Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Classroom Ethics
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
Teaching staff
By appointment by writing to the teacher:
English group: ipiulachs@uic.es
Spanish group: ipiulachs@uic.es
Introduction
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.
Pre-course requirements
Basic knowledge of Anthropology.
Objectives
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.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 06 - Understanding the importance of achieving a professional practice that respects the independence, beliefs and culture of all patients.
- 54 - Knowing the role of the dentist within the healthcare professions and working with other healthcare professionals and other members of the dentistry team
- 55 - Recognising that the patient is the centre of attention and that all the interaction, including the prevention, diagnosis, planning and carrying out of the treatment and maintenance, and must support their best interests, always avoiding any type of discrimination and respecting confidentiality
Learning outcomes of the subject
- 1.37 - Will value as necessary the knowledge throughout life
- 5.04 - Fulfill the praxis and the ethical professional code of.
- 5.08 - - Develop independent learning strategies, guided by a tutor, which represents an improvement to maintain current knowledge, skills and attitudes of professional skills
- 5.10 - Develop the skills of analysis, synthesis, planning and organization
- 5.11 - Develop the skills of oral and written communication
- 5.12 - Develop the capabilities of information management and teamwork
Syllabus
1. INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHICAL ETHICS
1.1. The moral phenomenon
1.2. Ethics as a philosophical science
1.3. Characteristics of Ethics
1.4. Relationship of Ethics with other sciences
2. MORAL GOOD
2.1. Human nature
2.2. The ontological good and the moral good
2.3. The metaphysical foundation of moral order
2.4. Moral evil
3. THE ULTIMATE END OF MAN: HAPPINESS
3.1. Teleological structure of free activity
3.2. The ultimate end
3.3. Ultimate end and happiness
3.4. Happiness and morality
4. THE NATURAL MORAL LAW
4.1. The Natural Moral Law: properties and content
4.2. Knowledge of the Natural Moral Law
4.3. Influence of personal moral dispositions on the knowledge of the Natural Moral Law
5. MORAL CONSCIENCE
5.1. Conscience as a particular judgment of the morality of acts
5.2. Modalities of conscience
5.3. Principles to follow conscience
5.4. Formation of moral conscience
5.5. Usual deformations of conscience
6. HUMAN ACTS
6.1. Human acts are characterized by being free
6.2. Intrinsic principles of human acts
6.3. Object, end, and circumstances in the morality of an act
6.4. Influence of passions on the morality of human acts
7. EMOTIONS (PASSIONS) AND MORALITY
7.1. Passions: acts of the sensitive appetite
7.2. Relationship of passions with intelligence and will
7.3. Morality of passions
8. FREEDOM AND MORAL HABITS: VIRTUES
8.1. Nature and necessity of virtues
8.2. Intellectual virtues and moral virtues
8.3. Acquisition of virtues
8.4. Cardinal virtues
9. SITUATIONS OF MORAL CONFLICT AND APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES
9.1. Principle of the lesser evil
9.2. Actions with double effect
9.3. Principle of avoiding cooperation with evil
10. VIRTUE ETHICS VERSUS OTHER ETHICAL SYSTEMS
10.1. Virtue ethics
10.2. Utilitarianism
10.3. Deontologism / Kantian ethics
10.4. Emotivism
10.5. Ethical contractualism
11. THEORY OF FRIENDSHIP
11.1. Friendship based on equality: friendship for interest, friendship for pleasure, and perfect friendship
11.2. Friendship based on superiority
12. PROFESSIONAL WORK
12.1. Nature of work
12.2. Work and virtues
12.3. Social dimension and Common Good
12.4. Work as a vocation
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The student will have two types of activities:
a) A lecture during the first half of the session, where the teacher presents the corresponding topic.
b) A practical class, generally during the second half of the session. During this time, different types of activities are carried out: group tasks, presentations, text comments, case studies, or even continue with the lecture.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Passmark for the subject is 5.
• The theoretical part accounts for 65% of the final grade. This 65% is made up of a final exam (40%), a midterm exam (15%), and positive evaluation of behavior and attendance (10%).
• The practical part accounts for 35% of the final grade, and results from the continuous assessment of each of the practical sessions.
In order to apply these weighted averages, students must score a minimum of 5 in each item
All these specifications apply to the presential, blended learning and online options.
Cheating, forgery, impersonation or fraud in individual or team written assignments, in classes attendance, in written or oral examinations is a major offense that carries being considered immediately failed in the subject. In case of relapse, disciplinary proceedings will be open against the author / s. View : DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS OF UNIVERSITAT INTERNACIONAL DE CATALUNYA. CHAPTER I. DISCIPLINARY OFFENSES. Section 2. g ) h )
Bibliography and resources
-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.
Evaluation period
- E1 18/05/2026 I2 10:00h
- E1 18/05/2026 I1 10:00h
- E1 18/05/2026 I3 10:00h
- R1 15/06/2026 A01 10:00h
- E2 18/06/2026 A02 10:00h
- R2 25/06/2026 A10 10:00h