Time Schedule:
Bennett Barr
PHIL 240
Seattle Campus
Critical introduction to various philosophical views of the basis and presuppositions of morality and moral knowledge. Critical introduction to various types of normative ethical theory, including utilitarian, deontological, and virtue theories.
Class description
This course serves as a broad introduction to the field of normative ethics. Normative ethics is a branch of philosophy that attempts to answer such questions as “What, if anything, is intrinsically valuable?”, “What ultimately explains why some acts are right and others wrong?”, “What sort of person should I endeavor to be”?, and “What sort of life is worth living?”. The content of this course consists primarily of the examination of the set of theories in normative ethics that are dominant in the philosophical literature. We will cover such normative ethical theories as Divine Command Theory, Moral Relativism, Natural Law Theory, Classical and Contemporary Utilitarianism, Kantian Deontology and Virtue Ethics.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
