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Starting from the underlying themes in Jekyll and Hyde, wherein a scientific discovery can be seen as having both beneficial (Dr. Jekyll) and detrimental aspects (Mr. Hyde), this module delves into the general area of the ethics and social responsibility of scientific discovery in the present day.

The contextual setting of the Jekyll and Hyde story (which students will be expected to read) acts as a jumping-off point to examine a series of modern, topical case studies with issues that stubbornly refuse to go away. Delivery will take the form of lectures, seminars, and formal debates by students taking the module.

Starting from the underlying themes in Jekyll and Hyde, wherein a scientific discovery can be seen as having both beneficial (Dr. Jekyll) and detrimental aspects (Mr. Hyde), this module delves into the general area of the ethics and social responsibility of scientific discovery in the present day.

The contextual setting of the Jekyll and Hyde story (which students will be expected to read) acts as a jumping-off point to examine a series of modern, topical case studies with issues that stubbornly refuse to go away. Delivery will take the form of lectures, seminars, and formal debates by students taking the module.

Ethics of Global Poverty examines the duties of affluent people towards those living in poverty around the world. Among the questions we will examine are: What obligations do we have to help strangers in need? What bases might such obligations have? Are some charitable causes better than others? Do we have an obligation to donate to the most effective charities, or do we have discretion in our charitable giving? How do we determine the limits of obligations of beneficence? How demanding can such obligations be? Do the major moral theories converge on answers to these questions?

Ethics of Global Poverty examines the duties of affluent people towards those living in poverty around the world. Among the questions we will examine are: What obligations do we have to help strangers in need? What bases might such obligations have? Are some charitable causes better than others? Do we have an obligation to donate to the most effective charities, or do we have discretion in our charitable giving? How do we determine the limits of obligations of beneficence? How demanding can such obligations be? Do the major moral theories converge on answers to these questions?

This module involves the ethical evaluation of public policies. Note that it is not primarily concerned with how public policies are made and implemented, nor with non-ethical assessment of them, such as how effective they are in achieving their aims. These are questions for social scientists, broadly conceived, but the issues explored here are normative, rather than empirical, in nature.
For instance, we will ask whether it is the business of the state to ensure that citizens are morally good or healthy. That is, we will consider whether, or how far, the state may act to enforce moral standards or engage in paternalism. We will look both at the ends of policy and also the means employed to those ends; for instance, perhaps it would be impermissible for the state to coerce individuals into making healthier choices, but maybe it could use non-coercive methods – such as ‘nudges’ – to encourage healthy behaviour.
The methods employed are those of political theory or moral philosophy, but nor is this simply an applied ethics module. Whereas the ethicist asks (e.g.) whether abortion is morally permissible, the focus on this module is on what public policy should be. Examples of questions we may consider include whether the state should permit abortions, whether it may act to discourage them, whether it should fund them, and whether medical practitioners should be allowed to opt-out of performing them. A liberal-democratic state ought to respect freedom and diversity, yet at the same time needs to address certain policy issues on which there may be deep disagreement between citizens. The aim of this module, therefore, is to uncover the policies that such a state may employ.

This module involves the ethical evaluation of public policies. Note that it is not primarily concerned with how public policies are made and implemented, nor with non-ethical assessment of them, such as how effective they are in achieving their aims. These are questions for social scientists, broadly conceived, but the issues explored here are normative, rather than empirical, in nature.
For instance, we will ask whether it is the business of the state to ensure that citizens are morally good or healthy. That is, we will consider whether, or how far, the state may act to enforce moral standards or engage in paternalism. We will look both at the ends of policy and also the means employed to those ends; for instance, perhaps it would be impermissible for the state to coerce individuals into making healthier choices, but maybe it could use non-coercive methods – such as ‘nudges’ – to encourage healthy behaviour.
The methods employed are those of political theory or moral philosophy, but nor is this simply an applied ethics module. Whereas the ethicist asks (e.g.) whether abortion is morally permissible, the focus on this module is on what public policy should be. Examples of questions we may consider include whether the state should permit abortions, whether it may act to discourage them, whether it should fund them, and whether medical practitioners should be allowed to opt-out of performing them. A liberal-democratic state ought to respect freedom and diversity, yet at the same time needs to address certain policy issues on which there may be deep disagreement between citizens. The aim of this module, therefore, is to uncover the policies that such a state may employ.

