Classroom Ethics
Main language of instruction: Spanish
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English,
Head instructor
Dr. Ignacio MACPHERSON - imacpherson@uic.es
Dra. María Remedios AGULLES - ragulles@uic.es
Office hours
By appointment by writing to the teacher:
English group; ragulles@uic.es
Spanish group: imacpherson@uic.es
The study of Anthropology held in the first semester provides a consistent and complete view of the human person. This is required to address, in the second semester and in the subject of Classroom Ethics, the analysis and understanding of human ethical behavior. The subject of Classroom Ethics is also an introduction to philosophical ethics that includes the general ideas and concepts that will later make the Specific Ethics for Health Sciences - Bioethics - understandable. There, a number of topical issues will be selected to show the practical role played by ethics in everyday life.
Basic knowledge of Anthropology.
1- Positively encourage students to search for truth by giving them the required intellectual tools.
2- Learn to admire beauty and arouse interest in the world and the historical period they have to live in.
3- Encourage students' sensitivity towards ethical problems. Give them a basic terminology to understand the factors involved in human behavior.
4- Introduce students to the main assumptions and principles of ethics to be able to identify ethical issues in the health care field as well as in personal and social spheres.
5- Arise, as far as possible, students' awareness of their moral duties and personal responsibility.
6- Provide students with the essential knowledge to make ethically correct decisions in various situations, in professional, personal and social life.
7- Show the need to integrate ethical values in personal life and live according to fundamental virtues as a means to get closer to happiness.
1. THE RATIONAL FOUNDATION OF ETHICS
1.1. The moral phenomenon.
1.2. The basis of ethical criteria and standards.
2. HUMAN ACTION
2.1. Underlying principles of human acts.
2.2. Ethical components of acts.
2.3. Effects of acts.
2.4. Conflictive situations.
3. FREEDOM AND MORAL CHOICE
3.1. Degrees of freedom.
3.2. Coordinates of freedom.
3.3. Limits of freedom.
4. NATURAL LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS
4.1 . Natural Law.
4.2. The discovery of natural law. Synderesis.
4.3. Characteristics of natural law.
4.4 . The contents of natural law. First principles.
4.5. The role of personal moral dispositions.
4.6 . Human Rights. Three Statements .
5. HUMAN CONSCIENCE
5.1. Ethical or moral conscience.
5.2. Modalities of conscience.
5.3. Principles to follow one's own conscience.
5.4. The formation of conscience.
5.5. Phases of the development of conscience.
5.6. Conscience and public authorities.
5.7. Usual deformations of conscience.
6. VIRTUES AND VALUES
6.1. On the terms 'value' and 'virtue'.
6.2. Nature and need of virtue.
6.3. The acquisition of virtues.
6.4. The fundamental virtues. Concept and origin.
6.5. Temperance.
6.6. Fortitude or courage.
6.7. Justice.
6.8. Prudence.
7. SOCIAL LIFE. PROBLEMS OF OUR TIME
7.1. Fundamental principles for social life.
7.2. Distinction between morality and legality.
7.3. Discrimination. Ethical concept.
7.4. Racial and sexual discrimination.
7.5. Legitimate defense. The defense of a third party.
7.6. Pacifism. Violence. War.
7.7. Radical fundamentalisms.
8. FRIENDSHIP AND AFFECTIVITY
8.1. The dignity or perfection of the human person
8.2. The personalist principle.
8.3. Friendship as reciprocal love-affection.
8.4. Integration of emotion and love.
9. ETHICS AND THE MEDIA
9.1. Communication.
9.2. Information.
9.3. Lie as a manipulation.
9.4. Protection against informative manipulation.
9.5. Respect for privacy.
10. PROFESSIONAL WORK
10.1. The meaning of professional work.
10.2. General principles of justice in professional relationships.
10.3. Rationality of duty in professional work.
10.4. Relationship between employers and employees.
-Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Several publishers.
-Frankl, Viktor, Man's Search for Meaning. Buccaneer Books.
-Lewis, C. S., The Four Loves, Mariner Books.
-MacIntyre, Alasdair, After Virtue, University of Notre Dame Press.
-Spaemann, Robert, Basic Moral Concepts, Routledge.
-Spaemann, Robert, Happiness and Benevolence, T&T Clark.
Complementary sources:
-Ayllón, José Ramón, Ética Razonada, Palabra.
-Ayllón, José Ramón, La buena vida. Una propuesta ética, Martínez Roca.
-Ayllón, José Ramón, Introducción a la Ética,Palabra.
-Chalmeta, Gabriel, Ética Social. Familia, profesión y ciudadanía. EUNSA.
-Duoc UC, Apuntes de Ética.
-García Marqués, A. – Zúnica Ramejo, I., Civis Bonus, ISABOR & AVK VERLAG.
-Gómez Pérez, Rafael, Problemas morales de la existencia humana, ME, S.A.
-Grisez, Germain – Shaw, Russell, Beyond the New Morality. The Responsibilities of Freedom. University of Notre Dame Press.
-Pieper, Josef, The Four Cardinal Virtues, University of Notre Dame Press.
-Rodríguez Luño, Ángel, Ética general, EUNSA.
-Yepes, Ricardo – Aranguren, Javier, Fundamentos de Atropología. EUNSA.
E: exam date | R: revision date | 1: first session | 2: second session: