production
Skip to Content

DR2565: VIRTUE AND FREEDOM: EXPLORING THE TRADITION OF WESTERN ETHICS (2016-2017)

Last modified: 28 Jun 2018 10:27


Course Overview

How do we know right from wrong? What are our responsibilities towards others? How should we engage with social and political problems and issues? What constitutes a good life? This course provides an opportunity for students to explore the rich tradition of Western ethical reflection and moral formation. It does so by surveying the various ways in which ethics and morality have been understood and approached by major figures in the Western tradition.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 2
Term Second Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Michael Mawson
  • Dr Michael Mawson

Qualification Prerequisites

None.

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

  • DR2558 Exploring the Tradition of Christian Ethics (Studied)
  • DR3574 Exploring the Tradition of Christian Ethics (Studied)

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This course provides an opportunity for students from any or no religious background to explore the Christian and Western philosophical tradition of moral reflection and formation. It does so by surveying how moral questions have been approached by various figures throughout the Western tradition, including Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Kant, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and more. Students will also examine how attending to the views of such theologians and philosophers on their own terms might shed light on contemporary questions and moral dilemmas.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt

1 two-hour written examination (60%); continuous assessment (40%). Continuous assessment will be assessed via typewritten reports (of one page length) on the set readings, to be submitted in hard copy at the beginning of each tutorial session.


Resit

1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment occurs orally throughout the course based on the students' participation in the tutorials (preparation and contribution to the discussions).

Feedback

Feedback will be provided via written comments on tutorial assignments.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

Compatibility Mode

We have detected that you are have compatibility mode enabled or are using an old version of Internet Explorer. You either need to switch off compatibility mode for this site or upgrade your browser.