| Unit name | Contemporary Ethics |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THRS10044 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. David Leech |
| Open unit status | 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 the major contemporary rival ethical theories – religious and secular - and the large-scale systems of thought and practice out of which they emerged. The unit will focus on the historical development of the major ethical traditions on the one hand, including in some cases their historical uncoupling from a religious context, and on the other, their differing treatments of ethical issues which are the subject of ongoing moral discussion. Through these students will develop an appreciation of the tradition-based and contended nature of contemporary ethical reflection and practice, and their embeddedness within more general narratives.
Aims:
To introduce students to a number of key issues in contemporary ethical thinking.
To provide a sense of the tradition-based nature of contemporary ethical conceptions and their links to broader metaphysical assumptions about the nature of reality.
To provide an overview of the major contemporary ethical traditions.
To develop critical interaction with primary and secondary materials.
To develop written presentation skills through the course assessment.
On successful completion of this unit students will have
(1)developed a general knowledge of the history of philosophy of religion;
(2) acquired a basic understanding of current debates in the discipline, with respect both to theistic and non-theistic traditions;
(3) gained some familiarity with some central arguments in contemporary philosophy of religion and an ability to engage critically with them;
(4) developed skills in the researching, reading and presentation of complex material.
1 lecture + 1 seminar per week
One summative coursework essay of 1500 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).
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.
