Universität Wien

180042 SE Behind morality: the big questions (2012W)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Monday 08.10. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 15.10. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 22.10. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 29.10. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 05.11. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 12.11. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 19.11. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 26.11. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 03.12. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 10.12. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 17.12. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 07.01. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 14.01. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 21.01. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 28.01. 11:00 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Moral philosophers have debated for centuries the nature of right and wrong, good and bad, duties and obligations. But what makes us so sure that there are such things in the first place? Take an action of yours – torturing a cat. There are many properties of your action, of you, and of the cat that we can find in the world – the action is taking place in a certain location, at a certain time; you are of a certain temperature, shape, and size; the cat is of a certain colour and weight. But there are crucial properties which are far more elusive: the wrongness of your action; your cruelty; the cat’s being unfairly treated. Where in the world do we find these elusive properties? If we can’t find them, should we give up on morality as a bad job? We read Alexander Miller’s AN INTRODUCTION TO CONTEMPORARY METAETHICS.

Assessment and permitted materials

Regular attendance;
Involvement in discussions;
Email me the main claim of each paper and outline of argument before each seminar (20% of overall mark);
Two 10-page essays to be submitted by 5pm on 28 February (80% of overall mark).

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Examination topics

Reading list

Miller, Alexander (2003) An Introduction to Contemporary Metaethics (Cambridge: Polity Press).

Reading for session 1: 'Introduction' (pp.1-9) To be found in my Handapparat as well as on Moodle: https://moodle.univie.ac.at/course/view.php?id=16239

Association in the course directory

BA M 6.2, MA M2, MA (alt:) M2

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:36