This module involves the ethical evaluation of public policies. Note that it is not primarily concerned with how public policies are made and implemented, nor with non-ethical assessment of them, such as how effective they are in achieving their aims. These are questions for social scientists, broadly conceived, but the issues explored here are normative, rather than empirical, in nature.
For instance, we will ask whether it is the business of the state to ensure that citizens are morally good or healthy. That is, we will consider whether, or how far, the state may act to enforce moral standards or engage in paternalism. We will look both at the ends of policy and also the means employed to those ends; for instance, perhaps it would be impermissible for the state to coerce individuals into making healthier choices, but maybe it could use non-coercive methods – such as ‘nudges’ – to encourage healthy behaviour.
The methods employed are those of political theory or moral philosophy, but nor is this simply an applied ethics module. Whereas the ethicist asks (e.g.) whether abortion is morally permissible, the focus on this module is on what public policy should be. Examples of questions we may consider include whether the state should permit abortions, whether it may act to discourage them, whether it should fund them, and whether medical practitioners should be allowed to opt-out of performing them. A liberal-democratic state ought to respect freedom and diversity, yet at the same time needs to address certain policy issues on which there may be deep disagreement between citizens. The aim of this module, therefore, is to uncover the policies that such a state may employ.

This module involves the ethical evaluation of public policies. Note that it is not primarily concerned with how public policies are made and implemented, nor with non-ethical assessment of them, such as how effective they are in achieving their aims. These are questions for social scientists, broadly conceived, but the issues explored here are normative, rather than empirical, in nature.
For instance, we will ask whether it is the business of the state to ensure that citizens are morally good or healthy. That is, we will consider whether, or how far, the state may act to enforce moral standards or engage in paternalism. We will look both at the ends of policy and also the means employed to those ends; for instance, perhaps it would be impermissible for the state to coerce individuals into making healthier choices, but maybe it could use non-coercive methods – such as ‘nudges’ – to encourage healthy behaviour.
The methods employed are those of political theory or moral philosophy, but nor is this simply an applied ethics module. Whereas the ethicist asks (e.g.) whether abortion is morally permissible, the focus on this module is on what public policy should be. Examples of questions we may consider include whether the state should permit abortions, whether it may act to discourage them, whether it should fund them, and whether medical practitioners should be allowed to opt-out of performing them. A liberal-democratic state ought to respect freedom and diversity, yet at the same time needs to address certain policy issues on which there may be deep disagreement between citizens. The aim of this module, therefore, is to uncover the policies that such a state may employ.

This module involves the ethical evaluation of public policies. Note that it is not primarily concerned with how public policies are made and implemented, nor with non-ethical assessment of them, such as how effective they are in achieving their aims. These are questions for social scientists, broadly conceived, but the issues explored here are normative, rather than empirical, in nature.
For instance, we will ask whether it is the business of the state to ensure that citizens are morally good or healthy. That is, we will consider whether, or how far, the state may act to enforce moral standards or engage in paternalism. We will look both at the ends of policy and also the means employed to those ends; for instance, perhaps it would be impermissible for the state to coerce individuals into making healthier choices, but maybe it could use non-coercive methods – such as ‘nudges’ – to encourage healthy behaviour.
The methods employed are those of political theory or moral philosophy, but nor is this simply an applied ethics module. Whereas the ethicist asks (e.g.) whether abortion is morally permissible, the focus on this module is on what public policy should be. Examples of questions we may consider include whether the state should permit abortions, whether it may act to discourage them, whether it should fund them, and whether medical practitioners should be allowed to opt-out of performing them. A liberal-democratic state ought to respect freedom and diversity, yet at the same time needs to address certain policy issues on which there may be deep disagreement between citizens. The aim of this module, therefore, is to uncover the policies that such a state may employ.

This module involves the ethical evaluation of public policies. Note that it is not primarily concerned with how public policies are made and implemented, nor with non-ethical assessment of them, such as how effective they are in achieving their aims. These are questions for social scientists, broadly conceived, but the issues explored here are normative, rather than empirical, in nature.
For instance, we will ask whether it is the business of the state to ensure that citizens are morally good or healthy. That is, we will consider whether, or how far, the state may act to enforce moral standards or engage in paternalism. We will look both at the ends of policy and also the means employed to those ends; for instance, perhaps it would be impermissible for the state to coerce individuals into making healthier choices, but maybe it could use non-coercive methods – such as ‘nudges’ – to encourage healthy behaviour.
The methods employed are those of political theory or moral philosophy, but nor is this simply an applied ethics module. Whereas the ethicist asks (e.g.) whether abortion is morally permissible, the focus on this module is on what public policy should be. Examples of questions we may consider include whether the state should permit abortions, whether it may act to discourage them, whether it should fund them, and whether medical practitioners should be allowed to opt-out of performing them. A liberal-democratic state ought to respect freedom and diversity, yet at the same time needs to address certain policy issues on which there may be deep disagreement between citizens. The aim of this module, therefore, is to uncover the policies that such a state may employ.