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

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
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

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

Practical and theoretical themes relating to current problems.

The role of human nature arguments in current practical ethics such as interspecies ethics, violence, and responsibility in relation to oneself, others and global ethics on the one hand the importance of meaning, rules and normativity on the other.

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
24	276	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 Activities	20	10 x 2 hour taught sessions- 30 minute lectures and 1.5 hour seminar discussion of readings for each 2-hour session. Students need to prepare by reading assigned texts
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	4	Facilitated 4 hour group discussion, student presentations
Guided Independent Study	34	Analyse course reading and write a succinct summary of the key arguments of the text., to be submitted early on in the course
Guided Independent Study	80	Analyse course reading, study critical debate on them, write a brief review essay to be submitted midterm of the course
Guided Independent Study	42	Conduct guided and independent research, to prepare essay theme and individual presentation on it in a dedicated course session
Guided Independent Study	120	Writing independent research essay Conduct guided and independent research on a theme from the course, write a scholarly essay to be submitted at the end of term.

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).