Ethics

This unit examines major issues in ethical theory. One aspect of this is an inquiry into central questions in the philosophical sub-discipline known as 'metaethics'. Some of these questions include: are there objective moral facts? Is moral judgment grounded primarily in reasoning, or emotion, or something else? And what motivates people to do what they believe is right? The unit also involves an exploration of the strengths and weaknesses of consequentialist ethical theories, like Utilitarianism, which assess the morality of people's actions solely in terms of the consequences of those actions. The unit examines debates between these theories and rival theories that incorporate other elements, such as duties, rights, contractualist principles, and people's character and virtues.