As an introduction to moral philosophy, this class focuses on the three most popular positions in the field of ethics: Virtue ethics, Deontological ethics, and Consequentialism. We study these positions by looking carefully at Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (virtue ethics), Kant's Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals (deontological ethics), and Mill's Utilitarianism (consequentialism). Through a combination of closely reading these original texts, class discussion, and in-class debates, we aim to understand the normative claims of each position and how these claims are understood to be grounded.
- Teacher: Matthew Robinson