| Unit name | Ethics |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHIL20011 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Alan Wilson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Philosophy |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
How should we live? What is the right thing to do? Am I a good person? When we ask such questions, we are often asking questions about ethics: Am I a morally good person? What is the morally right thing to do? What is a morally good life? How we choose to answer these questions can impact on the key decisions we make throughout life.
The study of ethics can help us think better about these important questions. In this unit, we cover some the most influential moral theories that have been developed by philosophers, with the aim of critically engaging with and assessing the merits of those theories. We will also apply insights gained from these theories to important questions in applied ethics, with the aim of understanding how (and if) engaging with philosophical theories helps us to reason more clearly when faced with practical ethical issues.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit provides students with the opportunity to apply skills of critical thinking and reasoning developed in previous units to increasingly specialist literatures and topics, specifically in ethics. It would also provide a basis of knowledge for more advanced study in areas of moral and political philosophy in future years. The unit also provides an opportunity to continue to develop and refine those skills, and the more general skills of academic writing and scholarship.
An overview of content
While the specific ethical theories covered will vary each year, the unit will explore at least two contrasting overall approaches to ethics. Possible approaches to be covered include: consequentialist ethics; care ethics; virtue ethics; Kantian ethics; and more. In each case, the aim will be to move beyond introductory versions of each theory. Instead, the unit will set students up to be able to explore and evaluate the variety of more complex options that are available within the different approaches to ethics that we cover. This will include earning about and assessing contemporary theories of ethics that are being developed by philosophers working today.
This focus on some contemporary approaches also will be reflected when applying the theories to important contemporary issues in applied ethics.
Again, the specific applied questions covered will vary each year, with possible topics to explore including: ethical issues relating to our treatment of non-human animals; environmental ethics; the ethical significance of consent in medicine and/or sexual relationships; bioethics; and more.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will come to appreciate different approaches to ethics and the implications of applying them to contemporary issues. They will be able to apply these ethical frameworks to issues in their personal life, pressing societal challenges, and ethical dilemmas that may arise in their careers.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, students should be able to:
(1) Explain and critically assess some of the central theories and approaches in normative ethics;
(2) Use philosophical arguments to engage critically with questions arising from literature on these theories and approaches;
(3) Apply insights from ethical theories to critically engage with questions in applied ethics;
(4) Use skills of philosophical writing and independent research to engage with literature in philosophical ethics.
Lectures, small group work, individual exercises, seminars and virtual learning environment.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
None
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Critical Review, (1500 words) (20%) [ILOs 2, 4]
Exam (80%) [ILOs 1-4]
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PHIL20011).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
