Philosophy

Ethics

Module code: V7077
Level 6
30 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Lecture, Seminar
Assessment modes: Essay

You look at the central questions in normative ethics and meta-ethics.

These include:

  • what makes an action right
  • whether there are moral rules
  • whether there are moral facts, and if so, how they can be known
  • whether there are external moral reasons
  • whether there’s a relation between moral truths and non-moral truths.

Positions to be examined include non-cognitivism, naturalism, non-naturalism, internalism and externalism.

Module learning outcomes

  • Present a coherent and detailed understanding of the key issues in ethical philosophy.
  • Analyse key arguments offered in the central areas of ethical philosophy.
  • Analyse key concepts such as 'moral truth', 'moral fact', 'moral motivation' and 'moral reason'.
  • Present and defend some independent views with regard to the issues.