Philosophy and Ethics

An examination of fundamental conceptions of the philosophy in ancient, medieval and modern periods. Topics include: a general aim of philosophy, truth and relativism, and ethics. The development of logical and critical thinking receives special attention.

Plan of the lectures: 30 hours for the course

1. Introduction to philosophy and ethics.

2. Introduction to logic: definitions, validity, and soundness. Reading due: Plato, Euthyphro; Weston’s A rulebook for arguments I

3. Plato and the examined life. Reading due: Plato, Apology; Weston’s A rulebook for arguments II

4. David Hume and the passions: Reading due: Hume’s A Treatise of Human Nature; Weston’s A rulebook for arguments III

5. The pursuit of truth. Reading due: Plato’s Gorgias ; Weston’s A rulebook for arguments IV

6. Relativism: Is ‘truth’ merely subjective? Reading due: Plato’s Republic part I

7. The relation of modern sciences and philosophy. Reading due: Weston’s A rulebook for arguments V

8. Virtue Ethics Reading due: Aristotle’s Nicomachean ethics Book I

9. Consequentialism and Utilitarian Ethics. Reading due: John Steward Mill’s On Liberty

10. Deontological Ethics. Reading due: Kant’s Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals

11. Ethics as a foundation for political philosophy? Reading due: Plato’s Republic part II

12. An attempt at a synthesis: making sense of it all. Reading due: Plato’s Republic part III

1.Primary sources

--Selected fragments from various texts will be available in OneDrive and expected to be printed out prior to the lecture.

-- A Rulebook for Arguments: 4th edition by Anthony Weston, Hackett Publishing Company, 2009.

2. Secondary sources

--The textbooks on history of philosophy, e.g. Frederick Copleston or Bertrand Russel.

Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (available on-line)

Knowledge: The course aims to equip basic argumentation tools and familiarize students with fundamental philosophical texts; basic familiarization with various ethical theories (consequentialism, deontological and virtue ethics).

Skills: The use of basic argumentation tools to analyze everyday problems, philosophical problems, and problems in the student’s field of study in order to come to a reasonable conclusion; tools to evaluate the one’s own actions.

Social Competences: Due to the combination of the two discipline the course tends to develop the comparative thinking, the vision of one concept seen in different perspectives, to define the discussed concepts clearly and explicitly, and to search for the origins of the examined concepts and ideas.

Attendance, participation and presentation of one text from the compulsory reading are needed (the last in the most degree will determinate the final credit).

Attendance is mandatory: three or more unjustified absences will result in a failure grade.