Ethics

Catalog description

Cat. I This course offers a general introduction to modern moral theory. What makes one action wrong, and another right? What are our moral duties towards others? Do moral values change over time, making beliefs about right and wrong simply "relative," or are moral values objective, holding true for all people, everywhere, at all times? Should emotions play a role in ethical deliberation, or should we aspire to be purely rational when engaged in moral thought and action? Is it okay to cheat on an exam, so long as everybody else does it? Do we have a right to use animals in laboratory experiments? Is eating meat ethical? Is it wrong to share a racist or sexist joke? Should abortion be legal? Students will learn how to apply key moral concepts to real-world problems and situations after closely studying several moral theories, including utilitarianism, Kantianism, and feminist care ethics. Other topics covered include moral relativism, psychological hedonism, and ethical egoism.