Undergraduate Course: Normative theory (PHIL10078)
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 | Normative Theories are theories about how we ought to act, or how we ought to live. This course examines different traditions in, and approaches to, normative theorising. These may include some or all of Consequentialism, Deontological Pluralism, Kantianism, Contractualism, and Virtue Ethics, as well as Particularism and other anti-theoretical approaches. |
| Course description |
The course will take some approaches to normative ethics and examine them in detail, assessing how well they do at explaining and justifying our moral beliefs (and questioning the extent to which this is a legitimate constraint upon them). It will also examine how these theories apply to particular moral questions such as those connected to procreation, duties to future people, aggregating harms and benefits to different people, and imposing risks of harm.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Knowledge and Reality (PHIL08017) AND
Mind, Matter and Language (PHIL08014)
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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 Student Adviser 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 honours 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 2026/27, 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
(
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 (1,500 words) - 40%
Final exam - 60%
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Normative theory final exam | 120 | |
Learning Outcomes
| To develop further the philosophical skills, and to extend as well as deepen the philosophical knowledge, acquired in previous philosophy courses.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will engage with historical philosophical texts. They will develop their own positions in relation to the texts and to contemporary ethical issues, and will learn to present them clearly and persuasively in writing and oral discussion.
Core skills gained or developed on this course:
Challenging own perspectives and assumptions; Critical thinking; Critical analysis and evaluation; Ethics and research ethics; Formulating original arguments and justifying it; Oral communication (discussion, debating respectfully, influencing); Problem solving; Academic reading skills; Research skills; Self-reflection; Written communication; Writing clearly and concisely. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Guy Fletcher
Tel: (0131 6)51 7112
Email: Guy.Fletcher@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Kayla Johnson-McCraw
Tel: (0131 6)50 3440
Email: Kayla.Johnson@ed.ac.uk |
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