Doing Right, Being Virtuous, & Living the Good Life: An Introduction to Ethics New

This course introduces students to some of the most long-standing, fundamental issues in moral philosophy. We will broach these issues by addressing such challenging questions as: “What makes someone a virtuous person?” “Is the moral rightness or wrongness of an action determined solely by what people believe is the morally right or wrong thing to do, and if not, what is it determined by?” “Are there some things that are valuable but not because they lead to other things that are valuable?” “Can we possess knowledge of moral truths, and if so, how are we able to possess such knowledge?” And “what moral obligations, if any, do we have to non-human animals?” We will address these questions and others by critically engaging with how a number of ethicists from a wide range of traditions have answered them. In doing so, we will see how moral philosophy intersects in interesting ways with other areas of philosophy (e.g., epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion). 

Students enrolled in this course will not only learn about fundamental issues in ethics, but also about some of the most important methods, conventions, and concepts in philosophy. The broad objective of this course is to develop and refine our critical reasoning and writing skills.