Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: WHAT IS THE ETHICAL THING TO DO? A BIG QUESTIONS COURSE

Department: Philosophy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: “What is the ethical thing to do?” can be interpreted in various ways. What rules do ethical theories prescribe? What reasons can be given for and against different ethical theories? How have different ethical theories been developed – where do they come from? What binding force, if any, do ethical theories have? And, most importantly, how should we live? What does ethical reflection about our lives and our practices reveal? Students will be introduced to theoretical ethics and practical ethics. In Part One, roughly the first 8-9 weeks of the course, they will study classic works in philosophical ethics – and contemporary responses to them. They will learn philosophical arguments for and against these ethical theories. Guest lecturers will shed light on historical circumstances that led to their formation and on cross-cultural comparisons. In Part Two, roughly the last 6-7 weeks of the course, they will work through two topics in practical ethics: the treatment of animals and reparations for slavery. The course will conclude with an Ethics Lab, in which students work in small groups to gather information on a chosen topic in practical ethics and analyze it from the perspective of different ethical theories.