Module overview
Moral philosophy is concerned with questions of right and wrong, good and bad, virtue and vice. Such questions are familiar: can it be right to lie to someone to avoid hurting their feelings? Is it okay to favour my friends and family, or should I be impartial in all my decisions? Should I give a portion of my income to charity? Is happiness all that ultimately matters, or might achievements, friendship, or understanding matter for their own sake too? What does it mean to have good character? This module focuses on normative ethics, which explores the prospects for general principles about what is right and wrong, good and bad, virtuous and vicious. For instance, might the fundamental moral principle be that we should always bring about the best outcome? Or that we should always treat people in ways that they could not reasonably reject? Or that we should always act as a virtuous person would? Is it always worse to bring about harm than to allow harm? Do the intentions with which we act bear on whether we did the right thing? Or might there be no general principles about morality?
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- take notes from talks and written materials.
- demonstrate enhanced skills in essay writing, planning and research.
- undertake, with adequate supervision, independent work, including identifying and using appropriate resources.
- think independently and critically.
- work effectively to deadlines.
Cognitive Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Present and debate ideas in writing, in an open minded and rigorous way.
- Interpret, synthesise and criticise complex texts and positions
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- some of the most influential theories in normative ethics.
- arguments for and against these theories.
Syllabus
The syllabus may vary from year to year. Topics might include:
- Consequentialism
- Contractualism
- Kantian Ethics
- Virtue Ethics
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include:
- Lectures.
- In-class discussion.
- One to one consultation with the module coordinator
Learning activities include:
- Attending lectures
- Contributing to class discussion
- Doing independent research
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Independent Study | 117 |
Teaching | 33 |
Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Internet Resources
Assessment
Formative
Formative assessment description
Draft essaySummative
Summative assessment description
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Discussion board activity | 25% |
Essay | 75% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External