| Unit name | Contemporary Ethics |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THRS20194 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. David Leech |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Religion and Theology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
In this unit students are introduced to several major contemporary rival ethical theories, religious and secular. The unit will focus on their differing treatments of ethical issues which are the subject of ongoing moral discussion. Through these students will develop an appreciation of the contended nature of contemporary ethical reflection and practice.
Aims:
To provide an overview of the major contemporary ethical traditions.
To introduce students to a number of key issues in contemporary ethical thinking.
To develop critical interaction with primary and secondary materials.
To develop written presentation skills through the course assessment.
By the end of the unit students will be expected to have:
(1)Acquired a knowledge of ethical traditions in their historical contexts.
(2)Acquired the skill to engage critically with the basic claims of these ethical traditions, including the skill to reflect on ethical decision-making.
(3)Acquired a critical awareness of the relationship, or lack of it, between ethical and religious claims.
(4)Acquired knowledge and skill to articulate arguments regarding the above in a well-structured and clear manner.
In addition 2nd year students will have
(5)developed analytical skills suitable for level I as demonstrated in their formal assessments.
1 lecture + 1 seminar per week
One summative coursework essay of 2500 words (50%) and one unseen examination of two hours comprising 2 questions out of 6 (50%). Both elements will assess ILOs (1) (2) (3). The coursework essay in particular will offer students the opportunity to demonstrate ILOs (4) and (5).
MacIntyre, Alasdair. A short history of ethics : a history of moral philosophy from the Homeric age to the twentieth century. London : Routledge, 2002.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. On the genealogy of morality: a polemic; translated, with notes, by Maudemarie Clark and Alan J. Swensen; introduction by Maudemarie Clark. Indianapolis, Ind.: Hackett Publishing, 1998.
The Cambridge companion to Christian ethics /edited by Robin Gill. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2001.
MacIntyre, Alasdair: After virtue :a study in moral theory. 3rd ed. Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 2007.
Singer, Peter, Practical ethics. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
Taylor, Charles, Sources of the self: the making of the modern identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989.
