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Philosophy, Morality and Society - PHL132
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? In the third section, Contemporary Problems of Justice, we turn to questions of applied political philosophy, focusing on questions such as: What principles should govern the distribution of economic and social resources within a society? What are the obligations of wealthy nations to those less fortunate? What obligations do we have towards immigrants and refugees?
| Credit Points: | 3 |
| When Offered: | S1 Day - Session 1, North Ryde, Day S1 External - Session 1, External (On-campus dates: 6 April, 25 May) S3 Day - Session 3, December 2013 - February 2014, North Ryde, Day MQC2 Day - Macquarie City Campus Study Period 2, Undergraduate, Day, July to October MQC3 Evening - Macquarie City Campus Study Period 3, Undergraduate, Evening, November to February |
| Staff Contact(s): | Professor Nicholas Smith |
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| NCCW(s): | PHIL132, PHI110 |
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| Unit Type: | People unit |
| Assessed As: | Graded |
| Offered By: | Department of Philosophy Faculty of Arts |
Timetable Information
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