Undergraduate Course: Morality and Value (PHIL08015)
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 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The courses introduce students to some of the classic issues, concepts, and theories in moral and political philosophy and value theory that are central to philosophy as a discipline. The examination of these will develop students' ability to understand and critically evaluate philosophical ideas and arguments. A mixture of historical and contemporary texts are covered. No background in philosophy is assumed. |
| Course description |
A representative list of topics covered by the course are:
- Consequentialism
- Deontology
- Virtue Ethics
- Self-interest and morality
- Population Ethics and Procreative Ethics
- Moral limits on markets
- Existentialism
- Meaning of life
- Wellbeing
- Freedom of speech
- The Obligation to Obey the Law
- Distributive justice
(For the precise topics covered in a given year, consult the course guide).
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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 (DIVI08024)
|
Other requirements | Priority will be given to Year 1 students, in particular those who need to take this course as a requirement of their degree programme. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 33,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 9,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
152 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
70 %,
Coursework
30 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Midterm Essay (1,500 words) - 30%
Final Exam (2 hours) - 70%
|
| Feedback |
Students can receive feedback on ideas for their summative work in class or in office hours.
Students will receive written feedback on summative work.
Students can receive further feedback on summative work in office hours.
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| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Morality and Value Exam | 120 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand some of the main traditions and theories in moral philosophy.
- Reconstruct an argument from a text, and do so in a way that balances charity of interpretation with fidelity to the text.
- Engage critically with a philosophical argument.
- Think creatively to develop their positive ideas in a rigorous philosophical manner.
- Anticipate and respond to the best objections to their own ideas.
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Reading List
Indicative Readings
- Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics
- Garcia, Manon The Joy of Consent : A Philosophy of Good Sex
- Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism
- Satz, Debra Why Some Things Should Not Be for Sale: The Moral Limits of Markets |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Filipa Melo Lopes
Tel: (0131 6)50 3958
Email: Filipa.MeloLopes@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Claudia Kenyon
Tel:
Email: ckenyon3@ed.ac.uk |
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