Applied Ethics

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Taught at a host institution. PHIL 20240 Applied Ethics at UCD; This module will comprise a detailed examination of the concepts of love and friendship. We will start by comparing the different objects of love: romantic partners, parents and kids, pets and cars, football teams and countries, justice and God. We will then ask about the relationship between feelings and action: is love no more than a random feeling to which one passively succumbs? Can love be sincere but nevertheless mistaken? What is the relationship between duty and love? Can love justify immorality? Is there such a thing as unconditional love? Should schools encourage their pupils to love their country? In terms of friendship, we will ask the following questions: are there objective rules for friendship? Can friendship survive great inequality? Are there any good reasons for betraying a friend?