2010 Course Handbook
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PHL132: Philosophy, Morality and Society
This unit provides an introduction to major topics in ethics, moral theory and contemporary political philosophy. The first section, Ethics and the Good Life, focuses on the nature of happiness. Is pleasure essential to happiness? Or does the pursuit of pleasure harm our chances of lasting fulfilment? Must we be virtuous in order to be happy? What is the relationship between happiness and duty? The second section, Foundations of Morality, explores the sources of morality and the objectivity of moral judgment. Is morality based ultimately in self-interest? What is the relationship between morality and religion? Are there moral principles that everyone is bound by reason to recognise? Or is the validity of moral standards relative to specific societies and cultures? Do animals as well as humans count from a moral point of view? In the third section, Contemporary Problems of Justice, we turn to the principles of justice that prevail, or ought to prevail, in the modern world. What is the role of the state in bringing about just distributions of social resources? What are the obligations of wealthy nations to those less fortunate? Do Indigenous peoples have special justice claims? What obligations do we have towards immigrants and refugees? By enabling students to think about these questions, the unit develops key skills required for ethically informed local and global citizenship.
| Credit Points: | 3 |
| Contact Hours: | 3 |
| When Offered: | D1 - Day; Offered in the first half-year E1 - Evening; Offered in the first half-year X1 - External study; Offered in the first half-year (Session Dates: 27 March; 22 May) |
| Staff Contact(s): | Dr Mianna Lotz |
| Prerequisites: | |
| Corequisites: | |
| NCCW(s): | PHIL132 |
| Unit Designation(s): | |
| Assessed As: | Graded |
| Offered By: | Department of Philosophy |
| People or Planet: | People |
Timetable Information
For unit timetable information please visit the Timetables@Macquarie Website .