Undergraduate Course: Moral Philosophy (PHIL10213)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course covers moral philosophy, the branch of Philosophy dealing with the nature and foundation of obligations, duties, reasons, and rights. |
| Course description |
This course covers moral philosophy, the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature, extent, and foundation of obligations, duties, virtues, practical reasons, and moral rights. Precise topics vary from year to year; representative topics include: Where do moral obligations come from, and what motivates people to follow them? How do we know what we morally ought to do? Do people have moral right; what about animals? What reasons do we have to help those in need? Do we have moral duties to ourselves; to our loved ones? Is the aim of providing a fully general, informative, moral theory achievable? Is there a universal human morality?
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Mind, Matter and Language (PHIL08014) AND
Knowledge and Reality (PHIL08017)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students studying on MA Cognitive Science (Humanities) are permitted to take this course without having met the pre-requisites of Mind, Matter and Language and Knowledge and Reality. However, it is advisable that students discuss the suitability of the course with their PT and the course organiser before enrolling. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have completed at least 3 Philosophy courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses. Applicants should note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission. **Please note that 3rd year Philosophy courses are high-demand, meaning that they have a very high number of students wishing to enrol in a very limited number of spaces.** These enrolments are managed strictly by the Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department, and all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 32,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
164 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Midterm essay (40%)
Final exam (60%)
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the distinctive subject matter of moral philosophy as a branch of philosophy.
- Analyse and evaluate different approaches to moral philosophy.
- Effectively contribute to discussion of ethical issues, in both academic and non-academic contexts.
- Demonstrate core skills in philosophy, including interpreting and critically engaging with philosophical texts, evaluating arguments and theories, and developing one's own ideas in response to the issues discussed.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
In this course, students will learn the following skills in the following ways. Through seminars, tutorials and readings, they will learn how to critically read and analyse difficult texts; how to look for the wider context; how to evaluate arguments for and against viewpoints; how to articulate cogent arguments; how to allow themselves to be challenged by views they may disagree with. Through the assessments, students will learn how to write clear and structured arguments; how to show an understanding of the materials; how to do research; how to manage time and workload.
Core skills gained or developed on this course:
Challenging own perspectives and assumptions; Critical thinking; Critical analysis and evaluation; Formulating original arguments and justifying it; Independence; Oral communication (discussion, debating respectfully, influencing); Academic reading skills; Preparation, planning and organisation; Self-reflection; Workload management; Writing clearly and concisely; Problem solving; Understanding broader perspectives; Written communication |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Matthew Kinakin
Tel:
Email: mkinakin@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Joan MacKenzie
Tel:
Email: jmacken8@ed.ac.uk |
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