Introduction to Moral Philosophy (260-0-20)

Instructors

Abigail Kathleen Iturra

Meeting Info

Online: Tues, Thurs 12:00PM - 2:30PM

Overview of class

How should I live in order to live a good life? What does it mean to be good? Or, to be evil? Are these moral judgments shared universally, or are they shaped by culture and history? How should I treat others, and what principles ought to guide my ethical decisions? Questions such as these lie at the heart of moral philosophy.

Philosophers have long struggled with these concerns, and in this course we will examine their responses. We will examine several prominent moral theories, as well as critical perspectives that challenge them. Some of these theories aim to formulate rational moral principles that explain our judgments about right and wrong and guide our actions accordingly. In this regard, we will study Virtue Ethics (Aristotle), Utilitarianism (Bentham), and Deontological Ethics (Kant).
We will then turn to two influential critiques of these approaches: Nietzsche's genealogical challenge to moral values and feminist responses to the philosophical canon, particularly Care Ethics (Gilligan).

Class Attributes

Ethical and Evaluative Thinking Foundational Disci
Ethics & Values Distro Area
Synchronous:Class meets remotely at scheduled time