Role Morality

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Philosophy 134 introduces philosophical ethics via the varying lenses provided by some of the different roles that people sometimes occupy—roles such as friend, lover, parent, child, student, teacher, doctor, patient, lawyer, client, researcher, and research subject. It asks both whether occupying such roles can add special obligations that one otherwise would not have and whether it can override or undercut general obligations one would otherwise have by providing special excuses. It also looks to ethical theory to ask how we might make sense of the complex tapestry of obligations and excuses that emerges from attending to the moral relevance of roles. Reading lists and the specific roles examined vary from semester to semester and from instructor to instructor, as do required work and expectations. Please consult the syllabi posted online by individual instructors for more detail.