Module PHL1013 for 2016/7
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
PHL1013: Philosophy of Morality
This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
The module is divided into three parts. In the first part (weeks 1 and 2) we will look at the nature of morality and the objects and methods of moral philosophy: what counts as moral, what we need moral philosophy for, and similar questions. The second part (weeks 3-5) will introduce a variety of moral theories with particular emphasis on Utilitarianism, Kantianism, and Virtue Ethics. The third part (6-10) is dedicated to the study of particular moral problems which we will try to solve with the help of the ethical theories discussed in part two. Possible topics for discussion will be the moral status of animals, of human embryos, and the dead; torture and the death penalty; world poverty; euthanasia and assisted suicide; and sexual morality.
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
---|---|---|
27.5 | 122.5 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
---|---|---|
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 11 | Weekly 60 minute lectures |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 16.5 | Weekly seminars 90 minute |
Guided Independent study | 122.5 | A variety of private study activities guided by your module leader. |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Bennett, Christopher: What is this Thing Called Ethics?, London/ New York: Routledge 2010.
Rachels, James: The Right Thing to Do, 5th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill 2010.
Rachels, James & Stuart: The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 6th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill 2010.
Mill, John Stuart: Utilitarianism, ed. Roger Crisp, Oxford: Oxford University Press 2007.