What makes an action right or wrong? Is morality universal or culturally relative? Should we judge people by their intentions, their character, or the consequences of their actions? This track introduces the major traditions of Western moral philosophy — virtue ethics, deontology, consequentialism, and social contract theory — and then applies them to real-world dilemmas in medicine, technology, business, and global politics. Each module combines rich readings with thought experiments (the trolley problem, the experience machine, the veil of ignorance), primary texts from philosophers like Aristotle, Kant, and Mill, and quizzes that test both knowledge and reasoning. By the end, you will have a toolkit for thinking clearly about the moral questions that shape everyday life and public policy.
The foundations of moral philosophy: morality vs. ethics, descriptive vs. normative approaches, and an overview of metaethics.
Aristotle's character-based ethics: virtues, vices, eudaimonia, the golden mean, and the development of moral character.
Kant's duty-based moral philosophy: the categorical imperative, moral duty, human dignity, and rights-based ethics.
The ethics of outcomes: Bentham, Mill, act vs. rule utilitarianism, the felicific calculus, and the limits of maximizing happiness.
The ethics of agreement: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Rawls, the state of nature, the veil of ignorance, and justice as fairness.
Applying moral frameworks to real-world dilemmas in medicine, healthcare, animal rights, and environmental stewardship.
Ethical dilemmas in AI, surveillance, corporate responsibility, global poverty, human rights, and the capstone project.
Comprehensive assessment covering all modules of the Introduction to Ethics track.