URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/W_BA_ETEN

Course Objective

Students can:Remember and explain the most influential theories within the field of normative ethics, including utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethicsRemember and explain the most influential theories within the field of meta-ethics, including relativism, moral realism, skepticism and theories of moral responsibilityAnalyse and evaluate the relative advantages and disadvantages of these theoriesApply these theories in normative ethics to analyze contemporary moral problemsCompose a case study based on this analysis

Course Content

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that focuses on questions, such as “In virtue of what are actions right or wrong (morally obligatory, morally permissible, or morally impermissible)?”“What makes a certain state of affairs good or bad?”“What constitutes a good life?” In this course, we will critically explore different theories that have been developed which offer answers to these questions. Along the way spend time examining how these ethical theories apply to contemporary moral issues. We also discuss several epistemic, metaphysical and semantic questions, such as whether we can know moral claims, whether they are objectively rather than relatively true, and what their semantic features are.

Teaching Methods

The course is six weeks long, with 2 lectures per week, and one workgroup every two week.

Method of Assessment

The final grade for 'Ethics' is determined by a weighted average of the following components: Reading assignments: 10% (assessment of learning objective 3)Case-study (group assignment): 30% (assessment of learning objectives 4 & 5)Final exam (knowledge questions and short essay questions): 60% (assessment of learning objectives 1-3) In order to pass the course, a passing grade needs to be achieved in both the case-study and the final exam.

Target Audience

BA1-students Philosophy; students in the Minor Philosophy.

Explanation Canvas

Students must check Canvas regularly: all updates, changes and recent information will be communicated there.
Academic year1/09/2431/08/25
Course level6.00 EC

Language of Tuition

  • English

Study type

  • Master
  • Bachelor