Applied Ethics Pro-Seminar

(3 credits) INDS 502D Sec. 8

Terms I & II, Alternating Thursdays, 14:00 – 17:00 Location: FSC 1001

Description

This is an interdisciplinary seminar in applied ethics covering a wide range of areas (e.g., animal welfare, bioethics, business and professional ethics, and ethics and technology) using a variety of different methodologies (including traditional ethical analysis, ethnographic, and rational choice). This is an ideal course for graduate students from almost any discipline who wish to prepare themselves for the ethical challenges that arise within their fields and professional lives.

The course is designed for graduate students across disciplines and Faculties who are planning to do advanced work in applied ethics (e.g., a chapter in a dissertation or a publication in an academic or professional journal). Prof. Peter Danielson, Director, Centre for Applied Ethics, teaches the course. Faculty members, associates, and visitors at the Centre for Applied Ethics will be invited to present and discuss their current research in applied ethics and its methodology.

The course meets alternative weeks over terms I & II (see dates below). Format of the course consists of three parts:

  1. A public lecture in topics in applied ethics, stressing the speaker’s recent research
  2. An academic debriefing, where seminar members will discuss with the speaker the context of the talk and her research, including influences, literature, funding sources etc.
  3. The seminar has a final hour w/o the speaker, to engage in unbridled critical discussion and contextualizing, pulling the course together.

Textbook & Initial Readings

  1. Singer, Peter. (ed) Applied Ethics (Oxford, 1986)
  2. John Rawls, A Theory of Justice (any edition)
  3. A collection of Readings
Course Requirements There are three requirements:
  1. Participation in the seminar, including such exercises as:
  2. A presentation of a research topic, and
  3. A research paper.
The instructor will be sensitive to disciplinary backgrounds in negotiating paper topics as well as in evaluation. Consent of the instructor is required for admission to the course.

Contact Information

Dr. Peter Danielson, Mary & Maurice Young Professor of Applied Ethics, Centre for Applied Ethics,

(pad@ethics.ubc.ca); phone (604) 822-0537

Registration

Ms. Karen Schobel, Administrative Secretary, Centre for Applied Ethics (ethics@interchange.ubc.ca); phone (604) 822-8625; fax (604) 822-8625

Seminar Schedule & Readings (Term I)

Class Schedule