MCCCD Program Description

Introduction to Ethics

Course: PHI105

First Term: 2013 Summer I

Lecture 3.0 Credit(s) 3.0 Period(s) 3.0 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S

Description: A survey of ethical theory in Western Philosophy, including the major normative theories and selected metaethical theories.

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Define and distinguish between Normative, Non-Normative, and Applied Ethics. (I) 2. Compare and contrast metaethical theories, such as moral agency (personhood), moral relativism/objectivism, moral skepticism/nihilism, and the problem of moral language. (II) 3. Describe and critically evaluate the normative moral theories of prominent philosophers, such as Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Mill, and Nietzsche. (II, III, IV, V) 4. Compare and contrast the major normative ethical theories of western philosophy, including the teleological, deontological, and virtue theories. (III, IV, V) 5. Describe and critically evaluate the views of at least one moral philosopher representative of the Ancient/Medieval period. (III, IV, V) 6. Describe and critically analyze at least two moral philosophers from the Modern/Contemporary period. (III, IV, V)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. What is Moral Theory A. Normative Ethics B. Metaethics C. Applied Ethics II. Metaethical Theories A. Moral Objectivity (Relativism vs. Objectivism) B. Moral Agency C. Moral Skepticism vs. Nihilism D. Moral Language (Cognitivism vs. Non-cognitivism) III. Normative Moral Theories Teleological: A. Egoism/Hedonism (Thomas Hobbes, or also Epicurus) B. Utilitarianism (John Stuart Mill, or also Jeremy Bentham) IV. Normative Moral Theories Deontological: A. Divine Command Theory, or also Natural Law Theory (Plato, or also Epictetus, or also St. Augustine, or also St. Thomas Aquinas) B. Kantianism (Immanuel Kant) V. Normative Moral Theories Virtue A. Eudiamonistic Virtue (Aristotle) B. Paradigmatic Virtue (G.E.M. Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Alasdair MacIntyre, or Susan Wolf)

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: February 26, 2013

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.