Ethics: from Ancient to Modern [2277]

General Information

• Credits: 6 ECTS
• Prerequisites: baccalaureate level or equivalent; proficiency in English
• Learning format: asynchronous distance learning – 100% e-learning
• Language of instruction: English
• Course access: available at any time of year
• Disability liaison officer: Cécile Boucherle 

Course Overview

This course offers a structured and rigorous journey through the history of ethics, from Plato to contemporary utilitarianism, in order to highlight the diversity of possible foundations for morality. Beginning with the Socratic dialogue (Euthyphro), it examines the nature of the good and of piety, before turning to Aristotle’s teleological conception of happiness (eudaimonia) and his theory of virtue as the perfection of character and the emotions. It then confronts this tradition with the Kantian break, centred on duty, the moral law, and the dignity of the person as an end in itself, bringing to light the tensions between inclination, reason, and autonomy. Finally, the course opens onto the utilitarian theories of Bentham and Mill, as well as their critics, analysing the principle of utility, its claim to universality, and the debates it continues to provoke. Taken together, the course enables a comparative understanding of virtue ethics, deontology, and consequentialism, clarifying their anthropological presuppositions and practical implications. It thus provides the essential conceptual tools needed to reflect upon, defend, or critique the major moral theories that continue to shape contemporary debates. 

Learning Outcomes

This course enables you to:

• develop a broad understanding of ethical theories;
• become aware of the most influential ethical theories such as virtue ethics, deontology and utilitarianism;
• discover various ethical theories;
• discover some of the most influential ethical theories; and
• identify some criticisms of these major theories.

Course Competencies

is course is linked to the following competency:

• Conduct a rigorous ethical and aesthetic analysis, including on contemporary issues.

Course Outline

Section 1: Plato - Euthyphro

Section 2: Aristotle - Nicomachean Ethics

Section 3: Aristotle on Eudaimonia

Section 4: The emotional structure of Aristotelian virtue

Section 5: Consequences for Ethical Theory

Section 6: Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Ethics

Section 7: From Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals

Section 8: Kant: A short history of Ethics

Section 9: On the Putative Apriority of Judgments of Taste

Section 10: Of the Principle of Utility

Section 11: Of what sort of Proof the Principle of Utility is Susceptible

Section 12: Criticism of Mill's "Proof"

Section 13: Utilitarianism and Commonsense Morality

Section 14: Extreme and Restricted Utilitarianism

Section 15: Utilitarianism and Moral Self-indulgence

Assessment Methods 

Course assessment is based on:

• tracking and completion of the course and of all learning activities. These activities, designed as essential practice and learning exercises, may be completed multiple times and are not factored into the final grade; and
• the final assessment quiz, which constitutes the graded evaluation. 

Learning Format

The course is taught entirely online via the MyDomuni platform, accessible 24/7.
Learning resources include:

• written course materials;
• supplementary documents and, depending on the content, video resources;
• interactive learning activities (quizzes, exercises); and
• a discussion forum with the course instructor and fellow participants.

Prerequisites

This course is open to anyone with a general level of education equivalent to the baccalaureate, or with personal or academic experience related to the topics covered.

A good command of written English is recommended to facilitate understanding of the content and participation in the activities offered.

Accessibility

The course is accessible at any time, from any internet-connected device, via the MyDomuni platform.
For students with disabilities, specific support can be arranged upon request to ensure equitable access to course content and activities.

Disability liaison officer: cecile.boucherle@domuni.eu.

Selective Bibliography

• Platon, Euthyphro, in Forrest E. Baird (dir.), Ancient Philosophy, 6e éd., New Jersey, Prentice Hall, 2011, p. 70-82.
• Terence Irwin, Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics, Indianapolis, Hackett Publishing Company, 1985, p. 1-65.
• Thomas Nagel, « Aristotle on Eudaimonia », in Amélie Oksenberg Rorty (dir.), Essays on Aristotle Ethics, Los Angeles, University of California Press, 1980, p. 7-14.
• Nancy Sherman, Making a Necessity of Virtue: Aristotle and Kant on Virtue, New York, Cambridge University Press, 1997, p. 24-98.
• William W. Fortenbaugh, Aristotle on Emotion, Londres, Gerald Duckworth & Company Limited, 1975, p. 63-92.