Module PHL2020 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
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.
| 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).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students are required to write one essay plan | Approximately 500 words | 1-6 | Written comments and classroom discussion |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 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 | 50 | 3,000 words | 1-6 | Comments in margin and on cover sheet |
| Exam | 50 | 2 hours | 1-6 | Comments in margin and on cover sheet |
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 (3,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Exam | Exam (2 hours) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
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.
Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics
Philippa Foot Virtues and Vices
Philippa Foot Natural Goodness
Peter Geach The Virtues
Rosalind Hursthouse Virtue Ethics
Alasdair MacIntyre After Virtue
ELE - http://vle.exeter.ac.uk.
