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Ethics

When you'll study it
Semester 2
CATS points
15
ECTS points
7.5
Level
Level 4
Module lead
Fiona Woollard
Academic year
2025-26

Module overview

We all make moral judgements every day. Today you might have decided not to push into a queue because it would be unfair. You might think that murder is wrong but that it is still not permissible for the state to take an innocent life in retribution. You might have been appalled at an item on the radio, exclaiming that large international companies should not use loopholes to avoid paying taxes. Ethics explores these moral judgements. You will explore the nature of moral judgements. What am I doing when I say that something is wrong? Am I merely expressing my own preferences or am I trying to report some external truth? You will also consider theories about how we should act. Is morality about bringing about the greatest happiness for everyone concerned? Is it wrong to lie even when doing so won’t have any bad consequences?