Ethics and Public Policy

Course goals

After this course, students can

1. Close read and interpret complex philosophical arguments, and construct an argument for their interpretation for which they provide correct exegetical evidence.
2. Independently construct a summary of complex philosophical arguments, distinguishing between key and peripheral points in a text, and making clear how different concepts and arguments contribute to the main argument.
3. List and explain the key concepts, principles, justifications, and criticisms of the three main theories of normative ethics, as well as the theories on human rights, business ethics, and the moral limits of the market included in the course.
4. Apply the studied theories to normative questions about public policy and individual action, including in domains that the readings do not discuss.
5. Evaluate elements of ethical theories, by providing arguments for or against their conceptual analysis, justification, and/or implications.
6. Critically evaluate moral arguments and construct valid moral arguments independently.
7. Clearly express arguments in philosophical ethics in writing.
8. Explain the value of an ethical perspective on questions of public policy, referring to concrete examples of public policy issues.
9. Explain the concept of plagiarism and the importance of academic integrity, and be able to produce original work while applying general norms of proper citation and peer review.
10. Strengthen their collaboration skills (professional skills)
11. Strengthen their disciplinary grounding in philosophy (interdisciplinary skills)
     

Content

Ethics & Public Policy has two aims. First, it offers students an introduction into the main theories in normative ethics: utilitarianism, Kantianism, and Aristotelian virtue ethics. Each of these theories provides a competing evaluative framework to judge how individuals should act as well as how institutions should be arranged. Students are familiarized with the philosophical background, content and justification of these theories, and start developing their skills in philosophical argumentation about these theories. Second, the course trains students to recognize and critically analyse the inevitable role of ethical norms and ethical reasoning within the domain of public policy, and to apply ethical theories themselves to urgent questions of public policy.