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Academic Year 2002/2003

Introduction to Ethics
PHIL 212 SP

The central question of ethics is "How should I live my life?" This question has two basic answers. One is "Make your OWN LIFE as good as you can make it." The other is "Make the WORLD as good as you can make it." Put another way, the first answer is "LIVE WELL" and the second answer is "DO RIGHT." These seem to be equally plausible answers to the central question of ethics. But what does one do in cases where living well conflicts with doing right? A standard way to deal with this problem is to deny it, by arguing that the good life, properly conceived, will always match up with the morally correct life (or vice versa). Plato and Aristotle argued in this way. But others in the philosophical tradition have maintained that the two answers are genuinely in conflict. Our inquiry will include a study of utilitarian, Kantian, and virtue ethical theories, and include readings from Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Mill, and some contemporary authors.

MAJOR READINGS

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: HA PHIL    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Sorensen,Kelly D.   

Times: .M.W... 01:10PM-02:30PM;     Location: FISK302

Reserved Seats:    (Total Limit: 50)

SR. major: 6   Jr. major: 6

SR. non-major: 7   Jr. non-major: 7   SO: 12   FR: 12

Special Attributes:

Curricular Renewal:    Ethical Reasoning, Writing

Last Updated on MAR-18-2003

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