PHIL 240 - Introduction to Ethics

Credits: 5
Introduces students to a philosophical study of morality. Helps students to understand and analyze competing ethical claims based on such standards as happiness, duty, human nature, theology, and custom. Questions considered may include: What makes actions right, if anything? What makes anything good or evil, if anything? What, if anything, makes a person a good person?

Prerequisite: Eligible for ENGL 099 or instructor’s permission.

Satisfies Requirement: Humanities/Fine Arts/English

Course Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this class will be able to:

Demonstrate command of important philosophical terminology, themes, and arguments related to ethics.
Apply the major normative ethical theories to practical moral considerations in public and private life.
State and evaluate non-trivial theories and arguments related to ethics.
Recognize the consequences of their actions and hold themselves accountable.

Program Outcomes
Form, analyze, and assess beliefs while demonstrating intellectual humility and respect towards the beliefs of others.

College-wide Outcomes

Critical Thinking - Critical thinking finds expression in all disciplines and everyday life. It is characterized by an ability to reflect upon thinking patterns, including the role of emotions on thoughts, and to rigorously assess the quality of thought through its work products. Critical thinkers routinely evaluate thinking processes and alter them, as necessary, to facilitate an improvement in their thinking and potentially foster certain dispositions or intellectual traits over time.
Written Communication - Written Communication encompasses all the abilities necessary for effective expression of thoughts, feelings, and ideas in written form.