PHL1010 Life, death and morality: introduction to ethics
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Handbook entry- a brief description of the subject can be found in the handbook entry. The handbook also provides information about the unit leader, the semester and mode in which the unit is available, the contact hours and the assessment requirements.
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MUSO site - there is a MUSO/Blackboard site for this unit where assessment tasks, lecture notes and other unit resources will be posted. Once enrolled, students taking this unit are advised to check the site regularly.
Subject description:
Life, Death, and Morality (LDM) is an introductory course in applied ethics. Applied ethics deals with attempts to apply philosophical theories about morality to practical contexts where decisions have to be made, laws have to be instituted, and so on.
An example:
The Federal Parliament recently held an inquiry into policy regarding stem cell research. The issue is controversial because stem cells are obtained from human embryos, and for some purposes it is best to obtain them from embryos produced by the processes used for cloning. In this way stem cells that might be used in the treatment of, say diabetes, in an adult patient could be grown from cells originally taken from the prospective patient. In the parliamentary inquiry, a great many submissions were received, representig a wide range of viewpoints, that often reflected religious or ideological backgrounds. Some, for example, argued that stem cell research involving embryios produced by cloning should be banned since this involves the deliberate creation of live human beings who will then be sacrificed for the good of others. Others submissions maintained that embryos created in this way, and used before cell differentiation has begun, are not living humans at all but just collections of human cells. Those who take this view are apt to maintain that stem cell research raises no more serious ethical issues than research on blood cells or human cancer cells. The task before the parliamentary committee was the daunting one of trying to decide which of the opinions before it were the expression of a particular religious or ideological outlook, and so should not be imposed on everyone irrespective of religious or other affiliation, and which were views that should influence law, because they were views that should be part of a universal ethic, that any person of good will should subscribe to. One of the topics in the course explores the philosophical issues raised in this debate. When does human life begin, for example, and when does a living organism become a person entitled to the same protection as any other?
Please note that students studying PHL1010 in Summer 2009/2010, will also complete a component on 'Reason and Argument'.
This component seeks to provide a conceptual framework for the critical appraisal of reasons and arguments that may be used in defence of various beliefs and policies. Its objective is to develop skills in argument and critical reasoning. This component develops skills similar to those in PHL1030, but in less depth.