Hauptinhalt

Topinformationen

Lehrende

Moral Facts and Moral Truth? An Introduction to Metaethics

Veranstaltungstyp: Seminar

Ort: 69/E23: Do. 10:00 - 12:00 (13x), 93/E09: Do. 10:00 - 12:00 (1x)

Zeiten: Do. 10:00 - 12:00 (wöchentlich), Ort: 69/E23, 93/E09

Beschreibung: Course Description:

Basically, when you think about ethics, you can do so in three dimensions: You can be interested in very concrete and "applied" questions: Is it allowed to lie if it makes the person you are lying to feel better? Should animal testing be allowed? This is the realm of applied ethics.
At a more abstract level, you can ask yourself what basic moral principles are valid. Is it true that we should always seek the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, as utilitarianism would have it? Or is the criterion for moral action that its "maxims" could be a general law ("What would happen if everyone acted in this way?")? This is the field of normative ethics. Of course, applied ethics is not independent of the choices you make in this area.
Finally, there is metaethics. This is where you ask questions like these:
It seems that people disagree about a whole range of moral issues - from concrete cases like animal testing to abstract problems like the right basic moral principles. How can we make sense of this? Are there moral facts to which we can refer? What sort of facts would they be? Can moral statements be true or false? Or are moral judgments rather expressions of subjective feelings? Is "You were wrong to lie to me" really the same as "You lied to me", said with emotional disapproval?
Can we be relativists, so that everyone should act according to the moral principles they find plausible? Would this mean that we cannot argue against someone whose principles make lying no problem at all?

The course is on an introductory level. The course requirements will be determined at the beginning of the term; they will include attendance on a regular basis and a (group) presentation of a book chapter.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, students will …
1. have a good overview of basic positions in the various fields of metaethics;
2. have gained experience in presenting and discussing philosophical content

Prerequisites:
No particular prior knowledge is required; a certain background in applied and/or normative ethics may be helpful, but is not mandatory.

Course Format:
· Delivery Method: in-person, no recordings or online sessions
· Type of Contact & Contact Hours: weekly seminar sessions with 2 academic hours each
· Selection Process: none planned (assuming no more than 25 students are attending)

Assessment and Grading:
Will be settled at the beginning of the course; will include attendance on a regular basis and a (group) presentation of a book chapter.

Required Texts and Materials or further Resources:
Andrew Fisher: Metaethics. An Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2014

The book is available online in the university library!

Important Dates:
· Registration Deadline on HisInOne/EXA: t.b.a.
· De-Registration Deadline on HisInOne/EXA: t.b.a.
· Exam Date on HisInOne/EXA: t.b.a

Will this class be offered again/regularly?
The course will likely be offered again, but not on a strictly regular basis.