Undergraduate Module Descriptor

PHL2020: Virtues and Vices

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

This module aims to introduce students to virtue ethics and to contrast it with other approaches in moral philosophy. It will familiarise students with a major tradition in ethics and equip them with the techniques required to read, understand and criticise philosophical arguments. It will complement other modules in ethics and political philosophy, and is also available to students from other schools and departments.

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. think knowledgeably about the virtues and vices; 2. read and understand key texts in ethics;
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. reflect clearly and rationally on ethical questions; 4. articulate and defend a point of view and assess the views of others;
Personal and Key Skills	5. write coherent, well-argued essays; and 6. think carefully and independently

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:

1. Introduction

2. Virtue Ethics: for and against

3. What is a virtue? What is a vice?

4. Virtues and duties.

5. Virtues and happiness.

6. The cardinal virtues: wisdom, justice, courage and temperance

7. The economic virtues and vices: thrift, generosity, greed and avarice

8. The sexual virtues and vices: chastity, modesty and lust

9. The military virtues and vices: courage, cowardice and foolhardiness

10. Virtues pagan and Christian

11. Conclusion

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
22	128	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	11	Lectures
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity	11	Tutorials
Guided Independent study	128	Reading, preparing classwork, writing essays and preparing for the exam

Online Resources

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