When we ask how we should live, what we should do, and which ways of treating each other are good or bad, we are asking the questions of normative ethics. Normative ethical theory is the part of philosophy that aspires to give a general and systematic set of answers to those questions. This course offers an advanced undergraduate overview of contemporary normative ethical theory. It will explain the differences between the main types of normative ethical theory, the underlying issues that divide them, the objections that they face, and the elaborations that theories of each type can make in trying to deal with those objections. An emphasis in the course will be on the question: What are the most basic values or reasons from which the content of ethics derives? We will look at the ways in which different theories have tried to answer this question, and we will ask what methods of reasoning can be used to answer it.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- examine and describe accurately the main normative ethical theories covered by the course;
- state and critically evaluate the most important arguments for and against those theories, offering clearly articulated reasons;
- develop detailed and well-structured written arguments for conclusions concerning two of the topics covered by the course; and
- engage in well-reasoned oral discussion and debate about foundation questions in normative ethical theory.
Indicative Assessment
- First Essay (2,250 words) (55) [LO 1,2,3]
- Second Essay (2,250 words) (25) [LO 1,2,3]
- Preparation and Participation, consisting of submission of weekly reading notes and tutorial participation, in each tutorial week. (20) [LO 1,2,4]
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Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:
a) 36 hours of contact: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorials
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
All readings for the course will be supplied on the Wattle site.
Preliminary Reading
David Copp (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ethical Theory (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006)
Hugh LaFollette and Ingmar Persson (eds), The Blackwell Guide to Ethical Theory 2nd edition (Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell, 2013)
Julia Driver, Ethics: The Fundamentals (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2006)
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4320 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $5580 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9237 | 21 Jul 2025 | 28 Jul 2025 | 31 Aug 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | In Person | N/A |