Undergraduate Course: The Birth of Modern Ethics (PHIL10260)
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 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course examines key debates in the early modern (17th & 18th Centuries) history of ethics and how they influenced the development of present-day moral philosophy. |
| Course description |
The way we think about ethics today is profoundly shaped by its past. In this course, we will explore key debates in the history of early modern ethics (17th & 18th Centuries) and their connection to present-day moral philosophy. Some of the central questions we will tackle in this course are: How did philosophers conceive of moral normativity in the modern period? Is authority required for morality to be binding? How did early modern conceptions of obligation and virtue influence analytic moral philosophy in the 20th and 21st centuries?
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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 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Video presentation (5-7 minutes equivalent of 750 words) - 20%
Essay (2,500 words) - 60%
Public philosophy blog post (750 words) - 20% |
| Feedback |
Students will receive individual written feedback on each assessment as well as peer-feedback during in-class group activities. They will also have the opportunity to receive additional guidance and feedback during office hours with the lecturer." |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Reconstruct and interpret historical views on the nature and foundations of ethics in early modern Europe.
- Critically assess a range of positions and arguments, drawing reasoned conclusions about their defensibility in their historical context.
- Articulate complex disputes around the nature of ethics and its foundations from both a historical and a philosophical perspective.
- Communicate complex ideas clearly and in an accessible way to a variety of audiences.
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Reading List
Representative Readings:
- Anscombe, Gertrude Elizabeth Margaret (1958) Modern Moral Philosophy in Philosophy. 33 (124): 119.
- MacIntyre, Alasdair (2002) A Short History of Ethics. Routledge, selected chapters.
- Schneewind, J. B. (2009) Essays on the History of Moral Philosophy. OUP, selected chapters.
- Pufendorf, Samuel (1672) De jure naturae et gentium [trans. On the Law of Nature and of Nations], selected chapters.
- Shaftesbury, the third Earl of (1699) An Inquiry Concerning Virtue or Merit in Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times.
- King, William (1702/1731) De Origine Mali [trans. An Essay on the Origin of Evil], selected chapters.
- Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm (1706) Opinion on the Principles of Pufendorf.
- Mandeville, Bernard (1723) An Enquiry Into the Origin of Moral Virtue¿ in The Fable of the Bees: or, Private Vices, Publick Benefits.
- Hutcheson, Francis (1725), An Inquiry into the Original of Our Ideas of Beauty and Virtue, selected chapters.
- Hume, David (1730/40) A Treatise of Human Nature, selected chapters.
- Cockburn, Catherine (1747) Remarks upon the Principles and Reasonings of Dr. Rutherforth's Essay, selection. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
This course includes individual and collaborative reading and interpretation of historical texts, as well as curiosity-driven discussion and individual reflection, all of which will lead to oral and written communication in the assignments. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Enrico Galvagni
Tel:
Email: egalvagn@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Cameron Findlay
Tel:
Email: cameron.findlay@ed.ac.uk |
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