Syllabus
Registration via LPIS
Day | Date | Time | Room |
---|---|---|---|
Thursday | 10/15/20 | 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM | Online-Einheit |
Thursday | 10/22/20 | 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM | Online-Einheit |
Thursday | 12/03/20 | 02:00 PM - 05:45 PM | Online-Einheit |
Thursday | 12/10/20 | 02:00 PM - 05:45 PM | Online-Einheit |
Thursday | 12/17/20 | 02:00 PM - 05:45 PM | Online-Einheit |
Thursday | 01/07/21 | 02:00 PM - 05:45 PM | Online-Einheit |
Thursday | 01/14/21 | 02:00 PM - 05:30 PM | Online-Einheit |
This course offers an introduction into moral philosophy. It is designed around objections to the possibility of justifying criteria of moral action. We will begin with Aristotle’s “Nicomachean Ethics”, move on to Immanuel Kant’s “Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals”, and will then discuss John Stuart Mill’s criticism of Kant’s approach in “Utilitarianism” and Mill’s own reasoning for what could count as acting morally right. The questions we will pursue will be: (1) Can eudeimonia, i.e.“well being”, be regarded as final end of all our actions? (2) does Aristotle’s reference to human nature – as foundation of consideration about “what one ought to do” – represents a petitio in principii? (3) Is it possible to deduce any criteria for assessing the rightness of an action from the formulae of the categorical imperative alone? (4) Is the greatest happiness determinable, i.e, can it represent the goal of a society? (5) Does rule-consequentialism avoid the problems of action-utilitarianism?
- identify the basic theoretical problems in moral philosophy and the major approaches in the history of ethics
- critically analyze the foundations of ethical theory
- summarize in detail, both orally and in writing, the three major ethical theories
- evaluate the ways in which philosophers attempt to justify a criterion for acting morally
- try to apply the different ethical criteria in concrete cases
- analyze the application suggested by others
This course will take place as Distance Learning Course. Attention: online presence is absolutely required for the last session of this course in January 2021 (discussion session) and the first session in October 2020 (where we will find/constitute our “working groups”) and for 50% of the remaining 5 sessions.
All sessions wil be synchron session! The synchron course sessions will be held via MSTeams on the 15th and 22nd of October from 14:00 - 16:00 on the 3rd, 10th and 17th of December from 14:00 - 16:00, on the 7th of January 14:00 - 16:00 and on the 14th of January 14:00 - 17:30 (with a break certainly). Attendance will be controlled.
The course is a PI course, which means that continuous assessment of student performance is carried out. Students will answer Clicker and/or checkbox surveys and show further active participation (e.g. through presentations and participating in discussions). The online “presence” of students will be checked through the activities of the students who will carry out Multiple Choice (MPC) tests and different assignments (see below).
The course will take place as Distance Learning course.
The course starts with an online presence session. Students will receive information about the first online phase and will organize themselves in “working” groups.
In the second session students will get input on the theoretical aspects of this course, information about the foundations of ethical theory, and assessment criteria about ho to evaluate the ways in which philosophers attempt to justify a criterion for acting morally. We will also begin with discussing Aristotle.
During the whole course students will receive e-mails reminding them of the assignments. Based on the theory input made available as text on MyLEARN ("Logic and Ethics Course 2"), they deepen their understanding with MPC tests (just for the purpose to check one's understanding).
Additionally, they create (in small groups) short video interviews to see, how other people see the different approaches, which are often understood as common sense. Instructions for the assignments will be given and discussed in the presence units, where the grouping will be done, as well. Student groups will upload their videos to MyLEARN and receive feedback from peer groups, basing on a checklist for the feedback, via comments on the videos. Written, personal feedback from the lecturer is provided, as well. Students can discuss the group work in group forums and questions arising while working on the assignments with supervisors in a general forum on MyLEARN.
The final session will be devoted to showing and discussing these short video interviews, i.e. the potential problems that arise in evaluating the applications of ethical theories.
1. 4 Group assignments: 80 points (no grading according to a 1-5 scale, grading takes place on the basis of a point-system). The assignments are weekly assignments, there are deadlines (see Learn) for uploading the assignments, turning in the assignments too late will lead to receiving less points. 1 day: 20%, 2 days: 50%. (1 day: 16 of 20 points max, 2 days: 10 of 20 points max). Assignments that are sent to me later will receive no points.
2. Group Video Presentation: 100 points (includes presentation of the interviews: 40 points, transcription of 1 interview: 20 points, written summary of the interpretation of all interviews: 40 points ).
3. Written comments in the "Foren" (or class contribution aver the whole term): What about? a.) There will be an online discussion about possible topics/questions to ask in the video-interviews, b) and about criteria of subsuming potential answers. Full engagement is necessary in order to get the max 30 points here.
The written comments are NOT to be done in a group. This is a single assignment.
Points in total 210:
Excellent (1): 180 - 210 points
Good (2): 150 - 179points
Satisfactory (3): 110 - 149 points
Sufficient (4): 80-109 points
Fail (5): <80
ao.Univ.Prof.Dr. Gabriele M. Mras
Building D4, 3rd floor, room number D4.3.020
Tel.: 01-31336-4257
Email: gabriele.mras@wu.ac.at
Administration: Bettina Gerdenich
Tel.: 01-31336-4166
Email: bettina.gerdenich@wu.ac.at
Assistant: Maximilian Margreiter
Email: maximilian.margreiter@wu.ac.at
Unit | Date | Contents |
---|---|---|
1 | 15.10.2020:14:00-16:00 | Intro into class, course overview |
2 | 22.10.2020: 14:00-16:00 | A) ARISTOTLE
|
3 | 3.12.2020: 14:00-17:45 | B) (i) VIRTUE ETHICS (ii) SOCIETY AND/OR HUMAN NATURE
|
4 | 10.12.2020: 14:00-17:45 | C) KANT
|
5 | 17.12.2020: 14:00-17:45 | C) CONSEQUENTIALISM vs. A PRIORI ACCOUNTS OF MORALITY
|
6 | 7.1.2021: 14:00-17:45 | D)APPLIED ETHICS: IDENTIFICATION OF MOARL REASONING & Theories Of ethics & common sense
|
7 | 14.1.2021: 14:00-17:30 - Last Session | APPLIED ETHICS: PRESENTATION OF PATHS OF MORAL DELIBERATION Discussion of the application of "our" ethical theories |
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