PHIL2112 Consequentialism
Later Year Course
| Offered By | School of Philosophy |
|---|---|
| Academic Career | Undergraduate |
| Course Subject | Philosophy |
| Offered in | PHIL2112 will not be offered in 2011 |
| Unit Value | 6 units |
| Course Description |
This course will examine the family of normative ethical doctrines now commonly referred to as consequentialism. Consequentialists maintain that ethics is about contributing to making the world better. Agents are required to look at the consequences of the alternative courses of conduct before them and select the one that yields the highest expected net benefit over the long run. The course begins with some classical readings from utiltiarian thinkers such as Hume, Bentham, Mill, and Sidgwick, and then engages with more recent developments and defenses of consequentialist doctrines by contemporary authors such as Hare, Goodin, Sen, and Parfit. Consequentialist doctrines have been very controversial, and the arguments of several of their prominent contemporary critics will also be examined in detail.
This course will be included in the Philosophy major. |
| Indicative Assessment |
Weekly email assignments (10%), 1 x 1500 word essay (35%) , 1 x 2000 word essay (45%) and tutorial performance (10%) |
| Workload | 21 lectures and weekly tutorials |
| Areas of Interest | Philosophy |
| Recommended Courses | Phil1004; [also Social Philosophy: alphanumeric to come] |
| Preliminary Reading | |
| Majors/Specialisations | Philosophy |
| Academic Contact | Dr Christian Barry |
The information published on the Study at ANU 2011 website applies to the 2011 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2010 website.
