2444.17 - General Ethics


Course number
2444.17
Title
General Ethics
ECTS
10
Prerequisites
Bachelor degree or equivalent with adequate component of law
Purpose
The course aims first at making the students aware of ethical issues and how these are treated from the perspective of moral philosophy. Secondly the aim is to get the students to develop their analytical skills so as to be able to understand and identify the philosophical presuppositions and indications that underlie proposed laws (bills) and other public regulations.
Content
The course aims to describe how ethical issues are treated from a moral philosophical perspective. It will be described what ethical argumentation is, on which assumptions it is based, and how ethical argumentation can be used to deal with ethical questions in contemporary society. Basic ethical positions will be discussed, as deontology, consequentialism, virtue ethics and proximity ethics, and advantages and disadvantages will be highlighted. The course will in addition cover bioethics, environmental- and animal ethics, technoethics, research ethics and corporate ethics. Related to the home assignment, the student must demonstrate that he or she is able to, on basis of the above mentioned, analyse a problem or topic related to existing or intended legislation.
Learning and teaching approaches
Lectures, discussions, and active participation from the students.
Learning outcomes
The goal is that the students shall be able to: • Explain main points about the ethical theories they have studied during the course. • Understand what ethical argumentation is about and what presuppositions and assumptions it is based upon. • Analyse foundational questions in ethics. • Identify and analyse ethical questions in the contemporary society. • Self-consciously assess and make a reasoned evaluation of ethical problems. • identify and analyse ethical opinions, presuppositions, and allusions behind, and related to, bills and statutory laws.
Assessment method
5 hours written exam and a home assignment. It is a precondition for the exam that the student has filed the written home assignment. Home assignment shall count for 1/3 of the mark, written exam 2/3. To pass the module students must at least obtain the grade 02 for the home assignment and the written exam individually.
Examination
External
Marking scale
7-
Bibliography
Reading materials, around 800 pages. In addition there will be the reading materials collected by the student in relation to the home assignment.
Contact
Bárður Larsen