Undergraduate Course: Ethics and Society (DIVI08024)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Summary
Students will be introduced to philosophical, theological and scriptural approaches to Christian ethics (70%) and Asian ethics (30%). They will discover distinctive resources for ethical reflection on human flourishing and sustaining worshipping communities. They will explore the distinctiveness of the moral life of people of faith, and its significance for contemporary moral dilemmas. |
| Course description |
Syllabus/Outline Content
The first three weeks is devoted to exploring the three major philosophical approaches to ethics that have dominated Western discourse: deontology, consequentialism (including utilitarianism) and virtue ethics. The following two weeks explore topics that inform theological ethics: the communities that we are part of, and the narratives that we tell about ourselves and about our world. Week six explores the distinctive contribution of Christian Scripture to ethics, while week seven puts all of the preceding elements of the course together in a unified Christian framework. The following week compares Christian and Asian approaches to ethics, including Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. This is followed by an exploration of the foundations of Buddhist ethics, and finally a discussion of major ethical issues in contemporary Buddhism. Throughout the course, there will be the opportunity to consider and debate current ethical issues using these sources, methods and concepts. Guidance will also be offered to improve learning, study skills and performance in assessed work.
Student Learning Experience Information
Each week there are three 50-minute lectures and a small group tutorial. Major ideas are explored by means of key texts, which students read in their own personal study time. In the lectures an audience voting system is used to check understanding and foster collaboration on ethical reflection. There is the opportunity to ask questions and debate ethical issues in small groups, in which each student gives a presentation. The assessment comprises the presentation and seminar participation, a coursework essay and a written exam.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | Students MUST NOT also be taking
Ethics and Society (THET08015)
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Other requirements | Students who have previously taken the following course MUST NOT enroll: Ethics and Society (THET08015) |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 33,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
152 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
30 %,
Practical Exam
10 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
10% - Tutorial debate presentation and participation
30% - Essay (2000 words)
60% - Exam (online short format) |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Ethics and Society (DIVI08024) | 120 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Gain knowledge and critical understanding of key ethical texts.
- Compare and contrast different ethical sources, methods and concepts.
- Reflect upon and justify preferences in ethical reasoning.
- Deploy ethical reasoning to address practical issues.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Empathy and imaginative insight, with a tolerance of diverse positions
- Ability to attend to others and respect others' views
- Capacity to modify, suspend or otherwise change position when warranted
- Rational reflection on contemporary problems and controversies |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Rev Matthew Baines
Tel:
Email: mbaines@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Andre Johnson Hall E Vasconcelos
Tel:
Email: ajohnso9@ed.ac.uk |
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