Module PHLM006 for 2017/8
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
PHLM006: Contemporary Ethics
This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.
Module Aims
This module aims to give you a broad understanding of present-day discussions in philosophical ethics.
It covers metaethics on notions such as responsibility, meaningfulness, and self-understanding as a moral agent but also topical ethical problems such as violence, poverty, animal ethics, neuro-ethics, and genetics.
The aims of this module are twofold, to equip you with the philosophical knowledge to participate in ongoing debates and to advance your knowledge about current philosophy of human nature in relation to natural scientific approaches.
You will gain a good understanding of topical questions in philosophical ethics in theory and practice and experience with discussing current philosophy in small groups, practice in presenting arguments succinctly and in writing short analytic essays on individual themes.
You will be guided to write one article-length essay on a theme of your choice form the course
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate solid knowledge and understanding of current theories and problems in philosophical ethics 2. Demonstrate understanding of the methodological and conceptual problems of applied ethics 3. Present your own analyses of the implications of theories on pressing ethical debates of our time. |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. Demonstrate a high level of knowledge about ethical theory and its application 5. Demonstrate sound knowledge of different types of philosophical ethics |
| Personal and Key Skills | 6. Demonstrate capacity to conduct research independently 7. Demonstrate aptitude for succinct oral presentations to groups 8. Write reflective academic review and research essays |
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 individual presentation of a course reading to the class | 15 minutes | 1,2,3,6,7 | Oral |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 70 | 5000 words | 1,2,3,4,5,8 | Written |
| 1 Reading summary - essay | 10 | 1000 words | 1,2,3,4,8 | Oral and written |
| 1 Review essay | 20 | 2000 words | 1,2,3,4,8 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay | 1,2,3,4,5,8 | August/September reassessment period |
| 1 Reading summary - essay | 1 x review reading summary - essay | 1, 2, 3, 4,8 | August/September reassessment period |
| 1 Review essay | 1x Review essay | 1, 2, 3, 4,8 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
The grade percentage per re-assessment is the same as for assessments
Essay 5000 words is 70%
Reading summary essay 1000 words is 10%
Review essay 2000 words is 20%
