PHIL 103WEthics

3 credits · Philosophy · Penn State

Through reading and discussion of classical and contemporary sources, this WAC course provides an introduction to the basic questions of ethics, the major currents in traditional ethical theory (virtue ethics, deontology, consequentialism), and more recent developments (e.g., care ethics). These schools of thought offer distinct answers about how we should decide what to do and about what makes a character, a decision, an action good or bad, right or wrong. Students will gain a basic understanding of concepts such as agency, autonomy, and moral responsibility, while also reflecting on the foundations, scope, and limits of moral reasoning: Are ethical norms universal, particular, or culturally relative? How is the moral life of the individual related to political life? Are there moral solutions to social problems or vice versa?