Postgraduate Module Descriptor

ANTM111: Animal Ethics

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Aims

This module aims to introduce students to the ethics of non-human life. By covering key topics in ethics and philosophical argumentation the module seeks to grant students from any background an understanding of how philosophical approaches can be applied to the problems associated with human interactions with other living things. The module aims to give students a good general knowledge in animal ethics and also the conceptual limits which define this field (what is an animal?). Through this module you will gain an understanding of the range of ethical problems which our life with non-human organisms gives rise to and to the possible responses which have been and might be offered to these problems. This module aims particularly at ensuring you will gain a good understanding of the concepts of sentience and personhood and how these might be employed in our thinking about non-human life.

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 comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the ethical questions associated with human interactions with non-human organisms. 2. Analyse critically issues relating to personhood and sentience. 3. Articulate clearly stances for and against potential positions in animal ethics.
Discipline-Specific Skills	4. Articulate, in written form, valid ethical arguments. 5. Demonstrate a clear understanding of systematic analysis and philosophical problem solving. 6. Demonstrate an understanding of the breadth of philosophical debate and the place of ethics within philosophy and its relationship with other academic disciplines.
Personal and Key Skills	7. Communicate effectively (orally and in writing) valid arguments. 8. Engage calmly and effectively in debate concerning highly sensitive topics. 9. Evaluate effectively an opposing stance when assessing the value of arguments.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

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

Reading and Writing Philosophy and Ethics
The Metaethical Triumvirate: Utilitarianism, Deontology and Virtue Ethics. Exploring the classic theories in ethics (and a realist’s disclaimer).
Non-Human Life and Philosophy: a history of animals and other living things in philosophical discourse.
Souls 1: Philosophy of Mind, Rationality, Language and Human Exceptionalism: Are humans different to other animals and why might that matter?
Utilitarianism and Singer: Are pleasure and pain the things which matter?
Animal Liberation and Kantian Means to Ends: Understanding intrinsic and instrumental value and how using animals fits in.
Vegetarianism and Veganism: What justification is there for or against these ‘lifestyles’?
Souls 2: Sentience, Interests and the Boundaries of Personhood: Discussing the possible problems with the concept of sentience and where we should draw the boundaries of personhood.
The Peculiar Weight of Death and Killing: To whom is death harmful? Is it particularly harmful? How and why?
Wisdom and Moral Pluralism: Do we need to stick to one of these ethical theories? Are our lives with animals important for us being good people?

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
20	130	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 & Teaching activities	10	10 x 1 hour podcast audio lectures with accompanying powerpoint presentations
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities	10	10 x 1 hour discussion/seminar participations on the VLE discussion forums (including formative assessments)
Guided Independent Study	30	Preparation for formative assessments
Guided Independent Study	100	Research and writing of summative assessments

Online Resources

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

Online journals and ebooks including Oxford Handbook of Animal Ethics, Journal of Animal Ethics, Journal of Agricultural & Environmental Ethics, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science.