Module overview
We all make moral judgments and think about moral questions. For instance, you might think that torture is typically wrong but wonder whether it may sometimes be right. Whereas normative ethics tries to answer these questions, metaethics is concerned with the status of moral questions, and the nature of moral judgments. What sort of thing are we asking when we ask whether torture is ever right? Is this the kind of question that has a right or wrong answer? If so, how might we discover the right answer? Does the right answer depend on who is asking the question? And if there is a right answer, why should we care about it? This module will address questions of this sort by examining a range of metaethical theories about the nature of morality and moral judgment.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Work effectively to deadlines.
- Contribute to discussion in a critical but dispassionate way.
- Take notes from talks and written materials.
- Express views clearly and concisely.
- Undertake independent work, including identifying and using appropriate resources
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- influential theories in metaethics.
- the arguments for and against theories in metaethics.
Cognitive Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Present ideas in writing, clearly and carefully
- Articulate and defend your own views regarding the issues the module concerns
- Debate and criticise ideas and arguments in an even-handed fashion.
- Interpret, synthesise and criticise complex texts and positions
Syllabus
The syllabus may vary from year to year. Topics might include:
- Moral realism and anti-realism: are there facts about right and wrong? If so, do these facts depend on us?
- The nature of moral judgment: are moral judgments beliefs? Might they instead be emotions or preferences?
- Moral epistemology: if there are moral facts, how can we know about them?
- The significance of morality: why should we care about right and wrong?
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include:
- Lectures
- In-class discussion
- One-on-one consultation with module co-ordinator
Learning activities include:
- Attending classes
- Contribution to class discussion
- Doing independent research for and writing assessed work
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Revision | 23 |
| Follow-up work | 24 |
| Wider reading or practice | 24 |
| Completion of assessment task | 22 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 24 |
| Lecture | 33 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
A full reading list will be made available once the module is underway..
Textbooks
Andrew Fisher (2011). Metaethics. Acumen.
Simon Kirchin (2012). Metaethics. Palgrave.
Assessment
Formative
Formative assessment description
Draft essaySummative
Summative assessment description
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 45% |
| Reading task | 10% |
| Essay | 45% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External