-MN)(PHIL)(PHIL-Philosophy)(PHIL-Social Jus)(STS) |
Major Readings:
Robert Holmes, BASIC MORAL PHILOSOPHY, 3rd edition
Aristotle, NICOMACHEAN ETHICS, 2nd edition, translated by Terence Irwin (Hackett, 1999)
John Stuart Mill, UTILITARIANISM, edited by George Sher (Hackett, 2001)
Immanuel Kant, GROUNDWORK OF THE METAPHYSIC OF MORALS, translated by H. J. Paton (Harper Torchbooks, 1965)
Friedrich Nietzsche, ON THE GENEALOGY OF MORALS AND ECCE HOMO, translated by Walter Kaufmann (Vintage, 1989)
Other required readings will be made available on reserve (or via Blackboard)
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Examinations and Assignments:
Weekly quizzes; regular reflection papers; several take-home exams; and a final exam. |
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