Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, basic course

Aim

After completion of the course, the students should on a basic level be able to - account for comprehensively knowledge of concepts, theories and problems within the field of ethics and applied ethics, - develop a theoretically informed argumentation in specific problem areas of applied ethics, - formulate theory-based policy recommendations and assessment regarding moral issue in one specific professional setting, - express an open and critical attitude to positions and arguments.

Content

Until recently, the term 'applied ethics' was taken quite literally: the application of ethical theory to issues in practical life. Nowadays, many ethicists acknowledge that the relationship between ethical theory and moral practice might be more interactive. Moral choices may be guided or criticised from the perspective of some ethical theory. But theories may also be criticised and adjusted from the point of view of well-considered moral judgements concerning concrete problems. In this course, various normative ethical theories will be studied, like natural law theory, utilitarianism, kantianism and virtue ethics. Students will learn to apply the theories to practical problems and to criticise and evaluate the theories in the light of their implications for practice.