CE5309: Moral Map-Makers

School Continuing and Professional Education
Department Code LEARN
Module Code CE5309
External Subject Code 100793
Number of Credits 10
Level L4
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Dr Michelle Deininger
Semester Spring Semester
Academic Year 2018/9

Outline Description of Module

Why do we experience our world morally? Does our ability to navigate the moral landscape depend on apt feelings or good reasoning? Some forms of psychopathology impair moral perception and motivation. What can we learn from the moral deficits found in autism and antisocial personality disorder? What does a mind need to be a successful moral map-maker?
This module will explore a selection of topics in moral psychology, a discipline at the intersection of ethics, philosophy of mind and psychology. No previous knowledge of philosophy, psychology or psychiatry will be assumed.

On completion of the module a student should be able to

By the end of the period of learning, the typical student will be able to:

  • demonstrate an understanding of core elements of the course material;
  • identify central questions in moral psychology and key positions addressing them;
  • evaluate claims concerning moral psychology, in the context of historical and contemporary discussions;
  • understand relevant empirical findings and discussions of their philosophical implications;     
  • bring the insights of philosophy to bear on questions concerning moral education, forensic psychiatry and public policy.

Intellectual Skills:

By the end of the period of learning, the typical student will be able to:

  • analyse the structure of an argument;
  • critically evaluate an argument;
  • compare and contrast different positions on an issue;
  • adjudicate disputes.

Discipline Specific (including practical) Skills:

By the end of the period of learning, the typical student will be able to:

  • critically read and analyse a philosophical text;
  • use philosophical vocabulary appropriate to the subject matter of the specific course;
  • formulate and defend a philosophical thesis;
  • constructively discuss philosophical ideas with others.

How the module will be delivered

This course is taught in 10, two-hour sessions, delivered on a weekly basis.

There will be a mixture of lectures and seminars, the precise proportion to be determined by the needs of the students enrolled. The seminar element may include debate, discussion, group activities, presentations and readings. Additional reading material will be recommended and a reading list will be supplied. If appropriate, other materials such as documentaries may also be included. Course handouts will be provided as appropriate.

The seminars will encourage the development of knowledge and understanding of the ideas and concepts discussed in the course. Intellectual skills will be encouraged through participation in class discussion, reading and coursework.

Skills that will be practised and developed

Academic Skills:

By the end of the period of learning, the typical student will have:

  • found relevant resources in the library and online;
  • assessed the reliability of different sources of information;
  • demonstrated a critical approach to academic texts.

Transferable/employability Skills:

By the end of the period of learning, the typical student will have shown that s/he can:

  • recognise, analyse and criticise arguments;
  • explain and defend a view clearly and concisely whether orally or in writing;
  • respond constructively to disagreement;
  • evaluate claims in the context of historical and contemporary debates about moral psychology;
  • formulate useful questions in the context of philosophical theory, empirical psychology and psychiatry, and public policy.

 

How the module will be assessed

How the module will be assessed

 

Type of assessment  % Contribution Title Duration (if applicable) Approx. date of Assessment

Issue identification       5%                            Question Formulation                                  Various

Exegesis of 400-500 words  20%                   Glossary Entry                                          Agreed by week 3/4 and submitted in week 6/7

Paper of 1,300-1,500 words  75%                  Paper                                                        Set by week 5/6 and submitted shortly after end of course

 

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Written Assessment 100 Moral Map-Makers N/A

Syllabus content

We will be concerned with the connections -- or purported connections --- between the nature of human psychology, psychopathology and ethical theory. Discussion will be informed, as appropriate, by both classical and contemporary philosophy, including feminist approaches, and empirical work in the human sciences, especially experimental and clinical psychology and psychiatry.

 

The following list of sample topics illustrates the kind of subject matter which may be discussed but the specific issues selected will vary.

 

  • Evil.
    • For example, is  ‘evil’ an antiquated concept, best discarded along with the demons and devils of a more (or differently) superstitious age? Once shorn of its traditional religious trappings, does the concept capture anything more than moral wrongness? Even if it does, would the phenomenon be better understood if discussed in the language and theoretical framework provided by psychiatry, psychology or sociology?
  • Psychopathology.
    • For example, are some mental illnesses really moral deficiencies? Does psychopathology always exculpate morally? Or should some psychiatric diagnoses be understood as judgements of vicious ethical character?
  • Altruism.
    • For example, what is altruism? Is there such a thing as an ‘altruistic personality’? Can humans be altruistic? What is the relationship between altruistic motivation and morally admirable motivation?
  • Moral hypocrisy.
    • For example, are humans at best moral hypocrites? Or can members of our species be genuinely moral?
  • Emotion.
    • For example, what is an emotion? What role should emotions play in ethical theory and moral life?
  • Sympathy and empathy.
    • For example, what is the difference between sympathy and empathy? Are either or both required for, or supportive of, good moral agency? Or might empathy actually be an impediment to moral goodness? Might empathy play an important epistemic role by focusing moral attention and cutting through moral oblivion? Does a virtuous character require a capacity for empathy or sympathy? That is, is one or both of these capacities required for good moral character, as compassion or honesty might be? Or are they more similar to an ability to speak Cherokee or programme a computer – possibly conducive to virtue or vice at times, but essentially morally neutral in themselves?
  • Uncertainty.
    • For example, what should you do if you aren’t sure what you should do? Do human epistemic limitations have important implications for the nature of good human moral agency? Is moral maturity  better understood as the final outcome of a successful moral education or the ability to begin engaging in a process of self-directed moral development?
  • Moral education and development.
    • For example, what is the proper aim of moral education? How can this aim be most effectively pursued? Should we teach children moral principles? Should we foster their moral integrity? Should we seek to habituate virtuous traits and de-habituate or prevent habituation of vicious ones?


The course may draw on case studies and examples from fiction and non-fiction to illustrate the theoretical positions  discussed and students are encouraged to draw further examples from their own experience.

Essential Reading and Resource List

Reading and resources will vary according to the specific topics covered in the module. They may also like to explore related resources available at http://cfrees.wordpress.com/teaching/.

 


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