Practical Ethics
Module title | Practical Ethics |
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Module code | PHL3113 |
Academic year | 2023/4 |
Credits | 15 |
Module staff | Dr Stephan Guttinger (Convenor) |
Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Duration: Weeks | 11 |
Module description
We confront moral issues and make moral decisions every day, but we don’t always think about them as carefully as we could. In this module, you will engage in debates on contemporary moral and social issues, such as whether we should be vegetarian, whether we should develop and use brain interfaces, who should be allowed to vote, whether we are ever justified in silencing opinions, and whether the ban on doping in sport is morally justified. Careful consideration of these issues, along with the methods and motivations of applied ethics more broadly, will facilitate the development of analytical and critical skills that will aid you in your broader processes of moral reasoning and in your other academic studies.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to engage you in some very important contemporary debates in applied ethics. By the end of the module, you should be able to:
1) Understand the motivations and methods of practical ethics;
2) Assess arguments for different social and moral positions; and
3) Discuss in a philosophically sophisticated manner some of the most pressing contemporary moral controversies.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Identify and cogently discuss the issues raised in some key contemporary debates in applied ethics.
- 2. Critically distinguish and evaluate certain positions and arguments within some key contemporary debates in applied ethics.
- 3. Demonstrate a deep understanding of the methods of applied ethics.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate a high level of understanding of the relationship between the practical and theoretical aspects of philosophy.
- 5. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of different types of philosophical analysis.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Demonstrate a significantly expanded philosophical vocabulary and understanding with respect to key ideas in practical ethics.
- 7. Engage in complex and high level argumentation both orally and through writing.
- 8. Conduct research independently engaging in complex ideas and problems while developing original research insights.
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 in practical ethics:
1) Veganism and the environment.
2) Capital punishment.
3) Citizenship, suffrage and the right to vote.
4) Twitter and free speech.
5) Abortion.
6) Drugs and sport.
7) Immigration.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
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Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 22 | Weekly 2-hour lectures/seminars or 1 hour lecture + 1 hour seminar |
Guided Independent Study | 45 | Preparation for lectures and tutorial participation including reading, and preparing reading reports and answers to tutorial questions. |
Guided Independent Study | 83 | Independent research for the first and final essays. |
Formative assessment
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Essay outline | Outline of final essay (500 words) | 1-8 | Written/Peer review |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
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100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Essay | 40 | 1300 words | 1-7 | Written |
Final essay | 60 | 2000 words | 1-8 | 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 |
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Essay | Essay (1300 words) | 1-7 | August/September reassessment period |
Essay | Essay (2000 words) | 1-8 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Hugh LaFollette (ed.) (2014), Ethics in Practice: An Anthology, 4th edition, John Wiley & Sons.
Credit value | 15 |
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Module ECTS | 7.5 |
Module pre-requisites | None |
Module co-requisites | None |
NQF level (module) | 6 |
Available as distance learning? | No |
Origin date | 11/01/2019 |
Last revision date | 01/03/2023 |