5310734: FU_Contemporary ethical debates (Lecture)

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Semester:SS 22
Type:Module
Language:English
ECTS-Credits:3.0
Semester Hours per Week / Contact Hours:30.0 L / 22.5 h
Self-directed study time:67.5 h

Module coordination/Lecturers

Curricula

Bachelor's degree programme in Business Administration (01.09.2012)
Cross faculty elective subjects (01.09.2014)
Master's degree programme in Information Systems (01.09.2015)
Master's degree programme in Finance (01.09.2015)
Master's degree programme in Entrepreneurship (01.09.2015)
Master's degree programme in Entrepreneurship and Management (01.09.2018)
Master's degree programme in Information Systems (01.09.2019)
Bachelor's degree programme in Architecture (01.09.2019)
Master's degree programme in Architecture (01.09.2019)
Master's degree programme in Entrepreneurship and Management (01.09.2020)
Master's degree programme in Finance (01.09.2020)
Bachelor's degree programme in Business Administration (01.09.2021)

Description

To practice philosophy means to engage with fundamental and complex issues about human life and society at large. This course will be looking into four contemporary issues discussed among ethicists and political philosophers: animal experimentation, euthanasia, immigration, and world poverty.
- Animal experimentation: Should experiments be practiced on animals? What are the philosophical positions regarding this issue? How are those positions justified?
- Euthanasia: How to justify at all the practice of euthanasia in light of the principle of sanctity of life? What arguments are pro-euthanasia putting forth to justify their position?
- Immigration: how to understand the issue of immigration in the context of sovereignty of states and freedom of movement of individuals? On which arguments are based the positions on open and/or closed borders?
- World poverty: How to understand world poverty in the context of global justice? Is world poverty a consequence of unjust distribution? Do wealthy people have obligations to assist the poor?

Lecture Goals

Participants will be able to:

  • Familiarize with the philosophical methods and approaches to deal with these complex issues.
  • Relate the theoretical standpoints to practical issues.
  • Understand the questions raised by these issues of concrete life-situations.
  • Develop critical thinking.
  • Formulate personal positions and arguments supporting it.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to:

  • Familiarize with the philosophical methods and approaches to deal with these complex issues.
  • Relate the theoretical standpoints to practical issues.
  • Understand the questions raised by these issues of concrete life-situations.
  • Develop critical thinking.
  • Formulate personal positions and arguments supporting it.

Qualifications

Lectures Method

Presentations, reading assignments, discussions and a written examination (Essay).

Admission Requirements

No prior knowledge on philosophy is required. But participants should have a genuine interest in these four issues.

Literature

Simon Blackburn, Ethics: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: OUP, 2001).

Andrew I. Cohen, Christopher H. Wellman, Eds. Contemporary Debates in Applied Ethics (Oxford: Blackwell, 2005).

Peter Singer, Practical Ethics, 3rd Ed. (Cambridge: CUP, 2011).

Recommended literature:
Relevant Web-resources and academic articles (for each topic) will be available on Moodle.

Exam Modalities

Grading

Written examination: Essay
Essay exam (2500 - 3000 words, specific criteria will follow)
Please sign in for the exam at the latest on 28.05.2022.
Sign in for the lecture series and the examination separately.
The topics for the Essay will be announced on the 30.05.2022.
Deadline to hand-in your Essay is 20.06.2022 at 23:55.

Assessment

Grading

Written examination: Essay
Essay exam (2500 - 3000 words, specific criteria will follow)
Please sign in for the exam at the latest on 28.05.2022.
Sign in for the lecture series and the examination separately.
The topics for the Essay will be announced on the 30.05.2022.
Deadline to hand-in your Essay is 20.06.2022 at 23:55.

Comments

Fakultätsübergreifendes Wahlfach:
Es gelten spezielle Anmeldemodalitäten.

Exams

  • P-FU_Contemporary ethical debates (SS 22, bewertet)
  • P-FU_Contemporary Ethical Debates (WH) (WS 22/23, bewertet)