Undergraduate Course: Ethics and Society (THET08015)
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 | Students will be introduced to philosophical, biblical and theological approaches to Christian ethics. They will discover the distinctive resources of Christian theological ethics for describing human flourishing and sustaining Christian worshipping communities. They will explore the distinctiveness of the moral life of the Church, and its significance for contemporary moral dilemmas. |
| Course description |
Academic Description:
The course combines philosophical and theological approaches to ethics, encouraging critical engagement with each of these. By reading excerpts from key texts, students gain knowledge of the history of ethics and its concepts. Comparing and contrasting different approaches, they are encouraged to reflect upon and justify their own forms of ethical reasoning and their stances on particular ethical issues, as well as respecting difference and recognising its intellectual grounds. The course provides a valuable preparation for ethics courses at level 10.
Syllabus/Outline Content:
The course opens with a survey of five possible sources of ethics: tradition, nature, scripture, reason and relationships. The following weeks focus on particular ethical methods and concepts that have emerged from these: virtue, command, conscience, utility, freedom, community, narrative and purpose. 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 gain responses to ethical questions. 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 |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
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 | Dr David Grumett
Tel: (0131 6)50 8970
Email: David.Grumett@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Rory Meehan
Tel:
Email: rory.meehan@ed.ac.uk |
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