Ethics

Module Code: PI4029

Module Name: Ethics

• ECTS Weighting: 5
• Semester/Term Taught: Michaelmas Term
• Contact Hours: 22 hours of lecture
• Module Personnel: Lecturer – Dr. Alice Pinheiro Walla

Module Content

The course offers an analysis of Immanuel Kant's Ethical Theory, focusing on his three major ethical works: the Groundwork to the Metaphysics of Morals, the Critique of Practical Reason and the Doctrine of Virtue, the second part of the Metaphysics of Morals. We shall discuss Kant's conception of practical reason, his account of moral psychology and conception of the normative force of morality. We shall also engage with contemporary 'Kantian Ethics'.

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module, students will be able to:

• outline the critical ideas of Kant's ethical theory;
• explore different ways of interpreting primary texts;
• engage with relevant secondary literature;
• understand some of the current debates in Kantian Ethics;
• critically analyse the central arguments and claims of Kant's ethics.