PHIL 1600 Ethical Well Being

Most people think of ethics as the study of figuring out the right thing to do in difficult situations. That is a main part of ethics. But ethics also considers what the best kind of life is and how we go about finding that life. Having a full ethical life means asking ourselves questions, such as: Do we have to seek out values or can we find them in a book? How do we make ourselves fit into the best kind of life? How can we be excellent and what is excellence? What stops us from doing evil or from achieving goodness or excellence? What constitutes genuine fulfillment and happiness? In this course, we will read historical and contemporary authors who asked those kinds of questions. We will also learn the practical skills involved in ethics, such as thinking, critically about ethical dilemmas, evaluating common problems, and developing our own views of ethical life. We will also consider what kinds of societal laws and institutions best help us fulfill our personal ethics and make for an ethical world. The goal of the course is for students to come away with an understanding of tradional views of ethics, practical resources for their own ethical lives, and the ability to think critically, imaginatively, and sympathetically about diverse viewpoints and about their own place in the world.
Credits: 3.0