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Foundations of Ethics

Approach to Assessment

One essay (2,500 words) and one examination in which you write answers to two questions in two hours from a list of 6. The two assessments are equally weighted at 50% each.

Writing an essay - one possible technique

Approaching a (time-limited essay or) seen exam

Coursework Question

In setting the coursework, I am anxious to get you (a) to develop your own thinking in ethics and (b) to develop your skill in getting help with your thinking from other clever people.

So I'm setting some questions (you choose one, guided by your interest) and asking you to choose one of the required readings listed in the week-by-week guide to help you develop your answer. I'm asking you to include in your answer a detailed report of the reading you choose. The detailed report - 'exposition' - should take about a half of the essay as a whole.

The other half of the essay will consist of you developing your own position by arguing against points you have found in the reading you have chosen, or by developing further the good points you have found in it, or by bringing in other arguments on the topic.

You will get credit for bringing in other relevant reading, ie other relevant literature, in addition to the core reading you have chosen, but bringing in the core reading is the only reading that is actually required. That is, if you write a brilliant essay which covers just the one piece of reading, namely the core reading you have chosen, no marks will be deducted on the grounds that there ought to have been more 'coverage of the literature'.

The questions are:

1. When, in a difficult situation, you are thinking out what is the ethical thing to do, should you try and be as ‘unemotional’ as possible?

2. Is biology relevant to morality?

3. Are there any actions you should perform no matter what the consequences?

4. Would understanding be worthwhile even if it didn't bring any pleasure?

5. Is there any reason to help other people?

6. Is happiness the only truly desirable thing there is?

Deadline: 5 o'clock 20th March 2009. Please note: the penalties for late submission are really serious (and out of my hands!).

Word Limit: 2,500 Words

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