| ETHICS |
| Ethics is the branch of philosophy that concerns "the good"--what kinds of actions are good, how do we know that they are good, and how or why do we choose the good. Philosophy ("love of wisdom") is the study of how to articulate, hold, and defend true or valid positions. It is divided into four major branches: 1. Metaphysics, or the study of reality. What is reality? What kind of things are real? What is the nature of concepts like existence, matter, energy, soul, cause, freedom, etc.? 2. Epistemology, or the study of knowledge. What is knowledge? What can we know? How can we know that we know? 3. Aesthetics, or the study of beauty or human feelings about beauty. What is beauty? What is art? What is the function of beauty or art? 4. Ethics, or the study of good or right action. What actions are good or just? What is good or justice or morality? How do we apply ethical/moral principles to real-life problems or decisions? Logic is also an important part of philosophy, but logic is more a method than a separate area of study. Logic is how we put facts or propositions together correctly to arrive at valid or "sound" conclusions. Week 1: What is Ethics? Resources: Ethics from Internet Encyclopedia Week 2: How to Construct a Good Argument Resources: Mission Critical Thinking Week 3: Psychological and Biological Bases of Ethics Week 4: Religious/Cross-cultural Bases of Ethics Resources: Ethics in Buddhism Ethics in Islam Ethics in Hinduism Ethics in Judaism Week 5: Theories of Ethics |