Undergraduate Course: Moral Philosophy (LLLI07005)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 7 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 10 |
| Home subject area | Lifelong Learning (PPL) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This is a for-credit course offered by the Office of Lifelong Learning (OLL); only students registered with OLL should be enrolled. A historical survey of the key moral thinkers and their theories, from the ancient Greeks to the present day. Extracts from classic texts will be studied, and placed in their historical and philosophical contexts. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
¿ Read and critically evaluate a philosopher¿s argument;
¿ Explain the central elements in a range of moral theoretical positions;
¿ Identify the historical and philosophical significance of these positions.
|
Assessment Information
| Open Studies 10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Content of course
1. Introduction - what is moral theory, and how did it begin?
2. Virtue ethics - Aristotle¿s Nicomachean Ethics.
3. Egoism - Hobbes¿ Leviathan.
4. Egoism ¿ Hume¿s response.
5. Utilitarianism ¿ Bentham and Mill
6. Deontology ¿ Kant¿s Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals.
7. Intuitionism ¿ Ross: The Right and the Good.
8. Justice ¿ Rawls.
9. Rights ¿ Nozick: Anarchy State and Utopia.
10. Relativism.
|
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Essential
Singer, P., ed., 1993. A Companion to Ethics. Oxford: Blackwell.
Recommended
Rachels, J., 2007. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. 5th ed. Boston; London: McGraw Hill.
Benn, P., 2002. Ethics. London: Routledge.
Web sources
John Gordon¿s website: http://www.glaucon.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
Class handouts
Handouts will be made available on a weekly basis.
|
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr James Mooney
Tel: (0131 6)50 3077
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Diane Mcmillan
Tel: (0131 6)50 6912
Email: |
|
|
University Homepage