Contemporary Ethics
| Module title | Contemporary Ethics |
|---|---|
| Module code | PHLM006 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| 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 and that of others. Post-metaphysical ethics is intrinsically connected to our self-understanding as humans. Scientific understandings of the human and normative ethical concepts influence each other. How we see ourselves and the society we live in affects what makes an ethical response. At the same time, ethical acts happen in often highly politicized or culturally regimented situations, which make it very difficult to decide what is right or wrong.
In this module we will discuss different contemporary ethical themes and literatures relating to understandings of human nature. Globalized Modernity is characterized by a pluralism of cultures and moral traditions that deserve ethical consideration. We will have a few anthropologists as guest lecturers who will inform and discuss with us their research into hospitality, women and culture, questions of life and death, ethics of virtue and ethics of care. Intersectional and postcolonial approaches will be discussed alongside more traditional ones.
Knowledge of established 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 concepts such as responsibility, power and self-understanding as a moral agent. The aim is arrive at an understanding of the challenges of and to ethics in our contemporary world by discussing specific examples such as humanitarian medical aid, transnational adoption and human genome editing. In these cases the interlinkages between knowledge, technologies, power relations, and human self-understanding are configures in complex ways. We explore them to develop a sharper understanding of ethics in the Anthropocene.
The aims of this module are twofold, to equip you with the philosophical knowledge to participate in ongoing debates about facts and values, and to advance your knowledge about current thought in ethics and the normative and epistemic assumptions they entail.
You will gain a good understanding of topical questions in philosophical ethics in theory and practice. We will discuss topical subjects in small groups and you will practice presenting arguments. The writing of short review essays will advance your ability to summarize arguments succinctly and write a discursive essay on one of the module themes.
You will be guided to write one article-length essay on a theme of your choice from 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 270 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 22 | 11 x 2 hours per week comprising of lectures and seminars |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 8 | 2 x 4-hour facilitated workshop with student presentations |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Analyse one course reading and write a succinct summary of the key arguments of the text |
| Guided Independent Study | 110 | Reading of the module texts for each week |
| Guided Independent Study | 40 | Prepare an oral presentation with presentation slides on the topic for your final essay |
| Guided Independent Study | 100 | Writing independent research essay. Conduct guided and independent research on a theme from the course; write a scholarly essay to be submitted after the end of term |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussion of essay plan, 1:1 meeting | 500 words, 15 minutes | 1-4, 6, 8 | 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 | 5,000 words | 1-6, 8 | Written |
| 1 x Reading Review | 10 | 800 words | 1-4, 6, 8 | Written |
| Presentation of essay plan with slides | 20 | 10 minutes | 1-4, 6, 7 | Oral and 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 (5,000 words) | 1-6, 8 | August/September reassessment period |
| Reading Review | Reading Summary (800 words) | 1-4, 6, 8 | August/September reassessment period |
| Presentation of essay plan | Mini essay (1,000 words) | 1-6, 8 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
The forms of re-assessment have the same credit percentage as their original form of assessment.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Seyla Benhabib (2011) Dignity in Adversity. Human Rights in Troubled Times, Polity Press.
Ruha Benjamin (2018) Informed Refusal: Toward a Justice-based Bioethics. Science, Technology, & Human Values, 41(6):967-990.
Frantz Fanon (1952). Black Skin, White Masks, pp. 64-88.
Christian Fuchs (2016), Critical Theory of Communication, University of Westminster Press, Chapter 6, pp. 177-206.
Hans Jonas (1973) Technology and Responsibility: Reflections on the New task of Ethics, Social Research Vol. 40/1, pp. 31-54.
Saba Mahmood (2005) ‘The Subject of Freedom’. The Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject. Oxford: Princeton University Press.
Val Plumwood (1993). Feminism and the Mastery of Nature.
Robbins, J. (2013). Beyond the suffering subject: toward an anthropology of the good. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 19(3), 447-462.
Adam Rosenblatt (2015) Digging for the Disappeared. Forensic Science after Atrocity. Stanford University Press.
Rush, M. (2019). Motivating propositional gratitude. Philosophical Studies, 177(5), pp.1191–1211.
Susan Sherwin (1992) No Longer Patient, Feminist Ethics and Health Care, Temple University Press.
Vandana Shiva (2005) Earth Democracy. Justice, Sustainability and Peace, North Atlantic Books.
Andrew Shryock 2008. “Thinking about Hospitality, with Derrida, Kant, and the Balga Bedouin.” Anthropos 103(2): 405-421. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/40467420.pdf
Hugo Slim (2015) Humanitarian Ethics, Oxford University Press, part II, The Modern Elaboration of Humanitarian Principles, pp. 39-121.
Terry, F. (2002), Condemned to Repeat? The Paradox of Humanitarian Action, Cornell University Press, Chapter 1, pp. 17-55.
Lisa Tessman (2009) Feminist Ethics and Social and Political Philosophy. Theorizing the Non-Ideal, Springer.
| 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 | 06/05/2022 |
