PHIL 160.001 – Introduction to Ethics

Instructor: David Frank. This course meets MW 10:10 – 11:25 a.m. in CW 105.

How should I live? What makes a person’s life go well? Why should I be moral? Are there objective answers to moral questions? What would a just society look like? How should we respond to injustice and oppression? Philosophers have attempted to provide systematic replies to these kinds of questions. This course will survey and apply philosophical theories of ethics, including utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. Along the way we will discuss contemporary ethical issues, including global poverty, sexism and racism, environmental degradation, and the treatment of non-human animals. Students will develop their skills in normative reasoning and creative critical thinking.