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PHIL10040

Academic Year 2024/2025

Introduction to Ethics (PHIL10040)

Subject:
Philosophy
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Philosophy
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Elmar Unnsteinsson
Trimester:
Autumn and Spring (separate)
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module is taught in both the autumn and the spring trimesters, and students are welcome in either. The teaching staff and the content will differ slightly, but the assessment will be the same.

Ethics is all about doing the right thing and about becoming the right sort of person; it is also about how we act collectively, as a family, as a nation, as the human race, to improve welfare and reduce harm; it is about how we blame and praise people, including ourselves; it is about how we teach children, both at home and in schools. In this module we will look at how some philosophers have understood "the right thing" and "the right sort of person" from ancient Greece through to the 18th Century through to the present day, (although we might not teach it chronologically). Moreover, we will discuss these views through specific case studies, to understand how these frameworks may be applied in practical contexts, and explore possible strategies to address some ethical challenges that we face in the current society.

This module is designed for people with no background in philosophy at all.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

This module will introduce students to philosophical approaches to ethics. It will provide students with the philosophical vocabulary to voice, clarify, and justify their own ethical positions while critically engaging with contrasting views.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

22
Tutorial

7
Autonomous Student Learning

96
Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module will comprise lectures and small-group tutorials

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Recommendations:

This module assumes no background knowledge of philosophy at all.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Participation in Learning Activities: Participation in tutorials. Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9 Graded No

20

 No
Assignment(Including Essay): 1500 word essay Week 7 Graded No

20

 No
Exam (In-person): Closed-book exam on material not assessed by the mid-term essay End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Graded No

60

 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
Repeat Within Two Trimesters
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback will be given to students on each of the essays.

Name Role
Dr Christopher Cowley Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
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