This is a course in applied ethics and politics, designed to discuss issues of contemporary moral and political concern. Here are just a small selection of the questions we’ll discuss:
● What are the limits of free speech?
● What duties do the global rich have to assist the global poor?
● How should we treat nonhuman animals? Can they have rights?
● What share of goods created through social cooperation are people entitled to?
● Can countries rightly choose to exclude immigrants?
● Is abortion permissible? How does this question relate to abortion’s legal status? As you can see, we will be covering a wide range of topics.
Our goal is to approach these issues from a philosophically informed perspective so that by the end of the course you are better equipped to grapple with controversial issues.
An examination of contemporary moral issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, war, affirmative action, and freedom of speech. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor.