Online Syllabus for MLS 603 Ethics, Theory, and Practice

This course provides the beginning masters student with an insight into the history of moral philosophy from Athenian times to the present.  We will look at theories of virtue ethics that trace their ancestry to Aristotle, contractarian ethics in the Hobbesian mode, rights-based theories derived from Kant and theories based on the moral calculus of utilitarianism, among others.

Some questions we'll explore: 

What are good, bad, virtue, rights, justice, duty, morals, ethics, obligations, evil, values, character, and happiness? What are our obligations to our selves, others, and society? How can we make the world a better place? How can we live authentic, fulfilled, happy lives? What should our ultimate goal in life be? Is living morally most conducive to true happiness? What makes something right or wrong? Is it always possible for a good enough end to justify bad means, or do considerations of justice sometimes stand in the way of this? Does morality depend on the commands of God? Are there really objective facts about right or wrong, perhaps transcending differences across cultures and times, or is morality ultimately subjective and/or "relative"? Does anyone ever really act from unselfish motives?

How were these questions approached historically? How have attitudes and beliefs about them changed in different times and places? How can we use the philosophical investigations of these questions to clarify and deepen our understandings of our selves and worlds? How can we use these insights to resolve conflicts, find guidance in living our lives, and make the world a better place?

This Syllabus includes all of the links below:

   Why Study Ethics

   Textbooks

   Course Packet

Objectives

Grading

Assignments

   Procedures

   Academic Honesty

   Acknowledgements