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Fundamentals of Ethical Theory

When you'll study it
Semester 1
CATS points
15
ECTS points
7.5
Level
Level 7
Module lead
Kurt Sylvan
Academic year
2026-27
Module overview Aims and Objectives Syllabus Learning and Teaching Assessment
Module overview Aims and Objectives Syllabus Learning and Teaching Assessment

Module overview

We all, in many contexts, face ethical questions: whether to tell the truth or lie, whether to keep a promise or break it, whether to refrain from intervening in some dispute or instead step in. Questions like these are at once tremendously important, but also often tremendously difficult to resolve. This module looks in detail at philosophical attempts to systematically study ethics and ethical decision making, at key theories and arguments on these difficult topics. Perhaps some systematic theory can answer all our ethical questions for us, and even if not, attempts to generate such theories might still teach us valuable lessons about what it is to act ethically. This module will explore these questions at an advanced level.