Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

A critical examination of a range of moral and legal issues we confront in our dealings with the state and our fellow human beings, such as: Is it wrong to break the law? Should pornography and recreational drugs be illegal? Do animals have rights? Is there a duty to admit immigrants? Are there duties to the world's poor? Are indigenous peoples owed reparations? Students with credit for PHIL 120 may not take this course for further credit. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

This is an introductory course in ethical theory; ethical reasoning; and moral problems. This course involves exposing students to some of the main ethical theories and moral issues. We will consider several ethical theories, including utilitarianism and deontology. We will also apply these theories and associated relevant moral concepts that they generate, to a host of ethical problems. This allows us to take the measure of the character and utility of these theories (and to see the limits of these theories!). But also students will get an opportunity to appreciate the moral challenges we face as a society and as human race. These include familiar issues as the morality of employment equity; the morality of incarceration; the moral issues concerning our exploitation of the natural environment (in the form of climate change) and the morality of sex work. We will also discuss not so familiar moral issues in immigration (is Canada morally required to open its borders or required to keep those who reside without authorization?) and indigenous/settler relations. That is, the moral issues arising from the residence and citizenship of persons seeking to co-exist with Indigenous Nations seeking to realize their moral claims to land, self-determination, and justice. 

This is a writing-intensive course. Students will have the opportunity to improve their writing abilities and to develop effective communication skills. The ability to write clearly and persuasively is a skill that will serve students well in university and beyond.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

1. Recognizing and explaining key concepts, articulating their meaning and placing them in their appropriate context
2. Identifying key arguments placing them in their appropriate context with respect to authorship
3. Reconstructing and critically analyzing key arguments for soundness and validity
4. Articulating the key themes found within the class in a well structured essay
5. Critically comparing various theories showing their strengths and weaknesses and critically extending arguments to novel cases and problems not found within the text

PHIL 120W may be applied towards the Writing Requirement, and the Breadth-Humanities Requirement. The course is strongly recommended for students intending to pursue a Philosophy Major or Minor (especially with the Law and Philosophy concentration), or the Certificate in Ethics.

Videos: Why Study Philosophy? and Meet Our Professors!

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

REQUIRED READING NOTES: