Philosophy 2

This is an introductory course in ethics or moral theory, and we will read both historical and contemporary texts that will focus on questions that are largely influenced by the Western philosophical tradition. The material will not be arranged chronologically, but topically. Here is a sample of some of the topics we will discuss: What constitutes a good life? how should we live? Should I preference my interests over the interests of others?

In this class, we will look at three major moral theories: virtue ethics, deontology, and consequentialism. We will examine arguments for and against these theories. And then we will see how these moral theories answer certain applied questions. The overall aim of this course is to introduce students to philosophical questions that have had great historical influence, and to help students cultivate critical reasoning skills so that they can develop their own answers to these questions.