Contemporary Ethics
| Module title | Contemporary Ethics |
|---|---|
| Module code | PHLM006 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Christine Hauskeller (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 15 |
|---|
Module description
Developments in society, science and technology confront us as individuals and communities with complex challenges to which we must respond, because no response is a response, too, affecting our future. Post-metaphysical ethics is intrinsically connected to our self-understanding as humans and thus scientific understandings of the human and normative concepts influence each other.
This module introduces you to philosophical work of the past 2 decades, addressing current challenges related to human self-understanding and ethical theory.
The course is taught by lecturers specialized in their research on the topics they present.
Knowledge of philosophical moral theories will be helpful, though an undergraduate degree in philosophy is not conditional.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to give you a broad understanding of present-day discussions in philosophical ethics.
It covers metaethics on notions such as responsibility, meaningfulness, and self-understanding as a moral agent but also topical ethical problems such as violence, poverty, animal ethics, neuro-ethics, and genetics.
The aims of this module are twofold, to equip you with the philosophical knowledge to participate in ongoing debates and to advance your knowledge about current philosophy of human nature in relation to natural scientific approaches.
You will gain a good understanding of topical questions in philosophical ethics in theory and practice and experience with discussing current philosophy in small groups, practice in presenting arguments succinctly and in writing short analytic essays on individual themes.
You will be guided to write one article-length essay on a theme of your choice form the course
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate solid knowledge and understanding of current theories and problems in philosophical ethics
- 2. Demonstrate understanding of the methodological and conceptual problems of applied ethics
- 3. Present your own analyses of the implications of theories on pressing ethical debates of our time.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate a high level of knowledge about ethical theory and its application
- 5. Demonstrate sound knowledge of different types of philosophical ethics
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Demonstrate capacity to conduct research independently
- 7. Demonstrate aptitude for succinct oral presentations to groups
- 8. Write reflective academic review and research essays
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
Practical and theoretical themes relating to current problems.
The role of human nature arguments in current practical ethics such as interspecies ethics, violence, and responsibility in relation to oneself, others and global ethics on the one hand the importance of meaning, rules and normativity on the other.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | 276 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 20 | 10 x 2 hour taught sessions- 30 minute lectures and 1.5 hour seminar discussion of readings for each 2-hour session. Students need to prepare by reading assigned texts |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 4 | Facilitated 4 hour group discussion, student presentations |
| Guided Independent Study | 34 | Analyse course reading and write a succinct summary of the key arguments of the text., to be submitted early on in the course |
| Guided Independent Study | 80 | Analyse course reading, study critical debate on them, write a brief review essay to be submitted midterm of the course |
| Guided Independent Study | 42 | Conduct guided and independent research, to prepare essay theme and individual presentation on it in a dedicated course session |
| Guided Independent Study | 120 | Writing independent research essay Conduct guided and independent research on a theme from the course, write a scholarly essay to be submitted at the end of term. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 individual presentation of a course reading to the class | 15 minutes | 1,2,3,6,7 | Oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 70 | 5000 words | 1,2,3,4,5,8 | Written |
| 1 Reading summary - essay | 10 | 1000 words | 1,2,3,4,8 | Oral and written |
| 1 Review essay | 20 | 2000 words | 1,2,3,4,8 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay | 1,2,3,4,5,8 | August/September reassessment period |
| 1 Reading summary - essay | 1 x review reading summary - essay | 1, 2, 3, 4,8 | August/September reassessment period |
| 1 Review essay | 1x Review essay | 1, 2, 3, 4,8 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
The grade percentage per re-assessment is the same as for assessments
Essay 5000 words is 70%
Reading summary essay 1000 words is 10%
Review essay 2000 words is 20%
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Readings will be part journal articles, book chapters and a few books and where possible available on a module online reading list on ELE.
Indicative Readings:
Jürgen Habermas: The Future of Human Nature, Polity Press 2003
S. Kagan, What's Wrong with Speciesism?, Journal of Applied Philosophy Vol 33 (1), 2016, 1–21
Angela Smith, Responsibility for Attitudes: Activity and Passivity in Mental Life, Ethics, 115:2, 2005
Judith Butler, Senses of the Subject, Fordham University Press 2015
Antti Kauppinen, "Meaningfulness", in Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy of Well-Being, ed. Guy Fletcher, Abingdon: Routledge 2015, 281-291.
Allan Gibbard (2012), Meaning and Normativity, Oxford University Press
Thomas Pogge, Real World Justice, The Journal of Ethics 9, Nos. 1-2 (2005), 29-53, 31
Seyla Benhabib, Dignity in Adversity. Human Rights in Troubled Times, Polity Press 2011
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 15/02/2017 |
| Last revision date | 09/09/2019 |