Monash University Handbook 2010 Undergraduate - Unit

PHL1010 - Life, death, and morality: introduction to ethics

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Offered	Caulfield First semester 2010 (Day) Clayton First semester 2010 (Day) Clayton First semester 2010 (Off-campus) Clayton Second semester 2010 (Off-campus) Clayton Summer semester A 2010 (Off-campus) South Africa First semester 2010 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Toby Handfield

Synopsis

This unit is an introduction to moral philosophy. The focus of the unit is the ethics of killing. We examine questions such as: When, if ever, is killing justified? Many of us think that killing is permissible in emergency rescue situations, or in self-defence. Is it possible to explain this in a way that is consistent with our more typical attitudes to killing? What about killing non-human animals for food? Like all philosophy units, this unit will also develop critical and analytic thinking skills.

Objectives

On completing this subject students will have an understanding of some central issues in applied ethics and of the role philosophy can play in clarifying the discussion of them. They will have acquired some understanding of the nature and methods of philosophical inquiry, and an enhanced capacity for critical reasoning and rigorous thought.

Assessment

Written exercises: 60%
Exam: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Toby Handfield

Contact hours

Two 1- hour lecture per week + One 1- hour tutorial per week.