Intro to Ethics
PHIL 230E
An introduction to the study of ethics through philosophical reflection on a variety of moral issues of contemporary significance. Topics covered will vary by semester and instructor and may include issues drawn from professional fields such as business, medicine, and information technology, plus matters of public concern like the environment, the treatment of animals, the use of military force, social justice, and civil and human rights.
.jpeg)
Because philosophy can be quite difficult and challenging, a few critical tools and intellectual virtues are needed to aid the thinker. Our critical toolkit will include questions that call for clarification, examples, counter-examples, reasons and justifications and implications of what we are discussing. Intellectual virtues include generosity, open-mindedness, thoroughness, rigor, curiosity, courage, and active listening. By the end of this course, students should be able to incorporate these tools and virtues in addition to demonstrating:
Course Objectives:
-
Gain knowledge of various theoretical and normative approaches to ethics
-
Demonstrate an understanding of the critiques of traditional moral theory
-
Demonstrate ability to identify, reconstruct, analyze, and critique arguments orally and through writing
-
Connect personal experience to philosophical argumentation
-
Charity and open-mindedness to perspectives that differ from their own
Coursework
​