PHIL 163.001 – Practical Ethics
Instructor: Ian Cruise. This course meets MTWRF 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in CW 103.
This course is an introduction to ethical reasoning through an examination of the ethical dimensions of a number of “hot-button” issues. Some of the questions to be discussed include the following. What, if anything, do affluent people owe to those living in extreme poverty around the world? What do we owe to non-human animals? Is there any moral justification for eating meat and other animal products? Do we have a moral obligation to address climate change? What, if anything, is wrong with social and economic inequality? Is civil disobedience morally permissible in the face of unjust laws? Do some members of society owe others reparations for past injustices? Are we permitted to criticize cultural practices that we find morally objectionable? We will conclude the course with an examination of the role of morality in a good life. How demanding are ethical standards? Should we be dedicating ourselves to becoming as morally virtuous as possible, or is something of importance missing in such a life?