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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Centre for Open Learning : Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences

Undergraduate Course: Moral Philosophy (LLLI07005)

Course Outline
SchoolCentre for Open Learning CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 7 (Year 1 Undergraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThis 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.
Course description 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.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
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.
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.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserMr Maximillian Jaede
Tel:
Email: v1mjaede@exseed.ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr John Ethcuit
Tel: (0131 6)50 3409
Email: jethcuit@exseed.ed.ac.uk
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