EthicalTheoryandMoralPractice
EthicalTheoryandMoralPractice‐Basiccourse721G22,Advancedcourse721A47,
Master'scourse721A01
Courseinformation,ScheduleandReadings
Fall2017
Modernsocietiesareconfrontedwithmanymoralchallenges.Thefocusofthiscourseis
therelationbetweenethicaltheoryandmoralpractice.Untilrecently,recently,theterm
'applied ethics' was taken quite literally: the application of ethical theory to issues in
practical life. Nowadays, many ethicists acknowledge that the relationship between
ethical theory and moral practice might be more interactive. Moral choices may be
guidedorcriticizedfromtheperspectiveofsomeethicaltheory.Buttheoriesmayalso
becriticizedandadjustedfromthepointofviewofwell‐consideredmoraljudgements
concerningconcreteproblems.Inthiscourse,variousnormativeethicaltheorieswillbe
studied, like natural law theory, consequentialism, Kantianism and virtue ethics. The
course provides insight into recent work on the main normative theories different
methods of moral justification, and the use of theories and methods of justification
withincontemporaryappliedethics.Studentswilllearntoapplythetheoriestopractical
problemsandtocriticizeandevaluatethetheoriesinthelightoftheirimplicationsfor
practice.
In the course, students read and analyse texts, participate in group discussions, write
papers and are actively involved in seminar discussions. In addition, lectures are
provided.
Courseresponsibleteacher:
ElinPalm,CentreforAppliedEthics,LiU,elin.palm{at}liu.se – IKK 4212
Languageofinstructions:
English.
Courseliterature
‐ TorbjörnTännsjö,(2008)UnderstandingEthics,EdinburghUniversityPress(the
thirdeditionisavailableviaLiU’slibraryasane‐book).
‐ ArticlestobemadeavailableviaLISAM.
Schedule
Pleasenotethattheschedulemightbesubjecttominorchanges.
Week Date
Time
Room
Theme/Toread
36
5/9
10‐12
2233
Introduction
(Form1) ‐TännsjöChs.1,2,3and4
36
6/9
10‐12
2233
Lecture1Consequentialism
‐ PhilipPettit:Consequentialism
36
7/9
13‐15
4410
Lecture2Non‐consequentialism
(KVA)
Frances Myrna Kamm: Non‐
consequentialism
37
12/9
10‐12
4257
Lecture3MoralRights
(Bild2)
‐ Jeremy Waldron: Homelessness and
Freedom
EthicalTheoryandMoralPractice
37
37
37
12/9
12/9
14/9
13‐15
15‐17
10‐12
4257
4257
4257
38
38
38
38
39
39
39
18/9
18/9
18/9
20/9
25/9
25/9
27/9
10‐12
13‐15
15‐17
13‐15
10‐12
13‐15
10‐12
4257
4257
4257
4257
4257
4257
4257
Seminar1Advanced/Master’s
Seminar1Basic
Lecture4VirtueEthics
‐ PhilippaFoot
Lecture5Appliedethics:ICT‐Ethics
Seminar2Advanced/Master’s
Seminar2Basic
Lecture6Appliedethics:Neuroethics
Seminar3Advanced/Master’s
Seminar3Basic
Seminar 4 Paper workshop Advanced/
Master’s
Seminar4PaperworkshopBasic
39
27/9
13‐15
4257
Seminars
Allseminarsaremandatory.
Seminar1
InoneofthemostinfluentialpapersinAppliedEthics,“Famine,AffluenceandMorality”,
Peter Singer discusses moral responsibility in relation to famine and disasters. In this
seminar we will investigate What moral obligations we have to aid distant people in
needandwhyandtheextenttowhichweshouldseektopreventsufferinganddeath.
Basic
‐ P.Singer:Famine,Affluence,andMorality
Advanced&Master’s
‐ P.Singer:Famine,Affluence,andMorality
‐ P.SingerOntheAppealtoIntuitionsinEthics
Seminar2
ICT‐ethics
The proliferation and importance of Information and Communication Technologies
(ICT) has given rise to questions regarding equal opportunities and fair distribution.
Abilities to access and engage with computers and the Internet are increasingly
importanttocarryouteconomic,political,andsocialactivities.Theterm“digitaldivide”
depicts a gap between individuals, households, businesses and regions awith regard
bothtotheiropportunitiestoaccessanduseICTandtheInternet.Moralimplicationsof,
andresponsibilitiesfor,suchadividearediscussedinthisseminar.
Basic
‐ Britz, J. J. 2004. To know or not to know: a moral reflection on information
poverty.JournalofInformationScience,30(1),192‐204.
Advanced&Master’s
‐ van den Hoven, J. and E. Rooksby (2008), “Distributive Justice and the Value of
Information:A(Broadly)RawlsianApproach,”inJ.vandenHovenandJ.Weckert
EthicalTheoryandMoralPractice
(eds.), Information Technology and Moral Philosophy, Cambridge: Cambridge
UniversityPress,376–96.
Seminar3
Neuroethics
This seminar focuses a recent debate on moral enhancement and the (alleged)
improvement in agents’ moral thought and behaviourvia discoveries in neuroscience.
The overarching question to be discussed is: under what conditions, if at all, is it
permissibleforagentsdeliberatelytoenhancetheircognitionbymeansofthetoolsthat
contemporaryneuroscienceprovides?
Basic
‐
Boström,NandR,Roache(2007)Ethicalissuesinhumanenhancement.
Advanced&Master’s
‐
‐
Savulescu, J. (2010), ‘Human liberation: Removing biological and psychological
barrierstofreedom,’MonashBioethicsReview,29(1)
Savulescu, J., Bostrom, N. (eds.) (2009), Human Enhancement, Oxford: Oxford
UniversityPress
Seminar4
Paperworkshop
In this seminar, each student provides a short presentation of his or her paper. Each
studentwillalsoserveasdiscussantononepaper,highlightingstrengthsandaspectsto
befurtherdeveloped.Moreover,allstudentsareexpectedtoparticipateinthegeneral
discussion of the papers presented during the seminar. Papers will be distributed in
advance(September27th).
Paper
An“almostfull‐fledged”versionofthepaperissubmittedtotheteacherSeptember22nd.
The same version is presented in the seminar September 27th. After the seminar,
students can incorporate comments from the discussant and from the audience in the
paper.ThefinalpapershouldbesubmittedtotheteachernolaterthanSeptember29th.
Examination
Thecourseisexaminedbyactiveparticipationinseminars,bywritingapaperandby
discussingthepaper/sofotherstudent/s.
RequirementsandGradingforStudentsintheBasicCourse:
Studentsinthebasiccoursewill
a) hand in shorter written assignments before each seminar (approx 300
words/seminar)
b) duringtheseminar,prepareshortin‐classgrouppresentations(eachgroupwill
haveshortpresentationsateachoftheseminars).
a) andwriteashortfinalpaper(2000words).
EthicalTheoryandMoralPractice
Requirements and Grading for Students in the Advanced Course and Students in
theMaster’sPrograminAppliedEthics:
StudentsintheadvancedcourseandMasterStudentswill
c) hand in shorter written assignments before each seminar (approx 300
words/seminar)
d) be prepared to, individually, present answers to the preparatory seminar
assignmentsduringtheseminar
e) andwriteafinalpaper(3000words)—worth50%ofthefinalgrade.