PHIL 339 Outline

THE KING'S UNIVERSITY

COURSE NUMBER:

PHIL 339

COURSE TITLE:

Philosophical Ethics

NAME OF INSTRUCTOR:

Dr Jeffrey Dudiak

CREDIT WEIGHT AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION:

credits 3(hrs lect 3 - hrs sem 0 - hrs lab 0)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

A critical examination of the nature of morality by means of an analysis of classical and contemporary texts. Questions examined include: What is the nature of moral judgment? How are moral decisions justified? What is the relationship between virtue and moral behavior? What is the relationship between happiness and moral duty? Why be moral at all?

Prerequisites: PHIL 230

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Anthony Falikowski, Moral Philosophy for Modern Life, second edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005.

MARK DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT:


Midterm 1	20%
Group Assignment/project	20%
Class Participation	10%
Term Paper	30%
Final Exam	20%

	100%

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

In this course we will explore the central themes of, and figures in, the Western ethical tradition, working toward a contemporary re-visioning of “ethics.” Along the way we will:

develop strategies for effectively reading philosophical texts
learn and critically engage the basic Western ethical theories
develop a philosophical vocabulary
meaningfully reflect upon ethical theories, their uses and limitations, and their significance for our lives and faith

COURSE OUTLINE:

We will allow roughly a week for each of the first nine chapters in Falikowski, followed by discussion/presentation classes based on work for the papers.

Required texts, assignments, and grade distributions may vary from one offering of this course to the next. Please consult the course instructor for up to date details.