Contemporary Moral Problems

3 Units

Examination of selected contemporary moral problems and contemporary faces of perennial moral problems such as: when, if ever, lying is justified; the value of honesty and of confidentiality; under what circumstances, if any, various types of killing (suicide, execution, in war, euthanasia, killing of lower animals or ecosystems) are justified. Additional moral problems raised by new knowledge (such as genetic information) or new technology (such as rights to digital information), and responsible uses of these and other sources of power. Clarification of the concepts of value, ethical evaluation and justification, ethical argument, moral relevance, and the notion of a moral problem itself. Readings will draw on classical and contemporary sources in philosophy.