00393 - Moral Philosophy (M-Z)

Learning outcomes

This course provides an introduction to moral philosophy. It is expected that students will become familiar with debates and theories in metaethics, normative ethics, and moral psychology.

Course contents

This course offers an introduction to Western moral philosophy, exploring questions such as: Are there objective moral truths? What gives moral principles their authority? What are we doing when we make a moral judgment? What is it that makes an action just or wrong? What kind of person ought one to be?

To address these questions, we will examine major approaches in metaethics and normative ethics, as well as key topics in moral psychology. Through a combination of historical and theoretical analysis, this course aims to enhance our ability to think critically about the reasons that might support or challenge the moral judgments we are inclined to make.

The course is divided into the following four sections:

• Metaethics.
• Normative ethics.
• Moral psychology.
  
• Focus on peace, political realism, and violence

Readings/Bibliography

I. First module. Mandatory readings:

• Donatelli, P. (2015), Etica. I classici, le teorie e le linee evolutive, Torino, Einaudi: Capitolo I (Platone); Capitolo II (Aristotele); Capitolo X (Hume e Smith); Capitolo XI (Kant); Capitolo XIII (Mill).

• Selection of excerpts from Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Smith, Kant, and Mill (available on Virtuale).

• Iris Marion Young (1990), Justice and the politics of difference, Princeton, Princeton University Press: chapter 1, ‘Displacing the distributive paradigm’ and chapter 2, ‘Five faces of oppression’.

II. Focus: Peace, political realism, and violence.

Immanuel Kant, Per la pace perpetua, edizione Feltrinelli (if possible)

Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Perché la guerra, edizione Bollati Boringhieri.

Selection of excerpts  (uploaded on Virtuale).

 

 

Teaching methods

Lectures and discussion. Students are encouraged to participate in lecture discussions. If some passages in the lecture and texts are unclear, a meeting with the lecturer during the office hours can be arranged.

Assessment methods

Students will be evaluated on the basis of a written examination which consists of

• A multiple-choice test (15 questions concerning the first module)
• Open-ended questions (one question concerning the first module and one question concerning the second module).

Multiple-choice test: A pass (9/15) on the multiple-choice test is required in order to access the open question.

Open-ended questions: To pass the exam, it is necessary to provide a satisfactory answer to each of the two open-ended questions. The final grade is calculated by summing the scores obtained from the answers to the open-ended questions.

The total time available is 30 minutes for the multiple-choice test and 60 minutes for the open-ended questions.

--

For students who take the course 10059 - FILOSOFIA MORALE (1) (A-L) - 6 cfu the exam consists of the multiple-choice test and the open-ended question concerning the first module. The final grade is calculated by adding the score obtained in the multiple-choice test (maximum 15 points) and the score obtained in the open-ended question (maximum 15 points / 16 points for honors).

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Difficulties (SLD)

Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Difficulties have the right to special adjustments according to their condition, following an assessment by the Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the instructor but get in touch with the Service directly to schedule an appointment. It will be the responsibility of the Service to determine the appropriate adjustments. For more information, visit the page:

https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students

It is recommended that students contact the University office in advance. Any proposed adjustments must be submitted at least 15 days in advance for the professor’s approval, who will evaluate their appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Teaching tools

Traditional lectures will be complemented by a variety of in-class activities, including tests and debates.

Office hours

See the website of Matteo Santarelli