Download HU245

HU245
Introduction to Ethics:
Instructor:Jere Vincent
But what’s philosophy?


“Philosophy” derives
from Greek and
means love of wisdom
Philosophy takes on
big questions that
often come from
reflection on everyday
life, things we take for
granted

critical thinking
General Intro (ctd.)

HU245 introduces you to philosophical thinking
focused on values and society

Moral philosophy is the study of ethics



values in how we lead our lives
what makes actions right or wrong?
Political philosophy focuses on ideal,
institutions and practices that structure our
social lives
Fundamental questions (in ethics)
 Are
moral values relative to, rather than universal
across, different cultures?
 Does
morality crucially involve human pleasure
and pain?
 Is
the most important feature of our moral lives
that we act from duty?
Are moral values relative to cultures?


Observation: some cultures
seem really different from
our own in what they think is
right and wrong
Conclusion: what’s right
and wrong is not universal,
but relative to one’s culture
Fundamental questions (in ethics)
 Are
moral values relative to, rather than universal
across, different cultures?
 Does
morality crucially involve human pleasure
and pain?
 Is
the most important feature of our moral lives
that we act from duty?
… in political philosophy
 Do
individuals have rights that no government
can legitimately interfere with?
 Is
capitalism necessarily exploitative of wage
labourers?
 Is
the development of moral thinking the same
for men and for women?
B. Five Course objectives

acquire substantial knowledge
about issues at the heart of moral
& political philosophy, & more
generally about philosophical
reflection on values & society

develop critical thinking skills
that allow you to probe beneath
the surface of what you read and
hear both in class and beyond it
B. Five Course objectives

improve the quality of your own
thinking and writing about
morality & politics

become a more sophisticated
philosophical thinker about
values & society

see how to apply the knowledge
you acquire in the course to
everyday moral and political
issues and issues that matter to
you.
C. Thematic Overview


Moral relativism

Utilitarianism


Kantian ethics

Libertarianism and
political philosophy
Marx on society
Moral thinking,
justice, and care
Fundamental questions (in ethics)
 Are
moral values relative to, rather than universal
across, different cultures?

Moral Relativism
 Does
morality crucially involve human pleasure
and pain?

Utilitarianism
 Is
the most important feature of our moral lives
that we act from duty?

Kantian Ethics
… in political philosophy
 Do
individuals have rights that no government
can legitimately interfere with?

Libertarianism and political philosophy
 Is
capitalism necessarily exploitative of wage
labourers?

Marx on society
 Is
the development of moral thinking the same
for men and for women?

Moral thinking, justice, and care
So, Welcome to
HU245!
Introduction to Ethics:
Professor: Jere Vincent