Philosophy 203: Ethics - FALL 2023

Philosophy 203 has two principal aims. First, we consider in some detail four mainstream Western approaches to moral philosophy: Aristotle, Stoicism, and virtue ethics; Hobbes, Rousseau, and Social Contract; Kant and universal rules; and Bentham, Mill and Utilitarianism. Second, we seek to apply these theories and others, including select non-Western approaches to morality, to contemporary social and professional life. The course has a discrete media literacy component and has in the past included cases in business and corporate ethics, cheating in sport, ancient and modern literature, complex
emergencies, environment ethics, and others.

Topics
• Introduction to the idea of a moral order; ethics vs morality (Rachels, chs. 1, 2, 4)
• Utilitarianism: happiness; cruelty to animals; euthanasia (Rachels, chs. 7-8)
• Kant and moral obligation; truth; crime and punishment (Rachels, chs. 9-10)
• Social Contract and game theory (Rachels, ch. 11)
• Aristotle and virtue ethics (Rachels, ch. 13)
• Other topics (Readings to be posted on Moodle)
• Complex emergencies, the grey zone, acting under duress (Readings to be
posted on Moodle)
• Environmental ethics (Readings to be posted on Moodle)