Philosophical Ethics
Full course description
In this course, we explore the field of philosophical ethics. We study the grand narratives in ethics, such as the three leading normative ethical approaches (virtue ethics, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics). We read original texts written by thinkers from the great traditions of philosophy: ancient philosophy, Christian philosophy, modern philosophy, and postmodern philosophy. We discuss Aristotelian virtue ethics, Stoic wisdom, the Christianised life as taught by Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, utilitarianism (Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill), Immanuel Kant’s moral philosophy, the ‘grand style’ of Friedrich Nietzsche, Carol Gilligan her ethics of care, Hans Jonas his ethics for the technological age, and the ‘banality of evil’ by Hannah Arendt. The challenge is to interpret these texts, especially the non-contemporary ones, from the perspective of the authors and their audience. A pitfall that has to be prevented is to read and interpret these texts merely from our own perspective. You are also very much encouraged to read texts in their original language (e.g. Kant; Nietzsche). Also, we encourage you to look for similarities and differences between the texts, concepts, and authors.
Course objectives
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To explore the most important ethical approaches and to gain increased understanding of essential philosophical concepts, theories, and authors.
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To study primary texts of ethics written by the most eminent philosophers of the past millennia.
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To evaluate and discuss cases through the lens of different ethical perspectives.
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To compare and contrast different philosophical concepts, theories, and authors.
Prerequisites
None
Recommended reading
Required literature
- E-reader (KeyLinks University Library)
Suggested literature (background)
- Ferry, L. (2019, paperback edition, translated from French). A Brief History of Thought. A Philosophical Guide to Living. Edinburgh: Canongate Books.
- Gottlieb, A. (2016). The Dream of Reason. A History of Western Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance. Penguin Book (paperback).
- Gottlieb, A. (2017). The Dream of Enlightenment. The Rise of Modern Philosophy. Penguin Book (paperback).
- Rogers, G. (2012/2018). 21st Century Ethics. An Introduction to Moral Philosophy. Texas: Simpson & Brook.
- Russell, B. (originally 1945). A History of Western Philosophy. Simon & Schuster.
- Timmons, M. (2013). Moral Theory. An Introduction (Second Edition). Plymouth: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.