Moral Philosophy

(2.5-3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This module will explore and clarify certain fundamental concepts of morality. Our emphasis will be on the way these concepts are deployed in ordinary situations between ordinary people, and on the way people might disagree about their application, on what the concepts mean and presuppose and entail. On what basis, exactly, does one person feel a moral obligation toward another? What is the difference between someone being responsible, someone taking responsibility, and someone being held responsible? If I forgive someone unconditionally, does this condone the wrong and show a lack of self-respect? Does humility involve deceiving yourself about your qualities? The module is designed for students with no background in philosophy at all. Note, however, that philosophy is more of a skill than a body of knowledge. That means that it cannot just be stuffed in at the last moment in preparation for an assessment; like all skills, it needs to be practiced. So it is perhaps more important in philosophy than in other disciplines to attend lectures and tutorials, to watch and engage in philosophy rather than merely to absorb it. Similarly, writing a philosophy essay is not simply a matter of accumulating and arranging facts; there is a skill of argumentation that needs to be practiced and developed. You will have to write a first draft of the essay, and perhaps discard it and start again, and again. This is normal for philosophy. Some people find philosophy frustrating and pointless for this reason, and that¿s fine to think that. Liking philosophy is often a matter of temperament. We will be providing you with lots of guidance in writing the essay, starting with this Module Outline.