Universitat Internacional de Catalunya - Barcelona

Ethics

• code 08851
• course 2
• term Semester 1
• type FB
• credits 6

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.

• E24 - Ability to present the results of research project in accordance with the standards of each subject area.
• E25 - Ability to communicate orally in one's own language and other languages using the terminology and resources accepted in the cultural framework of each language
• G05 - To act responsibly and produce high-quality, rigorous and efficient work that benefits society.
• E02 - Ability to use methods and techniques specific to human sciences.
• G01 - To analyse and interpret social and cultural environments to identify need, opportunities, weaknesses and strenghts..
• G02 - To lead, cooordinate and form part of interdisciplinary work teams.
• G03 - To search for and/or administer economic resources within the framework of an institution or company, or a cultural programmes, project or service.
• G04 - To know how to communicate, encourage and mediate between the various agents involved in a cultural project, programme or service.
• G07 - To know how to apply and adapt to new technologies in processes of cultural management, production and dissemination.
• E06 - Awareness of and respect for different points of view resulting from cultural and social diversity.

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)

ARENDT, H., La condición humana, Paidós, Barcelona, 1993. 

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

GRISEZ, G., y SHAW, R., Ser persona. Curso de Ética, Rialp, Madrid, 1993.

LLANO, A.; La vida lograda, Ariel, Barcelona 2006

MACINTYRE, A., Tras la virtud, Crítica, Barcelona, 1987.

                        Tres versiones rivales de le ética, Rialp, Madrid 1992

MARÍAS, J. La felicidad humana, Alianza, Madrid, 1989.

M. MAURI, Bien humano y moralidad, PPU, Barcelona 1989

MENSCH, J., Ethics and Selfhood. Alterity and the Phenomenology of Obligation, State University of New York Press, NY, 2003.

PIEPER, J. Las virtudes fundamentales, Rialp, Madrid, 1980. 

RODRÍGUEZ LUÑO, A. Ética, Eunsa, Pamplona, 1986.

SENECA, Sobre la felicidad, Alianza, Madrid 1997

SPAEMANN, R., Ética. Cuestiones fundamentales, Eunsa, Pamplona, 1995.

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 

YEPES STORK, R. Fundamentos de antropología. Un ideal de la existencia humana. Eunsa. Pamplona. 1996.