Moral Issues

This course introduces diverse ethical frameworks representing ways that we do think, or can think, about how to respond to moral issues. We consider critical perspectives on some of the most dominant frameworks and reflect on our own beliefs about moral issues, the need for ethical teachings and how to best make use of them in our personal lives and in law and policy.

We emphasize skills related to carefully reading philosophical texts and others’ opinions more generally, as well as writing respectful and constructively critical reflections on your own and other’s opinions. A major focus is on developing a reasoned opinion on a selected moral issue and supporting it with a sound written argument.

The ethical frameworks we consider include Anishinaabe teachings, Kantian Deontology, Utilitarianism, Feminist Ethics of Care, Buddhist Ethics, and Ubuntu. Issues include lying, cheating, consensual sexuality and its regulation, unequal access to healthcare, climate crisis, violence and incarceration, our responsibilities for the well-being of others (including non-humans in the natural environment), and our responsibilities to address our own ignorance.

Note: The course is suitable for beginner students in any discipline, as well as for philosophy concentrators and upper year students who would enjoy the opportunity to reflect on their own views and reasonable alternatives.