Exploring Moral Dilemmas - WEA Sydney

Exploring Moral Dilemmas

Great works of literature provide a rich source of moral problems and dilemmas. The selected readings pose a wide range of such problems: what are our responsibilities in the face of the God-like powers of technology? Can individuals be held morally responsible if their actions are determined? How should we approach the corrupting influence of absolute power? Can the pursuit of personal pleasure lead to a morally satisfying life? We will explore the extent to which philosophy can help resolve these questions, in the process gaining an understanding of leading ethical theories.

DELIVERY MODE

  • Face-to-Face

SUGGESTED READING

  • Jonathan Wolff, An Introduction to Moral Philosophy (Norton, 2020. ISBN: 978-0393428179)
  • Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
  • Fyodor Dostoevsky, The legend of the Grand Inquisitor from the Brothers Karamazov
  • Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr Jeykll and Mr Hyde
  • HG Wells, The Invisible Man
  • E M Forster, The Machine Stops from Collected Short Stories
  • Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

COURSE OUTLINE

  • The aims and purposes of moral philosophy
  • The difference between meta-ethics, normative ethics and applied ethics
  • A review of some of the leading issues of moral philosophy, including free will v. determinism, individual moral responsibility, and the objectives of a well lived life
  • An outline of leading normative ethical theories, including intuitionism, consequentialism (utilitarian) and rights-based (deontological ) theories
  • Reflection on a range of moral dilemmas from the perspective of these different theories
  • An assessment of the ability of moral theories to aid practical decisions through applied ethics

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

  1. Understand the difference aims and objectives of meta-ethics, normative ethics and applied ethics
  2. Understand the broad outlines of the leading normative philosophical theories of morality
  3. Understand the strengths and limits of normative ethical theories in helping to resolve moral dilemmas
  4. Think critically about some leading moral dilemmas, and to use relevant ethical theories to reflect on them
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