Ethics
Module: Humanities
Matter: The individual and society
Main language of instruction: Catalan
Other languages of instruction: Spanish
Head instructor
Dra. Magdalena BOSCH - mbosch@uic.es
Office hours
By appointment. In order to make an appointment, please request one by mail.
The most frequent problems in our personal and professional activities are usually not really professional, in a technical sense. They are often human problems like: how to act correctly, how to maintain good relationships with other people. The subject “Ethics” is the space to study and think about this.
No pre-course requirements are needed to enrol in this subject.
The main objectives in this subject are:
1. To provide students with theoretical tools for the analysis of human behavior.
2. To introduce students into the use of the basic elements of moral thought and the main concepts in ethics.
Students who enrol in this subject will:
- Develop their capacity to identify ethical values and exercise ethical judgments.
- Learn to identify and solve practical problems and make correct decisions.
Theme 1. Introduction to the subject
History of Ethics
The concept of Ethics
Ethics as human science
PART I: ETHICS BASIC CONCEPTS
Theme 2. The topic of Ethics
The recovery at the end of XX century
What excellence means
Theme 3. The meaning of live
The ultimate end
Happiness
Theme 4. Virtue: skill, power, capability
Cardinal virtues
Social Virtues
Theme 5. Intellectual Virtues
Decision making
Theme 6. Conscience and self-government
The ethical judgement
The government of personal action
Theme 7. Friendship
Ways of loving
True friendship
PART II: KEY AUTHORS IN THE HISTORY OF MORAL THOUGHT
Theme 8. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
The soul
To suffer injustice
To love justice
Theme 9. Stoicism
Seneca (4a.C.-65)
Epictetus (50-138)
Marcus Aurelius (121-180)
Theme 10. Christianism
Priority of love
Teaching forgiveness
Personal testimony rather than rules
Theme 11. Maquiavelli
An Ethics of power
The end and the means
Theme 12. Descartes
Morals based on the method
Provisional morals
Permanent morals
Theme 13. Kant
Scientific morals
Morals based on law
The categorical imperative
Theme 14. Contemporary Ethics
H. Arendt: the banality of evil
J. Habermas: communication and dialog
K. O. Apple: minimal Ethics
Three different methodological resources are used in this subject:
1. Interactive class, raising the previous knowledge of the students
2. Theoretical class, explaining the main concepts
3. Analysis of practical cases
25% of work in class or at home
25% composition of an essay
50 % Final exam
(Students must obtain a passing mark of 5, in order to pass the final exam)
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ARISTÓTELES, Ética a Nicómaco. Ed. bilingüe, Instituto de Estudios Políticos, Madrid, 1970.
BASTONS, M.; La inteligencia práctica. Prohom, Barcelona 2003
La toma de decisiones en la organización, Ariel, Barcelona 2000
BOSCH, M.; La ética amable, EUNSA, Pamplona 2015
CICERÓN, De los deberes
De la amistad
De la vejez
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Tres versiones rivales de le ética, Rialp, Madrid 1992
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TAYLOR, Ch.; La ética de la autenticidad, Paidós, Barcelona 1994
TRIGO, T.; En busca de una ética universal: un nuevo modo de ver la ley natural. Eunsa. Pamplona 2011
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